Statistics favour Barça

Statistics favour Barça
If Barça can repeat the results of the last ten matches of the first half of the league programme, the third league title in a row will be ours.

The Spanish league is entering its final phase and with just ten games left, the stats could well be in Barça’s favour. If the team can maintain the kind of results achieved in the last ten games of the first half of the season, there will be no catching them. Bearing in mind that Rijkaard had to deal with a number of important injury problems earlier in the season, the signs are looking good.

The last ten matches of the first half of the season

If we examine the results of the last ten games of the first half of the season – in other words, matches against the same sides that must now be faced in the last ten games of the season – we see that Real Madrid collected 21 points, Barça and Valencia, 19 and Sevilla, 17. Given the lead currently enjoyed by Barça, the same set of results would hand Barça its third consecutive league title.

No direct encounters

Barça also has the added advantage of not having to play against any of the other three teams currently competing for a top-four finish. In contrast, Real Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla all have to play each other – Valencia v Sevilla (match day 30), Real Madrid v Valencia (match day 31) and Real Madrid v Sevilla (match day 33) – and will therefore be taking much needed points from each other.

With Messi and Eto’o

Barça has been boosted by the return of Messi and Eto’o for this final phase of the season. Both strikers missed the last games of the first half of the season due to injury but are now back in top form. Between them, they’ve scored eight goals in the last three matches and, significantly, with an attacking threesome of Messi, Eto’o and Ronaldinho in the starting line-up, Barça has not lost a single league match.