Advanced Insights: Team Data from Europe's Top 5 Football Leagues

Season 2023-2024

Team Comparison

Home Team

vs.

Away Team

  • Horizontal Axis (xG/90): Shows the Expected Goals per 90 minutes, representing the average number of goals a team is expected to score based on the quality of their chances.
  • Vertical Axis (xGA/90): Displays Expected Goals Against per 90 minutes, indicating the average number of goals a team is expected to concede, based on the quality of chances they allow.

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: High xG and high xGA, indicating a team that is strong offensively but also allows many scoring chances, leading to potentially high-scoring games.
  • Bottom Right: High xG but low xGA, suggesting a team that is effective in attack while maintaining a solid defense.
  • Top Left: Low xG and high xGA, a concerning scenario indicating both offensive struggles and defensive vulnerabilities.
  • Bottom Left: Low in both xG and xGA, representing a more conservative or defensive style of play with fewer chances created and conceded.

Strategic Balance: This chart is vital for assessing a team's balance between attacking strength and defensive solidity.

Overall, it offers insights into a team's playing style, highlighting their offensive and defensive capabilities.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (xPoints/90): Shows expected points per 90 minutes, assessing a team's effectiveness in creating winning opportunities.
  • Vertical Axis (Actual Points): Displays the actual points earned, measuring real-world success.
  • Color Code (xPoints Ratio): Indicates the ratio of actual to expected points. Blue for positive ratios (exceeding expectations) and red for negative (falling short).

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: High performance in both expected and actual points, indicating strong overall team play.
  • Bottom Right: High expected points but low actual points, suggesting underperformance despite potential.
  • Top Left: Lower expected points, but high actual points, possibly due to exceptional performance or luck.
  • Bottom Left: Low in both expected and actual points, indicating both strategic and execution issues.

Regression to the Mean: Extreme performances tend to normalize over time, impacting long-term performance assessment.

Overall, this chart succinctly evaluates a team's ability to convert performance into tangible results.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (Field Tilt %): Represents the percentage of time a team controls the ball in the final third of the pitch. This metric is a proxy for territorial dominance in the most critical area of the field. Higher values suggest a team is consistently pushing play into the attacking third, indicating a strategy focused on offensive pressure and control.
  • Vertical Axis (GPI - Gegenpressing Intensity): Measures the frequency at which a team attempts to immediately regain possession after losing the ball in attacking areas. A higher GPI indicates a more aggressive and pressing approach, emphasizing quick recovery of the ball to maintain offensive momentum.
  • Color Code (Accurate Passes /90): The color coding reflects the total number of accurate passes made by a team per 90 minutes. Blue indicates a high number of accurate passes, demonstrating a team's proficiency and precision in passing. Red, on the other hand, signifies a lower number of accurate passes, highlighting potential areas for improvement in passing accuracy.

Understanding the Quadrants:

  • Top Right Quadrant: Teams in this quadrant exhibit both high Field Tilt and GPI. They dominate in the final third and aggressively regain possession, indicating a high-pressing, possession-oriented style. This quadrant typically includes teams that are proactive and assertive in their gameplay.
  • Bottom Right Quadrant: Teams here have high Field Tilt but lower GPI. These teams maintain territorial dominance without necessarily pressing aggressively to regain the ball. Their style may involve more structured play and controlled possession in the final third.
  • Top Left Quadrant: Teams with lower Field Tilt but high GPI fall into this quadrant. They may not dominate territorially in the final third but are aggressive in attempting to regain possession quickly. This could indicate a counter-attacking approach or a focus on quick transitions.
  • Bottom Left Quadrant: Teams here show both low Field Tilt and GPI, suggesting a more defensive or cautious approach. They might prioritize maintaining shape and solidity over aggressive pressing or territorial control in the final third.

This chart is crucial for understanding team tactics, especially in terms of offensive strategy and ball recovery approaches, aiding in tactical analysis and decision-making.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (Buildup Accuracy %): Represents the percentage of successfully completed passes outside the final third, reflecting a team's control in the earlier stages of play.
  • Vertical Axis (OPPDA): Indicates the amount of passes a team completes in their own half prior to being disrupted by a defensive action.

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: High in both buildup play and OPPDA, indicating effective control of the game and a strong press resistency.
  • Bottom Right: Good buildup play but lower OPPDA, suggesting effective control but potential vulnerabilities in defense.
  • Top Left: Lower buildup percentage yet high OPPDA, indicating a more direct or counter-attacking style combined with strong press resistency.
  • Bottom Left: Low in buildup play and lower OPPDA, a challenging scenario often seen in teams that struggle both in controlling the game and in press resistency.

Tactical Insights: This chart is crucial for understanding a team’s balance between controlling the game and defensive resilience.

