Offensive transitions in football as a decisive way to obtain goals in Top, Marginal and Emerging leagues

Abstract

Offensive transitions in modern football have been identified as decisive moments in a game, as they offer a high potential for scoring goals and creating defensive imbalances. In order to investigate the impact of offensive transitions on the performance of different national football leagues, this study analysed data from 1,151 games of the season 2019/20 corresponding to all games in the first round of games of nine national leagues, which were divided into three categories: Top, Marginal, and Emerging. A total of 3497 goals were scored in these games, and they were classified according to their origin, including non-offensive transitions, set pieces, direct offensive transitions, and positive results of offensive transitions. All goals were analysed from the moment the scoring team gained possession of the ball until they reached the goal. In goals resulting from Set Pieces, the play that preceded them was also analysed. The results showed that in the Top Leagues, more goals were scored per game (0.28 goals) through offensive transitions, and a greater number of goals were scored (53%) through direct offensive transition and positive outcomes, compared to the Emerging and Marginal Leagues. Emphasis on the data obtained in the National League of Netherlands in the Marginal League group and the National League of Qatar in the Emerging League group that present a number of goals obtained by offensive transition superior to the Spanish League of the Top League group. Furthermore, the Emerging and Marginal Leagues performed better in terms of goals scored from non-offensive transitions and set pieces, suggesting the presence of unique qualities in these leagues. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the role of offensive transitions on the performance of national football leagues and the superior performance of Top Leagues in utilising them effectively. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on offensive transitions in order to achieve success in modern football.