Football, read through the data.

Analysis of goals, chances, passing and pressing, built from event data and explained in plain language. Every chart shows its source and every piece says how it was made.

The five lanes of a football pitchA pitch seen from above, divided lengthways into wing, half-space, centre, half-space and wing. The two half-spaces sit between the penalty-area edge and the six-yard-box edge.WingHalf-spaceCentreHalf-spaceWing

Latest

  1. Messi's 17 seasons in one map: winger, false nine, playmaker

    Where Lionel Messi received the ball in every La Liga season for Barcelona shows three roles: a right winger until 2009, a false nine who lived in the middle, and finally a playmaker who started more of his work in his own half.

    Analysis

  2. Barcelona had the ball. How did Real Madrid win El Clásico?

    Barcelona attempted 62% of the passes and outshot Madrid 18 to 10, but Madrid created twice as many big chances, and Kylian Mbappé finished two of them.

    Analysis

  3. Two ways to go unbeaten: how Arsenal and Leverkusen protected their leads

    Arsenal's Invincibles and Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen both went a league season unbeaten and both finished on 90 points. Arsenal managed games once they were ahead; Leverkusen kept attacking, won every match they led and took nine extra points after the 75th minute.

    Analysis

  4. Did the red card beat Milan, or had Bournemouth already won?

    Bournemouth did their best work in the 27 minutes of 11 against 11. The red card gave them the ball, but it did not give them more chances.

    Analysis

  5. What expected goals (xG) is, and what it isn't

    xG puts a number on how good a chance was. At Women's Euro 2025 it tracked how often shots actually went in at almost every distance.

    Explainers

  6. How to read a shot map

    Where shots came from, how good they were and which went in, all on one pitch. The Euro 2025 final shows how much a shot map adds to a 1–1 scoreline.

    Explainers

  7. How to read a pass network

    Dots for where players stood, lines for who passed to whom. Spain's network from the Euro 2025 final shows a team built on its centre-backs and right side.

    Explainers

  8. What PPDA measures, and how to read it

    Passes per defensive action is the simplest number for how hard a team presses. At Women's Euro 2025, Spain allowed opponents the fewest passes before stepping in.

    Explainers