Soccer per-90 & Finishing (Goals − xG) Calculator

Understanding the soccer per-90 and finishing calculator — concept and principle

Raw totals flatter players who play a lot. This calculator puts goals, assists and expected goals (xG) on a common per-90-minute scale, and adds two finishing measures: goals minus xG and shot conversion. Scouts, fantasy players and analysts use it to compare players with different playing time.

Dividing by 26.7 full matches turns season totals into per-90 rates; 12 goals from 9.5 xG is 2.5 above expectation.

How it is calculated

Per 90 = stat ÷ minutes played × 90. Goals per 90, goals plus assists per 90 and xG per 90 all use this.
Goals − xG = actual goals − expected goals. Positive means the player scored more than the chances were worth on average.
xG per shot = xG ÷ shots, the average quality of each attempt.
Conversion rate = goals ÷ shots × 100.

xG comes from a data provider and is a sum of probabilities, so it can be a decimal.

The principle

Every shot in an xG model gets a probability of scoring, estimated from many thousands of past shots with similar features: distance, angle, body part, type of assist and game situation. A penalty is worth around 0.75–0.8 in most public models, while a long-range shot may be worth 0.03. Adding these probabilities gives the number of goals an average finisher would be expected to score from the same chances. Scaling by 90 minutes turns totals into rates, which lets you compare players who did not play the same amount.

Worked example

Defaults: 12 goals, 9.5 xG, 6 assists, 2,400 minutes, 70 shots.

Goals per 90 = 12 ÷ 2,400 × 90 = 0.45.
Goals + assists per 90 = 18 ÷ 2,400 × 90 = 0.675.
xG per 90 = 9.5 ÷ 2,400 × 90 = 0.35625.
Goals − xG = 12 − 9.5 = +2.5.
xG per shot = 9.5 ÷ 70 = 0.136.
Conversion = 12 ÷ 70 × 100 = 17.14%.

Each point is the calculator re-run with only “Minutes played” changed; the gold point is the default example. Change the inputs above and this chart follows your numbers.

Minutes played	Goals per 90
600	1.8
1,200	0.9
1,800	0.6
2,400	0.45
3,000	0.36
3,600	0.3
4,800	0.225

How to read the result

Across all shots in top leagues, average xG per shot and conversion are both roughly around 0.1 and 10%. So 0.136 xG per shot means the player gets into good positions, and 17% conversion is above average. A +2.5 overperformance over one season is good, but finishing above xG tends to shrink over the next seasons for most players. xG per 90 shows how often a player gets chances, and it is usually the more stable number. Penalties raise both goals and xG a lot, so many analysts look at non-penalty figures.

Common mistakes

Comparing per-90 rates from small samples; many analysts ignore players under about 900 minutes.
Mixing xG from different providers, whose models are not the same.
Treating one season of goals − xG as proof of elite finishing.
Forgetting that penalties are in both goals and xG.

Keep in mind: xG is a model estimate, not an observed fact. It does not see everything (defender pressure, keeper position, shot speed) unless the model includes it, and results differ between providers.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good goals per 90 for a striker?

In major leagues, about 0.5 non-penalty goals per 90 is very strong for a striker, and few players stay far above it for many seasons.

Is a negative goals − xG always bad?

Not necessarily. A small sample, bad luck or a lot of difficult chances can cause it. A player who keeps creating high xG usually scores again.

Sources: Stats Perform (Opta) – Expected Goals (xG) definitions · FBref glossary of per-90 and shooting statistics

Checked 8 Nov 2026. Official league / federation formulas where they exist; widely used community formulas otherwise. For fun and analysis — not betting advice.

Your numbers