The Top Flight
Fansided

Champions League: The Top 10 Finishers By The Numbers

By Keith Lisenbee

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 15: Harry Kane of Tottenham in action during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on December 15, 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 15: Harry Kane of Tottenham in action during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on December 15, 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 10
Next

So, since it’s Champions League week, let’s look at the top clinical goalscorers in the Champions League.

The criteria are as follows:

  • Seven or more goals;
  • Five or more non-penalty goals; and
  • 1125 minutes played.

I use the term conversion rate throughout these rankings. This refers to the rate that a player is converting their expected goals (xG) into actual goals. Like in golf, the higher the negative number the better the player is at clinically finishing their opportunities to score a goal.

If the player’s conversion rate is in the positive, then it suggests that they are not doing well at finishing. The same is true when it comes to assists as well. It’s this last criterion that brings us to a curious honorable mention. All, of the statistics, are courtesy of understat.com unless otherwise indicated.

Honorable mention: Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund

The numbers are eye-popping.

The Norwegian and former United target has scored nine goals in league play for his German Bundesliga club since his arrival. He has played 512 minutes in the league for Die Schwarzgelben. Haaland transferred from Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga where he notched 16 league goals in 985 minutes.

So far in the Champions League, he has ten total goals for his clubs this season. Ten goals in 464 minutes.

Erling’s non-penalty expected goals (npxG) at Dortmund is 5.71 making his conversion rate -3.29 in the Bundesliga. This would place him sixth in this ranking.

However, I have not been able to locate any advanced statistics from the Austrian Top Flight making the analysis incomplete. I am able to only account for 512 minutes in league play. Based on these criteria, this makes him ineligible – with an asterisk.

Home/Champions League