Season Review 2019/20

Welcome

Welcome to Stats Perform’s Spanish La Liga season review for the 2019/20 league season.

Interactive and showcasing a host of detailed performance metrics, this report provides insight into the league’s standout performers, applying innovative frameworks produced by our team of AI scientists.

Within this review, we share a comprehensive breakdown of performance at the key ends of the pitch, as well as sharing detailed insight on team style, both in and out of possession. Detailed player analysis also features, with key metrics ranked across different positions.

Notable additions to our reviews this summer include details on the teams most effective at generating opportunities from high turnovers, together with insights into how each team approached the changes to the goal kick rule. We also apply metrics to highlight the ball carrying players who were effective at generating goalscoring opportunities through running with the ball.

These new features reflect Stats Perform’s ongoing commitment to further explore how performance data can inform a club’s decision-making across performance analysis, recruitment and long-term strategic planning.

We hope you find some interesting insights from this review.

Team

Expected Goals (For)

Overview

Key Points:

• Ranked by league position, this table outlines teams’ performances in front of goal, from both open play and set piece situations.

• Barcelona’s ability to generate high quality chances from open play was demonstrated by amassing an xG output of 54.4 from 383 shots. The league runners-up posted 37 fewer shots than champions Real Madrid, but the superior quality of their shot locations resulted in them posting a higher xG output, which they subsequently over-performed on by more than 11 goals.

• 29% of Alaves’ xG output came from set pieces, the highest ratio in the league. Barcelona sat at the other end of the spectrum, having generated 88% of their xG output from open play.

• Sevilla scored the most goals from set-pieces, having recorded the most shots and the highest xG in the competition. Their goals total was matched by rivals Betis, with both sides scoring roughly in line with what we would expect based on the quality of chances created.

• Only two teams, Barcelona and Celta Vigo, exceeded their xG from set pieces by two clear goals, with six teams underperforming by at least two goals. Lionel Messi scored 5 of Barcelona’s 12 set piece goals directly from free kicks, a tally of direct free kick goals better than any other player in the top five European leagues this season.

• Relegated Espanyol scored a large proportion of their total goals from set pieces, however they significantly underperformed in front of goal from open play, scoring 50% fewer goals than they perhaps would have expected to based on the quality of chances they created.

Expected Goals For

		Set Play : Total	Open Play			Set Play
	Team	xG Ratio	Shots	xG	Goals	SP Shots	SP xG	SP Goals
	Real Madrid	0.16	420	49.0	48	132	11.3	10
	Barcelona	0.12	383	54.4	66	105	8.0	12
	Atlético de Madrid	0.19	312	40.8	34	128	10.8	10
	Sevilla	0.25	332	34.8	33	152	13.5	13
	Villarreal	0.16	382	45.8	46	101	10.0	6
	Real Sociedad	0.22	312	34.8	40	112	10.8	10
	Granada CF	0.27	260	29.2	35	128	12.0	10
	Getafe	0.26	268	25.7	26	139	11.0	10
	Valencia CF	0.16	238	30.4	32	91	7.1	8
	Osasuna	0.20	327	33.9	30	128	10.0	8
	Athletic Club	0.24	266	24.0	24	136	10.1	8
	Levante	0.17	325	36.3	33	97	8.2	7
	Real Valladolid	0.23	261	24.0	20	108	8.5	8
	Eibar	0.28	271	22.9	19	148	12.0	12
	Real Betis	0.24	356	33.4	29	115	12.4	13
	Alavés	0.29	184	24.5	19	124	11.9	9
	Celta de Vigo	0.19	261	25.2	21	98	7.5	10
	Leganés	0.26	286	25.9	21	141	10.5	6
	Mallorca	0.22	290	24.8	27	120	8.9	4
	Espanyol	0.25	278	26.5	12	129	10.0	9

Graphic

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Set Play	Chances occuring as a result of a corner, direct free kick, indirect free kick or throw-in.
Set Play : Total xG Ratio	The proportion of a team’s total xG that resulted from set plays.
Expected Goals (xG)	Expected Goals (xG) measures the quality of a shot based on several variables such as assist type, shot angle and distance from goal, whether it was a headed shot and whether it was defined as a big chance. Adding up a player or team’s expected goals can give us an indication of how many goals a player or team should have scored on average, given the shots they have taken.

Expected Goals (Against)

Overview

Key Points:

• Despite eight teams conceding fewer shots, Atletico Madrid recorded the lowest xG conceded output from open play by a considerable margin. Their total of 18.9 was over four goals fewer than city rivals Real, however Diego Simeone’s men were more susceptible to conceding higher quality chances from set pieces, conceding a third of their total xG from set play situations.

• Twelfth placed Levante conceded the highest volume of shots and xG from both open play and set piece situations and were perhaps fortunate that their opposition were unable to capitalise on the quality of the chances they created.

• Relegated Leganés were one of three teams to concede fewer than 100 shots from set pieces and ranked third for xG. However they conceded a league high 13 set piece goals, over four more than we would expect based on the quality of the chances their opponents had. Coincidentally, another relegated side, Espanyol, recorded the lowest xG conceded from set pieces in La Liga.