Overall, the chart provides a comprehensive view of team strategies and their effectiveness in both offensive buildup and defensive tactics.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (xt from passes /90): Represents the expected threat from passes per 90 minutes, illustrating a team's ability to create scoring opportunities through passing.
  • Vertical Axis (xt from carries /90): Displays the expected threat from carries per 90 minutes, indicating how effectively a team advances the ball and creates chances through dribbling and ball movement.

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: High proficiency in both creating threats from passes and carries, showcasing a team's balanced and dynamic attacking strategy.
  • Bottom Right: Strong in creating threats through passes but weaker in carrying, indicating a reliance on passing over individual ball advancement.
  • Top Left: Lower threat from passes but high from carries, suggesting a style focused more on dribbling and less on passing play.
  • Bottom Left: Low in both metrics, pointing to struggles in both passing and carrying to effectively create scoring opportunities.

Strategic Implications: Teams' positioning on the chart can inform tactical adjustments to balance or enhance their attacking methods.

In summary, this chart provides insight into the balance and effectiveness of a team's offensive play through passing and carrying.

For a deeper understanding of how xT contributes to a team's success and what it is, check out this YT video from Tifo Football

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (xA/90): Displays the Expected Assists per 90 minutes, measuring a player's likelihood to set up scoring chances based on the quality of their passes.
  • Vertical Axis (Chances Created/90): Indicates the average number of scoring opportunities created by a player per 90 minutes, showcasing their playmaking ability.

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: High in both xA/90 and chances created/90, indicating players who are not only creating numerous scoring opportunities but also of high quality.
  • Bottom Right: High expected assists but lower actual chances created, suggesting players whose passes are potentially underutilized or whose teammates are not converting opportunities as expected.
  • Top Left: Lower xA/90 but high in actual chances created, pointing to players who frequently create opportunities, though these might not always be of the highest quality.
  • Bottom Left: Low in both expected assists and actual chances created, indicating players with limited contribution in creating scoring opportunities.

Playmaker's Impact: Ideal playmakers appear in the top right quadrant, combining both quality and quantity in creating scoring opportunities.

This chart offers valuable insights into individual players' effectiveness in orchestrating offensive plays and setting up goals.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (xG/90): Measures estimated goals based on shot quality, indicating offensive effectiveness.
  • Vertical Axis (Actual Goals/90): Shows actual goals scored, reflecting scoring success.
  • Color Code (xG Ratio): Displays the ratio of actual to expected goals; blue for exceeding and red for falling short of expectations.

Quadrants:

  • Top Right: High xG/90 and real goals, indicating effective play and strong finishing.
  • Bottom Right: High xG/90 but lower actual goals, suggesting possible finishing issues or bad luck.
  • Top Left: More goals than expected with lower xG/90, signifying exceptional finishing or potential overperformance.
  • Bottom Left: Low in both xG/90 and real goals, indicating struggles in chance creation and goal conversion.

This chart offers key insights into goal-scoring efficiency and effectiveness of teams or players.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (xGoT/90): Represents the average Expected Goals on Target per 90 minutes of gameplay. This metric quantifies the likelihood of shots on target turning into goals, based on their quality. Higher values indicate a team's effectiveness in converting shots on target into actual goals.
  • Vertical Axis (xG/90): Measures the expected goal value of all shots per 90 minutes, considering factors like shot location, angle, and situation. Higher values suggest a team frequently creates high-quality goal-scoring opportunities.

Understanding the Quadrants:

  • Top Right Quadrant: Teams in this quadrant excel in both creating high-quality goal-scoring opportunities and efficiently converting shots on target into goals, demonstrating strong offensive prowess.
  • Bottom Right Quadrant: Teams here are proficient at converting their shots on target into goals (high xGoT/90) but create fewer quality chances overall (lower xG/90).
  • Top Left Quadrant: Teams in this quadrant frequently create high-quality scoring opportunities but are less efficient in converting these shots on target into goals.
  • Bottom Left Quadrant: Teams here struggle with both creating quality goal-scoring chances and converting shots on target into goals, indicating a need for improvement in offensive strategies.

This chart is crucial for analyzing teams' effectiveness in scoring and creating chances, providing insights for tactical and strategic decision-making in offensive gameplay.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (Own Defense Line Height): Indicates the average position of a team's defensive line, with higher values showing a more advanced, higher-pressing defensive line.
  • Vertical Axis (GPI - Gegenpress Intensity %): Measures the intensity of a team's gegenpressing or counter-pressing, expressed as a percentage. A higher GPI indicates more aggressive and frequent pressing after losing possession.

