BETTER THAN 16/17, WITH SOLIDITY AND A "MEDIA INGLESA"

On Saturday, Sevilla FC picked up their ninth La Liga victory of the season against Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña, consolidating its position in the upper end of the table with 28 points. It's a statistic that equates to an average of two points a match, in what, in footballing terms (in Spain), is known as a "media inglesa" (an English half).   

Eduardo Berizzo's side has now surpassed the haul of last season's Nervionense side - with Jorge Sampaoli at the reigns - and is just one point behind the 14/15 squad, who, in that season - under Unai Emery - achieved the club's highest points tally in history. 

The side is one point behind Unai Emery's record breaking 14/15 season total for this stage of the campaign

With regards to goals, this season's Sevilla has scored fewer than last season's but has conceded fewer too. The current squad has bagged 19 goals compared to the 25 of 16/17 but has conceded 14 compared to last year's 20. The defensive improvement has also been reflected in the number of clean sheets achieved - six in 17/18 compared to three in 16/17.

This season's side has conceded six goals fewer than last season's and has twice as many clean sheets

Unquestionably positive numbers but numbers that count for little when over half the season still remains. Nevertheless, it's not insignificant that Sevilla have achieved this season's haul with a considerably more complicated schedule than last year's. In La Liga's first 14 games, Los Nervionenses have already had to go away to four of the league's five teams occupying European spots. They will visit the fifth this Saturday when Berizzo's side travels to the Santiago Bernabéu to face La Liga's reigning champions.