Both Barcelona and Manchester United had successful campaigns to reach the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League final. An analysis of key stats from their 12 matches shows: 1) United had a higher win conversion rate but Barcelona had more shots on target. 2) United scored more goals away from home while Barcelona's goals were more evenly split between home and away. 3) Scoring the first goal and leading at halftime was important for both teams, though United won all matches when scoring first while Barcelona lost one. 4) Overall the stats suggest the final could go either way, so no clear favorite is evident from the data alone.

1. 2010-2011
U E FA C H A M P I O N S L E AG U E DATA A N A L Y S I S
FI NALISTS ’ CO M PA R I SON
THE STARS OF BARCA AND RED
DEVILS FACE EACH OTHER ON
MAY 28. WHO’S YOUR PICK?
It’s been a championship year for both teams
So who’s your pick. On what basis have Both teams played 12 matches to get to Let’s consider Wembley as a neutral
you made your selection? the final. ground and thus it’s an ‘Away’ match for
Let’s take a look at some data from the both teams.
Barca won 8, drew 3 and lost 1 (Away
respective campaigns during the
to Arsenal) for a Win Conversion United won all their Away matches.
2010-2011 UEFA Champions League
season. Record (WCR) of 66.7% Advantage United.
Warning: Do not use this data United won 9 and tied 3 for a WCR of United has an early 2-0 lead. Will it
to bet the mortgage!!! 75%. Advantage to United. suffice?
Advantage BARCA Advantage to BARCA with a
Advantage BARCA
3-2 lead at HT.
Shots Barca United
Barca United On- H
Goals 8 6
Target Barca United
3.0/0.7 1.7/0.7 A
Home 6 6
Home 75% 55%
1.5/0.7 1.3/0.0 Total H
Away 19 13
Away 73% 56%
2.3/0.7 1.5/0.3
Combined A 15 15
Combined 74% 55.5%
Acc. 42% 40%
GOALS SCORED AVG/GOALS
CONCEDED AVG POSSESSION
SHOTS & ACCURACY ITED HAVE THE BALL?
WILL BARCA LET UN

2. Goal Intervals 70
United Barca
The Chart to the right shows the goals 60 67
scored in each half for all 12 matches. 59
50
Barca scored a total of 27 goals; 9 (33%) in
Away matches and United scored a total 40
41
of 18 goals; 8 Away (44%). Advantage 30
to United. Score is 3-3. 33
20
In their Home matches (10 goals),
United split their goals 50-50; five in the 10
1st Half and 5 in the 2nd Half.
0
In Away matches the split was 12.5% and 1st H 2nd H
87.5% respectively for 1st- and 2nd Half
goals.
Will United be able to score late
goals against Barca or do they
need to score early? 80 Scoring 1st Goal
60
65 67
WILL THE TIME OF THE GOALS
40
SCORED PLAY ANY ROLE IN THE
FINAL? 20 35 33
0
Barca 1st Half 2nd Half
In Home matches, the split was 39% to 80 o r y?
Winning at Half-Time (WHT) vict
61% for 1st Half and 2nd Half respectively. ited
60 for a Un
key
In Away matches the split for Barca was 60 is the
44% and 56%. 40 47 Is th 53
40
20
Scoring the 1st Goal and Leading
at HT 0
United scored the first goal in 9 (75%) 1st Half 2nd Half
of their matches, winning ALL of them. In
those 9 matches they also had the lead at Shots to Goal Ratio
half-time on 5 occasions and scored 2
goals by half-time on one occasion. In Barca United
those 9 matches they scored 17 of their
O-T Total O-T Total
goals of which only 35% were scored in
the 1st H. When leading at HT, United won Score 1st 2.9 6.5 3.3 7.4
all their matches scoring 60% of their
WHT 3.0 6.2 3.2 6.2
goals in the 1st H (20% in the 1st 15’ and
40% within 30’. Advantage United? (4-3) 2 Goals @ HT 2.2 4.7 2.0 2.5
Barca scored the 1stgoal in 10 of their
Barca score a goal for every 3 strikes on-target when scoring the 1st goal and when
matches and won 7, drew 2 and lost 1. In
leading at H-T (WHT). Advantage Barca. Score is now 4-4. Extra-time
those 7 matches, Barca scored 33% of needed?
their goals in the 1st H. Barca had the lead If United have their scoring touch in the Final and score that 1st important goal and
at Half-time in 7 matches, winning 6 with a maintain a HT lead with perhaps a 2nd goal by H-T then the advantage may swing to
them.
split of 47%/53% for the 1st and 2nd Half
Take your pick and don’t bet the mortgage!
goals.