Champions League: Analysis of the top teams in Europe

Chelsea and liverpool kick off their Champions League attempts this Tuesday before Tottenham and Manchester City play on Wednesday – but what lessons may the four clubs learn from last season?
English clubs have dodged many of Europe’s powerhouse teams, with the exception of Tottenham facing Bayern Munich at Group B and Chelsea facing a resurgent Ajax side.
But what will the teams expect to face this year? Adam Smith delves into UEFA’s advanced stats from 2018/19 to discover potential strengths and weaknesses…
366 goals, which represented a couple of low were generated by last year’s campaign. But that dip could end up being an outlier. The overall trajectory for intentions has been rising for 13 years now.
The increase suggests that an emphasis on strike over defence in football rounds.
The picture below demonstrates the number of goals scored during periods term and reveals a rise towards a summit in the final 15 minutes – when teams are forced forwards counter teams who have over-committed or to salvage results.
You will find 22 goals in the last 15 minutes of normal time throughout the knockout rounds – that equates to 25 per cent of goals scored in those games.
In general, 21 out of 125 matches were obtained after the 75th minute with goals.
Just over one quarter of goals were scored from cut-backs or crosses, approaches set up by Liverpool and Manchester City.
Liverpool scored the most headed goals followed closely by Porto on five.
While the other 42 came from corners 59 goals were jointly notched by europe gamers from passing combinations.
Lionel Messi took centre stage in style and maintained the Golden Boot with 12 targets – four more than runner-up Robert Lewandowski.
His showpiece moment came in Barcelona’s 3-0 triumph over Liverpool, curling a free-kick beyond Alisson with precision to notch his goal for the team.
His returns defy description. Based on UEFA xG information, the scored six objects more than expected,
Among the players that netted five or five, Mohamed Salah was not the only participant to scorer fewer than anticipated and enroll a single-digit conversion speed – along with his shot count of 52 surpassed by Messi’s 54 attempts.
Barcelona ter Stegen along with kept the most effective sheet mark and Borussia Dortmund stopper Roman Burki shipped the goals per match, followed by Alisson and Juventus stopper Wojciech Szczesny.
At the other end of this scale, this summer Schalke stopper Ralf Fahmann, that signed for Norwich on a season-long loan, sent the maximum per game – conceding 10 from Manchester City alone.
Lyon’s Anthony Lopes and Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois leaked an variety of aims – although that the xG stats indicate both stoppers actually prevented goals than anticipated, implying defences might be at fault .
City’s sensational 10-2 aggregate scoreline over Schalke from the Round of 16 also guaranteed City were the most rewarding side, netting three per game normally of the competition. But PSG were arguably the very clinical group.
Thomas Tuchel’s side averaged 2.5 goals per match and listed league-topping stats for shooting accuracy and conversion prices.
Several clubs recorded single-digit conversion rates and believed fewer than expected, such as Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester United, Liverpool and Napoli.
Clubs with results included AEK Athens, Young Boys, PSV Valencia, Galatasaray, Lokomotiv and Monaco.
Manchester City would be the strongest British side by set-pieces, scoring five from dead-ball situations (excluding penalties), followed closely by Liverpool (four), Tottenham and Manchester United (two each).
However, in terms of overall purpose ratios from situations, teams competing against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid ought to be cautious: nearly 40 per cent of the two teams’ goals came from set plays.
A bulk of those objects include Porto and corners top the bunch for returns , scoring per cent of their corners – but that the Primeira Liga runners-up won’t compete in the Champions League this year.
For converting opportunities fired from the corner flag, followed by Red Star and Ajax Bayern and Atletico were the next sides.
In the opposite of the pitch, Atletico should have the ability to expose the flaws of Lokomotiv at corners, while groups in Group G is going to be mindful of Benfica’s bad defensive record in these types of situations, too.
Manchester City could appreciate victory from corners against a Shakhtar Donetsk facet, if they confront corner championships Bayern at October, while the weak record at clearing danger of Tottenham will likely be under threat.
The top seven nightclubs for possession made the Round of 16, with Manchester City and Real Madrid topping the package with a mean of 60 per cent – but Actual edged City slightly.
Atletico had an inferior share of the chunk, however, when inside their third kept the ball in possession and paired La Liga rivals Real together with their proportional share in areas that are assaulting.
The stats show which groups backed or were hemmed in, with Red Star followed closely by Inter Milan PSV, Viktoria, AEK Athens, Bayern, Benfica and Schalke.
Maybe Dortmund surpassed Barcelona to its average number of moves per game, using Napoli ousting Manchester City and Real Madrid.
But, co and Messi were the most incisive, together with passes bypassing 501 opponents typically each game.
Interestingly, the best nine nightclubs for long balls did not meet the requirements this season, with Club Brugge being the very rewarding side for distribution.
The working stats of liverpool moved off the chart in charge at Anfield during Klopp’s first months before stabilising in recent seasons – documenting distances.
The picture below shows a very clear correlation between distance and ordinary age covered.
Shakhtar have been the prime outliers using a competition-high 116km covered per game – despite having an above-average age of 27.5, while Roma also bucked the trend.
CSKA and Lyon have been the sides compared with the eldest teams of with the latter running 4km fewer than every other side – Lokomotiv Viktoria and Galatasaray.
One year , and with couple of additions that are young this summer, Juventus will now be one of the oldest sides but Group D rivals Atletico year.
When defending set-pieces in Group 28, tottenham struggled during the opening weeks but found their groove also will need to remain alert
While Lewandowski has been the striker to have scored five or more objects, bayern are clinical from these types of scenarios.
Interestingly, Red and Bayern Star both play deep inside their own half, and Spurs may attempt off or to press these attacking regions for high turnovers to stop counter-attacks and preserve energy.
Manchester City could look to harness defensive frailties and confront an ageing although energetic Shakhtar aspect in the group stages to get a third year running – but the side are likely to play at a similar style to City, patiently departure forwards.
Guardiola will probably soon be confident, together with Dinamo Zagreb prior to hosting Serie A wildcards Atalanta, who are embarking upon their own Champions League 30, seeing with the Etihad in October.
Liverpool face Napoli for the next time in a year and Klopp is going to be eager to put the record right following a 3-0 pre-season defeat sparked alarms.
Napoli will wish to fire shots on goal to compete against a side that shoot on sight, even while the Italians will look to out-pass the champions – typically attempting 140 more moves than the facet each game of Klopp.
Arguablyout of the English clubs, Chelsea have the collection with all four teams matched – with Lampard’s side and Ajax.
Ajax were one of the youngest sides last year but still managed to reach the semis, after ceding their benefit to 33, but the Dutch champions would have learnt innumerable lessons.
However, it will be intriguing to determine whether Erik ten Hag will blood fresh youngsters to replace the talismanic attributes of Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Kasper Dolberg after all three sought pastures new through the summer window.
Liverpool may become the first British side because they, and Nottingham Forest, achieved that feat in the 25, to retain the trophy.
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