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: Teams here employ a high defensive line with intense gegenpressing, indicating an aggressive and proactive defensive strategy, often seen in teams that dominate possession.
  • Bottom Right: A high defensive line but lower GPI suggests teams that position defensively high but may lack intensity or effectiveness in their pressing.
  • Top Left: Teams with a deeper defensive line and high gegenpress intensity, indicating a strategy of absorbing pressure and then rapidly counter-pressing.
  • Bottom Left: Indicates teams with a deeper defensive line and lower gegenpressing intensity, often characteristic of more conservative or reactive defensive approaches.

Defensive Strategy Analysis: This chart is crucial for understanding a team's defensive philosophy, balancing positioning with pressing intensity.

Overall, it provides insights into how teams structure their defense and respond to losing possession, crucial elements in modern soccer tactics.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (BDP): Represents the Buildup Disruption Percentage, showing how effectively a team disrupts opponents' buildup play.
  • Vertical Axis (ODC/90): Indicates the average number of successful deep passes completed by opponents in the team's own half per 90 minutes, measuring defensive solidity.
  • Color Code (xGA from open play): Reflects the Expected Goals Against from open play. Lighter shades suggest lower xGA (stronger defense), while darker shades indicate higher xGA (weaker defense).

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: Teams here effectively disrupt opponents' buildup and limit deep passes in their own half, reflecting strong defensive tactics.
  • Bottom Right: High disruption of buildup play but more deep passes allowed in own half, suggesting a risky or aggressive defensive style.
  • Top Left: Lower disruption of buildup play but still maintaining control over opponents' deep passes, possibly indicating a more conservative or compact defensive strategy.
  • Bottom Left: Poor in disrupting buildup and high deep passes allowed in own half, signaling overall defensive weaknesses.

Defensive Balance: Ideal balance involves high BDP and low ODC/90, indicating both effective disruption and control over opponents' deep play.

This chart is essential for analyzing a team's defensive strategy and its effectiveness in real match scenarios.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (xGA from Open Play/90): Represents the expected goals against per 90 minutes from open play, evaluating a team's defensive effectiveness in preventing scoring opportunities.
  • Vertical Axis (Real Goals Conceded/90): Shows the actual goals conceded per 90 minutes, reflecting the real-world defensive performance.
  • Color Code (xGA Ratio): Indicates the ratio of expected goals against to real goals conceded. A low ratio (in blue) suggests a team is conceding fewer goals than expected, while a high ratio (in red) indicates more goals conceded than expected.

Quadrant Insights:

  • Bottom Left: Low xGA and low real goals conceded, indicating strong defensive performance.
  • Top Right: High xGA and high real goals conceded, suggesting significant defensive weaknesses.
  • Bottom Right: High xGA but low actual goals conceded, possibly indicating good goalkeeping or luck.
  • Top Left: Low xGA but high actual goals conceded, suggesting underperformance or defensive lapses.

Defensive Strategy and Performance: Teams' positions on the chart provide insights into their defensive strategies and effectiveness in actual matches compared to statistical expectations.

This chart effectively assesses a team's defensive capabilities and their ability to prevent goals in real match situations.

Explanation:

  • Horizontal Axis (Goals Prevented from xGoTA/90): Reflects the number of goals a team prevents based on the expected goals on target against (xGoTA) per 90 minutes. Higher values indicate better defensive performance.
  • Vertical Axis (Goals Conceded/90): Shows the actual number of goals conceded by a team per 90 minutes. Lower values indicate stronger defensive effectiveness.

Quadrant Insights:

  • Top Right: Teams here prevent more goals than expected but still concede more overall, indicating good defense but possibly weak goalkeeping or occasional lapses in defense.
  • Bottom Right: High prevention of expected goals and low actual goals conceded, showcasing excellent defensive and goalkeeping performances.
  • Top Left: Low prevention of expected goals and high actual goals conceded, a sign of weak defensive play and goalkeeping.
  • Bottom Left: Average performance in preventing expected goals and conceding actual goals, indicating a balanced but not exceptional defensive stance.

Defensive Strategy Importance: This chart highlights the importance of a strong defensive strategy and goalkeeping in minimizing goals conceded.

In summary, the chart provides insights into how effectively teams prevent goals versus the reality of the goals they actually concede.

Choose the Teams first

Comparing Shot Maps of Two Teams:

  • Shot Locations: Note where each team is taking most of their shots. Are they concentrated in the box, or more spread out? This can indicate a team's attacking style.
  • Quality of Chances: Assess which team is creating higher quality chances by looking at the size of the markers. More large markers suggest better scoring opportunities.
  • Tactical Insights: Look for patterns like clustering of shots from specific areas, which might indicate a tactical approach.

Overall, comparing shot maps offers valuable insights into each team's attacking effectiveness, shot quality, and tactical tendencies in front of the goal.

Info: last updated: 22 Mar 2024. updated after every Matchday. Usually on tuesdays. All metrics are calculated in comparison to the league with the highest ELO, at the moment the English Premier League (EPL), and are accumulated over the entire season.