Goal Chances Created: How The Scottish Premiership Compares With The Top 5 Leagues In Europe For Excitement
Exciting football can be a rare commodity in the modern game. Coaching methods, fitness and tactical developments mean that some clubs can create a measure of control over matches.
However, coaching philosophies in different European countries can lead to certain leagues being more exciting than others.
For this list, we have used data compiled by the CIES Football Observatory to compare the average number of chances created per match in each league since the beginning of 2019.
Press the next page as we compare the Scottish Premiership with the top five European leagues.
6) Scottish Premiership – 9.6 Chances Per Match
Scotland’s top division does compare unfavourably with the best leagues in Europe when it comes to the excitement factor. Some of that can be attributed to how long the ball spends out of play.
The average Premiership match has 55 minutes and 38 seconds of action, which is the best part of six minutes less than the German Bundesliga. Referees should probably be tasked with encouraging teams to play quicker from kickoffs, goal kicks and set pieces.
5) La Liga – 10.0 Chances Per Match
The Spanish league is widely regarded as the most technical in European football, but that doesn’t always lend itself to exciting, attacking matches.
There can be a lot of stoppages for fouls, with the referees typically far stricter than in other countries, while time-wasting is a common ploy used by clubs, particularly when facing the league’s biggest teams such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.
4) Ligue One – 10.4 Chances Per Match
The French top-flight does seem to generate more excitement in the final third than either Spain or Scotland, although it is by no means up there with the best. There are sixteen other top-flight leagues in Europe where more goalscoring opportunities are created.
That could simply be down to the fact that there are better defences in France, or teams set up tactically in a way that lends itself to fewer open games.
3) Premier League – 10.9 Chances Per Match
English football has promoted itself as being at the centre of the action in terms of quality and exciting matches over the past few decades but, since 2019, it seems there are plenty of other leagues where better entertainment can be had.
Some of that may be attributed to how some Premier League clubs line up against the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. Defensive tactics from opponents in such games will inevitably reduce chances on goal.
2) Serie A – 11.1 Chances Per Match
It is very surprising to see Italy so high up on this list. Over the years, Serie A has been known for its strong defensive and tactical setups but it seems that stereotype is no longer applicable.
Considering Italian teams have struggled in Europe over the past decade or two, though, it is apparent that this change to a more attacking style of play hasn’t really benefited them.
1) Bundesliga – 11.9 Chances Per Match
Watching TV coverage of games in German’s top tier can sometimes resemble pinball, with there being so much end to end action on display.
Generally, Bundesliga teams are set up to press high, meaning there are large gaps to exploit on the counter-attack. It leads to a fair few goalscoring opportunities.
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