Every year, at roughly the midway point of the European season, we take a look at the players in Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues who have had the most shots without scoring a goal.
Ten players have attempted 23 or more shots in their league games without success, and the list includes a World Cup winner, a two-time Champions League winner, and a two-time Serie A winner. Oh, and one player who was also on this list last season.
The players are ordered by most shots — and, if level by that measure, according to highest total xG (expected goals).
Before we go on, it’s worth mentioning Alexis Claude-Maurice of Augsburg. He was set to feature on this list until Thursday, when he smashed in a 30-yard thunderbolt, in off the bar, in the 1-1 draw with Union Berlin. It was his first goal of the season, from his 27th shot. Clearly, there’s hope for the 10 players below.
10. Abde Rebbach, Alaves, 23 shots
A classic all-round mix here. Essentially an inverted winger who wants to cut inside and shoot, too many of the Algerian’s shots have been blocked, but he’s also been foiled by a couple of good saves and hit the near post when running in behind late on in a win against Espanyol. He’s only 1.2xG down. Keep on trying, mate.
9. Andrej Ilic, Union Berlin, 23 shots
Last season, Ilic recorded seven goals and no assists in the league. This season, he’s recorded no goals and seven assists. This shift probably wasn’t entirely planned, although he has spent much of his campaign peeling wide and playing selfless passes for onrushing team-mates, and deserves credit for that.
But the reality is that despite having the joint-lowest number of shots, Ilic has the highest xG figure of everyone on this list. Many of these attempts are with his head from out-swinging corners, often when he is slightly reaching behind him, and sends looping efforts well over the bar.
The crowning moment, though, came last weekend in a 2-2 draw with Mainz. After substitute Andras Schafer took advantage of the Mainz goalkeeper being way off his line by chipping him, the ball rebounded off the bar back to Ilic: open goal, eight yards out, no real pressure, and the goalkeeper tied up in the net. Somehow, Ilic managed to side-foot over.
8. Mathias Pereira Lage, St Pauli, 24 shots
The Portuguese striker is one of many players on this list to have hit the woodwork, curling onto the post against Union Berlin. Some of his efforts from difficult positions have actually been very good, but Lage’s problem is that in his two clear opportunities this season, he’s completely lost his composure. This chance, from a chipped ball over the top that bounced nicely for him, surely required a little dink over the goalkeeper rather than a solid swing with his left foot…
… while a failure to get this effort on target away at Hamburg was even more disappointing.
7. Arijon Ibrahimovic, Heidenheim, 24 shots
Arijon is regularly asked if he’s related to Zlatan, to which the answer is no. And for evidence, just look at his goalscoring return this season.
A talented attacking midfielder who came through at Bayern Munich, he’s had a difficult time this campaign at bottom-placed Heidenheim. His most presentable chance was this scuffed, blocked effort against Hamburg back in September, with the opposition goalkeeper temporarily playing at left-back.
In recent weeks, he’s looked increasingly desperate to get a goal, and is shooting more than ever. In fairness, twice in his last two matches, a shot has led to a rebound goal for a team-mate — and another has been deflected onto the bar.
6. Florian Lejeune, Rayo Vallecano, 25 shots
Florian! Welcome back! The only survivor from this time last year did, in fairness, net two goals before the end of 2024-25, so the centre-back’s consistently ambitious long-range efforts haven’t been entirely in vain. And some are headed efforts from corners. But Lejeune remains the most wildly optimistic shooter in European football. If this effort from kick-off in a Conference League game wasn’t mad enough…
… then here’s an absolutely remarkable 80-yard effort against Athletic Club — which, in fairness, only flew a couple of yards wide.
It should also be pointed out that Lejeune smashed a 35-yard shot into the top corner in the Conference League win over Kosovo’s FC Drita last month. He’s got it in his locker.
5. Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool, 26 shots
Mac Allister generally chips in with a decent number of goals and is a reliable penalty taker, so it’s a surprise to see him on this list. Liverpool haven’t been performing well this season, and he has had a slightly more reserved role as Arne Slot has attempted to integrate new attackers without completely losing defensive structure.
Mac Allister headed against the bar from a corner in the recent draw with Fulham, but the Argentinian has mainly been guilty of attempting shots with too many defenders between him and the goal. Of his 26 shots, 12 have been blocked — although one was on the line, by Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson — and only five have forced the goalkeeper to make a save.
3=. Federico Valverde, Real Madrid, 27 shots
Another surprise entry on this list, given Valverde’s outstanding free kick in the recent Supercopa de Espana semi-final win over Atletico Madrid, but like many players who score the odd long-range pile-driver, the highlights packages usually exclude the huge number of unsuccessful attempts.
Valverde’s usual style is putting his head down and hammering the ball, often striking slightly across it, hoping for some swerve into the top-left corner. Sometimes it works. Often it doesn’t. Valverde also had a decent chance in August away at Oviedo, when running through on goal on the break and scuffing a shot against the outside of the post. That accounts for nearly half of his xG figure of 1.4, but usually he’s shooting from range: the average shot distance of 28.3 yards is the highest from the players on this list.
3=. Rocco Reitz, Borussia Monchengladbach, 27 shots
A talented 23-year-old who was previously considered a defensive midfielder but has pushed forward more this season, Reitz hasn’t done too much wrong here — no missed sitters, few absolutely delusional efforts, nothing to worry about.
2. Jesus Rodriguez, Como, 29 shots
A young Spanish winger who made his international debut last year when replacing Lamine Yamal in a 3-0 win over Bulgaria, Rodriguez is a hugely exciting player who likes throwing in a couple of stepovers and a sudden change of direction before shooting — usually with his right foot after cutting inside, although his left is pretty powerful too.
However, at 20 years old, he’s a little unrefined when shooting: often slightly off-balance and wild. It must also be acknowledged that this miss at Torino was a shocker.
If it’s any consolation, Rodriguez’s xG figure of 2.1 is actually not the highest among his goalless team-mates. His compatriot, Euro 2024-winning captain Alvaro Morata, has had 3.5xG worth of shots this season without finding the net.
1. Matteo Politano, Napoli, 31 shots
A reasonably big name tops the list. Matteo Politano has won two scudetti in the last three years with Napoli, and we know what he’s all about — get the ball on the right, cut inside onto his left foot, and attempt to curl the ball into the far corner.
He has hit the woodwork twice this season, against Torino and Sassuolo, but he has also attempted an extraordinary number of optimistic volleys, generally after corners have been cleared to the edge of the box. And he’s also missed a couple of sitters, including this one against Genoa…
… and, while this data doesn’t take into account the Supercoppa Italiana, we probably need to mention this open-goal miss in the final against Bologna, albeit from a fizzed cross that narrowly evaded two players before reaching him.
In truth, for an attacker consistently fielded wide in a 4-3-3 and tasked with cutting inside to shoot, Politano has never been especially prolific. His best return in Serie A is 10 goals, back in the 2017-18 season with Sassuolo. He only scored three goals last season in 37 games for the title winners. He did, in fairness, find the net in Italy’s 5-4 win over Israel in September, but he’s not a reliable goalscorer.