Expected Goals Against

		Set Play : Total	Open Play			Set Play
	Team	xG Ratio	Shots	xG	Goals	SP Shots	SP xG	SP Goals
	Real Madrid	0.26	235	23.2	18	100	8.8	5
	Barcelona	0.22	278	24.8	25	85	8.3	7
	Atlético de Madrid	0.33	281	18.9	12	131	11.0	9
	Sevilla	0.26	257	24.1	21	127	9.6	9
	Villarreal	0.23	337	29.1	28	136	11.0	11
	Real Sociedad	0.20	273	28.0	31	112	8.9	9
	Granada CF	0.21	312	29.9	33	131	9.0	8
	Getafe	0.24	182	28.4	25	93	10.3	5
	Valencia CF	0.21	423	37.6	35	140	11.9	10
	Osasuna	0.22	290	35.2	37	129	11.0	12
	Athletic Club	0.19	265	33.9	25	121	9.5	6
	Levante	0.21	418	45.0	36	153	13.5	12
	Real Valladolid	0.22	329	36.9	28	136	11.9	8
	Eibar	0.16	269	40.4	43	105	8.9	8
	Real Betis	0.22	307	34.5	36	130	12.4	12
	Alavés	0.20	314	35.2	36	145	11.7	11
	Celta de Vigo	0.25	305	30.5	34	134	11.4	10
	Leganés	0.20	244	28.7	31	98	8.7	13
	Mallorca	0.14	370	43.0	39	111	8.8	10
	Espanyol	0.15	323	39.0	42	115	7.9	8

Graphic

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Set Play	Chances occuring as a result of a corner, direct free kick, indirect free kick or throw-in.
Set Play : Total xG Ratio	The proportion of a team’s total xG that resulted from set plays.
Expected Goals (xG)	Expected Goals (xG) measures the quality of a shot based on several variables such as assist type, shot angle and distance from goal, whether it was a headed shot and whether it was defined as a big chance. Adding up a player or team’s expected goals can give us an indication of how many goals a player or team should have scored on average, given the shots they have taken.

Team Sequences (Style)

Overview

Key Points:

• In this section we explore team style using the Stats Perform sequence framework. Using sequence time and passes per sequence, we can assess a team’s approach in terms of how they move the ball. Using direct speed, we are able to identify who progresses the ball quickly.

• Unsurprisingly, Barcelona ranked first for the longest sequence time and the most passes per sequence. They also recorded a league low direct speed, moving the ball forward on average 1.26 metres per second. This patient possession based approach also resulted in Barcelona having over 40% more 10+ passing sequences than their closest rivals, Real Madrid.

• Meanwhile, Real Betis, who were coached by Quique Setién during the first half of the season, were the only team outside of the top two to have an average sequence time of over 10 seconds and to have over 100 attacks derived from build-up sequences.

• Getafe secured a third successive top ten finish by adopting a less possession-orientated approach, with their average sequence time and passes per sequence being the lowest in the competition. They only completed 28 sequences comprising ten or more passes during the season – for comparison the next lowest team, Granada, completed 112.

Open Play Sequences

		Sequence Summaries			Sequence Styles
	Team	Sequence Time	Passes Per Sequence	Direct Speed (m/s)	10+ Pass OP Sequences	Build Up Attacks	Direct Attacks
	Real Madrid	11.45	4.36	1.44	605	132	82
	Barcelona	14.27	5.44	1.26	856	199	63
	Atlético de Madrid	7.97	3.18	1.56	291	69	43
	Sevilla	9.77	3.79	1.57	447	75	79
	Villarreal	9.84	3.72	1.50	432	85	61
	Real Sociedad	9.79	3.59	1.53	419	67	54
	Granada CF	6.67	2.48	1.68	112	18	31
	Getafe	4.60	1.99	1.86	28	10	31
	Valencia CF	9.75	3.57	1.52	344	60	40
	Osasuna	6.18	2.50	1.83	114	25	48
	Athletic Club	7.72	2.94	1.60	235	42	46
	Levante	7.86	2.98	1.74	173	34	57
	Real Valladolid	7.15	2.71	1.72	181	22	48
	Eibar	6.11	2.43	1.57	115	20	32
	Real Betis	10.03	3.65	1.49	409	101	57
	Alavés	6.28	2.49	1.77	129	14	37
	Celta de Vigo	8.67	3.39	1.52	328	62	48
	Leganés	6.39	2.52	1.79	143	19	52
	Mallorca	7.64	2.78	1.88	157	36	56
	Espanyol	7.30	2.79	1.59	215	36	46

Graphic

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Sequences	Sequences are defined as passages of play which belong to one team and are ended by defensive actions, stoppages in play or a shot.
Possessions	Possessions are defined as one or more sequences in a row belonging to the same team. A series of passes leading to a shot which is saved and results in a corner kick would comprise one possession since the same team retains control, but more than one sequence, since the ball has gone out of play. A possession is ended by the opposition gaining control of the ball.
Sequence Time	The average time (in seconds) per sequence.
Passes per Sequence	The average number of passes per sequence.
Direct Speed	A measure of how quickly a team progresses the ball upfield (metres/second).
10+ Pass OP Sequences	The number of open play sequences that includes 10 or more passes.
Build Up Attacks	The number of open play sequences that contains 10 or more passes and either ends in a shot or has at least one touch in the box.
Direct Attacks	The number of open play sequences that starts just inside the team’s own half and has at least 50% of movement towards the opposition’s goal and ends in a shot or a touch in the opposition box.

Team Sequences (Pressure)

Overview

Key Points:

• The sequence framework can also be applied to assess a team’s approach out of possession. We can understand where on the pitch a team disrupts a sequence, and where they win the ball back.

