Match Day Analytics: Inside AaB's Approach to Live Analysis

The analyst box at Aalborg Portland Park houses a straightforward setup: a laptop, match day reports, and a clear view of the pitch. It’s here that AaB match analyst Fynn-Cedric Bach works to turn live tracking data into practical insights during matches.

Since the start of the 2024/25 season, Bach has been incorporating Alai’s analysis software into AaB’s match day routine, using it to spot patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed during the intensity of live play.

Making Data Work in Real Time

The value of live analysis becomes clear through practical examples. During a recent Superliga match, while using Alai, Bach identified that one of AaB’s strikers was consistently finding unmarked positions. “We then shared this knowledge with the team so we could organize our defensive structure better” Bach explains. This kind of specific information makes all the difference during matches, and can be obtained using Alai.

The data-based analysis option gives us the opportunity to check our quantitative impressions. As a result, more correct decisions are made.

Developing Through Practice

Bach and his team have been instrumental in fine-tuning how the Alai tool categorizes defensive situations. “Summarizing situations into trends is very helpful,” he notes. “This allows several trends from different games to be compared in order to create a data-based analysis.”

This practical feedback has helped refine Alai’s ability to distinguish between minor and critical defensive vulnerabilities – an important distinction when making quick decisions during a match.

Integration into Daily Work

The real test of any analysis tool is whether it proves useful enough to become part of a regular workflow. For Bach, the integration has been straightforward: “There was a direct and open exchange with Alai right from the start of the collaboration. This meant that needs could be covered very well. As a result, integration into everyday life is extremely easy.”

Looking Forward

While the partnership is still in its early stages, the focus remains on practical applications. “Although the company and the collaboration are still very new, it is already a very helpful tool,” Bach reflects.

The challenges that AaB is addressing – making sense of rest defense and tracking unmarked players – are common across football. As Bach notes, “The topic of rest defense and unmarked players affects all football leagues equally.” It’s a practical problem that requires practical solutions - which Alai can easily provide.

For now, Bach and his team continue their work of turning match day data into useful insights, one game at a time. Their experience shows that sometimes the most valuable innovations are the ones that simply help you do your job better.