Racing Santander vs Real Madrid: La Liga Preview, Form and Key Stats

Racing Santander host Real Madrid in the La Liga on Sunday 01 November, 18:15 (Mecca time). The hosts are 14th in the table and the visitors 3rd. This preview uses the season's La Liga results to compare how both sides score, defend and perform at home and away.

Where the two sides stand

Racing Santander are 14th on 11 points (goal difference -11) and Real Madrid are 3rd on 24 (+15); Real Madrid are 13 points ahead of Racing Santander. Racing Santander trail the leaders Barcelona by 16, while Real Madrid trail the leaders Barcelona by 3.

What is at stake

On points alone (goal difference separates ties, and other results will move the table too): if Racing Santander win they reach 14 points, at best 7th; if Real Madrid win they reach 27, at best 1st. A draw would take Racing Santander to 12 (at best 7th) and Real Madrid to 25 (at best 2nd).

Racing Santander at home

Racing Santander have 3 wins, 2 draws and 0 defeats at home (11 points from 5 games, 2.2 per game), scoring 2.2 and conceding 1.6 per game. They kept 0 clean sheets and failed to score in 0 of those 5.

Real Madrid away from home

Real Madrid have 3 wins, 0 draws and 2 defeats away from home (9 points from 5 games, 1.8 per game), scoring 1.6 and conceding 1.4 per game. They kept 0 clean sheets and failed to score in 1 of those 5.

Current streaks for Real Madrid: 3 straight wins, a goal in each of their last 6.

Recent form

Racing Santander's last 5 results in the La Liga, newest first (opponent position in brackets): 2-1 vs Espanyol (12th, W); 0-2 at Osasuna (13th, L); 2-2 vs Valencia (19th, D); 0-5 at Celta Vigo (9th, L); 2-7 at Barcelona (1st, L). That is 4 points from a possible 15, with 6 goals scored and 17 conceded.

Real Madrid's last 5 results in the La Liga, newest first (opponent position in brackets): 2-1 at Barcelona (1st, W); 4-1 vs Sevilla (6th, W); 1-0 vs Villarreal (10th, W); 1-2 at Atletico Madrid (2nd, L); 3-2 at Elche (16th, W). That is 12 points from a possible 15, with 11 goals scored and 6 conceded.

Against top-half opponents Racing Santander have 1W 1D 2L (1.0 points per game from 4 games); against the bottom half it is 2W 1D 3L (1.17 per game from 6).

Against top-half opponents Real Madrid have 4W 0D 2L (2.0 points per game from 6 games); against the bottom half it is 4W 0D 0L (3.0 per game from 4).

When the goals come

Racing Santander's 16 league goals are spread by minute band, with the most productive spell 31-45 (5 goals); 5 (31%) came after half-time and 1 after the 75th minute. they have conceded most between minutes 76-90 (8 of 25 goals), including 8 after the 75th minute.

Real Madrid's 23 league goals are spread by minute band, with the most productive spell 76-90 (8 goals); 12 (52%) came after half-time and 8 after the 75th minute. they have conceded most between minutes 16-30 (3 of 12 goals), including 3 after the 75th minute.

Late goals could matter: Racing Santander have scored 1 after the 75th minute and Real Madrid have conceded 3 there, while Real Madrid have scored 8 and Racing Santander have conceded 8. Before half-time, Racing Santander have scored 11 and Real Madrid have conceded 4; Real Madrid have scored 11 and Racing Santander have conceded 12.

Tactics and discipline

Racing Santander's most used formations: 4-2-3-1 (7 games), 4-1-4-1 (2 games), 4-1-3-2 (1 game).

Real Madrid's most used formations: 4-2-3-1 (10 games).

Racing Santander have collected 27 yellow and 1 red cards and converted 1 of 2 penalties.

Real Madrid have collected 22 yellow and 2 red cards and converted 2 of 3 penalties.

Players to watch

Racing Santander's players to watch: M. Zabiri (8 goals and 0 assists in 10 appearances); Iñigo Vicente (0 goals and 3 assists in 10 appearances).

Real Madrid's players to watch: Kylian Mbappé (11 goals and 2 assists in 10 appearances); J. Bellingham (3 goals and 3 assists in 10 appearances).

Head-to-head

In their last 4 meetings Racing Santander won 0, Real Madrid won 3 and 1 were drawn, averaging 3.75 goals per game. Both teams scored in 2 of them and 3 had more than 2.5 goals. The most recent was Real Madrid 4-0 Racing Santander in the La Liga (2012).

Recent meetings, newest first: Real Madrid 4-0 Racing Santander (2012); Racing Santander 0-0 Real Madrid (2011); Racing Santander 1-3 Real Madrid (2011); Real Madrid 6-1 Racing Santander (2010).

Goals outlook

Blending Racing Santander's home scoring rate (2.2) with Real Madrid's away conceding rate (1.4) gives about 1.8 goals for Racing Santander; the reverse calculation gives 1.6 for Real Madrid, a combined 3.4. Both teams scored in 5 of Racing Santander's 5 home games and 4 of Real Madrid's 5 away games, and over 2.5 goals appeared in 5 and 4 of them. These are season-average calculations, not a forecast.

Strengths and weaknesses

Racing Santander's weaker areas: 20th in the league for goals conceded (26 conceded); 19th in the league for away points per game (0.00).

Real Madrid's strengths: 2nd in the league for goals scored (25 goals); 1st in the league for home points per game (3.00); 3rd in the league for away points per game (1.80); 3rd in the league for points from the last five games (12 points).

Our read

On the numbers, recent form favours Real Madrid (12 points from the last five against 4). Racing Santander collect 2.2 points per home game while Real Madrid take 1.8 per away game, which keeps the contest balanced.