Shots on Target: What Counts—and Why More Isn’t Always Better

A shot on target is a deliberate attempt to score that goes into the goal, is saved by the goalkeeper, or is stopped by a last-line defender from entering the goal. Under Opta’s definition, ordinary blocked shots and attempts that hit the woodwork without going in do not count.

It is a count of qualifying attempts, not a measure of how good the chances were. A weak effort straight at the goalkeeper and a powerful shot saved from the top corner each add one.

What counts as a shot on target?

The important distinction is not simply whether a shot was travelling toward the goal. It is also how the attempt ended.

Under Opta’s event definitions:

• A scored attempt counts. Shots on target include goals, not just saves.
• An on-target attempt saved by the goalkeeper counts. A catch and a diving save can both qualify.
• A last-line clearance counts. If a defender prevents an otherwise goal-bound shot from entering the net, it is a shot on target rather than an ordinary blocked shot.
• An ordinary defensive block does not count. Opta classifies an attempt stopped by an outfield player with a goalkeeper or other defenders behind them as a blocked shot.
• A shot hitting the post or crossbar does not count unless that same attempt subsequently goes in. Woodwork alone is classified as off target.
• An attempt wide or over the goal does not count. It is off target.

That explains why a dangerous-looking attack can produce no shots on target. A close-range attempt blocked in a crowded penalty area may be a better chance than a long-range effort the goalkeeper catches comfortably, but only the latter adds to this count.

You may also see the label “shots on goal” or SOG: ESPN uses that wording. For penalty-specific cases, see whether penalties count as shots on goal.

A real example: Liverpool’s nine shots on target

In the Champions League final on 28 May 2022, Liverpool lost 1–0 to Real Madrid despite recording nine attempts on target. UEFA’s official match statistics show:

Statistic	Liverpool	Real Madrid
Total attempts	23	3
Attempts on target	9	1
Attempts off target	6	1
Attempts blocked	8	1
Goals	0	1
Goalkeeper saves	0	9

Liverpool’s nine on-target attempts were all saved by Thibaut Courtois. Madrid’s single on-target attempt became the winning goal, as CBS Sports’ match analysis also records.

The count tells us Liverpool repeatedly produced attempts that required saves. It does not, by itself, tell us how difficult every save was or establish that Liverpool should have won. The outcome of an attempt and the quality of the opportunity are different questions.

These are UEFA’s figures. ESPN lists 24 shots for Liverpool and four for Madrid, with two Madrid shots on goal. Keep a comparison within one source rather than combining rows from different feeds.

The denominator matters when you turn it into a percentage

Shots on target is a raw count with no denominator. A percentage needs an explicit formula.

For Liverpool, the share of all UEFA-recorded attempts that were on target was:

9 ÷ 23 × 100 = 39.1%.

But that is not automatically the same as a provider’s “shooting accuracy.” Opta defines shooting accuracy as shots on target divided by shots attempted excluding blocked shots and own goals.

For an illustrative set of 10 attempts—four on target, four off target and two blocked—the on-target share of all attempts is 40%. Using Opta’s shooting-accuracy denominator, it is 4 ÷ 8 = 50%. Neither calculation is wrong; they answer different questions.

How to read the number without overreading it

Start with total shots: five on target from six attempts is a different shooting pattern from five on target from 20. Then look at the locations and circumstances of those attempts.

Expected goals (xG) adds chance-quality context. Opta’s explanation describes how its model estimates scoring likelihood using factors such as distance, angle, defensive pressure and shot type. A strong chance missed wide still matters to xG, even though it contributes nothing to shots on target.

Finally, check when the attempts happened. Was a team chasing a late equalizer? Were its on-target shots mostly speculative efforts or close-range opportunities? Read the count alongside the score, shot quality and possession context—not as a standalone verdict on which team played better.