On this page you’ll find:
How To Use Squawka Comparison Matrix
1. Pick your players: Search our Opta-powered database for the players or teams you want to compare by clicking the blank player cards above. You can select up to five.
2. ‘Total’ or ‘Per90’? Toggle between the two options immediately above the player cards. The latter provides a per-90-minute average based on the amount of game time recorded by your selected player(s).
3. Edit stats: Click the ‘Edit Stats’ button to browse nine categories, from ‘Shooting’ to ‘Duels’.
4. Settle the Messi vs Ronaldo debate once and for all*: Select your stats, sit back and start drafting an ‘I told you so’ message on the theory you just proved.
*Disclaimer: You definitely won’t be able to settle the Messi vs Ronaldo debate once and for all.
What do the stats on the Comparison Matrix mean?
Player Compare by Position
Goalkeepers
- Saves Made
- A pretty simple one to start off with. Just how many saves has the goalkeeper in question made. This should give you an idea of not only how good a shotstopper they are but also could give you clues on how many shots a defence are allowing on goal.
- Save Percentage
- This is a goalkeeping stat that measures how effective a goalkeeper is at stopping shots. A higher save percentage means the goalkeeper is stopping more shots that are on target. Combine this stat with others (like goals prevented, xG faced, or clean sheets) for a fuller picture.
- Clean Sheets
- This is a stat used primarily to show how many matches a side have completed without conceding a goal. For goalkeepers this counts only when they play the full 90 minutes and don’t concede.
- Goals Conceded (Inside/Outside Box)
- This breaks down exactly where goals are being scored against a team or goalkeeper: Goals conceded inside the box are goals scored from within the penalty area, including headers, tap-ins, rebounds, and close-range finishes. Goals from outside the box are goals scored from outside the penalty area, often from long shots or set pieces.
- Penalties Faced & Saved
- Penalties Faced and Penalties Saved are key indicators of a goalkeeper’s performance specifically from the penalty spot. A high save count suggests strong reflexes, anticipation, and composure under pressure.
Defenders
- Clearances
- Clearances refers to the number of times a player removes the ball from a dangerous area. A clearance is when a player intentionally kicks, heads, or otherwise removes the ball away from their goal area to relieve pressure and stop an attacking threat.
- Interceptions
- Interceptions refers to the number of times a player reads and cuts out an opponent’s pass before it reaches its target. An interception is a defensive action where a player anticipates a pass and steps in to break it up before the receiving player gains control.
- Blocked Shots
- Blocked Shots refers to the number of times a player physically stops a shot from reaching the goal by getting in the way with any part of their body. A Blocked Shot is recorded when a defending player prevents a shot from continuing toward the goal, whether by standing in its path, sliding, or deflecting it.
- Tackles Made
- Tackles Made refers to the number of times a player has successfully challenged an opponent to win the ball back, usually through a direct physical contest. A Tackle Made is recorded when a player attempts to dispossess an opponent and either wins the ball back cleanly, or forces the ball out of the opponent’s control (e.g., out of play or to a teammate).
- Last-man Tackles
- Last Man Tackles refers to the number of times a player makes a crucial tackle as the final player between the attacker and the goalkeeper, often preventing a clear goal-scoring opportunity. A Last Man Tackle is when a player successfully stops an opponent who is through on goal, with no covering defender behind them.
- Fouls from Tackles
- Fouls from Tackles refers to the number of fouls a player commits while attempting a tackle – typically when they fail to cleanly win the ball and instead make illegal contact with the opponent.
- Cards (Yellow, Red)
- Cards (Yellow, Red) tracks the number of cards a player receives during matches. This shows a player’s discipline and aggression level and is useful for assessing defensive players who often engage in physical challenges.
- Duels Won
- Duels Won measures the number of individual contests a player wins against an opponent, covering both ground battles and aerial challenges. A duel is any one-on-one contest for the ball—whether a tackle, aerial header, or shoulder-to-shoulder battle.
- Aerial & Ground Duel Success
- Aerial Duel Success and Ground Duel Success measure a player’s effectiveness in winning challenges in different types of physical contests. This shows a player’s duel winning efficiency in different contexts.
Midfielders
- Ball Recoveries
- Ball Recoveries refers to the number of times a player regains possession for their team after the ball has been lost or contested. A ball recovery occurs when a player retrieves loose balls, intercepts passes, or wins the ball back after a challenge, helping to restart their team’s attack or maintain control.
- Passes Completed
- Another simple one here. Passes Completed refers to the total number of successful passes a player makes during a match. Passes Completed counts every time a player successfully delivers the ball to a teammate, whether short, long, forward, or backward.
