Sportradar analysed more than 98,000 goals scored in Europe’s Top 5 leagues over the last 20 years to determine which competition is the most exciting for the fans to watch – and it’s not the Premier League.

Using the number of goals scored per game as a measure of excitement, Sportradar’s cutting edge technology processed data from more than 36,000 matches played in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain between the 2005/06 and 2024/25 seasons. For more than 20 years, Sportradar has worked with the biggest names in world soccer, and more than 100 soccer organizations worldwide, including FIFA, UEFA, AFC and CONMEBOL, gaining access to unrivalled data and distributing the industry’s largest portfolio of soccer content.

While the English Premier League delivered the single highest-scoring season of the past 20 years with an average of 3.28 goals per game in 2023/24, Sportradar’s AI-driven analysis identified Germany’s Bundesliga as the competition that consistently delivers excitement for the fans.

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This season Bundesliga fans have enjoyed an average of 3.14 goals per game, offering more excitement than Ligue 1 (2.96), the Premier League (2.93), La Liga (2.62) and Serie A (2.56).

More than 18,000 goals have been scored in the Bundesliga since the start of the 2005/06 season, despite the 18-team league having played between 1,000 and 1,500 fewer matches than the other big-five leagues of Europe in that time.

As a result, fans of the German league have been entertained by an average of 2.96 goals per game over the period. That far exceeds the average number of goals per game in the Premier League (2.74), Serie A (2.68), La Liga (2.66) and Ligue 1 (2.53) for the same period.

The extensive analysis of 20 football seasons or 100 individual campaigns raises questions about the quality of Europe’s top 5 football leagues including ‘which league is emerging as the most exciting?’ and in ‘which league fewer goals are being scored’.

Other notable highlights include:

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• Ligue 1 is asserting itself as one of Europe’s most exciting competitions for the fans evidenced in the average number of goals scored per game two decades ago (2.13) compared to 2024/25 (2.96).

There are fewer goals being scored in La Liga. In 2005/06 there was an average of 2.46 goals per game, then on a par with the Premier League. But the ratio grew fast over the next 10 years, peaking in 2016/17 with 2.94 goals per game, coinciding with players like Lionel Messi, Luiz Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo being at the top of their game. Since then, there’s been a drop off in Spain, to an average of 2.62 goals per game in 2024/25.

*APPENDICES*

APPENDIX 1: ANALYSIS BREAKDOWN:

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APPENDIX 2: ANALYSIS BY LEAGUE AND SEASON:

BUNDESLIGA:

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LA LIGA:

LIGUE 1:

PREMIER LEAGUE:

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SERIE A

This new partnership opens up on-device advertising across Xiaomi’s system apps and its overseas official app store, GetApps, providing global reach at scale.

Liftoff, the leading provider of marketing, monetization, and creative solutions for the mobile industry, today announced a new partnership with Xiaomi’s International Internet Business Department, part of the global technology leader known for its smartphones, smart devices, and IoT products.

Liftoff’s Vungle Exchange ad network now connects brand & performance advertisers to effective, targeted advertising solutions on Xiaomi’s expanded ecosystem, including HyperOS (its Android-based operating system), smart devices, and internet services.

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Advertisers on the Vungle Exchange will have access to premium ad placements in Xiaomi’s overseas app store and other system apps. Advertisers running Android user acquisition campaigns can gain a competitive edge by reaching users through new OEM offerings. They include:

• Direct-to-device advertising: Advertised apps will appear as recommendations through Xiaomi’s native apps and its overseas official app store, GetApps, enabling advertisers to achieve global reach at scale.

• Exclusive touchpoints such as system-level notifications and lock-screen ads not available through standard, in-app networks

• Xiaomi’s OS-level data for better ad targeting and lower-cost campaigns (per install)

Liftoff’s Vungle Exchange helps advertisers reach quality users programmatically. Advertisers can tap into users from 150k+ apps across 250 countries, ensuring the delivery of the right ad to the right user.

Tanya Lee, SVP of Global Supply Sales at Liftoff, said:  “At Liftoff, we are committed to driving innovation in the mobile advertising ecosystem, and this partnership marks an exciting step forward. By integrating Xiaomi’s OEM native ad experience with the Vungle Exchange, we enable advertisers to reach high-value users seamlessly. Xiaomi’s expansive global reach, combined with Liftoff’s advanced programmatic technology, offer advertisers a unique opportunity to scale their campaigns efficiently and drive real results.”

Qiang Song, General Manager of Xiaomi’s International Internet Business Department, said:  “By integrating with Vungle Exchange, we’re bringing programmatic efficiency to Xiaomi’s premium ad inventory, offering advertisers smarter ways to connect with users.”