• Barcelona’s approach towards forcing turnovers high up the pitch reaped dividends in terms of goals scored. No other team could match their total of eight goals resulting from high turnovers, however two teams, Real Madrid and perhaps more surprisingly Eibar, registered more shots following a high turnover.

• Valencia were one team who based on PPDA, were more content to allow their opposition to have the ball. However, despite ranking 18th in La Liga for high turnovers, they still managed to score three times as a result of winning the ball back high upfield.

• Despite ranking in the bottom half of the competition for shots resulting from high turnovers, Granada still managed to score an impressive seven times from high turnovers.

• Selecting the ‘Graphic’ tab, we can see the high turnover pitch map of every La Liga team.

Sequence Pressure Stats

			High Turnovers
	Team	PPDA	Total	Shot Ending	Goal Ending
	Real Madrid	10.2	200	46	4
	Barcelona	9.5	230	39	8
	Atlético de Madrid	10.9	185	35	6
	Sevilla	9.9	154	26	2
	Villarreal	11.6	129	30	2
	Real Sociedad	10.3	183	30	3
	Granada CF	11.2	144	24	7
	Getafe	9.1	193	27	2
	Valencia CF	14.7	116	20	3
	Osasuna	10.5	167	37	3
	Athletic Club	11.1	152	23	3
	Levante	13.0	135	29	0
	Real Valladolid	13.4	109	17	0
	Eibar	11.4	229	40	2
	Real Betis	11.8	129	32	4
	Alavés	12.6	115	17	1
	Celta de Vigo	11.7	133	25	1
	Leganés	12.3	157	18	1
	Mallorca	13.7	135	24	2
	Espanyol	10.5	151	18	0

Graphic

Real Madrid

Barcelona

Atlético de Madrid

Sevilla

Villarreal

Real Sociedad

Granada CF

Getafe

Valencia CF

Osasuna

Athletic Club

Levante

Real Valladolid

Eibar

Real Betis

Alavés

Celta de Vigo

Leganés

Mallorca

Espanyol

Definitions

Metric	Definition
High Turnovers	The number of sequences that start in open play and begin 40m or less from the opponent’s goal.
Shot Ending High Turnovers	The number of shot-ending sequences that start in open play and begin 40m or less from the opponent’s goal.
Goal Ending High Turnovers	The number of goal-ending sequences that start in open play and begin 40m or less from the opponent’s goal.
PPDA	PPDA is the number of opposition passes allowed outside of the pressing team’s own defensive third, divided by the number of defensive actions by the pressing team outside of their own defensive third. A lower figure indicates a higher level of pressing, while a higher figure indicates a lower level of pressing.

Goal Kicks

Overview

Key Points:

• Betis recorded the highest proportion of goal kicks which ended inside their own box (40.5%), a tactic which resulted them gaining more territory compared to when they went long. Betis averaged nearly 45 metres ball progression when they went short, compared to just over 41 metres when a goal kick cleared their own box.

• Real Madrid were another team who utilised short goal kicks on more than one in three occasions and were notably more successful with this approach, averaging seven more metres in ball progression compared to when they went long.

• In contrast to their title rivals, Barcelona were more successful in progressing the ball when their goal kicks cleared the box. They were the only team in La Liga to average over 50 metres ball progression from goal kicks which cleared the box.

• Seven teams elected to clear their own box from goal kicks on over 90% of occasions, with Getafe not taking a single goal kick ending in their own box over the whole season.

• Selecting the ‘Graphic’ tab, we can see the end location of every goal kick taken by the goalkeepers for each club during the season.

New Goal Kick Rule: Who’s using it?

		Goal Kick End Location			Goal Kick Upfield Progression
	Team	In the box	Outside the box	% ending in the box	In the box (m)	Outside the box (m)
	Real Madrid	87	159	35.4	51.1	43.8
	Barcelona	102	152	40.2	48.6	55.1
	Atlético de Madrid	40	280	12.5	51.8	45.3
	Sevilla	67	214	23.8	44.8	44.1
	Villarreal	103	226	31.3	47.0	40.0
	Real Sociedad	41	205	16.7	56.4	45.0
	Granada CF	36	289	11.1	37.8	45.0
	Getafe	0	259	0.0	0.0	43.6
	Valencia CF	69	268	20.5	47.8	39.3
	Osasuna	10	296	3.3	58.1	42.3
	Athletic Club	13	285	4.4	41.4	45.5
	Levante	116	238	32.8	48.2	43.1
	Real Valladolid	21	344	5.8	49.8	43.1
	Eibar	2	266	0.7	35.9	43.8
	Real Betis	115	169	40.5	44.9	41.1
	Alavés	16	328	4.7	47.5	44.0
	Celta de Vigo	87	252	25.7	42.7	40.6
	Leganés	4	288	1.4	44.4	41.7
	Mallorca	66	254	20.6	45.7	43.7
	Espanyol	46	270	14.6	51.2	44.9

Graphic

Real Madrid

Barcelona

Atlético de Madrid

Sevilla

Villarreal

Real Sociedad

Granada CF

Getafe

Valencia CF

Osasuna

Athletic Club

Levante

Real Valladolid

Eibar

Real Betis

Alavés

Celta de Vigo

Leganés

Mallorca

Espanyol

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Total In Box Goal Kicks	The total number of a team’s goal kicks that ended inside the box
Total Out of Box Goal Kicks	The total number of a team’s goal kicks that ended outside the box
Average In Box Goal Kick Progression	Average distance in metres upfield a team reached while in control of possession following a team’s goal kick ending outside the box. Example (controlled possession): If Mustafi receives the ball from the goal kick inside his area and then attempts an unsuccessful long ball forwards that goes out for a throw in, then the progression was only controlled to the point of where he was in control of the ball in his own box.
Average Out of Box Goal Kick Progression	Average distance in metres upfield a team reached while in control of possession following a team’s goal kick ending outside the box.

