Berlin (dpa) – In the Bundesliga, a record for the joker goals could be achieved this season. After 33 of 34 match days, substitute players have scored 142 times, according to figures from data service provider Opta.
The previous record from the 2018/2019 season is 146. If the previous average of 4.3 goals is exceeded on the last day of the season, the record will fall. An important factor: Since the restart in the corona pandemic, five substitutions have been allowed in the Bundesliga. Of course, this also increases the chances of Joker goals.
In the player statistics, an expert is once again ahead: Nils Petersen from SC Freiburg has already scored four joker goals this season, sharing the best value with Bayern’s Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting. Petersen is thus extending his lead as the most successful joker in Bundesliga history to date.
On the other hand, there are fewer and fewer foul games. According to Stats Perform, since video evidence was introduced for the 2017/18 season, fouling has been falling steadily in the Bundesliga. This season there were an average of just under 23.8 fouls per game – there have never been fewer since 2004/2005. In the 2005/2006 season there were 40.6 fouls per match. The trend for sending offs is very similar. There was only 0.08 per game. The last time this value was so low was 35 years ago (1986/1987, 0.06).