Analysis of Running Performance in the Offensive and Defensive Phases of the Game: Is It Associated with the Team Achievement in the UEFA Champions League?

Abstract

Although associations between running performance (RP) with ball possession and team achievement in soccer are often hypothesized, actual knowledge of this association in elite soccer remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate players’ RPs according to ball possession to determine its possible influence on team achievement in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). The players’ RPs (n = 244) were collected during UCL group stage matches (n = 20) in the 2020/21 season using the semiautomatic video system InStat Fitness. Then, players’ RPs were classified according to the specific playing position: central defenders (CD; n = 79), fullbacks (FB; n = 65), central midfielders (CM; n = 55), wide midfielders (WM; n = 28) and forwards (FW; n = 17). RPs were observed in the attacking phase (AP, i.e., when the team was in possession of the ball) and defensive phase (DP, i.e., when the team did not have possession of the ball) of the game, and included the total distance covered (m) and distance covered in different categories: walking (<7.1 km/h), jogging (7.1–14.3 km/h), running (14.4–19.7 km/h), high-intensity running (>19.8 km/h), high-speed running (19.8–25.1 km/h) and sprinting (>25.2 km/h). Team achievement was defined by the total group points earned (TGP) at the end of the group phase of the UCL and by match outcome (win, draw, loss) of single matches. The results indicated that the total, walking and jogging distances covered were negatively and positively associated with TGP (Pearson’s correlations from 0.30 to 0.73; all p < 0.05) in the AP and DP of the game, respectively. Won matches were characterized by significantly lower and higher values of total, walking and jogging distances covered in AP and DP of the game, respectively (F tests: from 7.15 to 22.5, all p < 0.01; all small to medium effect sizes). In addition, RPs in the AP and DP of the game explained only 37.2% of the variance in the TGP. These findings demonstrate that the influence of RP on team achievement in UCL is limited in both the AP and DP of the game.

Match Running Performance in UEFA Champions League: Is There a Worthwhile Association with Team Achievement?

“…Additionally, trivial-to-small correlations between total group points and total distance covered and distance covered in different speed indicated a lack of association between RP and team achievement in the UCL group stage. Such results are in contrast with our previously published study in which significant associations between RP and team achievement were observed [ 33 ]. Briefly, it was demonstrated that successful teams played at a higher game pace in the offensive phase of game (i.e., when team has ball in possession) and achieved greater running efforts in the defensive phase of game (i.e., when opponent has ball in possession).…”

“…Therefore, it seems that players’ RP is poorly related to the achievement of their teams in the elite soccer. It is most likely that the overall technical and tactical effectiveness has a greater impact on results and a team’s final league ranking than RP, as previously suggested [ 21 , 26 , 33 , 50 ].…”

“…Specifically, due to the unavailability of RP data from all matches, we did not analyse all matches from the group stage of the UCL (i.e., we only noted 20 randomly selected matches). However, using a relatively small sample is a very common obstacle in studies involving players which compete at the highest level of soccer [ 33 , 48 ]. Furthermore, due to the methodological reasons, only those players completing entire matches (i.e., 90 min) were included for analysis, as suggested previously [ 1 , 51 ].…”

“…All data were anonymised in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki to ensure player and team confidentiality. This investigation was part of a previously published paper with a different approach to the same subjects’ data [ 33 ]. Both investigations were approved by the ethical board of Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, RP of successful and unsuccessful teams in UCL was examined only once. Specifically, authors of the current study evaluated associations between team achievement and RP in offensive and defensive phases of the game in their previously published study [ 33 ]. As it has been found that RP in both offensive and defensive phases of game may affect team achievement in UCL, we believe it is worthwhile to analyse association between overall RP and success in detail.…”