Player

Expected Goals

Overview

Key Points:

• Ranked by xG per 90, this table illustrates who took the highest quality shooting opportunities throughout the season.

• Álvaro Morata posted the highest xG per 90 output in La Liga, however he was only one of two players in the league’s top ten who failed to match their output in terms of actual goals.

• Both Barcelona players listed, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, exceeded their xG projections. Of the two, it was the Argentinian who exceeded his projection by the highest magnitude (0.16), a level of over-performance which was matched by Getafe forward Ángel Rodríguez, reinforcing the quality of each player’s finishing.

• Of the players listed, Ángel and Espanyol’s January signing Raúl de Tomás were the most prolific at scoring with their head, making up 30% and 50% of their goals totals respectively.

• Messi’s goalscoring threat from distance is reflected by the fact that 36% of all his goals came from outside the box, which is documented on his shot map in the ‘Graphic’ tab.

Top 10 Players Expected Goals Per 90 Minutes

			Per 90 Minutes			Goal Method %				Goal Loc. %
Team	Player	Minutes Played	xG	xGOT	Goals	Header	Left Foot	Right Foot	Other	Inside The Box
	Álvaro Morata	2103	0.69	0.66	0.51	25%	0%	75%	0%	100%
	Lionel Messi	2880	0.62	0.79	0.78	0%	92%	8%	0%	64%
	Luis Suárez	2001	0.58	0.64	0.72	19%	13%	69%	0%	81%
	Karim Benzema	3152	0.58	0.63	0.60	10%	19%	67%	5%	95%
	Gerard Moreno	2752	0.50	0.48	0.59	6%	72%	22%	0%	100%
	Ángel Rodríguez	1391	0.49	0.60	0.65	30%	20%	50%	0%	100%
	Willian José	2017	0.49	0.35	0.49	18%	9%	73%	0%	100%
	Chimy Avila	1593	0.46	0.38	0.51	22%	22%	56%	0%	78%
	Alexander Isak	1497	0.45	0.47	0.54	0%	44%	56%	0%	89%
	Raúl de Tomás	1073	0.44	0.34	0.34	50%	0%	50%	0%	100%

Pressure & Clarity

Key Points:

• This section outlines these players’ shooting habits in terms of shot pressure and shot clarity.

• Recording the highest xG per shot output as well as xG per 90, Álvaro Morata demonstrated an ability to get into good scoring locations inside the box. However nearly half of all his attempts occurred when under high pressure, meaning that opposition players were within tackling distance when he was looking to shoot.

• Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno showed a tendency to shoot when having a clear path to goal, with over one in three of all his attempts coming from high clarity situations.

• Messi’s willingness to shoot from distance is reflected by over 35% of all his efforts coming from low clarity situations. However no other player attempted more shots when under low pressure, meaning that no other player was within four metres of La Liga’s top scorer when he took the shot.

Shot Pressure & Clarity Distribution

			Pressure Level %			Clarity Level %
Team	Player	xG per shot	High Pressure	Moderate Pressure	Low Pressure	Open Goal	High Clarity	Moderate Clarity	Low Clarity
	Álvaro Morata	0.23	46.4	24.6	29.0	4.3	27.5	65.2	2.9
	Lionel Messi	0.13	25.2	32.1	42.8	0.0	12.6	51.6	35.8
	Luis Suárez	0.16	26.6	43.0	30.4	3.8	31.6	57.0	7.6
	Karim Benzema	0.16	33.1	39.5	27.4	1.6	29.8	62.1	6.5
	Gerard Moreno	0.17	31.5	36.0	32.6	1.1	34.8	57.3	6.7
	Ángel Rodríguez	0.14	24.5	45.3	30.2	3.8	30.2	56.6	9.4
	Willian José	0.19	39.0	30.5	30.5	0.0	30.5	64.4	5.1
	Chimy Avila	0.12	26.1	39.1	34.8	0.0	21.7	75.4	2.9
	Alexander Isak	0.17	43.2	31.8	25.0	0.0	31.8	56.8	11.4
	Raúl de Tomás	0.15	37.1	25.7	37.1	0.0	17.1	74.3	8.6

Graphic

Álvaro Morata

Lionel Messi

Luis Suárez

Karim Benzema

Gerard Moreno

Ángel Rodríguez

Willian José

Chimy Avila

Alexander Isak

Raúl de Tomás

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Expected Goals (xG)	Expected Goals (xG) measures the quality of a shot based on several variables such as assist type, shot angle and distance from goal, whether it was a headed shot and whether it was defined as a big chance. Adding up a player or team’s expected goals can give us an indication of how many goals a player or team should have scored on average, given the shots they have taken.
Expected Goals On Target (xGOT)	Expected Goals on Target is a separate Expected Goals Model that includes the original xG of the shot, and the goalmouth location where the shot ended up. It gives more credit to shots that end up in the corners, vs shots that go straight down the middle, and is built on historical on-target shots.
Shot Pressure	Shot pressure is judged by the amount of pressure a player is under by opposition players when they shoot at goal. At the time of the shot, the opposition players must be moving towards the ball (even if only slightly) or trying to put the shooter off in order to add pressure on the shooter.
Shot Clarity	Shot clarity assesses the line of sight between a player and the goal as a shot is taken. It is determined by the number of players (opposition and own team included) obstructing the clarity of the ball’s path to goal.

