Friday 03 November 2017, 05:48

The Week in Numbers

  • A baby writes a non-fiction fairytale in Transylvania

  • Santa and 'El Pipita' join the century club

  • Anything Pele, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Carli Lloyd can do...

200 goals is the milestone Lee Donggook became the first player in the K-League’s 34-year existence to crack. His late header helped Jeonbuk Motors, who hadn’t become champions until 2009, claim their fifth title in the last nine seasons.

100 goals in two of Europe’s big five leagues is what Gonzalo Higuain became just the second player to reach. The France-born Argentina striker netted 107 goals in La Liga, and moved on to 101 in Serie A thanks to a brace for Juventus at AC Milan. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 122 in Serie A and 113 in Ligue 1.

100 UEFA Champions League appearances is what Cesc Fabregas, at 30 years and 180 days, became the fifth-youngest player to reach. Only Lionel Messi (28 years & 84 days), Raul (28 years & 239 days), Iker Casillas (28 years & 272 days) and Cristiano Ronaldo (29 years & 56 days) were younger.

30 games unbeaten: that was what Real Madrid were in the group stage of the Champions League until a 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Dele Alli became the third English player to bag a brace against Los Merengues in the competition after David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.

26 second-half minutes is all it took Layvin Kurzawa – playing on the left of a back four against Anderlecht – to become the first defender in history to score a Champions League hat-trick. It helped Paris Saint-Germain post 17 goals in their first four group games – an all-time record.

14 years and ten months was the age at which Ianis Stoica became the youngest player in the 70-year history of Steaua Bucharest. The son of former Romania left-back Pompiliu Stoica only joined Steaua’s youth ranks in July, but marked his debut by scoring to seal a 6-1 reverse of Sanatatea Cluj.

11 consecutive defeats is what Pako Ayestaran became the first coach in La Liga history to suffer. Rafa Benitez’s long-time right-hand man lost his last seven matches at the Valencia reins and his first four at Las Palmas’s controls.

7 goals is what England and Spain served up in an intoxicating climax to the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 to tie the record for the highest-scoring final in the history of a FIFA 11-a-side tournament. It equalled Brazil 5-2 Sweden at the 1958 FIFA World Cup™, Mexico 4-3 Brazil at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999, and USA 5-2 Japan at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

6 times: that is all a team has led 2-0 in a Copa Libertadores match only to lose by two goals or more – and twice it has happened to River Plate. Los Millonarios relinquished a two-goal cushion to fall 4-2 to an Alberto Spencer-propelled Penarol in the 1966 decider. River then led the second leg of their semi-final 2-0 at Lanus on Tuesday, but conceded four goals in 23 minutes to lose 4-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.

5 goals without reply is what Auckland City netted at Waitakere United to record their biggest victory in the 56-game history of the ‘Super City Derby’, which has seen five red cards awarded in its last two instalments. A hat-trick from Ryan De Vries, against his former club, left him with ten goals in his last six appearances – encouraging form as the FIFA Club World Cup approaches.