Matches › 2021/22

Motherwell 2–0 Aberdeen

Saturday 11 September 2021, 15:00 · Fir Park · Round 5 · Half-time 1–0 · Attendance 5,623

Motherwell van Veen 26', Ojala 59'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Motherwell	Aberdeen
Goals	2	0
xG	0.92	1.56
Expected Points	0.89	1.82

Motherwell 20%Draw 29%Aberdeen 51%

Most likely score 1–1, 16%. Final score 2–0, 3%.

Own goals have no xG.

xG race

Each side's xG added up shot by shot through the match. Stoppage time is shaded as far as the last shot or event recorded in it. Triangles along the foot mark each side's substitutions.

Match stats

MotherwellAberdeen

0.92 −0.50xG1.56 +0.41

1.13 −0.94xG on target0.46 −0.64

6 −3.5Shots20 +8.2

2 −2.8Shots on target7 +3.2

3 +0.8Big chances0 −1.5

26% −16Possession74% +12

192 −110Passes567 +51

62% −5Pass accuracy85% +3

25% −6Field tilt75% +16

14 −17Final-third entries62 +21

5 −3.8Box entries12 +4.2

13.8 0Passes per defensive action7.7 −5

1 −3.8Corners6 +0.5

16 +3Tackles14 +3

10 −1Interceptions4 −7

14 −14Clearances15 −2

7 +4.5Saves0 −2.0

21 +6Fouls15 +3

2 +1.2Offsides2 +0.5

The small figure beside each value is its difference from the side's average per league match this season before this one. Field tilt is each side's share of the open-play passes completed in the final third; entries are completed open-play passes and carries into the final third and the box; passes per defensive action (PPDA) counts the opponent's passes in its own 60% of the pitch for each tackle, interception, challenge, or foul there.

Chance locations

Zones Shots

Motherwell

Aberdeen

Each area's share of the side's xG from open play and set pieces, with the xG in it. The two wide areas of the box count together, as on the club pages. Shots shows each of those shots instead, sized by its xG, with goals filled in.

Chance types

MotherwellAberdeen

0.53 4 shots, 1 goalOpen play1.19 15 shots, 0 goals

0.39 2 shots, 1 goalSet pieces0.38 5 shots, 0 goals

xG by type of chance, with each side's shots and goals beside it.

Game state

0–01–02–0

Level: 26 min (28%) · Motherwell 0.55, Aberdeen 0.29 xG
Motherwell ahead: 68 min (72%) · Motherwell 0.36, Aberdeen 1.28 xG

Line-ups

Motherwell substitutes

73' Lamie for Woolery
80' Goss for van Veen
90+2' Maguire for Watt

Aberdeen substitutes

62' Bates for Ramsay
67' McLennan for Ojo
67' Emmanuel-Thomas for Longstaff

Players

Motherwell

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Kelly	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.03	4	0
Mugabi	RB	90			0.00	0.02	0	0.03	3	7
Johansen	CB	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.04	4	6
Ojala	CB	90	1		0.22	0.00	0	0.12	0	12
McGinley	LB	90			0.00	0.01	1	0.03	2	3
Grimshaw	CM	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.01	0	5
Slattery	CM	90			0.05	0.01	0	0.01	2	2
O'Hara	CM	90			0.00	0.12	1	0.18	2	5
Woolery	RW	73		1	0.00	0.20	1	0.17	2	2
Watt	ST	90			0.23	0.00	0	0.02	2	1
van Veen	LW	80	1	1	0.41	0.07	1	0.07	3	3
Lamie	DF	17			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	1
Goss	MF	10			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	1
Maguire	MF	0			0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	0	0

Aberdeen

Player	Pos	Min	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Lewis	GK	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.03	1	2
Ramsay	RB	62	0.04	0.58	1	0.20	7	0
Gallagher	CB	90	0.01	0.04	1	0.16	11	3
McCrorie	CB	90	0.03	0.01	1	0.08	8	4
MacKenzie	LB	90	0.00	0.04	2	0.04	3	7
Ferguson	CM	90	0.21	0.09	2	0.19	15	6
Brown	CM	90	0.22	0.06	3	0.16	10	6
Longstaff	CM	67	0.01	0.08	2	0.21	5	1
Ojo	RW	67	0.05	0.01	1	0.01	2	0
Ramirez	ST	90	0.00	0.02	0	−0.03	0	0
Watkins	LW	90	0.85	0.10	1	0.06	6	1
Bates	DF	28	0.00	0.01	0	0.05	3	4
McLennan	FW	23	0.15	0.19	1	0.19	2	2
Emmanuel-Thomas	MF	23	0.00	0.03	0	−0.02	2	0

Starters, then substitutes in the order they came on. KP is chances created and Def defensive actions (tackles, blocks, clearances, and interceptions). xT is the expected threat added by the player's completed open-play passes and carries, and Prog counts progressive passes and carries.

