Expected goals
Cardiff City expected goals (xG) 2026/2027
Championship · after 11 matches · updated 21 Oct
Cardiff City's attacking and defensive expected goals in Championship 2026/2027, compared with the results they produced and with the rest of the competition.
Cardiff City xG and xGA per match
Every match ↓| Rank | Club | xG per match |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Ham United | 2.16 |
| #2 | Middlesbrough | 1.98 |
| #3 | Cardiff City | 1.88 |
| #4 | Millwall | 1.85 |
| #5 | Southampton | 1.83 |
| #6 | Birmingham City | 1.77 |
| #7 | Wolverhampton | 1.71 |
| #8 | Swansea City | 1.60 |
| #9 | Queens Park Rangers | 1.50 |
| #10 | Norwich City | 1.47 |
| #11 | Bolton Wanderers | 1.40 |
| #12 | Portsmouth | 1.35 |
| #13 | Bristol City | 1.32 |
| #14 | West Bromwich Albion | 1.29 |
| #15 | Lincoln City | 1.25 |
| #16 | Preston North End | 1.24 |
| #17 | Burnley | 1.23 |
| #18 | Watford | 1.13 |
| #19 | Wrexham | 1.12 |
| #20 | Sheffield United | 1.06 |
| #21 | Charlton Athletic | 1.00 |
| #22 | Blackburn Rovers | 0.98 |
| #23 | Derby County | 0.96 |
| #24 | Stoke City | 0.90 |
- League avg
- 1.42
- Total
- 20.65 11 matches
| Rank | Club | xGA per match |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wolverhampton | 0.99 |
| #2 | Middlesbrough | 1.02 |
| #3 | Swansea City | 1.14 |
| #4 | Portsmouth | 1.17 |
| =5 | West Ham United | 1.18 |
| =5 | Wrexham | 1.18 |
| #7 | Queens Park Rangers | 1.20 |
| #8 | Birmingham City | 1.23 |
| #9 | Southampton | 1.31 |
| #10 | Bristol City | 1.35 |
| #11 | Millwall | 1.37 |
| #12 | Lincoln City | 1.37 |
| #13 | West Bromwich Albion | 1.44 |
| #14 | Preston North End | 1.46 |
| #15 | Sheffield United | 1.49 |
| #16 | Charlton Athletic | 1.57 |
| #17 | Norwich City | 1.60 |
| #18 | Burnley | 1.62 |
| #19 | Cardiff City | 1.63 |
| #20 | Derby County | 1.65 |
| #21 | Bolton Wanderers | 1.69 |
| #22 | Stoke City | 1.71 |
| #23 | Blackburn Rovers | 1.72 |
| #24 | Watford | 1.88 |
- League avg
- 1.42
- Total
- 17.93 11 matches
| Rank | Club | xGD per match |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Ham United | +0.99 |
| #2 | Middlesbrough | +0.96 |
| #3 | Wolverhampton | +0.73 |
| #4 | Birmingham City | +0.53 |
| #5 | Southampton | +0.53 |
| #6 | Millwall | +0.48 |
| #7 | Swansea City | +0.46 |
| #8 | Queens Park Rangers | +0.30 |
| #9 | Cardiff City | +0.25 |
| #10 | Portsmouth | +0.18 |
| #11 | Bristol City | -0.03 |
| #12 | Wrexham | -0.05 |
| #13 | Lincoln City | -0.13 |
| #14 | Norwich City | -0.14 |
| #15 | West Bromwich Albion | -0.15 |
| #16 | Preston North End | -0.22 |
| #17 | Bolton Wanderers | -0.30 |
| #18 | Burnley | -0.40 |
| #19 | Sheffield United | -0.43 |
| #20 | Charlton Athletic | -0.57 |
| #21 | Derby County | -0.69 |
| #22 | Blackburn Rovers | -0.74 |
| #23 | Watford | -0.75 |
| #24 | Stoke City | -0.81 |
- League avg
- 0.00
- Total
- +2.72 11 matches
| Rank | Club | xPts per match |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Middlesbrough | 2.03 |
| #2 | Wolverhampton | 1.90 |
| #3 | West Ham United | 1.89 |
| #4 | Birmingham City | 1.75 |
| #5 | Southampton | 1.73 |
| #6 | Millwall | 1.68 |
| #7 | Swansea City | 1.63 |
| #8 | Queens Park Rangers | 1.61 |
| #9 | Cardiff City | 1.51 |
| #10 | Portsmouth | 1.51 |
| #11 | Bristol City | 1.44 |
| #12 | Wrexham | 1.40 |
| #13 | Lincoln City | 1.37 |
| #14 | Norwich City | 1.26 |
| #15 | West Bromwich Albion | 1.25 |
| #16 | Preston North End | 1.20 |
| #17 | Bolton Wanderers | 1.15 |
| #18 | Derby County | 1.07 |
| #19 | Sheffield United | 1.07 |
| #20 | Burnley | 1.05 |
| #21 | Charlton Athletic | 1.00 |
| #22 | Stoke City | 0.91 |
| #23 | Blackburn Rovers | 0.89 |
| #24 | Watford | 0.88 |
- League avg
- 1.38
- Total
- 16.60 vs 11 actual pts
What the xG says
Cardiff City's underlying numbers sit close to the Championship average. They rank #9 for xG difference at +0.25 per match, driven by elite shot volume at about average chance quality. Their 18 goals are 2.65 below 20.65 xG, while 11 points are 5.60 below 16.60 xPts.
