Analysis of goals scored in the Turkish Football Super League 2021-2022 season according to attack transitions and attack start zones

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the goals scored from offensive transitions in 380 matches played by 20 teams competing in the Super League in the 2021-2022 season. Unlike previous studies that predominantly focus on the type and number of goals scored, this research addresses a significant gap in the literature by examining the tactical processes underlying these goals. The goals were analyzed by watching the goals through the broadcasting organization and instatscout platform and a comparison was made with the support of instatscout data. In the 2021-2022 season, 234 of the 1067 goals scored in 380 matches played in the Turkish Super League were scored in offensive transitions. The analysis revealed that of the 234 goals scored in transition, 108 were scored with balls won in the 1st zone, 92 in the 2nd zone, and 34 in the 3rd zone. These findings indicate that while transition attacks starting from zone 1 resulted in the highest number of goals, zone 3 was the most productive in terms of transition attacks leading to goals. This suggests that winning the ball in advanced areas of the field (zone 3) is more efficient for scoring goals, even though such opportunities are less frequent. Based on these results, strategies to enhance ball recovery in zone 3 could significantly improve goal-scoring efficiency. When implementing the tactical training of a match strategy planned on transitions, the training can be designed by utilizing the resulting data. While planning the match strategy, tactical plan changes can be made according to the opponent by considering the regions where transition goals occur intensively during the match.

Keywords

• Football
• goal
• tactics
• transition