SPOBIS 2023
Markus Klausmann and Daniel Dengl
SPOBIS is the perfect platform for us to take the football analytics conversation forward.
“I’m extremely excited to be at SPOBIS conference 2023,” says Markus Klausmann. The German commercial rep was there to speak to clients about Stats Perform’s new enriched dataset Opta Vision and helped deliver a Masterclass to attendees.
Seeing the full picture: Opta Vision’s merged player and event tracking elevates every on-field event.
“Our masterclass is a collaboration with kicker, DAZN and Kickbase and talked about how analytics can play a role in the fan experience, how Expected Goals (xG) paved the way for new metrics, how metrics are opening up new storylines and most importantly, what is coming next.”
The highly anticipated masterclass also touched on Opta Vision, and what it means for fans, teams and the media.
If you want to learn more about Opta Vision, you can visit statsperform.com/opta-vision/.
New Data Sparks New Stories
Jens Melvang
We spoke to Senior Product Manager Jens Melvang about the new product, Opta Vision. Here’s how the interview went.
Hi Jens, what is Opta Vision?
I’m glad you asked! Opta Vision combines Stats Perform’s industry leading Opta event data with remote tracking to create a single live merged data set.
What does that mean for your clients?
Well, Opta Vision data adds key context to onfield events by tracking all 22 players and merging with event data, this means we can create richer performance insights for pro teams and new stories to tell for media outlets.
Could you give us an example?
Well for example, rather than just knowing that a player passed the ball and who they passed to, we can now see all other options they had, how difficult each pass was to make based on the pressure applied by defenders and much, much more. The opportunities are endless.
Is this more difficult to collect?
The collection is done through live Computer Vision using video, which is technical, but actually quite straightforward. Enriching that data is tricky, but because of the amount of event data we have the model learns quickly which is great for accuracy.
Why do you collect using video instead of freezeframe images?
Opta Vision is collected from video so we are able to take every movement of every player into consideration. If a photo speaks 1,000 words, think how many a video speaks.
What Are The Opta Vision Metrics?
Opta Vision creates compelling new metrics like line-breaking passes and pressures.
3D Goal Insights
That same Computer Vision technology allows Stats Perform to generate a 3D goal insight in near real-time to share the moment with fans.
OPTA MATCH REPORT
Oliver Hopkins
Inter vs Milan
UEFA Champions League Second Leg
It was Inter who bettered their local rivals Milan to book a spot in the 2022-23 Champions League final. It will be the Nerazzurri’s sixth European Cup/UEFA Champions League final, but only their second in the last 50 years, alongside 2009-10 when they won the competition.
Inter came into the second leg holding a 2-0 advantage after Edin Džeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan had struck early in the first tie, and never looked in any serious danger of missing out on the final. Simone Inzaghi’s side have got this far on the back of an exceptionally strong defence and this tie was no different, as they limited Milan to just five shots in total worth a meagre 0.50 expected goals.
Inter have kept more clean sheets than any side in this season’s Champions League (eight) which is also the most Inter have ever registered in a single campaign in major European competition (excluding qualifiers).
As expected, this game was ill-tempered. The second leg saw 37 fouls committed in total, the most in a single Champions League game this season, while the ball was in play for 50:40m (or 52.7% of available time), the sixth-lowest mark in 2022-23.
As a result, Milan struggled to build any sort of momentum at all in the game. Lautaro Martínez finally sealed the game late on.
Inter are the first side to reach the UEFA Champions League final despite finishing as runners up in their group that season since both Liverpool and Tottenham in 2018-19, and are the first Italian club to do so since Juventus in 2014-15.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
UEFA Champions League Second Leg
UEFA Champions League semi-finals are not meant to be this easy. Let alone against 14-time European Cup Champions Real Madrid – the masters of knockout football.
But by the time Real Madrid completed a pass in Manchester City’s half (after 24 minutes and seven seconds) they were already down 1-0, Bernardo Silva scampering onto a through ball from Kevin De Bruyne to finish past Thibaut Courtois. At that moment in the game, Manuel Akanji (35) and Rodri (31) had each made more passes than their opponents had as an entire team (28). Vinícius Júnior and Federico Valverde had not completed a single pass at that stage.
The diminutive Portuguese doubled the scoring 14 minutes later, rounding off a first-half display for Pep Guardiola’s side. Bernardo was everywhere in this game, receiving 18 line-breaking passes from his teammates, including the one from Kevin De Bruyne for his first goal. That was the most line-breaking passes received by any player on the pitch, showing Bernardo’s ability to destabilise Real Madrid’s shape.
As the half-time whistle sounded, Rúben Dias was the only City outfielder not to have a shot at goal in the first 45 minutes. Madrid had one as an entire team. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have got themselves out of many tight spots in the Champions League before, not least in the second leg of this exact tie last year. They never really looked like producing any sort of threatening moments to turn the game around.
Manchester City eased through the second half, as Akanji added a third before Julián Álvarez made it four late on. 4-0 is the joint-biggest margin of victory in a single UEFA Champions League semi-final match, and Real Madrid’s joint-biggest defeat in any round of the competition (also 0-4 vs. Liverpool in March 2009).
Manchester City vs Inter Milan
UEFA Champions League Final Preview
This game will be the first ever meeting between the two sides and marks the first time that the first European meeting between two teams has come in a UEFA Champions League final since Liverpool faced Milan in 2005.
The final will be a true clash of styles. With the ball, Manchester City average 61.0% possession in the competition (only Barcelona average more – 65.3%) while no side attempts more passes per game than City’s 642. That severely contrasts with Inter’s approach, who have averaged just 45.4% of the ball and attempted over 200 passes per game fewer.
There’s a big difference in their off-the-ball style too.
Manchester City like to press very high. In fact, 36% of their total high pressures come in the attacking third, which is the highest proportion of anyone in the competition. That contrasts hugely with Inter, whose share of 22% is only 23rd highest out of all the 32 teams in the competition.
One key battle to focus on will be Erling Haaland against André Onana. Haaland has set record books ablaze already this season, but he could topple another record with a goal in the final.
The Norwegian is currently on 12 Champions League goals this season, which is the joint most by a player for an English club (tied with Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002-03 for Man Utd).
The City striker failed to score in both legs against Real Madrid, as he was well shackled by Antonio Rüdiger in Madrid before meeting an inspired Thibaut Courtois in Manchester. That’s bad news for Inter fans though, as Haaland has never gone three consecutive Champions League games without a goal. He is due.
Inter goalkeeper Onana will be looking to thwart him on the night, and the Cameroonian ‘stopper coming into brilliant form. Based on the quality of shots on target he’s faced, Onana has prevented the most goals of any goalkeeper in the Champions League this season (7.8 – nine conceded from 16.8 xG on target).
THE OPTAFRANZ CROSSWORD