Actual vs expected
Select a row to chart it across the season.
Goals minus xG, match by match
Cardiff City are 2.65 goals below their xG after 11 matches. The gap was widest at -5.48, against Bolton Wanderers on Sat 12/09.
- Goals
- 18
- xG
- 20.65
- Gap
- -2.65
- This match
- Match gap
- Running gap
| Date | Opponent | Goals | xG | Match gap | Running gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 17/08 | Wrexham | 1 | 0.90 | +0.10 | +0.10 |
| Sat 22/08 | Derby County | 2 | 1.98 | +0.02 | +0.12 |
| Sat 29/08 | Sheffield United | 2 | 2.24 | -0.24 | -0.12 |
| Wed 02/09 | Queens Park Rangers | 1 | 0.60 | +0.40 | +0.28 |
| Sat 05/09 | Portsmouth | 0 | 1.37 | -1.37 | -1.09 |
| Tue 08/09 | Stoke City | 1 | 3.60 | -2.60 | -3.69 |
| Sat 12/09 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | 1.79 | -1.79 | -5.48 |
| Sat 19/09 | Charlton Athletic | 3 | 2.60 | +0.40 | -5.08 |
| Sat 10/10 | Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1.05 | -0.05 | -5.13 |
| Tue 13/10 | Watford | 5 | 3.67 | +1.33 | -3.80 |
| Sat 17/10 | Middlesbrough | 2 | 0.85 | +1.15 | -2.65 |
Goals vs xG ranking → Expected points ranking → Compare with every club in Europe →
Cardiff City xG trend
Current form +0.53 npxGD per match
The last 6 matches with xG.
Out-created the opponent in 6 of 11 matches. The worst was against Middlesbrough on Sat 17/10 (-1.86).
- npxG · last 6
- 1.87
- npxGA · last 6
- 1.34
- npxG
- npxGA
- npxGD
- Avg so far
| Date | Opponent | npxG | npxGA | npxGD | Avg so far |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 17/08 | Wrexham | 0.91 | 1.55 | -0.64 | -0.64 |
| Sat 22/08 | Derby County | 2.13 | 1.62 | +0.51 | -0.06 |
| Sat 29/08 | Sheffield United | 2.30 | 0.74 | +1.56 | +0.48 |
| Wed 02/09 | Queens Park Rangers | 0.60 | 2.09 | -1.49 | -0.02 |
| Sat 05/09 | Portsmouth | 1.21 | 1.88 | -0.67 | -0.15 |
| Tue 08/09 | Stoke City | 2.72 | 0.75 | +1.97 | +0.21 |
| Sat 12/09 | Bolton Wanderers | 1.82 | 0.42 | +1.40 | +0.38 |
| Sat 19/09 | Charlton Athletic | 2.70 | 1.04 | +1.66 | +0.54 |
| Sat 10/10 | Blackburn Rovers | 1.00 | 1.71 | -0.71 | +0.40 |
| Tue 13/10 | Watford | 2.10 | 1.39 | +0.71 | +0.43 |
| Sat 17/10 | Middlesbrough | 0.85 | 2.71 | -1.86 | +0.22 |
Each bar is one match's non-penalty xG minus the non-penalty xG against; the line is that difference averaged over the season up to each match, and it finishes on the dashed season average — 1.67 npxG and 1.45 npxGA per match. Current form is the same difference over the last 6 matches with xG.
