Football Statistics Explained: xG, xA, Possession and What They Measure
Expected goals rates chances, not results; possession counts the ball, not control. A plain guide to the numbers that fill modern football coverage.
Football4 min
Section · 10
Football
The game behind the markets: competition formats, tie-breakers, form guides and the statistics people quote, explained before any price comes into it.
Head-to-Head Records and Form Guides: Reading a Football Match Preview
Five letters and a list of old meetings appear in every match preview. How to read them properly, and why neither one is a forecast on its own.
Football4 min
Golden Boot Betting: How Top Goalscorer Markets Work
A season-long bet on the leading scorer. Which goals count, how dead-heat rules split a tie, and why the trophy and the betting slip can disagree.
Football4 min
What Counts as a Shot on Target? Football Stats and Shot Markets
Saved, blocked, off the post or wide: only some attempts count as on target. The definition, the borderline cases and how shot markets settle.
Football4 min
Booking Points Betting: How Football Card Markets Are Counted
Ten for a yellow, 25 for a red, never more than 35 for one player. How booking points are added up, what is left out and which card markets exist.
Football4 min
What Does Agg Mean in Soccer? Aggregate Scores, Extra Time and Away Goals
Agg is short for aggregate, the combined score of a two-legged tie. What it means for who goes through, and for which bets count extra time.
Football4 min
Europa League vs Conference League: How UEFA's Second and Third Tiers Work
Two Thursday-night competitions with the same basic shape but different stakes. How the Europa League and Conference League are entered, played and won.
Football4 min
How Does the Champions League Work? The League Phase Format Explained
Groups of four are gone. The Champions League now starts with one 36-club table, a play-off round and a seeded bracket. Here is how the pieces connect.
Football4 min
What Is Goal Difference? How Football Tables Break a Tie
Goals scored minus goals conceded: a small column that settles titles, European places and relegation. How to read it, and what comes after it.
Football4 min
What Is a Clean Sheet in Soccer? Meaning, Credit and Betting Markets
A clean sheet simply means conceding nothing. Here is who gets the credit, which goals count against it and how the related betting markets are graded.
Football5 min
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