The Benchmark

Aberdeen measured against the standard of a top-three side — the targets a consistent European-place season demands. Each KPI shows where we finished 2025/26 versus the benchmark, and the six-season trend. Click any card to dig into the detail.

Benchmarks set from the average third-place finisher over five seasons — read the methodology.

0/13
KPIs at benchmark
2025/26 · full season
1.05
Points per game
target 1.62
40
Points won
target ≈ 62
10
Clean sheets
target 14

Results

Points per gameBelow
1.05vs target 1.62

Pace of an average 3rd-place side (≈ 62 pts).

Match log →
Expected points / gameBelow
1.20vs target 1.66

Points our chances deserved — strips out luck.

Insights →xG-based · 2025/26 onward
Goal difference / gameBelow
-0.39vs target +0.32

+12 across a season is the top-3 line.

Match log →
xG difference / gameBelow
-0.32vs target +0.32

Sustainable goal difference — the engine behind results.

Insights →xG-based · 2025/26 onward

Attack

xG per gameBelow
1.19vs target 1.50

Chance quality created — the strongest single driver of points (r +0.52).

Shot map →xG-based · 2025/26 onward
Shots on target / gameBelow
3.4vs target 4.2

Volume of real attempts; was 3.8 last season.

Shot map →
Big chances / gameBelow
1.7vs target 2.0

Clear-cut openings — convert these and results follow.

Chance creation →

Defence

xGA per gameBelow
1.51vs target 1.18

Chance quality conceded (r −0.44). Lower is better.

Insights →xG-based · 2025/26 onward
Big chances conceded / gameBelow
2.4vs target 1.4

The biggest gap — we concede ~2.4 clear chances/game, near double a top-3 side (r −0.39). Lower is better.

Insights →
Shots on target against / gameBelow
4.7vs target 3.6

Shots we let through on target (r −0.43). Lower is better.

Insights →
Clean-sheet %Below
26%vs target 37%

14 shutouts a season (≈ 37%) — last season: 10.

Match log →

Set pieces

Set-piece chances / gameBelow
1.0vs target 1.8

Dead-ball threat — has fallen from 2.1 (21/22) to under 1.0. Free chances we're leaving on the table.

Chance creation →
Set-piece goals (season)Below
1vs target 6

Goals from set pieces — collapsed from 7 to just 1 last season.

Chance creation →
Targets are the average output of a third-place SPFL side. Actuals computed from 217 matches. Expected points and xG-based KPIs use a Poisson model on Sofascore xG, which we only hold from 2025/26 — so those lines start there and will fill in as the season runs. Dashed line on each chart = the benchmark.