The direct answer
Serie A had the highest failed-to-score rate in the covered data: 100 out of 312 covered team-matches, or 32.1%. This is the largest share among the five leagues, not merely the largest raw total.
The result matters because the leagues do not have identical numbers of covered team-matches. A raw count can therefore give a different impression from a rate. The rate calculation here is always failed-to-score team-matches divided by covered team-matches.
Failed-to-score rates across the Big Five
The table is ordered from the highest calculated rate to the lowest. League pages are linked for the relevant competitions.
| League | Teams | Covered team-matches | GF | CS | FTS | Failed-to-score rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 20 | 312 | 365 | 100 | 100 | 32.1% |
| Ligue 1 | 18 | 288 | 411 | 82 | 82 | 28.5% |
| La Liga | 20 | 342 | 437 | 94 | 94 | 27.5% |
| Premier League | 20 | 348 | 487 | 90 | 93 | 26.7% |
| Bundesliga | 18 | 270 | 426 | 69 | 69 | 25.6% |
Rates are calculated as FTS divided by covered team-matches and rounded to one decimal place. GF and CS are included as reported aggregates; they are not used in the failed-to-score rate calculation.
Why rate and volume must be separated
Serie A led on both measures
Serie A was first on rate and on raw failed-to-score volume. Its 100 FTS observations came from 312 covered team-matches, producing a rate above every other league in the table.
That combination is not automatic. Ligue 1 had the second-highest rate at 28.5%, but its 82 FTS observations were below La Liga's 94 and the Premier League's 93. Those raw totals were recorded across different sample sizes: 288 covered team-matches for Ligue 1, 342 for La Liga and 348 for the Premier League.
The lowest rate and the smallest count
The Bundesliga was lowest on both measures in the covered data. It recorded 69 failed-to-score team-matches from 270 covered team-matches, giving a 25.6% rate. The different denominators are why the percentage comparison is more informative than ranking leagues by count alone.
Goal aggregates in context
The supplied GF figures add context but do not change the failed-to-score ranking. The Premier League had the largest GF aggregate at 487, followed by La Liga with 437, the Bundesliga with 426 and Ligue 1 with 411. Serie A had 365.
These are aggregates from the covered team-matches, so they should not be read as a goal rate without a separate rate calculation. A larger GF total does not by itself establish a lower or higher failed-to-score rate. In the supplied data, for example, the Premier League had the highest GF total but ranked fourth on failed-to-score rate at 26.7%.
The CS figures are retained in the table because they are part of the reported league aggregates. The answer to the article's question is based only on FTS and covered team-matches.
Method and coverage
Calculation
The covered population contains 96 teams and 1,560 covered team-matches across the five leagues. For each league, the failed-to-score rate is calculated as:
FTS rate = failed-to-score team-matches ÷ covered team-matches × 100
For example, Serie A's calculation is 100 ÷ 312 × 100 = 32.1% when rounded to one decimal place. The same convention is applied to all five leagues.
What is included
The figures cover completed matches only. The league totals are presented with their team counts, covered team-match denominators, GF aggregates, CS aggregates and FTS counts so that both rate and sample size can be checked directly.
Limitations and interpretation
This is a descriptive comparison of the covered data, not a forecast or an estimate for matches outside the sample. The covered team-match totals differ by league, ranging from 270 in the Bundesliga to 348 in the Premier League. That variation makes denominator-aware rates essential.
The result also does not explain why the rates differ. An observed association between league and failed-to-score rate is not proof that league identity caused the outcome. No tactical, financial, player-level or club-level explanation is supported by the figures provided here.
Finally, the comparison identifies the league with the highest observed failed-to-score rate in this covered sample. It does not establish the weakest football league overall, and it should not be extended beyond the completed matches and team-match denominators shown.
Frequently asked questions
Which Big Five league had the highest failed-to-score rate?
Serie A, at 32.1%: 100 failed-to-score team-matches out of 312 covered team-matches.
What was Ligue 1's failed-to-score rate?
Ligue 1 recorded 82 failed-to-score team-matches from 288 covered team-matches, for a rate of 28.5%.
Which league had the lowest rate?
The Bundesliga had the lowest observed rate, at 25.6%, based on 69 failed-to-score team-matches from 270 covered team-matches.
Did Serie A also have the largest raw failed-to-score count?
Yes. Serie A's 100 FTS observations were the highest raw total in the covered data. Raw counts and rates are both shown because the league denominators differ.
Can these figures identify the weakest football league or explain the cause?
No. They answer only which league had the highest failed-to-score rate in the covered completed-match data. They do not prove causation or provide an overall measure of league strength.