The season in review: 2008/2009

Tuesday 12 May 2009

The regular season has ended and so it's time to have a look at the most remarkable facts of the competition.

• Of all players in the Eredivisie AZ-topscorer Mounir El Hamdaoui was the player who opened the score most. The Moroccan did say in eight games, one time more than FC Twente-striker Blaise Nkufo. AZ-forward Ari also did well with six times.

• Most goals were scored in the Abe Lenstra Stadium of SC Heerenveen. Spectators in Friesland saw 63 goals in 17 home games of Heerenveen. The home efforts of ADO Den Haag and Heracles Almelo were least productive: both produced 39 goals.

• Of all teams AZ were the club who recorded most clean sheets, doing so in 22 of the 34 league games played. The Alkmaarders are way ahead of the numbers 2 and 3 in the ranking, FC Groningen (17) and PSV (16).

Most frequent scores:

• The 306 games in the Eredivisie produced a total of 870 goals, averaging 2.84 goals per match. In only 11 of the 53 seasons completed in the the average has been lower than this season. The last time the average of goals scored was lower was in the 2001/02 season.

• Sparta Rotterdam has been the most vulnerable team in away games in the Eredivisie this season, conceding 47 goals on the road. The defenses of FC Volendam and ADO Den Haag didn't do well away from home with 40 goals conceded each.

• PSV, Ajax and SC Heerenveen were the most productive teams in home games. All three totaled 41 goals in their own stadium. De Graafschap were least productive with only 19 goals in 17 home appearances.

• SC Heerenveen scored most often in the first and the last 15 minutes of a game. The Friesians scored 13 times in the first 15 minutes and 19 in the last 15 minutes of a game.

• Heracles Almelo were the team who least often took the lead in a game. The team of coach Gert Heerkes were the first on the score sheet in only eight games. AZ did best in this ranking: opening the score in 27 of their 34 games.