xG Guide · Part 2 · Chapter 11

xG for, against and difference

A team's xG says how good its chances were. Its xG against says how good the chances it allowed were. Put them together and you have the best single summary of how strong a team is.

Three numbers

xG for

The total xG of a team's shots: how much it creates.

xGA, xG against

The total xG of the shots it concedes: how much it allows.

xGD, xG difference

xG for minus xG against. Positive: it creates more than it allows.

Reading teams on two axes

Example teams (A to F), xG per match for and against. Right is more attack, up is better defence; the number is xGD per match.

Teams up and to the right are strong at both ends; down and to the left weak at both. A team can win by attacking (B) or by defending (C); xGD sums both in one number.

Per match and per 90

Totals grow with games played, so tables use per match figures. For players, per 90 minutes puts starters and substitutes on the same scale. Over a season, xGD per match tracks league position closely, and it predicts the rest of a season better than goal difference.

Don't mix it up

xGD compares a team with its opponents. The xG Gap on Xgoals compares a team's goals with its own xG. Different questions, different numbers.

Questions

What is a good xGD?

Above zero means a team creates more than it allows. Title contenders usually sit well above +1 per match; relegation sides below zero.

Is xGD better than goal difference?

For judging strength and predicting what comes next, usually yes, especially early in a season. Goal difference decides the table.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-28. Methods change: every figure here is dated to its source.

xG explains football; it is not a betting tip. 18+ · Please gamble responsibly.