We have already arrived at the second international break of the 2024-2025 season and the Ligue 2 deserves attention on some of its most eloquent figures. In particular those of the offensive performance of each team: a simple operation which aims to discover if a club is doing well in front of the opposing goal or if it is lacking success.
Also read >> Ligue 2, Stats – FC Annecy, king of corners, scores half of its goals from set pieces!
By simply making the difference between the goals scored by a team and the “expected goals” (xG) statistics which evaluate the quality of the chances on each shot attempted and the probability of scoring (between 0 and 1), we are able to draw up a comparative ranking of championship teams in this area. And for the occasion, even if FC Metz is leader in the attack rankings, it is not even one of the teams that have the most luck in this exercise since the “offensive overperformance” is barely one more goal compared to what was expected (0.9). Conversely, the Grenoble club (14 goals scored) should have scored between four and five fewer: its good start to the season is due to the lucidity of its attackers and their efficiency when opportunities present themselves to them .
Paris FC and Guingamp also scored much more than expected while it was quite the opposite for Troyes who, with only 4 goals scored, should have done twice as well according to the statistics! FC Lorient, which aspires to return to Ligue 1, is also in bad shape having largely underperformed offensively (-3.5), which can partially explain certain close results in matches dominated by the Merlus. Check out the full standings below, taking into account that Pau and Bastia played one game less.
The ranking of offensive performance (goals – xG) in Ligue 2 (J8)
1 – Grenoble : +4,8 buts
2 – Paris FC : +3,9 buts
3 – Guingamp: +3.6 goals
4 – Pau : +3 buts (-1 match)
5 – Laval: +2.8 goals
6 – Annecy: +2.4 goals
7 – Amiens: +1.7 goals
8 – Ajaccio : +0,9 but
. – Metz : +0,9 but
10 – Red Star : +0,6 but
11 – Dunkirk: +0.4 goal
12 – Bastia : +0,2 but (-1 match)
13 – Martigues: -0.4 goal
14 – Rodez: -1.3 goals
15 – Caen : -1,4 but
16 – Clermont : -1,5 but
17 – Lorient: -3.5 goals
18 – Troyes: -4 goals
Data found on FBref.com
Photo Christophe Saidi/FEP/Icon Sport
