Roberto Angioni
@rangioni.bsky.social
Head of Data Science @Soccerment ⚽️📊
🇮🇹 living in 🇪🇸 via 🇩🇪
PhD, former astrophysicist 🪐
Avid gamer, ⚽️ and 🎾 fan
Opinions mine
🇮🇹 living in 🇪🇸 via 🇩🇪
PhD, former astrophysicist 🪐
Avid gamer, ⚽️ and 🎾 fan
Opinions mine
Fun fact: Rotterdam has been getting slower since the late 90s and is now relatively slow for an indoor hard court, with some recent exceptions (2020 and 2024). Wonder if that will be a factor in today's final between De Minaur and FAA
February 15, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Fun fact: Rotterdam has been getting slower since the late 90s and is now relatively slow for an indoor hard court, with some recent exceptions (2020 and 2024). Wonder if that will be a factor in today's final between De Minaur and FAA
Inter and Juventus come into their big clash tomorrow much more evenly matched than the 12 points difference would suggest, if we look at coach-level underlying data rather than season aggregates, both with and without the ball. Spalletti's impact has been huge for Juventus.
February 13, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Inter and Juventus come into their big clash tomorrow much more evenly matched than the 12 points difference would suggest, if we look at coach-level underlying data rather than season aggregates, both with and without the ball. Spalletti's impact has been huge for Juventus.
Awesome concert from Alter Bridge in Madrid 🤘🎸
February 13, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Awesome concert from Alter Bridge in Madrid 🤘🎸
These shifts may be contextualized looking at City’s reduced level of control in today's Premier League. Comparing 2025/26 with 2023/24:
- Possession 65.6% → 59.7%
- Field tilt 75.2% → 63.5%
- Counterpressing intensity 51.8% → 44.5%
- Avg. defensive action height 41.9m → 36.7m
- Possession 65.6% → 59.7%
- Field tilt 75.2% → 63.5%
- Counterpressing intensity 51.8% → 44.5%
- Avg. defensive action height 41.9m → 36.7m
February 11, 2026 at 9:48 AM
These shifts may be contextualized looking at City’s reduced level of control in today's Premier League. Comparing 2025/26 with 2023/24:
- Possession 65.6% → 59.7%
- Field tilt 75.2% → 63.5%
- Counterpressing intensity 51.8% → 44.5%
- Avg. defensive action height 41.9m → 36.7m
- Possession 65.6% → 59.7%
- Field tilt 75.2% → 63.5%
- Counterpressing intensity 51.8% → 44.5%
- Avg. defensive action height 41.9m → 36.7m
If we compare Rodri's 25/26 stats with 23/24, he still ranks highly across almost all role-specific metrics, with slight dips mainly in passing accuracy and ball retention. He’s actually more involved (higher share of touches) and more active defensively when normalizing by opponent touches.
February 11, 2026 at 9:48 AM
If we compare Rodri's 25/26 stats with 23/24, he still ranks highly across almost all role-specific metrics, with slight dips mainly in passing accuracy and ball retention. He’s actually more involved (higher share of touches) and more active defensively when normalizing by opponent touches.
For team stats, I have incorporated context in this match report with bars, where the fill is a percentile wrt all other match values recorded in the league, and the dashed vertical line on the bars is the team's season avg, so you can benchmark the match both vs the league and vs the team itself
February 11, 2026 at 12:20 AM
For team stats, I have incorporated context in this match report with bars, where the fill is a percentile wrt all other match values recorded in the league, and the dashed vertical line on the bars is the team's season avg, so you can benchmark the match both vs the league and vs the team itself
Looks like I should start shitposting about Arsenal's % of goals from set pieces
February 9, 2026 at 8:21 AM
Looks like I should start shitposting about Arsenal's % of goals from set pieces
Interesting lineup for a random Thursday in the first week of February
February 4, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Interesting lineup for a random Thursday in the first week of February
Here is the top 20, a minute of silence (or applause, depending on your kinks) for some truly spectacular footballings
February 2, 2026 at 10:56 AM
Here is the top 20, a minute of silence (or applause, depending on your kinks) for some truly spectacular footballings
Como just recorded the highest single-match xG without scoring in the top 5 🇪🇺 leagues since 2017/18. Nico Paz's missed penalty was enough to surpass the previous record holder, none other than... Atalanta, who had 5.64 non-penalty xG in a goalless draw vs Empoli in 2018/19
February 2, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Como just recorded the highest single-match xG without scoring in the top 5 🇪🇺 leagues since 2017/18. Nico Paz's missed penalty was enough to surpass the previous record holder, none other than... Atalanta, who had 5.64 non-penalty xG in a goalless draw vs Empoli in 2018/19
Here's the same for women's slams: same number of occurrences, but hasn't happened since 2009
January 28, 2026 at 11:20 AM
Here's the same for women's slams: same number of occurrences, but hasn't happened since 2009
This is the first time all the top 4 seeds have made the semis of a men's slam since RG 2019, and the 17th time in the open era (data from @tennisabstract.bsky.social)
