Goalkeeping: Near-post attempts at goal

However, during FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ (FCWC25), an increase of 35.7% was recorded in goals scored from cut-in attempts compared to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ (FWC22), while an increase of 4.6% was also noted in near-post attempts.

In this article, we present data in its true format and explore some of the potential reasons behind the findings, as the combination of more cut-in attempts and a higher on-target rate and scoring rate suggests teams in FIFA Club World Cup 2025 were more deliberate in creating near-post chances.

For this exploration, FIFA’s Football Performance Insights Team have only considered attempts at goal that were struck with either the right or left foot, and have excluded close-range attempts that occurred within the goal area (six-yard box) and the very centre channel of the pitch in order to recognise and isolate the nuances of near-post attempts. The attempt at goal must also have been aimed at the area within two metres of the nearest post.

(1/2) An increase of 4.6% to 25.5% was recorded in near-post attempts at goal during FIFA Club World Cup 2025 compared to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 (20.9%).

(2/2) Graphic 2 depicts the exclusion criteria applied to the data set for this exploration.

There were more cut-in near-post attempts at goal (26.3%) during FIFA Club World Cup 2025 compared to all near-post attempts at goal (21.4%) at FIFA World Cup 2022.

Left-sided cut-ins on target increased at FCWC25 compared to FWC22.

Right-sided cut-ins on target were slightly lower in proportion at FCWC25.

Left side/left-foot attempts decreased at FCWC25 compared to FWC22, whereas right side/right-foot attempts increased at FCWC25.

As outlined by FIFA Technical Study Group Senior Expert Pascal Zuberbühler, “Goalkeepers are facing more attempts at the near post, with attackers cutting inside from wide areas before striking at goal. Traditionally, it was more usual for left-footers to cut in from the left side and right-footers to cut in from the right, and these situations required specific positioning and actions from goalkeepers and the defender nearest the attacking player in possession. However, when a right-footer cuts in from the left and a left-footer cuts in from the right, the situation changes for goalkeepers and defenders, and this is important.”

As we examine the nature of these attempts at goal, we will focus on both the characteristics of the attempt and the goalkeeper’s response, because, as can be seen in clips 1 and 2 below, defensive units and goalkeepers need to adjust positioning and anticipation to counter the faster and tighter shooting angles these situations create.

(1/2) Clip 1: River Plate attacker Franco Mastantuono cuts inside from the right before striking at goal with his left foot.

(2/2) Clip 2: Paris Saint-Germain winger Désiré Doué cuts inside from the left before striking at goal with his right foot.

Cut-in attempts at goal, where the player cuts in from one side but uses their opposite foot to strike at goal, led to more goals compared to same side/same foot attempts. When an attacker cuts inside from the left to strike at goal with their stronger right foot (and vice versa), it changes the angles available for their attempt at goal. During the Club World Cup 2025, six more goals were scored in this way compared to Qatar 2022.

Left-sided cut-ins on target saw an increase of +8.4% from FCWC25 (29.1%) compared to FWC22 (20.7%). Right-sided cut-ins on target were slightly lower (-0.2%) in proportion in FCWC25 (21.8%) compared to FWC22 (22%). The left side has become a more productive source of accurate near-post attempts, suggesting stronger execution from wide attackers that have the profile to perform these attempts, or patterns of play that better isolate defenders and open the inside channel.

In addition, 75.7% of all cut-in near-post attempts at goal were struck low, with only 1.4% aimed high (see graphic 3/3 below).

(1/3) Cut-in attempts at goal lead to more goals compared to same side/same foot.

(2/3) An increase of 8.4% was recorded in left-sided attempts at goal on target.

(3/3) More than three-quarters of all cut-in attempts at goal were aimed low, coming less than one metre off the ground.

Attacker’s perspective:
The natural striking movement of cut-ins favours driven or placed finishes along the ground. As Zuberbühler explains, “When the attacker is cutting from the left side to inside with their right foot (like Kylian Mbappé), you can see their body orientation when they plant their standing foot and how their body, hips and shoulders are positioned. If their shoulders are pointing straight at the goalkeeper (see graphics below), it can be difficult for them to open up to shoot towards the far post. If their shoulders are oriented towards the opposite sideline, then they are often opening to aim towards the far post.”

Goalkeeper’s perspective:
Zuberbühler goes on to say that, “The goalkeeper must know which foot the player will likely strike the ball with, as this allows them to judge where the attempt will go, depending on the position of the shoulders. However, this is also something the defenders need to know and why it’s so important that goalkeepers and defenders train together for these types of scenarios.”

(1/8) Cut-in attempts: where the attacker dribbles inside from the left and directs their right-footed attempt at goal towards the near post.

(2/8) Cut-in attempts: where the attacker dribbles inside from the left and opens their body to target the far post with their right foot.

(3/8) Attacker’s perspective: Cut in from left to strike with right.

(4/8) Goalkeeper’s perspective: Cut in from left to strike with right.

(5/8) Cut-in attempts: where the attacker dribbles inside from the right and directs their left-footed attempt at goal towards the near post.

(6/8) Cut-in attempts: where the attacker dribbles inside from the right and directs their left-footed attempt at goal towards the far post.

(7/8) Attacker’s perspective: Cut in from right, strike with left.

(8/8) Goalkeeper’s perspective: Cut in from right, strike with left.

Zuberbühler has chosen these two clips below to highlight examples of near-post attempts at goal that originate from cut-in scenarios, showing the angles available to the attacking player on the ball whilst giving an insight into how goalkeepers and defenders can position themselves to cover those angles.

(1/2) Clip 3: Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz (10) cuts inside from the left before scoring at the near post with his right foot.

