Soccermatics : mathematical adventures in the beautiful game

'Football looked at in a very different way' Pat Nevin, former Chelsea and Everton star and football media analystFootball - the most mathematical of sports.

From shot statistics and league tables to the geometry of passing and managerial strategy, the modern game is filled with numbers, patterns and shapes.

How do we make sense of them? The answer lies in the mathematical models applied in biology, physics and economics.

Soccermatics brings football and mathematics together in a mind-bending synthesis, using numbers to help reveal the inner workings of the beautiful game. How is the Barcelona midfield linked geometrically? What's the similarity between an ant colony and Total Football, Dutch style?

What can defenders learn from lionesses? How much of a scoreline is pure randomness and how much is skill?

How can probability theory make you money at the bookies?Welcome to the world of mathematical modelling, expressed brilliantly by David Sumpter through the prism of football.

No matter who you follow - from your local non-league side to the big boys of the Premiership, La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A or the MLS - you'll be amazed at what mathematics has to teach us about the world's favourite sport.