Skip to main content

Tag

Analytics

Analytics 27 definitions
A visual showing a team's passing patterns - where players receive the ball and who they pass to. You can see the structure of play: who's the hub, which partnerships connect most, where the team builds. Average position maps show where players spent their time, while pass networks show the connections. Analysts use them to understand how teams function.
Barcelona's pass maps in the Guardiola era showed Busquets as the central hub, with almost every attacking move flowing through him. The ball would circulate through him more than any other player on the pitch.
Robbie Jan 24, 2026
0 0

Moving the ball toward the opponent's goal through passes, carries, or dribbles. Analytics tracks how many yards a player advances the ball and how often they progress it into dangerous areas. Good for identifying players who drive attacks forward even if they don't score or assist. Midfielders and ball-playing defenders get judged on this now.
Frenkie de Jong regularly tops La Liga's ball progression metrics - his ability to receive deep, evade pressure, and carry the ball 20+ yards upfield makes him valuable even when the end product isn't always there.
Robbie Jan 23, 2026
0 0

How aggressively a team presses, measured by metrics like PPDA or the number of high recoveries. High pressing intensity means you're constantly harrying the opponent. It requires fitness, organization, and commitment from everyone. Some teams press intensely for 60 minutes then drop off; others can sustain it. Klopp's Liverpool and Nagelsmann's teams have been among the most intense pressers.
RB Leipzig under Nagelsmann had extreme pressing intensity - they'd hunt the ball relentlessly, win it high up the pitch, and attack before opponents could organize. It was exhausting to watch, let alone play against.
Robbie Jan 20, 2026
0 0

Like xG but only for shots that actually hit the target. It measures how good the shot was, not just the chance. A weak shot straight at the keeper from a great position has high xG but low xGOT. A rocket into the top corner from 25 yards has low xG but high xGOT. Useful for evaluating keepers - if they're conceding more than xGOT, they're underperforming.
Alisson's 2021-22 season saw him concede significantly fewer goals than his xGOT would predict, meaning he was saving shots that most keepers wouldn't - concrete evidence that Liverpool's No.1 was among the world's best.
Robbie Jan 19, 2026
0 0

A visual showing where a player spends their time on the pitch, with warmer colors (red, orange) indicating more activity. Heat maps reveal actual positioning versus nominal position - a "winger" whose heat map is entirely central isn't playing like a winger. They show work rate, defensive contribution, and where a player's influence is concentrated.
Salah's heat map at Liverpool shows he's much more than a right winger. The warm zones extend into central areas and even the left side, showing how much he drifts to find space and get involved across the front line.
Robbie Jan 19, 2026
0 0