Expected Assists

Overview

Key Points:

• Understanding that all assists cannot be measured in the same way (a through ball putting the striker one-on-one against a goalkeeper is not the same as a laying the ball off 30 yards from goal for a team mate), the expected assists metric can support in identifying the players who have made high quality passes throughout the season, and have contributed to their team’s chance creation.

• Real Madrid players make up 50% of the league’s top ten, however Lionel Messi’s all-round contribution to Barcelona’s attacking play resulted in him ranking top in La Liga for xA. The quality of his teammates’ finishing is also evident, as his actual assists also exceeded his xA output.

• Vinícius Júnior’s performances when coming off the bench are also noteworthy. Despite only contributing 0.07 assists per 90, the Real Madrid winger’s xA of 0.23 suggests the quality of his passing in attacking areas could have resulted in more goals.

• Betis’ veteran Joaquín was another player whose quality of passes into attacking areas was not reflected in his overall assist count. The 39-year-old created more chances per 90 than any player listed here, as well as more chances per 100 passes.

Overall

Top 10 Overall Open Play Expected Assists Per 90 Minutes

			Per 90 Minutes		Chances Created
Team	Player	Minutes Played	xA	Assists	Per 90 Minutes	Per 100 Pass
	Lionel Messi	2880	0.37	0.50	1.75	2.99
	Eden Hazard	1086	0.24	0.25	1.49	3.17
	Vinícius Júnior	1354	0.23	0.07	1.40	4.20
	Jesús Navas	3371	0.22	0.19	1.39	2.59
	Joaquín	2071	0.22	0.09	2.26	5.24
	Daniel Carvajal	2740	0.21	0.13	1.15	1.78
	Marcelo	1299	0.20	0.14	1.66	2.74
	Ángel Correa	2065	0.19	0.26	0.92	3.86
	Denis Suárez	1636	0.19	0.22	1.27	3.13
	Karim Benzema	3152	0.18	0.23	1.46	4.14

Defenders

Top 10 Defenders Open Play Expected Assists Per 90 Minutes

			Per 90 Minutes		Chances Created
Team	Player	Minutes Played	xA	Assists	Per 90 Minutes	Per 100 Pass
	Jesús Navas	3371	0.22	0.19	1.39	2.59
	Daniel Carvajal	2740	0.21	0.13	1.15	1.78
	Marcelo	1299	0.20	0.14	1.66	2.74
	Joan Sastre	1360	0.18	0.13	0.86	2.89
	Jordi Alba	2190	0.17	0.21	0.99	1.28
	Sergio Reguilón	2509	0.17	0.11	1.33	2.57
	Santiago Arias	1076	0.16	0.08	0.84	1.96
	Emerson	2840	0.15	0.19	0.70	1.80
	Kieran Trippier	1980	0.13	0.09	0.73	1.74
	Sergi Roberto	2341	0.12	0.08	0.88	1.16

Midfielders

Top 10 Midfielders Open Play Expected Assists Per 90 Minutes

			Per 90 Minutes		Chances Created
Team	Player	Minutes Played	xA	Assists	Per 90 Minutes	Per 100 Pass
	Joaquín	2071	0.22	0.09	2.26	5.24
	Denis Suárez	1636	0.19	0.22	1.27	3.13
	Moi Gómez	2328	0.18	0.15	0.89	2.20
	Manu Trigueros	1544	0.16	0.23	1.34	2.70
	Pablo De Blasis	1594	0.15	0.11	0.90	2.25
	Marcos Llorente	1365	0.14	0.20	0.86	2.73
	Matías Vargas	1020	0.14	0.18	1.15	3.96
	Roberto Torres	2721	0.14	0.17	0.83	2.80
	Fabián Orellana	2396	0.14	0.15	0.90	2.81
	Martin Ødegaard	2532	0.14	0.14	1.10	2.20

Forwards

Top 10 Forwards Open Play Expected Assists Per 90 Minutes

			Per 90 Minutes		Chances Created
Team	Player	Minutes Played	xA	Assists	Per 90 Minutes	Per 100 Pass
	Lionel Messi	2880	0.37	0.50	1.75	2.99
	Eden Hazard	1086	0.24	0.25	1.49	3.17
	Vinícius Júnior	1354	0.23	0.07	1.40	4.20
	Ángel Correa	2065	0.19	0.26	0.92	3.86
	Karim Benzema	3152	0.18	0.23	1.46	4.14
	Gerard Moreno	2752	0.18	0.16	1.44	4.75
	Munir El Haddadi	1254	0.17	0.14	1.00	3.43
	Antoine Griezmann	2561	0.17	0.14	0.95	2.48
	Portu	2392	0.16	0.30	0.83	4.12
	Ansu Fati	1026	0.16	0.09	1.32	3.01

Graphic

Lionel Messi

Eden Hazard

Vinícius Júnior

Jesús Navas

Joaquín

Daniel Carvajal

Marcelo

Ángel Correa

Denis Suárez

Karim Benzema

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Expected Assists (xA)	A measure of pass quality, showing the likelihood that a pass will be a primary assist. The model is based on the finishing location of the pass, what type of pass it was and a variety of other factors. This model is not reliant on whether a shot was taken from this pass, so credits all passes, regardless of whether they result in a shot.
Chances Created	A measure of the number of times a player assists a shot (including goals).

