NordicBet Liga players ready for the next step (part 2)

The 2019/20 season in the NordicBet Liga is almost over. After the 30^th round, Vejle increased their lead to nine points which means they will be promoted to the Superliga. Behind them, Viborg are getting ready for the relegation play-off hoping they can join the top-tier league in 2020/21.

In the first part of the data analysis, we focused on defensive players whose performance could generate interest in the Superliga. In this article, we will continue looking for the overperformers in the final third and go on an exciting adventure in Denmark.

Methodology

First, we will go through the collective statistics to identify the best players at each position. To determine who is ready for the next level, we will compare NordicBet Liga players to a standard Superliga player in the same position. We are going to use radar charts based on percentile ranks as the 50^th percentile will be our standard player reference point.

Attacking team statistics

The 2.95 goals per game prove that the NordicBet Liga is a high-scoring league. If we look at the table, we can see that only one team, Naestved failed to score over 1 goal per game. The front three lead in goals scored, Viborg with 61, Vejle with 60 and Frederica with 57. It is also interesting to note that these teams scored a high proportion of their goals after set-pieces which are well-trained and emphasized across Danish clubs.

NordicBet Liga players ready for the next step (part 2) - data analysis statistics — The front three put greater emphasis on set-pieces

Despite dominating the league, Vejle rank seventh in all passes and fourth in ball possession as we find Nyköbing in the top two in both metrics despite them being close to relegation. This also shows the interesting nature of the NordicBet Liga but now let’s see what the individual analysis can tell us.

Attacking midfielders

For the individual attacking contribution, we first analysed the numbers of successful attacking actions. Players with a high output would likely find success in the Superliga as well. Ivan Franjic, Diego Montiel and Reba Radei exceeded the average number by more than two times.