Set pieces are perhaps the area of the game players least enjoy working on, but they represent a major point of advantage or disadvantage in terms of games themselves. A number of teams are relying heavily on them to earn their points, particularly Almeria and Rayo Vallecano.
The sides leading the way in terms of goals from set-pieces are Real Madrid (17), Girona (16), Rayo Vallecano (14), Real Betis (13) and Valencia (12).
Diario AS go on to highlight that Almeria are next on that list with 11 goals from dead-ball situations, but that they have some of the best success rates. One in every 13 corners for Almeria results in a goal, with Rayo (20) and Atletico Madrid (23) the closest challengers. Meanwhile Athletic Club are the least effective side from corners, with just one coming from their 176 corners.
Almeria’s good record from corners, and set pieces on the whole, has contributed directly to 20 of their 30 points this season too.
Meanwhile they also concede one of the lowest percentages of goals from set pieces in La Liga, just 22.9% of their 48. Sevilla do best in that metric (11.4%), Athletic Club following with 17.2%, and Elche rounding out the top three (21.1%) ahead of Almeria.
Rayo Vallecano have scored a remarkable 43.8% of their goals, yet defensively have let in 38.7% of their goals from the same method.
Of course these numbers can tell us a little about how well each side is doing from set pieces, but can also hint at strengths of weaknesses in their game from open play. Both defensively and offensively, Rayo might consider their percentages unhealthy; or a sign of their success defending in open play, or their succes from attacking set pieces, such is the power of interpretation with statistics.
