{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,26]],"date-time":"2026-03-26T17:03:49Z","timestamp":1774544629206,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,7]],"date-time":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1686096000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT","award":["UIDB\/04748\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04748\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Goals scored are the most important performance indicator and may be a good tool to analyze game style predominance within different leagues. The aims of this study are to describe how goals are scored in the two major soccer leagues in the season of 2020\/21, and to compare both leagues to watch possible differences in the offensive sequences that lead to goal-scoring. The aims of this study were: to evaluate goal scoring trends among two main soccer leagues and to compare the two leagues. A total of 1409 goals were observed using notational analysis. The total results show a dominance of positional play\/fast attack (n = 38%), followed by set pieces as the second means to score (n = 32%) with corner kicks having a great impact (n = 36%) within set pieces goals. The most goals were scored by short possessions (n = 50%) with short passes number (n = 57%), with the recovery of the ball in the offensive third (n = 47%) and the huge dominance of finalization in central areas inside the box (n = 78%). Spanish La Liga scored more by positional play\/fast attack, with most of the possessions starting in the medium third and using more the \u201ccentral wing goal area\u201d and \u201cbetween wings left in the box\u201d end zones when compared with English Premier League. The latter has more goals from counterattacks and corner kicks with very long possessions. Most of the possessions start in the offensive third and more goals are scored in \u201ccentral wing between penalty and goal area\u201d in comparison with Spanish La Liga. Coaches must be aware of the trends of the game and of the differences across leagues to prepare themselves when working in different countries to each specific characteristic.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app13126903","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,8]],"date-time":"2023-06-08T02:58:32Z","timestamp":1686193112000},"page":"6903","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Notational Analysis on Goal Scoring and Comparison in Two of the Most Important Soccer Leagues: Spanish La Liga and English Premier League"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"V\u00edtor","family":"Gouveia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-256 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"ESECS\u2014Polytechnic of Leiria Rua General Norton de Matos, Apartado 4133, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7536-9780","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Pedro","family":"Duarte","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-256 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"N\u00f3brega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-256 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8681-0642","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugo","family":"Sarmento","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-256 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Eduardo","family":"Pimenta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS\u2014Polytechnic of Leiria Rua General Norton de Matos, Apartado 4133, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Fl\u00e1vio","family":"Domingos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS\u2014Polytechnic of Leiria Rua General Norton de Matos, Apartado 4133, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5485-9430","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raul","family":"Antunes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS\u2014Polytechnic of Leiria Rua General Norton de Matos, Apartado 4133, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Life Quality Research Center (CIEQV), 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7179-6814","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diogo","family":"Monteiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS\u2014Polytechnic of Leiria Rua General Norton de Matos, Apartado 4133, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Life Quality Research Center (CIEQV), 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2034-0585","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Matos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS\u2014Polytechnic of Leiria Rua General Norton de Matos, Apartado 4133, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Life Quality Research Center (CIEQV), 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8160-8007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno","family":"Amaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESECS\u2014Polytechnic of Leiria Rua General Norton de Matos, Apartado 4133, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Life Quality Research Center (CIEQV), 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"given":"In\u00eas","family":"Ara\u00fajo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-256 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Audiology, Physiotherapy and Environmental Health, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, ESTeS\u2014Coimbra Health School, 3045-093 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"355","DOI":"10.1080\/24748668.2016.11868892","article-title":"Game style in soccer: What is it and can we quantify it?","volume":"16","author":"Hewitt","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. 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