- Passing Accuracy %
- Passing Accuracy % measures the percentage of successful passes a player completes out of their total attempted passes. This measurement is made as follows: Passing Accuracy % = (Completed Passes ÷ Total Passes Attempted) × 100.
- Assists
- Assists refers to the number of times a player directly sets up a teammate to score a goal. An assist is awarded when a player makes the final pass or cross that leads immediately to a goal.
- Through Balls
- Through Balls refers to the number of passes a player makes that split the opposition’s defensive line, creating clear goal-scoring opportunities for teammates. A through ball is a forward pass played into space behind defenders, allowing a teammate to run onto it, often putting them one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
- Open-play Passes
- Open Play Passes refers to the number of passes a player completes during active game situations, excluding set pieces like corners, free kicks, or throw-ins. Open Play Passes count all successful passes made while the game is flowing – when teams are building attacks or maintaining possession in play.
- Take-ons Completed
- Take-ons Completed refers to the number of times a player successfully dribbles past an opponent in a one-on-one situation. A take-on completed happens when a player beats a defender by dribbling, maintaining possession and progressing the attack.
- Take-on Success %
- Take-on Success % measures the percentage of successful dribbles a player completes out of all their attempts. This measurement is made as follows: Take-on Success % = (Take-ons Completed ÷ Take-ons Attempted) × 100.
- Possession Lost
- Possession Lost refers to the number of times a player loses control of the ball, either through bad touches, poor passes, dispossessions, or dribbles gone wrong. Possession Lost counts every instance where a player’s team loses the ball due to their mistake or unsuccessful action.
Forwards
- Goals (Penalty, Non-penalty, Home/Away)
- Goals (Penalty, Non-penalty, Home/Away) breaks down a player’s goal-scoring performance into detailed categories. It shows Goal-scoring reliability and versatility in different situations and this helps differentiate types of goal contribution.
- Winning Goals
- Winning Goals refers to the number of goals a player scores that directly secure a team’s victory in a match. A winning goal is the goal that puts a team ahead in the final scoreline – meaning the team wins by at least one goal margin thanks to that specific strike.
- Shots on Target
- Shots on Target refers to the number of times a player’s shot is directed within the goal frame – meaning it would have scored if not saved or blocked by the goalkeeper or defenders.
- Shot Accuracy %
- Shot Accuracy % measures the percentage of a player’s shots that are on target out of all shots attempted. This measurement is made as follows: Shot Accuracy % = (Shots on Target ÷ Total Shots Attempted) × 100.
- Goals from Inside/Outside Box
- Goals from Inside/Outside Box breaks down a player’s goals based on where they were scored on the pitch. Goals from Inside the Box are goals scored from within the penalty area, typically close-range finishes, headers, tap-ins, or rebounds. Goals from Outside the Box are goals scored from outside the penalty area, often long-range shots, volleys, or free-kicks.
- Offsides
- Offsides refers to the number of times a player is caught in an offside position by the referees during attacking plays. A player is offside when they are closer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender at the moment the ball is played to them.
- Take-ons
- Take-ons refers to the total number of attempts a player makes to dribble past an opponent in a one-on-one situation. A take-on is when a player tries to beat a defender by dribbling, whether successful or not.
What can you use the Comparison Matrix for?
Compare by Performance Category
Shooting & Goal Contribution
- Goals
- The Goals category summarises a player’s overall goal-scoring performance.
- Assists
- Assists tracks a player’s ability to create goals for teammates through key passes and final deliveries.
- Shots (on/off target, blocked)
- Shots are detailed by these three key categories to help understand a player’s shooting performance.
- Penalties Taken
- Penalties Taken refers to the number of penalty kicks a player has attempted to score from the penalty spot during matches.
- Winning Goals
- Winning Goals refers to the number of goals a player scores that directly secure their team’s victory in a match.
- Hit Woodwork
- Hit Woodwork refers to the number of times a player’s shot strikes the goalframe—the posts or crossbar – without resulting in a goal.
- Shots from Set Pieces
- Shots from Set Pieces refers to the number of shots a player takes directly from dead-ball situations, such as free kicks or corners.
Passing & Creativity
- Open-play Passes
- Open-play Passes refers to the number of passes a player completes during the flow of the game, excluding set-piece situations like corners, free kicks, or throw-ins.
- Through-balls
- Through-balls refers to passes that split the opponent’s defensive line, creating clear goal-scoring chances by sending a teammate through on goal.
- Crosses Completed
- Crosses Completed refers to the number of crosses a player delivers into the penalty area that successfully reach a teammate.
- Chances Created
- Chances Created measures the total number of goal-scoring opportunities a player sets up for their teammates, whether or not those chances result in assists.
