Spurs Run Ends Along with League Leaders Madrid & Montpellier

A run of fifteen straight wins in all competitions came to an end for Real Madrid, as Barcelona clinched a 3-1 El Clasico win at the Bernabeu. Valenciennes caused a huge surprise in Ligue 1 with the defeat of leaders Montpellier, while Stoke brought Tottenham’s bandwagon to a halt in a frantic Britannia encounter. WhoScored’s regular Monday rundown focuses on a trio of results that have made the headlines in their respective divisions:

Giroud Flops at Defiant Valenciennes - Match Centre

Montpellier arrived unbeaten in their last eight league games in a run that had seen them usurp PSG at the top of the table. Typically, they average 48.7% possession on their travels but dominated this one, with 59% of the play. Although they saw plenty of the ball, they failed to threaten the home goal with any regularity; only 10 shots, with a mere 3 on target (compared to their away average of 12.2 and 4.7 respectively) summed up their inept attacking display.

Olivier Giroud was a huge disappointment for Montpellier; the forward came into the game as the top scorer in Ligue 1 but had 2 efforts, both off target, and was dispossessed 5 times - he picked up a WhoScored rating of just 5.55, the worst of any player on the pitch.

Valenciennes produced an outstanding defensive display that proved the undoing of their opponents, with 27 tackles to 10 indicative of both sides’ respective work ethics.  The home side’s Rudy Mater was head and shoulders above any other player defensively, with 9 tackles, 4 interceptions and 8 clearances in his battle with John Utaka on the Montpellier left. Remi Gomis, on the right of the hosts’ double pivot, was also impressive defensively, with 4 tackles and 7 interceptions.

Gael Danic, playing wide left in Valenciennes’ 4-2-3-1, picked up the WhoScored man of the match award for his all-round display. The winger’s work-rate is highlighted by 1 tackle and 7 interceptions, while 5 key passes, 9 crosses and 3 successful dribbles summed up his trickery when in possession.  In the end, though, it was a mistake by the visitors’ keeper Geoffrey Jourdren that cost them, with Foued Kadir slotting home the game’s only goal a minute into the second half.

Barca Silence the Bernabeu - Match Centre

For the first time in perhaps three seasons, Barca squared up to Real as the slight underdogs. Jose Mourinho’s side had been in scintillating form, racking up the goals in La Liga and the Champions League with ease and a win would have edged them six appoints ahead of Barca with a game in hand.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo played a significant part in the outcome but for reasons perhaps unexpected - the referee’s decision not to hand Messi a second yellow card proved crucial, as did a Ronaldo miss from six yards out, a mere sixty seconds before Cesc Fabregas headed home the visitors’ third.

Barca - as you’d expect - had the majority of the possession, with 62%, though this was significantly down on their away average of 68.7%. Xavi’s hugely deflected second goal allowed them to keep the ball without having to press forward and forced Madrid into pushing on - as a consequence, Mourinho’s side were caught on the break for Fabregas’ goal on 66 minutes. This is shown in each side’s passing - Xabi Alonso has averaged 86.5 passes per game but managed just 48 here, whereas Xavi played 105 at the Bernabeu. Indeed, seven Barca players made more passes than Alonso, who had the most of any in the Madrid side.

Madrid only have themselves to blame and a look at their average Home Team Statistics shows they were unsurprisingly less effective than usual - they had 17 shots to Barca’s 12 but managed only 5 on target to their opponents’ 7. Karim Benzema, preferred to Gonzalo Higuain in the starting XI, got the home side off to a flier within 30 seconds but, from a total of 5 shots, he had only 2 on target. Ronaldo was a major disappointment; he had 7 shots but only 2 were on target. A lack of creativity produced no key passes and his 3 successful dribbles came to nothing.

Barcelona’s front three proved far more efficient; summer signings Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez grabbed a goal apiece, with Sanchez firing 4 shots, while Messi picked up the man of the match award. The little Argentine produced 3 key passes and picked up an assist, in addition to 4 successful dribbles and a couple of shots at goal.

Madrid hustled and harried Barca throughout, making 36 tackles to 28. Their full-backs, Fabio Coentrao and Marcelo, broke up the champions’ attacks time and again, with 8 tackles and 4 interceptions and 7 tackles and 3 interceptions respectively. For Barca, Sergio Busquets produced the most impressive defensive shift, with 5 tackles and 4 interceptions in the centre of the pitch.

Clinical finishing and contentious decisions proved the difference but on another day, Madrid could have won the battle. Both are now equal on points but with a game in hand, it’s still advantage Mourinho.

Spurs Stumble at Stoke - Match Centre

Spurs arrived at the Britannia having dropped just 2 points from the previous 11 games, though with Stoke unbeaten at home in games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United, this was never going to be easy.  Harry Redknapp’s side average 54% possession on their travels but dominated this one, with 64% of the play. They also maintained their away average of 19 shots – compared to Stoke’s 13- ensuring a busy afternoon for Thomas Sorensen in the home goal - he made 7 saves to keep the Londoners at bay.

Centre-backs Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross both produced resilient performances in front of Sorensen; Huth’s 2 interceptions and 13 clearances, allied to Shawcross’ 9 clearances, 1 tackle, 3 offsides won, a clearance off the line and a block helped the home side to a victory. Glenn Whelan had the most impressive defensive display of the game - the Stoke midfielder made 5 tackles and an interception, though his challenge on Luka Modric gave Spurs a penalty and a way back into the match.

Ironically, it was a couple of former Spurs players who did the most damage. Peter Crouch troubled the away defence all game, winning 6 aerial duels and setting up the opening goal, though Younes Kaboul proved a worthy opponent, winning 8 aerial duels before his late sending off. Matthew Etherington netted twice for the Potters, with all 4 of his shots on target, in addition to 3 key passes – there is little wonder he picked up the man of the match award from WhoScored, with 9.4.

Spurs, nevertheless, were unlucky. Some dubious calls went against them - Adebayor had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside and there were a couple of very legitimate penalty claims waved away by the referee - Redknapp had every right to be aggrieved post-match. Modric, Parker and Bale all produced 3 key passes, while Van der Vaart made 5, all without any success. Adebayor had 4 shots, with 3 on target and was a menace throughout.

Gareth Bale was a big disappointment. His crossing was poor - he made 10 attempts, all unsuccessful from the left, managed a single successful dribble and failed to produce a shot all game. Given the fact that Spurs attacked down his flank 53% of the time, his inability to make a difference ultimately proved costly as Redknapp’s side tasted defeat for the first time since the end of August.