The Euro group stage has concluded. Spanish outlet AS has highlighted the key characteristics of the group stage, emphasizing four points: own goals, last-minute goals, penalties, and long-range strikes.
The commentary states that out of the 81 goals scored in the group stage, 38% were scored in stoppage time, from outside the penalty area, or were own goals. If we include penalties, this percentage rises to an astonishing 47%, meaning “normal goals” only account for roughly half.
The tournament has witnessed seven own goals, with the media exclaiming, “Almost every day, players are carelessly kicking the ball into their own net.” This phenomenon started in the opening match with Rudiger deflecting the ball into his own goal. Subsequently, own goals by Calafiouri, Weber, Hranac, Jassula, and others were the sole goals in respective matches and directly impacted the match results and standings.
Up to the last European Championship, the record for own goals in a single tournament was 11. Therefore, if five more own goals are scored in the remaining 15 matches, this edition of the Euro will set a new record. Considering that the current top scorer has only three goals, the world is joking that “own goals are the tournament’s top scorer.”
In the group stage, 10 goals were scored in stoppage time, surpassing the Euro record of nine in 2016. From Zaka’s goal that shattered Modric’s dreams to Switzerland, Hungary, Albania, Turkey, and Portugal, these late goals demonstrate that to truly experience this Euro, one should stay glued to the action until the final whistle. 12% of the goals have been scored after the 90-minute mark.
This Euro has seen 14 goals scored from outside the box, accounting for 17.2% of the total goals. Notably, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar witnessed only 12 long-range strikes across all matches. This trend started from the opening match with Wirtz and Emre Can scoring from distance. Since then, Güller, Stanciu, Marin, and many others have delivered breathtaking long-range strikes.
Lastly, seven penalties have been awarded in this tournament, with players like Mbappé and Lewandowski among those who have converted them. In conclusion, football is a sport where the objective is to score goals and determine the winner based on goals. With almost half the goals in this Euro scored through the aforementioned four methods, this tournament has developed a distinctive character.
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