%A Brito de Souza,Diego %A López-Del Campo,Roberto %A Blanco-Pita,Hugo %A Resta,Ricardo %A Del Coso,Juan %D 2019 %J Frontiers in Psychology %C %F %G English %K Sports performance,Match analysis,Professional football,Soccer,Player %Q %R 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02566 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2019-November-08 %9 Original Research %# %! Top 3 vs. bottom 3 teams in professional football %* %< %T An Extensive Comparative Analysis of Successful and Unsuccessful Football Teams in LaLiga %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02566 %V 10 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1664-1078 %X The characterization of the in-game actions with the strongest influence on victory in football might be useful for designing playing styles that enhance teams’ performance. The aim of this study was to analyze in-game match statistics on the top-3 and bottom-3 teams ranked in LaLiga. Accumulated offensive and defensive match statistics when playing at home and away were obtained from LaLiga for 8 consecutive seasons. Data extraction was performed by computerized video-analysis. The top-3 and bottom-3 teams were compared using independent t-test analysis and the magnitude of the difference was cataloged with effect sizes. Overall, the offensive variable with the greatest magnitude of difference in the top-3 vs. bottom-3 comparison was shooting accuracy (ES ± 90% confidence interval = 4.15 ± 0.52) followed by the number of offsides (2.25 ± 0.60) and corners (2.14 ± 0.61). However, when playing away, the offensive variable with the greatest magnitude of difference in the top-3 vs bottom-3 comparison was the number of shots (3.30 ± 0.44). The defensive variables that best differentiated top 3 - bottom 3 teams were the number of corners (2.16 ± 0.43) and shots conceded (2.04 ± 0.39). In conclusion, the match statistics that best discriminated successful from unsuccessful football teams were shooting accuracy while attacking and the number of shots conceded while defending.