Comparison of Goal Scoring Patterns in “The Big Five” European Football Leagues

Abstract

The objective of the study was to compare goal scoring patterns among the “Big Five” European football leagues during the 2009/2010–2018/2019 seasons. A total of 18 pattern dimensions related to the offense pattern, the shooting situation and the scoring time period were evaluated. Kruskal–Wallis analyses revealed significant pattern differences among the five leagues. The Spanish La Liga showed a greater proportion of goals from throw-ins. The English Premier League had a higher tendency to score from corner kicks. The German Bundesliga had the greatest number of goals from counterattacks and indirect free kicks, and the Italian Serie A had the greatest proportion of penalties. Ligue 1’s scoring ability is weaker than that of the other leagues, especially Bundesliga. The Bundesliga had an overwhelming advantage in goals scored on big chances with assists, while the Premier League had an advantage in goals scored with assists that were not from big chances. However, the differences among the five leagues in the mean goals scored in the last 15 min and the goals from elaborate attacks and direct free kicks were not statistically significant. These results provide a valuable addition to the knowledge of different goal patterns of each league and allow us to better understand the differences among the leagues.

Corner kick effectiveness in the Greek Super League 2018-2019

“…On 2017/2018 FA Women's Super League, the 4.6% of corners taken resulted in a goal (in total 38 goals were scored), accounting for 13.5% of the total 282 goals scored during this season [25]. In a recent study from Li and Zhao [26], comparing KPS's between the "Big five" European football leagues, it was presented that more corner kick goals were scored in English Premier League (EPL) compared to the rest of the leagues. The authors claimed that the superb heading ability shown by EPL defenders may increase the number of corner kick goals.…”

Impact of COVID-19 on football attacking players’ match technical performance: a longitudinal study

“…Our study leverages data from FBref.com, powered by Opta Sports, known for its precision and widely used in industries such as betting, media, and professional sports analysis 55 , 59 . This reliable data supports our football research, contributing to significant academic inquiries 63 – 67 .…”

“…This will be accomplished by comparing the post-COVID MTP of players who contracted COVID-19 from the Big Five European football leagues (referred to as the Big Five) to their pre-COVID MTP. Due to varied MTP evaluation indicators for football players in different positions, our focus will be on attacking players, as their ability to exploit goal-scoring opportunities and their skill in orchestrating the offense are critical to team success, especially in crucial matches 59 , 60 . Building on the aforementioned literature on players’ match performance, we present the following hypotheses:…”

Running more than before? The evolution of running load demands in the English Premier League

“…This potentially influences the managers to select players who can perform at higher speeds, evolving the physical profiles of teams in the EPL, consequently contributing to an increased running load profile of teams in the EPL. These outcomes will be determined by a team's style of play, with trends being shown to differ among teams (19) and leagues (20). In turn, a team's style of play is likely to influence the running load requirements for individual positions within a team.…”

“…These outcomes will be determined by a team's style of play, with trends being shown to differ among teams 19 and leagues. 20 In turn, a team's style of play is likely to influence the running load requirements for individual positions within a team. Future work should consider the contribution of formational and tactical influence on the longitudinal analysis of running loads.…”