Carries

Overview

Key Points:

• Identifying ball carrying players who consistently create chances for themselves and their teammates can provide valuable insights into the league’s most dangerous dribblers. The list below highlights La Liga’s top 10 players for creating goal scoring opportunities as a result of a carry.

• Messi again tops the list, seeing 50% more goal scoring opportunities following one of his carries than any other player listed here. No other player scored more goals or provided more assists following a carry.

• Behind Messi and joint with Real Betis’ Nabil Fekir, Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas scored four times following a carry and in total created 43 goal scoring opportunities, with over half of those coming from a key pass.

• Granada’s Darwin Machís demonstrated a tendency to shoot following a carry, instead of looking to pass to a teammate, which resulted in him scoring on three occasions during the campaign.

• Clicking on the ‘Graphics’ tab brings up the pitch map for each player, plotting the chances, assists, shots and goals resulting from their carries during the season.

Top 10 Players: Shot Ending Carries

			Carry Frequency		Carry End Product
Team	Player	Minutes Played	Carries per 90	Average Carry Distance (m)	Shot Ending	Key Pass Ending	Assist Ending	Goal Ending	Total Chance Creating Carries
	Lionel Messi	2880	20	10.65	37	28	5	7	65
	Nabil Fekir	2648	14	11.14	33	10	1	2	43
	Iago Aspas	3266	10	12.35	20	23	1	4	43
	Martin Ødegaard	2532	19	10.86	21	19	3	2	40
	Darwin Machís	2128	11	12.99	31	7	0	3	38
	Samuel Chukwueze	2038	13	13.10	24	13	1	2	37
	Lucas Ocampos	2753	14	12.31	28	8	3	3	36
	Karim Benzema	3152	9	10.76	22	14	2	0	36
	Gerard Moreno	2752	10	10.46	14	19	1	4	33
	Takefusa Kubo	2309	12	11.71	20	11	0	2	31

Graphic

Lionel Messi

Nabil Fekir

Iago Aspas

Martin Ødegaard

Darwin Machís

Samuel Chukwueze

Lucas Ocampos

Karim Benzema

Gerard Moreno

Takefusa Kubo

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Carries	The total number of carries where a carry is defined as the player moving the ball five metres or more.
Average Carry Distance	The average distance (in metres) that a player moves the ball per carry.
Shot Ending Carry	The number of carries that were followed by a shot (including goals).
Chance Created Ending Carry	The number of carries that were followed by a key pass/chance created.
Assist Ending Carry	The number of carries that were followed by an assist.
Goal Ending Carry	The number of carries that were followed by a goal.

Goalkeepers

Overview

Key Points:

• In this section we apply shot-stopping metrics that consider the quality of the shot that the goalkeeper faces. While shots faced and save percentage can often be misleading and favour those facing a high volume of shots, these metrics, particularly assessing by ‘goals prevented rate’, can account for that. All metrics here are non penalty and exclude own goals.

• Taking each goalkeeper that appeared most frequently for their team this season, Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois stands out. The average La Liga goalkeeper would have been expected to concede nearly seven more goals based on the quality of shots faced by the Belgian, helping his side secure the title.

• Athletic Club’s Unai Simón also enjoyed a strong campaign, conceding only 22 times, over eight fewer goals compared to what we would expect, according to the xGOT of the shots on target he faced this season.

• The ‘goals prevented rate’ metric can account for different keepers facing a different number of shots throughout the season. Espanyol’s Diego López and Granada’s Rui Silva both have the same goals prevented rate (1.01), despite the former facing more and higher quality shots. Normalising for the volume of shots allows us to see that both goalkeepers were expected to concede 1.01 goals for every goal that they actually conceded.

Most Featured Goalkeepers Per Team

Team	Player	% Of Team Mins	Goals Prevented Rate	Goals Prevented	xGOT Conceded	Goals Conceded	Shots Faced
	Unai Simón	87%	1.38	8.4	30.4	22	104
	Thibaut Courtois	89%	1.34	6.8	26.8	20	96
	Jan Oblak	99%	1.30	6.3	27.3	21	107
	Jordi Masip	92%	1.13	4.3	37.3	33	118
	David Soria	100%	1.10	3.0	33.0	30	103
	Aitor Fernández	95%	1.06	2.7	48.7	46	198
	Manolo Reina	95%	1.05	2.3	47.3	45	164
	Sergio Herrera	48%	1.03	0.7	26.7	26	79
	Joel Robles	84%	1.02	0.7	36.7	36	119
	Rui Silva	92%	1.01	0.3	38.3	38	137
	Diego López	95%	1.01	0.3	50.3	50	152
	Rubén Blanco	87%	0.98	-0.9	37.1	38	130
	Marc-André ter Stegen	95%	0.97	-1.0	29.0	30	109
	Sergio Asenjo	89%	0.95	-1.8	33.2	35	137
	Jasper Cillessen	61%	0.94	-1.5	21.5	23	101
	Marko Dmitrovic	92%	0.93	-3.2	42.8	46	117
	Iván Cuéllar	71%	0.91	-2.7	29.3	32	95
	Álex Remiro	66%	0.90	-2.5	22.5	25	84
	Tomás Vaclik	85%	0.89	-3.1	24.9	28	94
	Fernando Pacheco	69%	0.87	-3.8	25.2	29	92