January 28, 2026 at 11:20 AM
This is the first time all the top 4 seeds have made the semis of a men's slam since RG 2019, and the 17th time in the open era (data from @tennisabstract.bsky.social)
Now that's a paddlin'
January 23, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Now that's a paddlin'
Take a bow, Cagliari 🫡 what a footballing
January 17, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Take a bow, Cagliari 🫡 what a footballing
Why would Xabi Alonso do this
January 14, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Why would Xabi Alonso do this
Rayan Cherki is the only player of his role within the top 5 leagues ranking above the 85th percentile for all of:
- Chance creation: 0.52 open-play xA P90 (100th)
- Final third involvement: 30.3% of team touches (97th)
- Dribbling intent: 5.31 take-ons P90 (90th)
- Ball retention: 78.3% (87th)
- Chance creation: 0.52 open-play xA P90 (100th)
- Final third involvement: 30.3% of team touches (97th)
- Dribbling intent: 5.31 take-ons P90 (90th)
- Ball retention: 78.3% (87th)
December 31, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Rayan Cherki is the only player of his role within the top 5 leagues ranking above the 85th percentile for all of:
- Chance creation: 0.52 open-play xA P90 (100th)
- Final third involvement: 30.3% of team touches (97th)
- Dribbling intent: 5.31 take-ons P90 (90th)
- Ball retention: 78.3% (87th)
- Chance creation: 0.52 open-play xA P90 (100th)
- Final third involvement: 30.3% of team touches (97th)
- Dribbling intent: 5.31 take-ons P90 (90th)
- Ball retention: 78.3% (87th)
This is a good example of why discarding data collected in extreme game states (goals difference at 4 or more, maybe even 3) in aggregate team stats is probably a good thing
December 30, 2025 at 10:31 PM
This is a good example of why discarding data collected in extreme game states (goals difference at 4 or more, maybe even 3) in aggregate team stats is probably a good thing
The Unai Emery "catenaccio for 60 minutes, pedal to the metal in the last half an hour" in all its splendor
December 28, 2025 at 12:10 AM
The Unai Emery "catenaccio for 60 minutes, pedal to the metal in the last half an hour" in all its splendor
The US looking at Brazil and South Korea actually have accountability for attempted coups
December 28, 2025 at 12:00 AM
The US looking at Brazil and South Korea actually have accountability for attempted coups
City have been much more reliant on counter-attacks to create chances this season.
Their xG from counters per game and share of non-penalty xG have both more than doubled compared to a relatively steady baseline. For the first time, Pep's team rank at or near the top of the PL by these metrics.
Their xG from counters per game and share of non-penalty xG have both more than doubled compared to a relatively steady baseline. For the first time, Pep's team rank at or near the top of the PL by these metrics.
December 23, 2025 at 9:13 AM
City have been much more reliant on counter-attacks to create chances this season.
Their xG from counters per game and share of non-penalty xG have both more than doubled compared to a relatively steady baseline. For the first time, Pep's team rank at or near the top of the PL by these metrics.
Their xG from counters per game and share of non-penalty xG have both more than doubled compared to a relatively steady baseline. For the first time, Pep's team rank at or near the top of the PL by these metrics.
I was wondering how much of that is the denominator (defensive actions) going down, and how much is the numerator (opponent passes) going up. It does seem to be mostly the former, especially for Leeds 2025/26 vs 2022/23
December 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM
I was wondering how much of that is the denominator (defensive actions) going down, and how much is the numerator (opponent passes) going up. It does seem to be mostly the former, especially for Leeds 2025/26 vs 2022/23
It's very subtle but if you look closely you can notice how Inter's left side is just a smidge better than the right side
December 9, 2025 at 11:41 PM
It's very subtle but if you look closely you can notice how Inter's left side is just a smidge better than the right side
4/ One effect of the increased opponent presence in the final third is more corners conceded, which are contributing to a significant rise in xGA from set pieces. Another area where City have lost elite status in recent season is transition defending, as evidenced by increasing xGA from counters
December 3, 2025 at 11:19 AM
4/ One effect of the increased opponent presence in the final third is more corners conceded, which are contributing to a significant rise in xGA from set pieces. Another area where City have lost elite status in recent season is transition defending, as evidenced by increasing xGA from counters
3/ General pressing intensity (PPDA) and efficiency (BDP, explainer at the end of 🧵) are continuing a steadier and slower downward trend which was already visible in recent seasons
December 3, 2025 at 11:19 AM
3/ General pressing intensity (PPDA) and efficiency (BDP, explainer at the end of 🧵) are continuing a steadier and slower downward trend which was already visible in recent seasons