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AnalysisLaLiga

Analysis

On chances, Barcelona are clear of LaLiga

Barcelona create 3.30 xG a game and allow 1.12: +2.18, best in LaLiga.

Published by The90Pro · 3 min read

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+2.18

Barcelona, xG difference a game

3.30 xG for and 1.12 against a game, league average 1.47; next: Real Madrid +1.56; 12 games

12 games into the LaLiga season, one side's chance numbers are out on their own. Barcelona create 3.30 xG a game (league average 1.47) and give up 1.12, a difference of +2.18 a game; the next best is Real Madrid on +1.56. That is the profile of a side controlling games, whatever the results say.

The league picture

xG (expected goals) values each chance by how often shots like it are scored. A team's xG made minus xG conceded a game is one of the steadiest guides to how good it is, because it moves far less with luck than goals do. Barcelona sit in the "many chances, few against" corner, with Athletic, Atlético, Real Madrid and others.

xG for and against a game, this season
↖ Few chances, many againstOpen games ↗xG against a game () →
↙ Tight gamesMany chances, few against ↘xG for a game () →

Hover or tap a crest for its numbers. Dashed lines: league average.

How they do it

Barcelona have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 in 8 of their 12 LaLiga games; this is the eleven that has started there most, with each player's average match rating.

Their pass network from the 2-1 win at Atlético on Sunday shows where each player took the ball and who found whom. The busiest link was Cubarsí to Fariñas.

Usual XI: 4-2-3-1 in 8 of 12 games, season average ratings4-2-3-1
  • 8.6Lamine YamalBAR
  • 7.2Joan GarcíaBAR
  • 7.5CubarsíBAR
  • 8.4RaphinhaBAR
  • 7.6EspartBAR
  • 7.4GordonBAR
  • 7.2Gerard MartínBAR
  • 7.7RodriBAR
  • 7.8FermínBAR
  • 7.1KoundéBAR
  • 7.6PedriBAR

Photos: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biso / CC BY 4.0

Pass network, 2-1 win at Atlético
15Raphinha69Cubarsí27Cancelo11Gordon35Gerard Martín18Joan García40Fariñas38Pedri38Bernal19Lamine Yamal13Fermín

Tap or hover a player to see who they passed with and how often.

Barcelona · Starting XI until the first substitution (45')Busiest link: Cubarsí and Fariñas, 36 passes.Centralisation index 0.13: Cubarsí made 2.3× an even share of the passes.

Circles show passes made; lines, passes between the pair. Brighter and thicker means more. Attacking to the right. The full match

The players who drive it, and the number that matters for this story:

Key players, this season
  • RaphinhaStriker15 goals in 11 games, 1.8 xA
    11.2xG
  • Lamine YamalRight winger10 goals in 12 games, 5.0 xA
    8.0xG
  • AdeyemiLeft winger2 goals in 12 games, 1.2 xA
    4.5xG
  • FermínCentral midfielder7 goals in 11 games, 2.3 xA
    4.0xG

Photos: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Werner100359 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Biso / CC BY 4.0

The trend

Over 5 games at a time, Barcelona's xG difference a game is +1.10 now, down from +2.57 after their first 5; the high was +2.79 (MD 6 v Racing). Real Madrid, the line to compare with, are on +1.52; the league average is 0.00. 12 games is a small sample, and numbers like these settle down as the season goes on.

xG difference a game, rolling 5 games
012356789101112

Matchday along the bottom, up the side. Dashed line: league average. Tap the names to show or hide a line.

What to watch

More analysis: Barcelona: LaLiga's best side at set pieces; Vallés: +8.4 goals prevented.

New to a term? See the glossary.

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