Graphic

Unai Simón

Thibaut Courtois

Jan Oblak

Jordi Masip

David Soria

Aitor Fernández

Manolo Reina

Sergio Herrera

Joel Robles

Rui Silva

Diego López

Rubén Blanco

Marc-André ter Stegen

Sergio Asenjo

Jasper Cillessen

Marko Dmitrovic

Iván Cuéllar

Álex Remiro

Tomás Vaclik

Fernando Pacheco

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Expected Goals On Target (xGOT)	Expected Goals on Target is a separate Expected Goals Model that includes the original xG of the shot, and the goalmouth location where the shot ended up. It gives more credit to shots that end up in the corners, vs shots that go straight down the middle, and is built on historical on-target shots.
xGOT Conceded	The number of goals that a keeper was expected to concede, given the quality of the on-target shots he faced.
Goals Prevented	The number of goals that a goalkeeper was expected to concede compared to the number that they actually conceded, according to xGOT. Calculated as xGOT conceded from shots on target faced, minus goals conceded.
Goals Prevented Rate	The Goals Prevented metric adjusted to reflect the number of shots a keeper faced. It is the number of goals that a goalkeeper was expected to concede as a proportion of the number of goals they actually conceded. Calculated as: xGOT conceded divided by goals conceded.

Player Sequences (Defending)

Overview

Key Points:

• Ranked by players who initiate their team’s possessions in open play most frequently, we are able to identify players who win the ball back from the opposition and initiate a sequence for their team.

• Unsurprisingly, central defenders and defensive midfielders dominate this list, which is why positions can be filtered, allowing us to better understand which players are more involved from a defensive perspective.

• In the forward position some familiar names appear, reinforcing this approach to identifying players who perform well in this role. Despite starting fewer possessions, Espanyol’s Adrián Embarba ranks highly amongst forwards in regards to starting sequences, as well as making the most tackles and ball recoveries of the forwards listed here.

Overall

Top 10 Overall Open Play Sequence Starts

			Per 1000 Opposition Touches
Team	Player	Minutes Played	Open Play Possession Start	Open Play Sequence Start	Tackles Won	Interceptions	Recoveries
	Fernando	2656	9.51	20.53	1.72	3.48	9.72
	Casemiro	3090	9.33	22.11	2.87	3.25	14.07
	Djené Dakonam	3060	9.05	22.79	1.53	1.68	11.27
	Oier Sanjurjo	2328	8.84	21.61	1.81	1.86	9.10
	Sergio Busquets	2491	8.72	21.37	2.40	2.40	11.94
	Yeray Álvarez	2811	8.12	16.89	0.87	2.83	7.62
	Bernardo Espinosa	2261	8.12	16.62	0.88	1.32	6.91
	Damián Suárez	2598	8.00	19.44	1.72	1.45	7.90
	David García	2792	7.82	17.86	0.76	2.27	7.06
	Sergio Ramos	3016	7.78	17.73	1.53	2.41	10.39

Defender

Top 10 Defender Open Play Sequence Starts

			Per 1000 Opposition Touches
Team	Player	Minutes Played	Open Play Possession Start	Open Play Sequence Start	Tackles Won	Interceptions	Recoveries
	Djené Dakonam	3060	9.05	22.79	1.53	1.68	11.27
	Oier Sanjurjo	2328	8.84	21.61	1.81	1.86	9.10
	Yeray Álvarez	2811	8.12	16.89	0.87	2.83	7.62
	Bernardo Espinosa	2261	8.12	16.62	0.88	1.32	6.91
	Damián Suárez	2598	8.00	19.44	1.72	1.45	7.90
	David García	2792	7.82	17.86	0.76	2.27	7.06
	Sergio Ramos	3016	7.78	17.73	1.53	2.41	10.39
	Anaitz Arbilla	2007	7.72	20.42	1.31	1.83	11.39
	Unai Bustinza	2690	7.64	15.55	1.79	2.90	5.54
	Leandro Cabrera	3060	7.47	16.49	0.80	1.94	7.23

Midfielders

Top 10 Midfielders Open Play Sequence Starts

			Per 1000 Opposition Touches
Team	Player	Minutes Played	Open Play Possession Start	Open Play Sequence Start	Tackles Won	Interceptions	Recoveries
	Fernando	2656	9.51	20.53	1.72	3.48	9.72
	Casemiro	3090	9.33	22.11	2.87	3.25	14.07
	Sergio Busquets	2491	8.72	21.37	2.40	2.40	11.94
	Dani García	3027	7.66	18.52	1.35	2.34	9.10
	Mikel Merino	3144	7.10	20.81	2.56	2.47	14.25
	Mauro Arambarri	3071	6.81	18.63	1.57	2.05	9.58
	Rubén Pérez	2196	6.69	17.64	1.37	1.93	10.39
	Saúl Ñíguez	3076	6.65	15.26	2.53	2.36	9.05
	Maxime Gonalons	1509	6.57	13.80	2.80	1.48	8.85
	Marc Roca	3019	6.46	16.80	2.35	1.44	9.48

