Situational efficiency of clubs in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League 2023/2024

Aim: To investigate differences in situational performance parameters in football – specifically, in attack and defense between more successful and less successful clubs during the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in the 2023/2024 season. Methods: We analyzed 32 clubs divided into eight groups, each consisting of four teams: 16 clubs advanced to the knockout stage (more successful clubs), while the remaining 16 ended their participation after the group stage (less successful clubs). We analyzed key variables of situational efficiency in attack and defense and compared them between clubs using t-tests. We set the level of statistical significance at P < 0.05. Results: More successful teams had significantly higher values in the following attacking variables: goals scored (P < 0.001), shots on target (P = 0.012), shots on goal (P = 0.002), shots blocked by opponent (P = 0.049), number of passes (P < 0.001), number of accurate passes (P < 0.001), possession (P < 0.001), and percentage of accurate passes (P < 0.001). In contrast, less successful teams had significantly higher values in three defensive variables: goals conceded (P < 0.001), blocks (P = 0.031), and tackles (P = 0.015). Conclusions: Significantly higher average values of attacking variables for the more successful teams highlight the importance of offensive play, which creates more opportunities to score goals and achieve better results. This is further supported by the finding that passing accuracy and possession were significantly higher in the more successful teams. Less successful teams had significantly higher values for three defensive variables (goals conceded, tackles, and blocks), as such teams often defend their goal for a larger part of the game, likely due to a lack of quality both at the individual player and the team level.