LALIGA
LaLiga stats leaders 2019-20: Messi, Casemiro and Busquets
The season is only 27 games in but we have been forced to stop due to the coronavirus. Here are the stats leaders in the 2019/20 season.
There have been just 27 games played in LaLiga and now we are facing into a break that has no end in sight for now. Aside from the usual suspects at the top of certain charts such as goals and assists (both Messi), we also look at the player with most fouls, the quickest player and other statistics.
Goalscorers
Despite the fact that we still have 11 games to play in LaLiga, Lionel Messi leads the chart after 27 games with 19 goals. He is miles ahead of Karim Benzema, who has scored five fewer than the Argentine.
The Zarra is awarded to the top Spanish goalscorer. At the top of that category we have three names: Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Lucas Pérez (Alavés) and Roger Martí (Levante) who have all scored 11 times each.
Assists
The other big stat for attackers is assists. And you guessed it, Lionel Messi leads the way on that front too. The Barcelona attacker has 12 this season. That means he has been involved in 31 goals in 22 games he has played so far.
Second is Real Sociedad's Portu. The attacker signed from Girona last season and has eight so far and following his are Luis Suárez (Barcelona), Rodrigo (Valencia) and Roberto Torres (Osasuna), who round out the top 5 with seven assists.
Recoveries
The Brazilian Casemiro has turned himself into a vital player in Madrid's midfield in recent years. He has mastered the art of destroying opposition attacks and has recovered 53 balls from the feet of opponents.
Next up is Unai Bustinza (Leganés) and Kiko Olivas (Valladolid) along with fellow Brazilian, Fernando (Sevilla), with 48 steals.
Passes
A statistic the reflects the style of a team, two footballers at the top of the list are from LaLiga's most pass-heavy team. Sergio Busquets, 1871 passes, is the leader and behind him is his teammate, Gerard Piqué with 1857.
Dani Parejo (1617), Toni Kroos (1608) and Ever Banega (1576) round out the top 5. None of these players surprise you given their teams styles and dominance in a lot of games along with the players' importance in their respective teams.
Fouls committed
It is normal to find a defender atop this category or a defensive midfielder. It's actually Jaime Mata with 67 and this too reflects Getafe's style of play under José Bordalás. It's a tactic deployed by Getafe as they press high and break up opponents' play as quickly as possible. The attackers are the first line of defense. This is why Mata is at the top of the list.
Dribbles
Messi pops up again. He leads this category with 118 dribbles. Second on the list is Nabil Feikr, who is showing his skills at Real Betis on a regular basis.
Another player just outside the top 5 is Villarreal's Zambo Anguissa. The midfielder arrived on loan from Fulham last summer after they were relegated. He has managed 60 so far and ahead of him are Mikel Oyarzabal, Martin Odegaard and Lucas Ocampos.
Saves
Spain's number one is up for grabs. Aitor Fernández is putting himself in the frame for a call up. He might have been called before now but the coronavirus has prevented Luis Enrique from naming a squad this summer.
With 126 saves, the keeper from Levante is having a dream season and has led the cetagory since the start of the campaign. Manolo Reina (Mallorca) in his return to LaLiga at 34, is second with 90 saves.
Quickest players
Adrià Pedrosa is the quickest player in LaLiga. He is followed up by Real Madrid's quickest player, Fede Valverde. Espanyols' Pedrosa has hit a top speed of 35.11 km/h and Valverde is just behind him at 35.06 km/h.
There is only one other player who has reached more than 35 and that is Levante's Hernani (35). Oscar Rodríguez (34.95 km/h), Villarreal's Pau Torres (34.93) and Atlético Madrid's Marcos Llorente (34.9) are close though.
Aerial duels
Another statistic provided by Opta is that of aerial duels and there is one player dominating in that area. Joselu is having a good season with Alavés. He has won 217 and following him in second is Athletic Bilbao's Raúl García with 151.