Forwards

Top 10 Forwards Open Play Sequence Starts

			Per 1000 Opposition Touches
Team	Player	Minutes Played	Open Play Possession Start	Open Play Sequence Start	Tackles Won	Interceptions	Recoveries
	Alejandro Pozo	1532	5.29	12.26	1.67	1.54	6.50
	Óscar Plano	2507	3.55	8.72	1.24	1.45	6.07
	Adrián Embarba	1381	3.30	11.91	1.91	1.39	8.00
	Mikel Oyarzabal	3063	2.78	11.38	0.71	0.61	7.03
	Iago Aspas	3266	2.66	9.38	0.86	0.99	4.87
	Nabil Fekir	2648	2.62	10.17	1.51	0.58	7.03
	Antoine Griezmann	2561	2.59	7.83	0.97	0.65	4.54
	Portu	2392	2.45	7.66	1.05	0.65	4.51
	Lago Junior	2192	2.40	7.23	0.81	0.60	5.09
	Ángel Correa	2065	2.28	7.06	0.40	0.63	4.69

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Sequences	Sequences are defined as passages of play which belong to one team and are ended by defensive actions, stoppages in play or a shot.
Possessions	Possessions are defined as one or more sequences in a row belonging to the same team. A series of passes leading to a shot which is saved and results in a corner kick would comprise one possession since the same team retains control, but more than one sequence, since the ball has gone out of play. A possession is ended by the opposition gaining control of the ball.
Possession Start	The number of times that a player initiates the first open play sequence in a possession. A player initiating the first sequence in a possession (open play sequence start) is regaining control of the ball from the opposition. A player initiating a sequence that isn’t the first in a possession will be recovering the ball in open play following the end of their own team’s sequence (such as a shot or an opposition defensive action).
Sequence Start	The number of times that a player initiates an open play sequence.
Interception	A defending player intercepts a pass between opposition players.
Recovery	When a player takes possession of a loose ball.

Player Sequences (Attacking)

Overview

Key Points:

• Ranking by players who are involved in the most amount of goals (per 100 open play sequence involvements), we can see that centre forwards dominate this list.

• Moving across to the ‘Build Up’ tab, the list shows players involved, but removes both the shot creator and the player who took the shot, providing a list that rewards players involved in earlier phases of the sequence. Sergio Busquets is the major stand-out, having been involved in 23 goal ending sequences from a deeper lying position.

Top 10 Goal Ending Open Play Sequence Involvements

			Per 100 Open Play Sequence Involvements			Open Play Sequence Involvements
Team	Player	Minutes Played	Goal Ending p100	Total xG p100	Shot Ending p100	Goal Ending	Total xG	Shot Ending
	Luis Suárez	2001	3.54	2.41	17.82	25	17.04	126
	Loren Morón	2030	3.40	2.80	17.96	14	11.54	74
	Maxi Gómez	2148	3.02	2.05	13.72	13	8.83	59
	Chimy Avila	1593	2.77	2.82	21.48	12	12.20	93
	Ángel Rodríguez	1391	2.68	1.86	16.11	12	8.31	72
	Rodrigo Moreno	1889	2.58	2.32	12.28	16	14.37	76
	Alexander Isak	1497	2.56	2.42	16.11	10	9.46	63
	Borja Mayoral	2145	2.55	2.52	15.63	16	15.79	98
	Karim Benzema	3152	2.53	2.46	17.99	31	30.13	220
	Youssef En-Nesyri	2173	2.51	2.01	15.09	13	10.39	78

Build Up

Top 10 Goal Ending Open Play Build Up Sequence Involvements

			Per 100 Open Play Build Up Sequence Involvements			Open Play Build Up Sequence Involvements
Team	Player	Minutes Played	Goal Ending p100	Total xG p100	Shot Ending p100	Goal Ending	Total xG	Shot Ending
	Miguel Ángel Moyá	1170	1.50	0.89	3.90	5	2.96	13
	Sergio Busquets	2491	1.37	1.09	7.88	23	18.24	132
	Aritz Elustondo	1503	1.31	0.57	4.10	8	3.46	25
	Arthur	1185	1.14	0.85	6.13	8	5.93	43
	Adrián López	1453	1.07	0.74	5.77	5	3.46	27
	Borja Mayoral	2145	1.07	0.62	5.37	6	3.49	30
	Kevin Vázquez	1330	1.00	0.41	3.98	6	2.45	24
	Nemanja Maksimovic	2898	0.99	0.59	5.45	6	3.57	33
	Carlos Soler	2071	0.95	1.01	5.22	6	6.39	33
	Martin Braithwaite	2337	0.95	0.51	4.91	5	2.69	26

Definitions

Metric	Definition
Open Play Sequence Involvement	The number of unique open play sequences that a player was involved in. (Note: these are unique because multiple involvements in a single sequence will only count as one involvement)
Goal Ending Sequence Involvement	The number of unique goal-ending sequences in open play that a player is involved in.
Shot Ending Sequence Involvement	The number of unique shot-ending sequences in open play that a player is involved in.
xG Sequence Involvement	The total xG value of unique open play shot or goal ending sequences that a player was involved in.
Build Up Sequence Involvement	The number of unique build up sequences (shot and key pass removed) in open play that a player was involved in.
Goal Ending Build Up Sequence Involvement	The number of unique goal-ending build up sequences (shot and key pass removed) in open play that a player is involved in.
Shot Ending Build Up Sequence Involvement	The number of unique shot-ending build up sequences (shot and key pass removed) in open play that a player is involved in.
xG Build Up Sequence Involvement	The total xG value of unique build up sequences that a player was involved in that resulted in a shot or a goal.