- Lay-offs Completed
- Lay-offs Completed refers to the number of times a player receives the ball and quickly passes it to a teammate, usually to maintain fluidity and rhythm in attacking moves.
- Long Passes Attempted
- Long Passes Attempted refers to the number of times a player tries to play a pass over a longer distance, typically to switch play or find teammates far up the pitch.
Duels & Tackling
- Duels Contested/Won
- Duels Contested/Won tracks a player’s engagement and success in one-on-one physical battles with opponents.
- Aerial and Ground Duel Success %
- Aerial and Ground Duel Success % measures a player’s efficiency in winning physical battles in these two distinct scenarios.
- Tackles Made
- Tackles Made refers to the number of successful tackles a player executes to win the ball back from an opponent during a match.
- Take-ons vs Times Tackled
- Take-ons vs Times Tackled compares a player’s dribbling attempts (take-ons) against how often they are challenged or tackled by opponents.
Possession Play
- Touches
- Touches refers to the total number of times a player makes contact with the ball during a match.
- Ball Recoveries
- Ball Recoveries refers to the number of times a player regains possession for their team after the ball has been lost, usually by intercepting passes or winning loose balls.
- Possession Lost
- Possession Lost tracks the number of times a player loses control of the ball, leading to a turnover in possession.
- Touches in Opposition Box
- Touches in Opposition Box refers to the number of times a player controls or interacts with the ball inside the opponent’s penalty area during a match.
- Handballs
- Handballs refers to the number of times a player commits a handball offense by deliberately or accidentally touching the ball with their hand or arm during play, resulting in a foul.
- Corners Won
- Corners Won refers to the number of times a player’s actions lead to their team being awarded a corner kick.
Compare Discipline
- Total Cards
- Total Cards refers to the combined number of yellow and red cards a player has received during matches.
- Yellow Cards
- Yellow Cards tracks the number of times a player receives a caution from the referee during a match.
- Red Cards
- Red Cards tracks the number of times a player has been sent off during matches, either directly or after receiving a second yellow card.
- Fouls from Tackles
- Fouls from Tackles refers to the number of times a player commits a foul while attempting a tackle during a match.
- Offsides
- Offsides measures the number of times a player is caught in an offside position during attacking play.
Compare Team Metrics
- Aggregate stats per team across categories
- Aggregate Stats per Team Across Categories refers to the total team performance data compiled from all players within specific performance categories—such as Attack, Defence, Possession, Passing, and Goalkeeping. It shows a full statistical breakdown of how a team performs collectively in each area.
- Defensive solidity: Goals Conceded, Clean Sheets
- To measure defensive solidity on the Squawka Comparison Matrix, two of the most telling aggregate team stats are goals conceded and clean sheets. Used together, they paint a picture of how often and how badly a team gets breached.
- Creativity & control: Passes Attempted, Possession Stats
- To assess Creativity & Control on the Squawka Comparison Matrix, two key stat types are passes attempted and possession stats. Layering in chance creation and take-ons completed highlights attacking creativity built on that control
- Goal threat: Goals, Shots, Penalties Won
- To measure Goal Threat on the Squawka Comparison Matrix, three key stat types stand out: goals, shots and penalties won. Goals reflect finished attacks. Shots reflect volume and range of efforts to score and penalties won reflect how dangerous a team is in tight areas.
Active Stats (Match-Level Metrics)
- Games Played, Minutes, Starts, Subbed On/Off
- These three metrics are vital and help evaluate a player’s match rhythm, trust level, and role (starter, super-sub, rotation). This provides essential context for interpreting per-90 stats and injury impact.
- Performance trends over time
- Performance Trends Over Time show how a player or team’s stats evolve across a season or set of matches, helping you identify consistency, improvement, or decline in key areas. This can help identify form spikes or dips or distinguish between temporary slumps and sustained class.
How to Use This Data
- For fantasy football decisions – Using the Comparison Matrix for fantasy football gives you a tactical edge by helping you pick players based on form, underlying metrics, and reliability, not just hype. It could help you spot undervalued players with rising creative or defensive stats or look for players with high touches in opposition box + shot volume, giving you a better shot when selecting your captain.
- For tactical breakdowns and match previews – Using the Comparison Matrix for tactical breakdowns and match previews helps you go far deeper than surface-level stats. It lets you analyse team structure, individual roles, and game dynamics, leading to smarter insights, predictions, and commentary.
- For betting – Using the Comparison Matrix for betting helps you make evidence-based predictions across multiple markets – rather than relying on guesswork or form alone. For example you could compare player strengths/weaknesses (e.g., winger with high take-ons vs full-back with low tackle success).
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