## 4 Discussion
### Associations between the RPs in the AP and DP of the Game and Teams' Achievement  
The results from our study indicate significant associations between points earned at the end of the group stage of the UCL, and the total distance covered and distances covered at the lower speeds during the AP of the game. Specifically, negative correlations for all playing positions were found between the total group points and total, walking and jogging distance covered when team had the ball in their possession. Furthermore, significantly lower values for total, walking and jogging distance covered in the AP were evidenced in won matches in compared to the lost matches. Although these findings are not in the line with previous studies which studied the same issues in German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga [19, 22], some similarities can be observed. In detail, previous studieshave reported positive associations between the points obtained at the end of the season and the distances covered at higher intensities (>18 km/h and 21 km) when the team has the ball in their possession [19; 22]. Most specifically, [PERSON] et al. evidenced the greater running distance at higher speeds with the ball in the possession of the successful team, indicating that successful teams play at a higher game pace when they have the ball in their possession. Basically, players are prone to run fast when their team is in possession of the ball to offer clear ways of passing or high-intensity actions to loss their marks [19]. Logically, if players run slow down when their team has the ball in their possession, the player with ball will be limited in finding solutions to pass the ball. This may reduce the efficiency of attacking actions and lead to a negative match outcome, resulting in a lower number of points earned. In other words, playing at a lower game pace (i.e., covering the large distance in low intensities) in the ball possession phase may decrease the team's possibility to win the match and to earn points in the group stage of the UCL. This can directly be supported with results from our study which indicated that lost matches were characterized by significantly greater amount of low intensity activities in AP of game when compared to the drew or won matches. For that reason, findings from our study support previous considerations that successful teams play at a higher game pace when have they have the ball in their possession [19; 22]. Previous studies have predominantly analysed the offensive phase of the game [41; 47]. Specifically, when analysing the associations between the RP and points earned, studies have mostly observed the RP when the team had the ball in their possession (i.e., during the AP of the game) and when they did not. However, knowledge about the RP when the opponent has the ball in their possession (i.e., during the DP of the game) is limited. The current investigation is innovative because it analysed the RP in the DP of the game in addition to the RP during the AP of the game. The results demonstrated positive associations between the earned points at the end of the group stage of the UCL and the total, walking, jogging and running distances covered in the DP of the game for all playing positions. Furthermore, since our results indicated significantly greatest total, walking, jogging and running distances covered in the DP in won matches, this may suggest that greater running efforts when the opponent has the ball in their possession, even when performed at lower and moderate speeds, may contribute in winning the matches, and consequently earning more points. Although all previously discussed studies have suggested that successful teams played at a higher game pace in the AP of the game and presented greater running efforts in the DP of the game, it must be emphasized that all correlations between the RP and total group points were moderate. In addition, the RP in both the AP and DP of the game explained only 37.2% of the variance in the points earned at the end of the group stage of the UCL.