Europe’s top 10 teams for long-range shots

Long-range goals can be spectacular but aren't the most efficient way to go about scoring goals.

A long-range goal is always one of the most spectacular highlights for a player and a good one will always end up on the goal of the month, or even goal of the year list.

However, they’re not the smartest way to go about scoring a goal. A goal from distance either requires a lot of things to go right or just pure luck. That’s why nine out of ten times you’ll see the manager disappointed with a player should they try their luck.

As such, it's not often that the top teams find themselves scoring or even really attempting long shots. It’s more of a desperation shot, so you’ll see some of the lower teams going for goal from further out.

And that’s exactly what this list showcases. Here are the top ten teams in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues for long-range shots. This is worked out by averaging the distance of all shots on goal from said team.

Spoiler alert: every team on this list averages a shot from outside the box, and no team on this list is in the top half of their league table.

Note, only goals the teams have scored from shots in open play and free-kicks count to their goal total. Own goals and penalties do not count.

 

Metz - 20.1 yards

The French Ligue 1 clock in with the most entries on this list and have the pleasure (or displeasure) of taking the number one spot.

FC Metz is the leading team for average distance from goal they take their shots from. 20.1 yards out means they’re average shot comes from a range that, if you’re looking at it from straight down the middle of the goal, would be in the middle of the penalty arc on the outside of the box.

Metz find themselves in 18th place in Ligue 1 and have scored 23 goals this season on 20.1 xG and 31.3% shots on target. They are the third-lowest scoring team in the league.

 

Getafe - 19.9 yards

The Spanish La Liga comes in at second for most entries on this list, and Getafe obviously has the distinction of being the first to represent their league.

Getafe misses out on the top spot by just 0.2 yards. But those 0.2 yards seems to make a slight difference in the number of goals scored.

The Spanish side has scored 26 goals so far this season, which for them is an average of a goal a game, and that also exceeds their xG of 20.6. They also have a 27.6% shot on target rate.

However, they still find themselves towards the bottom of the table in 15th place. They do have the luxury of a six-point gap to the drop zone though.

 

Saint-Etienne - 19.7 yards

The second French team makes their appearance on the podium in the third spot. The list does start with this French-Spanish pattern for the first six entries.

Saint-Etienne ranks slightly higher than Metz for goals scored, having scored 26 goals this season on 32.7% shots on target. However, they have a negative ration for goals to expected goals, as they have a 27.7 xG for the year.

They have also been poor at keeping shots out of their own net, as they have conceded a second worst in the league 45 goals, which has contributed to them sitting second bottom in the table.

The only lower than them in the league and for goals conceded coincidentally also features later in this list.

Mallorca - 19.3 yards

Next up is Mallorca. Another La Liga side, they are the least successful scoring Spanish team on this list and the third least successful Spanish side in the league. Their top scorers are only on three goals.

They have scored 21 goals this season on 28.4% shots on target, as opposed to their 27.5 xG. It is the lowest number of goals scored on this list. And with 41 goals conceded, they find themselves perilously close to the drop zone. They are in 16th place with a slightly breathable five-point gap.

 

Montpellier - 19.2 yards

The most successful team on this list in terms of goals scored, Montpellier have scored an impressive 40 goals this season, which is the fifth most in Ligue 1. 

Better yet, they have one of the most goals scored to expected goals ratio, as they have a 28.2 xG.

And let's keep adding to the good for Montpellier. They are joint for highest in their league table on this list, as they find themselves in 11th place in Ligue 1.

One more piece of goodness for them. They have a list-high 39.3% shots on target. Which is also fourth all together from the ‘Big Five’ leagues combined.

Obviously, the long shots are working out well for them.

 

Osasuna - 19.2 yards

Another team whose long shots seem to pay off, Osasuna also find themselves in 11th place in La Liga. However, everything else for them is just relatively ok.

They have scored 25 goals this season with a 24.7 xG and a joint-lowest on the list 27.6% shots on target. So, while they match Montpellier for average distance of their shots, they don’t have anywhere near as much success.

 

Bordeaux - 19.1 yards

Here they are. The only team lower than Saint-Etienne in the French Ligue 1 and the only team to have conceded more goals than them in the league, too.

Bordeaux is the second highest scoring team on this list, not that it makes too much of a difference for them. They have scored 36 goals this year, which would have them eighth in the league if the table was sorted by who scores the most goals.

But it isn’t, so coupled with their by far league-worst 63 goals conceded to give them a -25-goal difference, they find themselves at the bottom of the table.

The only takeaways for them are their number of goals scored and how they greatly exceed their 27.3 xG, and their second-best on the list 32.8% shots on target percentage.

 

Arminia - 19.0 yards

Finally, the French-Spanish cycle is broken. The first German team on this list is Arminia Bielefeld.

The German side has scored 22 goals this season so far with 30.9% shots on target, putting them in second place on this list for least number of goals scored. But at least they are matching their xG of 21.9.

In their first season back in the Bundesliga, they are looking to hopefully stay clear of relegation. Although that is a lot easier said than done, as they currently sit in 14th place, just two points clear of the relegation play-off spot.

Spezia - 18.9 yards

Now for the first and only Italian team to feature on this list. Spezia are in their second season back in the Serie A after a 100-year absence. And for right now, survival is possible, although in 16th place and just four points above the relegation zone, it will be a difficult run to the end of the season.

They have scored 25 goals this season with a 25.2 xG and 32.5% shots on target.

Bochum - 18.9 yards

Rounding out the list is Vfl Bochum, another German Bundesliga team.

They have scored 25 goals this season with a 27.9 xG and 32.3% shots on target.

Bochum are 2/3rds of the way through their first season back in the German topflight and are going the right way to staying there this year. They are the third team to be sitting at 11th in their league on this list.

However, a bad run of form for them could see them drop down the table