The luck table
When the result lied.
The most recent round, 07 Sep–14 Sep: who created the better chances (xG) and who actually took the points. When a side clearly out-created its opponent and still didn’t win, the result defied the xG — flagged below. Six full-xG leagues, finished games only.
“Luck” is shorthand. A result can beat the xG through sharp
finishing, a keeper’s blinder or plain variance — not only fortune, and one game
proves nothing. These are raw match xG, not the league-normalised
ratings, so a big gap here is about a single afternoon, not team
quality. The model’s own calls and how they settle are on the
record. Nothing here is a tip.
Biggest gap this round. Cardiff out-created Stoke City 2.9–0.8 but drew.
The round the xG disagreed with
10 of 29 finished top-flight matches ran against the balance of chances, biggest gap first. The xG favourite is in bold.
| Match | League | Score | xG (h–a) | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff v Stoke City | Championship | 1–1 | 2.9–0.8 | Cardiff out-created Stoke City 2.9–0.8 but drew. Cardiff held |
| Elche v Real Sociedad | La Liga | 2–3 | 2.5–0.6 | Elche out-created Real Sociedad 2.5–0.6 but lost. Elche robbed Real Sociedad smash & grab |
| Lecce v Monza | Serie A | 3–2 | 1.1–2.7 | Monza out-created Lecce 2.7–1.1 but lost. Monza robbed Lecce smash & grab |
| Celta Vigo v Malaga | La Liga | 1–1 | 1.9–0.4 | Celta Vigo out-created Malaga 1.9–0.4 but drew. Celta Vigo held |
| Watford v Preston | Championship | 2–1 | 1.3–2.4 | Preston out-created Watford 2.4–1.3 but lost. Preston robbed Watford smash & grab |
| Blackburn v Sheffield Utd | Championship | 1–2 | 1.6–0.5 | Blackburn out-created Sheffield Utd 1.6–0.5 but lost. Blackburn robbed Sheffield Utd smash & grab |
| Lazio v AC Milan | Serie A | 2–2 | 2.0–1.1 | Lazio out-created AC Milan 2.0–1.1 but drew. Lazio held |
| Derby v West Brom | Championship | 0–1 | 1.3–0.4 | Derby out-created West Brom 1.3–0.4 but lost. Derby robbed West Brom smash & grab |
| Charlton v QPR | Championship | 0–0 | 0.5–1.1 | QPR out-created Charlton 1.1–0.5 but drew. QPR held |
| Norwich v Birmingham | Championship | 2–1 | 1.0–1.6 | Birmingham out-created Norwich 1.6–1.0 but lost. Birmingham robbed Norwich smash & grab |
The other 19 match(es) followed the chances
| Match | League | Score | xG (h–a) | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezia v Fiorentina | Serie A | 2–4 | 0.7–3.4 | Result followed the chances. |
| Inter v Udinese | Serie A | 5–3 | 3.1–0.8 | Result followed the chances. |
| Como v Parma | Serie A | 2–1 | 3.2–1.2 | Result followed the chances. |
| Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid | La Liga | 0–3 | 0.3–2.0 | Result followed the chances. |
| Villarreal v Real Betis | La Liga | 1–2 | 1.9–3.5 | Result followed the chances. |
| Napoli v Bologna | Serie A | 1–0 | 1.8–0.2 | Result followed the chances. |
| Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano | La Liga | 4–1 | 2.6–1.2 | Result followed the chances. |
| Torino v AS Roma | Serie A | 0–2 | 0.8–1.9 | Result followed the chances. |
| Sevilla v Valencia | La Liga | 1–0 | 0.9–0.1 | Result followed the chances. |
| Bolton v West Ham | Championship | 2–3 | 1.6–2.2 | Result followed the chances. |
| Osasuna v Espanyol | La Liga | 0–2 | 1.1–1.4 | Result followed the chances. |
| Sassuolo v Juventus | Serie A | 3–2 | 0.7–1.0 | Result followed the chances. |
| Southampton v Swansea | Championship | 3–1 | 1.4–1.2 | Result followed the chances. |
| Wrexham v Burnley | Championship | 1–1 | 1.3–1.5 | Result followed the chances. |
| Levante v Barcelona | La Liga | 2–4 | 2.4–2.6 | Result followed the chances. |
| Atalanta v Cagliari | Serie A | 1–2 | 1.2–1.1 | Result followed the chances. |
| Getafe v Deportivo La Coruna | La Liga | 1–1 | 0.8–0.9 | Result followed the chances. |
| Racing Santander v Alaves | La Liga | 2–1 | 2.0–2.0 | Result followed the chances. |
| Genoa v Frosinone | Serie A | 1–1 | 1.9–1.9 | Result followed the chances. |
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Chances warranted, not goals guaranteed. Over a season these gaps mostly wash out — which is the whole point of watching them.