(2/2) Clip 4: FC Bayern München forward Kingsley Coman (11) cuts inside from the left before striking a powerful, right-footed attempt at goal towards the near post.

Attempts at goal from the right side with the right foot increased by 9.8% during FIFA Cub World Cup 2025, with a total of 36 recorded, accounting for 30.6% of the near-post attempts at goal compared to 27 attempts (20.8%) during FIFA World Cup 2022. However, attempts at goal from the left side with the left foot decreased by -4.3% in FCWC25 (32.7%) compared to FWC22 (37%).

In tandem with the increase in near-post cut-in attempts at goal from the left side, fewer same-foot finishes (left side/left foot) may point to more inverted play, reflecting a tactical nuance in how teams are attacking each side. On the right, there is a rise in same-footed attempts, while a slight reduction was recorded in cut-ins from the right with opposite foot attempts.

An increase of 9.8% was recorded for near-post attempts at goal on the right side using the right foot.

As Zuberbühler explains, “For same side/same foot near-post attempts, this is very clear from a positioning point of view. From a defender’s point of view, they can predict better where the attempt at goal will go and can give cover at the far post to allow the goalkeeper to cover the near post, where the biggest threat is. The goalkeeper has a smaller goal area to protect in these situations — only the space from the near post to the defender — because the defender is covering the rest of the goal. The strong foot of the attacking player has a good relationship with the positioning of defenders and the goal area at which post they must defend. This is crucial and a new evolution because how you defend a right-footer coming in from the right to shoot is very different to how you defend a left-footer cutting in from the right side, and vice versa.

(1/4) Near post attempt at goal: right side/right foot.

(2/4) Attacker’s perspective: Right side, right foot.

(3/4) Goalkeeper’s perspective: Right side/right foot.

(4/4) Near-post attempt at goal: Left side/left foot.

In the clips below, Zuberbühler shows examples of near-post attempts at goal that originate from cut-in scenarios, showing the angles available to the attacking player on the ball whilst giving an insight into how goalkeepers and defenders can position themselves to cover those angles.

(1/2) Clip 5: Real Madrid forward Jude Bellingham cuts inside from the right before cutting back to strike at goal with his stronger right foot.

(2/2) Clip 6: SE Palmeiras midfielder Richard Ríos (8) drives across goal before shooting from the right side using his right foot.

There is a lower percentage of near-post saves for cut-in attempts (from the right, using the left foot, and from the left, using the right foot) compared to same side/same foot attempts. With over 75% of all near-post attempts at goal driven with the ball lower than 0.81 metres from the ground, it highlights the need for goalkeepers to be set early and be ready for low saves.

Cut-in attempts with the opposite foot are harder to save, with our data showing a -10% difference in saved attempts from cut-in attempts at goal targeting the near post (70%) compared to saves from attempts that are executed from the same side with the same foot, towards the goal line (80%).

In addition, goalkeepers in a set stance (at the moment of the strike at goal) saved 77.4% of attempts (96 saves from 124 faced) compared to 56.3% when moving or prone (9 saves from 16 faced), representing a notable +21.1% difference in effectiveness when set.

However, during FIFA Club World Cup 2025, goalkeepers who were in the set position when the near-post attempts at goal were made only saved 70.2% of those attempts compared to a save rate of 88.5% during FIFA World Cup 2022, but noting also that in 2025, they faced substantially more of these attempts (47) compared to 26 in Qatar 2022.

When goalkeepers were in a set stance, 47 low cut-in near-post attempts at goal were faced, with 70.2% saved.

The distance from goal at the moment of the attempt is also a key factor, as it influences the speed, angle and difficulty of the attempt for both the attacker and the goalkeeper.

Effective positioning is essential for closing the gap at the near post, reducing the available space for the attacker and maximising the goalkeeper’s ability to intervene. This includes the ability to quickly adjust stance, remain balanced and react explosively to attempts from a variety of distances and angles.

As Zuberbühler explains, “In situations where the strike at goal is from 6m-13m away from the goal, the required positioning of the goalkeeper and their defenders is different compared to when it's more than 14m from the goal. These relationships are very important and must be worked on in training; otherwise, the player cutting in from one side before using their opposite side foot to strike at goal can create gaps that can be exploited.

“For example, the defenders must try to avoid being in the same line as the goalkeeper. Instead, they should be positioned to protect the line to the near post and can opt to keep a closed stance to block any attempt to the near post from going through their legs, allowing the goalkeeper to position themselves to see more and cover more of the goal.”

(1/2) Clip 7: Manchester City forward Oscar Bobb cuts in from the right before scoring with his left, pushing the ball through the defender’s legs.

(2/2) Clip 8: Bayern München goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is prone (moving and not set) when Paris Saint-Germain winger Désiré Doué targets his attempt at goal to the near post.

It is important for goalkeepers and goalkeeping coaches to train these scenarios from both sides of the pitch and from different distances (0-6m; 6-13m; +14m) because the positioning and responsibilities differ in a variety of scenarios.

If there is a left-footer on the left side or a right-footer on the right side, then the goalkeeper focuses on the near-post area to their defender, who should be covering the far-post area. If the attacker is a right-footer cutting in from the left or a left-footer cutting in from the right, then the positioning of their shoulders and hips can give a good indication of whether the ball is being struck towards the near post or the far post, and in this scenario, the defender can have a closed stance covering the near post, with the goalkeeper positioning to see the attacker and cover the goal area from the far post to the defender.

In situations where the attempt at goal is being made from a distance of 14+ metres, the attacker does not only have options at the near and far post, but they also have depth angle options. These are all considerations for the goalkeeper when judging their own positioning, but also for defenders, as their positioning can help or hinder the goalkeeper. For these reasons, it is vital that defenders and goalkeepers work together to prepare for these situations in training.