Number Cruncher: Incredible stats from Netherlands vs Spain

- Netherlands have not lost their opening match at a World Cup since 1938. Spain lost their opening match in 2010 vs Switzerland and then won the World Cup. - Spain have conceded 5-plus goals in an international for the first time since losing 6-2 to Scotland in June 1963. - Every single member of Spain’s World Cup squad played in the UEFA Champions League in 2013-14 — but that didn’t really matter. - The Netherlands have won the last four World Cup games in which they conceded a penalty. [caption id=“attachment_1570077” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Robben adds to Spain’s misery. Getty Images[/caption] - Spain started with seven players who also played in the 2010 WC final. Holland started with six players who made their debut after that. - Xabi Alonso is first Real Madrid player to score a World Cup goal for Spain since Raul in 2006. He also scored Spain’s 1st penalty goal in the World Cup since David Villa in June 2006 against France. - Xabi Alonso’s last goal for Spain was a penalty vs France at Euro 2012, when Rizzoli was also the referee. - Robin van Persie has now scored in each of the last three games of The Netherlands on the 13th of June. - Robin van Persie’s only touch in the opposition box in the first half was his headed goal. - Arjen Robben has scored seven times in his last seven appearances for Netherlands. - Xavi (1998) and Andrés Iniesta (2002) made their professional debut at FC Barcelona under current Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. - Spain have conceded as many goals today as in their previous seven World Cup games combined. Spain also conceded more goals than they did in the whole of the 2010 World Cup (2). - The last team to beat Spain after conceding the first goal were Northern Ireland in September 2006 (3-2). - Robin van Persie has scored 10 goals in his last nine appearances for Netherlands. - Iker Casillas came within 40 minutes of Walter Zenga’s record of keeping a clean sheet 517 WC minutes in a row. - Robin van Persie is the first Holland player to score at three World Cups. - Last but not the least, Spain did have more possession and passes: possession: 64%-36%, passes attempted: 618-339, passes completed: 540-276. Stats courtesy OptaJoe and InfoStrada