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Advanced Metrics Explained
xG, xA, PPDA, progressive passes and field tilt — what each metric measures and how to read it correctly.
What is xG and PPDA? A football metrics primer
Expected goals and passes allowed per defensive action explained from first principles: what each number measures and how to read it.
Expected goals (xG): how the metric is built
Shot location, angle, body part and defenders: the ingredients of an xG model and why a single number never tells the whole story.
Expected assists (xA): valuing the final pass
How xA scores a pass by the quality of the chance it creates, and how to use it without overrating a creative midfielder.
PPDA explained: quantifying pressing intensity
Passes allowed per defensive action: the formula, what it captures about pressing and the traps in comparing teams across styles.
Progressive passes and field tilt
Progression volume and territorial dominance: how progressive passes, carries and field tilt differ from raw possession.