Strength of schedule
- Season so far
- number 23 hardest of 24 in Championship
- −0.10 xG vs league average
- Over 11 league matches
- Last 5
- number 20 hardest of 24 in Championship
- −0.08 xG vs league average
- Over 5 league matches
Opponents behind the figures
Season so far
−0.10 xG vs league average · over 11 matches · number 23 hardest of 24
- Middlesbrough Away +0.74
- Watford Home −0.39
- Blackburn Rovers Away −0.33
- Charlton Athletic Home −0.40
- Bolton Wanderers Away −0.05
- Stoke City Home −0.44
- Portsmouth Away +0.11
- Queens Park Rangers Away +0.20
- Sheffield United Home −0.31
- Derby County Away −0.21
- Wrexham Home −0.05
Last 5
−0.08 xG vs league average · over 5 matches · number 20 hardest of 24
- Middlesbrough Away +0.74
- Watford Home −0.39
- Blackburn Rovers Away −0.33
- Charlton Athletic Home −0.40
- Bolton Wanderers Away −0.05
Cardiff City shots and chance quality
High volume, average quality. Cardiff City take 17.2 shots a match (league 13.5) at 0.10 npxG a shot (league 0.10), #2 in Championship for volume and #9 for quality. 69% of their shots come from inside the box (league 67%), and set pieces produce 20% of their npxG (league 28%).
Attack
| Rank | Club | shots per match |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Middlesbrough | 19.1 |
| #2 | Cardiff City | 17.2 |
| #3 | West Ham United | 16.3 |
| #4 | Wolverhampton | 16.2 |
| #5 | Portsmouth | 15.3 |
| #6 | Southampton | 15.2 |
| #7 | Queens Park Rangers | 15.1 |
| =8 | Burnley | 14.3 |
| =8 | Millwall | 14.3 |
| #10 | Bristol City | 14.0 |
| #11 | Norwich City | 13.9 |
| #12 | Bolton Wanderers | 13.8 |
| #13 | Birmingham City | 13.7 |
| #14 | Watford | 13.0 |
| #15 | Derby County | 12.7 |
| =16 | Preston North End | 12.1 |
| =16 | Swansea City | 12.1 |
| =18 | Lincoln City | 11.5 |
| =18 | West Bromwich Albion | 11.5 |
| =20 | Stoke City | 11.4 |
| =20 | Wrexham | 11.4 |
| #22 | Blackburn Rovers | 11.2 |
| #23 | Charlton Athletic | 10.2 |
| #24 | Sheffield United | 9.4 |
- League avg
- 13.5
- Total
- 189 shots from 11 matches
| Rank | Club | npxG per shot |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Swansea City | 0.13 |
| #2 | Millwall | 0.12 |
| #3 | Birmingham City | 0.12 |
| #4 | West Ham United | 0.12 |
| #5 | Southampton | 0.11 |
| #6 | Sheffield United | 0.11 |
| #7 | Middlesbrough | 0.10 |
| #8 | Charlton Athletic | 0.10 |
| #9 | Cardiff City | 0.10 |
| #10 | Wrexham | 0.10 |
| #11 | Wolverhampton | 0.10 |
| #12 | West Bromwich Albion | 0.10 |
| #13 | Preston North End | 0.09 |
| #14 | Queens Park Rangers | 0.09 |
| #15 | Lincoln City | 0.09 |
| #16 | Norwich City | 0.09 |
| #17 | Bristol City | 0.09 |
| #18 | Bolton Wanderers | 0.09 |
| #19 | Watford | 0.08 |
| #20 | Blackburn Rovers | 0.08 |
| #21 | Portsmouth | 0.08 |
| #22 | Burnley | 0.08 |
| #23 | Derby County | 0.07 |
| #24 | Stoke City | 0.07 |
- League avg
- 0.10
- Total
- 18.34 npxG from 189 shots
Defence
| Rank | Club | shots per match |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Swansea City | 10.8 |
| #2 | Wolverhampton | 10.9 |
| =3 | Middlesbrough | 11.0 |
| =3 | Portsmouth | 11.0 |
| =5 | West Bromwich Albion | 11.5 |
| =5 | West Ham United | 11.5 |
| #7 | Wrexham | 11.6 |
| =8 | Birmingham City | 11.7 |
| =8 | Queens Park Rangers | 11.7 |
| #10 | Bristol City | 12.0 |
| #11 | Norwich City | 12.5 |
| #12 | Bolton Wanderers | 12.8 |
| #13 | Millwall | 13.5 |
| #14 | Burnley | 14.1 |
| #15 | Derby County | 14.2 |
| #16 | Southampton | 14.7 |
| #17 | Cardiff City | 15.1 |
| #18 | Preston North End | 15.8 |
| =19 | Sheffield United | 15.9 |
