Thiruvananthapuram: In the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) 2023–24 season, football enthusiasts have been treated to a spectacle of thrilling matches showcasing tactical brilliance across the pitch. As the league competition takes a break ,due to ongoing international matches, Kerala Blasters FC find themselves at the top of the table with an impressive 26 points from 12 games.
Meanwhile, FC Goa and Odisha FC have secured 24 points each and placed just below Kerala Blaster FC (KBFC) in second and third positions, respectively. However, the intriguing aspect is that FC Goa has achieved this feat in just 10 games, while Odisha FC has played 12 games.
Odisha FC has been the standout team in terms of goal-scoring prowess, netting an impressive 22 goals. In contrast, FC Goa boasts the best defensive record, conceding a mere five goals throughout the season.
Delving into the statistics, the Expected Goals Metric (xG) sheds light on the quality of chances created and the likelihood of them being converted into goals. Odisha FC tops this chart, closely followed by Mumbai City FC. However, it’s the Mariners who have defied expectations the most, overperforming their xG by an impressive 5.96. This suggests the ability to convert chances into goals that surpass the predicted rate. The overperformance in xG is often seen as a sign of a champion team, though sustaining such a performance level can be challenging over an extended period.
On the other side, Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC, and Bengaluru FC find themselves underperforming their xG tallies. Notably, the Yellow and Blacks of Jamshedpur FC have an xG difference of -4.72, indicating a struggle to capitalise on scoring opportunities. Despite the current underperformance, there remains optimism for these teams to turn their fortunes around in the second half of the season by making better use of their chances.
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