Thursday 15 February 2018, 14:18

The Week in Numbers

  • ​Valentine’s Day blues

  • An ancient computer

  • ‘Perfect’ trebles and a quadruple king

111 places is what Iceland have rocketed upwards since June 2012 to go from their lowest-ever position on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking to their highest. Now above the Netherlands and Uruguay, the country coached by a dentist was beneath Guyana (now 164th), Chad (168th), Sao Tome and Principe (179th), and Bermuda (184th) six-and-a-half years ago.

59 seconds is all it took Ricardinho to score the fastest-ever goal in a UEFA Futsal EURO final and his 22nd in the tournament – another record. Nevertheless, Portugal required a late Bruno Coelho equaliser to take it to extra time, in which the same player converted an even later penalty to snatch their first title and deny Spain an eighth Futsal EURO crown.

49 fouls – one every minute and 50 seconds – was the outrageous total committed in the latest La Plata Derby. The 0-0 draw meant Estudiantes have kept five consecutive clean sheets against Gimnasia and are unbeaten in the clash in 14 games.

44 years and 359 days was the age at which David McIntosh replaced Orlando Rengifo (44 years and one month) as the oldest marksman in the Venezuelan top flight this century, and snatched Deportivo Anzoategui an unlikely, come-from-behind 2-2 draw at Metropolitanos. ‘The Computer’ turns 45 on Saturday, when he hopes his gift will be helping Deportivo Anzoategui win for the first time in 20 matches.

20 games is all it took Sydney FC’s Bobo to become the fastest player to score 20 goals in an Australian A-League season, breaking Bruno Fornaroli’s record. The former Brazil U-20 striker’s brace helped Graham Arnold’s side, who are unbeaten outside their home state of New South Wales in almost two years, win 4-0 at Melbourne City.

11 hours and 34 minutes: that is what Gianluigi Buffon had gone without conceding for club or country until Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane slotted home against Juventus. The 24-year-old Englishman consequently became the first player in history to score more than eight goals in his first eight UEFA Champions League appearances – Ronaldinho, Simone Inzaghi, Didier Drogba, and Diego Costa managed eight goals in as many appearances.

10 games unbeaten on Valentine’s Day (seven wins, three draws) was the run that ended for Paris Saint-Germain at the Santiago Bernabeu. PSG can take encouragement from one omen – the only previous time they lost the away leg of a European tie 3-1, it was also against Real Madrid, and they ultimately progressed after a second-leg comeback in 1993.

7 ‘perfect’ hat-tricks – one goal with the left foot, one with the right, and one header – is what Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Real Madrid after his magic against Real Sociedad. Lionel Messi has never netted a ‘perfect’ treble for Barcelona. Ronaldo’s double against PSG four days later left him with nine goals in his last five appearances.

4 goals in an English Premier League game is what Sergio Aguero achieved to become the first player to accomplish three times. Andy Cole, Michael Owen, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Frank Lampard, Dimitar Berbatov, and Yakubu managed it twice. Aguero’s quadruple against Leicester City made him the fourth player to score 20-plus goals in four consecutive Premier League campaigns after Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, and Harry Kane.

3 goals in 25 minutes is what Chenrop Samphaodi scored – as a substitute on his Muangthong United debut – to turn a two-goal deficit away to Bangkok United into a 3-2 victory in Thailand's League 1.