| =19 | Watford | 15.9 |
| #21 | Stoke City | 16.2 |
| #22 | Lincoln City | 16.4 |
| #23 | Blackburn Rovers | 16.8 |
| #24 | Charlton Athletic | 17.1 |
- League avg
- 13.5
- Total
- 166 shots allowed from 11 matches
| Rank | Club | npxGA per shot |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Southampton | 0.08 |
| #2 | Charlton Athletic | 0.08 |
| #3 | Lincoln City | 0.08 |
| #4 | Blackburn Rovers | 0.08 |
| #5 | Wolverhampton | 0.08 |
| #6 | Sheffield United | 0.09 |
| #7 | West Ham United | 0.09 |
| #8 | Preston North End | 0.09 |
| #9 | Millwall | 0.09 |
| #10 | Middlesbrough | 0.09 |
| #11 | Stoke City | 0.09 |
| #12 | Swansea City | 0.09 |
| #13 | Wrexham | 0.09 |
| #14 | Cardiff City | 0.10 |
| #15 | Bristol City | 0.10 |
| #16 | Portsmouth | 0.10 |
| #17 | Queens Park Rangers | 0.10 |
| #18 | Birmingham City | 0.10 |
| #19 | Burnley | 0.10 |
| #20 | Watford | 0.11 |
| #21 | Derby County | 0.11 |
| #22 | West Bromwich Albion | 0.12 |
| #23 | Norwich City | 0.13 |
| #24 | Bolton Wanderers | 0.13 |
- League avg
- 0.10
- Total
- 15.90 npxGA from 166 shots
Shot profile
69% inside the box
League avg 67%
From 130 of 189 shots over 11 matches
71% allowed inside the box
League avg 67%
From 118 of 166 shots allowed over 11 matches
80% open play · 20% set pieces
League avg 28% set pieces
From 3.6 of 18.3 npxG over 11 matches
81% open play · 19% set pieces
League avg 28% set pieces
From 3.0 of 15.9 npxG allowed over 11 matches
Cardiff City home and away xG
| Measure | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 5 | 6 |
| xG / match | 2.60 | 1.27 |
| xGA / match | 1.31 | 1.90 |
| xGD / match | +1.29 | -0.63 |
| xPts / match Model — Model output — computed from each match's xG, not a result. How xPts works → | 2.10 | 1.02 |
Every figure divides by that half's matches with xG. A half with fewer than 3 matches with xG is muted.
Every Cardiff City match by xG
This season
- Matches
- 11
- xG / match
- 1.88
- xGA / match
- 1.63
- xGD / match
- +0.25
- Points
- 11 of 33
- Sat 17/10 Middlesbrough A Weakest underlying xG 0.85 xGA 2.71 xGD -1.86 xPts 0.31
- Tue 13/10 Watford H xG 3.67 P xGA 1.46 xGD +2.21 xPts 2.58
- Sat 10/10 Blackburn Rovers A xG 1.05 xGA 2.42 P xGD -1.37 xPts 0.49
- Sat 19/09 Charlton Athletic H xG 2.60 xGA 1.26 xGD +1.34 xPts 2.27
- Sat 12/09 Bolton Wanderers A Against the chances xG 1.79 xGA 0.48 xGD +1.31 xPts 2.44
- Tue 08/09 Stoke City H Best underlying xG 3.60 P xGA 1.11 xGD +2.49 xPts 2.71
- Sat 05/09 Portsmouth A xG 1.37 xGA 2.07 xGD -0.70 xPts 0.87
- Wed 02/09 Queens Park Rangers A xG 0.60 xGA 2.09 xGD -1.49 xPts 0.35
- Sat 29/08 Sheffield United H xG 2.24 xGA 1.28 P xGD +0.96 xPts 2.05
- Sat 22/08 Derby County A xG 1.98 xGA 1.62 xGD +0.36 xPts 1.64
- Mon 17/08 Wrexham H xG 0.90 xGA 1.43 xGD -0.53 xPts 0.90
Newest first. The dot is xG and the ring is xGA, on one scale from 0 to 3.67. Best and weakest underlying mark the highest and lowest xGD once 5 matches have xG. Against the chances marks a win with xGD of −1.00 or lower, or a loss with +1.00 or higher. P marks a side with at least 0.50 xG from penalties.
Cardiff City in Championship
Attack
- xG / match #3 of 24
- Shots / match #2 of 24
- Chance quality #9 of 24
- Home xG #2 of 24
- Away xG #10 of 24
Defence
- xGA / match #19 of 24
- Shots allowed #17 of 24
- Chance quality allowed #14 of 24
About the data
- xG data
- Provided by TheStatsAPI, and stored as published.
- Derived metrics
- xGD, per-match rates, rankings and rolling averages are calculated from the match data.
- Model metrics
- xPts is produced by our probability model.