Finding the best centre-forwards from the Primeira Liga – data analysis

In this data analysis piece, we will be identifying centre-forwards (strikers) to be scouted that are currently playing in the Primeira Liga. Strikers in the modern game have evolved a lot. No longer do we see them as target men, being very tall in the air and bulldozing defenders. The roles of false-9, and wide forwards have started to change as to how teams in Premier League, La Liga, etc deploy their strikers and use them. We also see very short players playing in these positions that have had great success like Sergio Aguero, Lorenzo Insigne, etc.

In our analysis, we will be looking into the major attributes that are key for a striker to have. We will be looking at players who have registered at least 800 minutes of football in the league so far this season and also Darwin Nunez is excluded from this analysis since he has already made his move to Liverpool. We will shortlist the top options according to the statistics and data analysis. Let’s get into the analysis.

Goal Scoring

The first thing we’re looking at is the goal contributions (goals and assists combined). In the graph below, we have the expected goal contributions per 90 on the x-axis and goal contributions per 90 on the y-axis. The colour of the dots represents the xG per game. It is an important metric when it comes to rating or comparing forwards with each other as they are pretty much judged based on their ability to contribute goals to their team.

Mahedi Taremi  The 29-year-old forward from Porto. The Iranian has played more of a centre-forward this season but has also played some important minutes as a winger and as an attacking midfielder. He has recorded 0.75 xG per game and 0.69 actual goals per game from 3.2 shots per 90 where his xG suggests he is very good at scoring goals at a regular level but slightly underperforming in terms of finishing. In total, he scored 20 goals for his team.

Óscar Eduardo Estupiñán  The 25-year-old forward from Vitoria.  He has averaged 0.58 xG per game and 0.59 actual goals from 2.6 shots per game which shows that he has a sustainable level of performance. In total, he scored 15 goals for his team.