Pass networks

Motherwell

Aberdeen

Each starter at the average position of their passes and receptions until the side's first substitution or red card, sized by completed passes. Lines join pairs who passed to each other often, thicker for more passes.

Passing combinations

Motherwell

From	To	Passes
Grimshaw	Slattery	5
Johansen	Slattery	5
O'Hara	McGinley	5
Grimshaw	Mugabi	5
Woolery	Grimshaw	4

Aberdeen

From	To	Passes
Gallagher	Brown	17
Gallagher	Ferguson	17
Brown	Ferguson	15
Ramsay	Gallagher	14
MacKenzie	Ferguson	13

The five pairs with the most completed passes from one to the other over the whole match.

Defensive actions

Motherwell

Against its average of 4 matches

Aberdeen

Against its average of 4 matches

Where each side made its tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks, recoveries, challenges, and fouls, attacking up the page. Areas are shaded by the difference from the side's average per match this season before this one: amber for more, blue for fewer.

Threat

Motherwell

Aberdeen

Expected threat added by completed open-play passes and carries, by where the move started, attacking up the page. Expected threat is the chance that possession in an area leads to a goal; a move adds the difference between where it ends and where it starts.

Ratings

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday (ring) and after it (dot); a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs after the matchday, spread up and down only so they don't overlap. The change takes in the whole matchday.

League probabilities

Chance	Before	With this result	Change
Motherwell
Top six	28%	39%	+11
11th	10%	7%	−3
Bottom	4%	2%	−2
Aberdeen
Top six	83%	75%	−8
11th	<1%	1%	+1

From the forecast before the match (11 September 2021): each chance then, and across the simulations in which the match ended this way. The change is in percentage points.

Pre-match

As things stood before kick-off.

Forecast

Measure	Motherwell	Aberdeen
Expected goals	0.98	1.27
Win	28%	42%
Expected Points	1.14	1.57
Clean sheet	28%	37%

Motherwell 28%Draw 30%Aberdeen 42%

Most likely score 1–1, 14%. Both sides score 46%.

From the forecast as it stood on 11 September 2021: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

League probabilities by result

Chance	Now	Motherwell win	Draw	Aberdeen win
Motherwell
Top six	28%	39%	29%	21%
11th	10%	7%	9%	12%
Bottom	4%	2%	4%	6%
Aberdeen
Top six	83%	75%	81%	89%
11th	<1%	1%	<1%	<1%

Each chance before the match and across the simulations ending in each result. Other teams are listed where a chance moves by at least 3 percentage points.

Form

Motherwell

Aberdeen

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

Measure	Motherwell	Aberdeen
Position	5th	4th
Played	4	4
Won, drawn, lost	2–⁠1–⁠1	2–⁠2–⁠0
Points	7 (1.75 per game)	8 (2.00 per game)
Expected Points per game	1.34	1.31
Goals	6–⁠5	6–⁠3
xG per game	1.42–⁠1.44	1.15–⁠1.01
Home: points, xG per game	1.50, 0.85–⁠2.01	2.00, 1.80–⁠0.79
Away: points, xG per game	2.00, 1.98–⁠0.88	2.00, 0.49–⁠1.23
Manager	Graham Alexander (22)	Stephen Glass (9)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

This season

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

Chances	Motherwell		Aberdeen
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	−18%	+17%	−3%	−25%
Counter-attacks	+104%	+53%	+8%	+13%
Set pieces	+76%	−19%	−3%	−40%
Penalties	−74%	+50%	−63%	+29%
Headers	+64%	−18%	+37%	−30%
Left side	+44%	+38%	−29%	−6%
Centre	+22%	+4%	−4%	−50%
Right side	−49%	−3%	+31%	+2%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't. Until a side has played six matches its figures are blended with last season's, or with the league average where there is no last season to use.

Matchups

Motherwell attacking

Motherwell createdAberdeen concededLeft side+44%+2%Centre+22%−50%Right side−49%−6%Open play−18%−25%Counter-attacks+104%+13%Set pieces+76%−40%Headers+64%−30%

Aberdeen attacking

Aberdeen createdMotherwell concededLeft side−29%−3%Centre−4%+4%Right side+31%+38%Open play−3%+17%Counter-attacks+8%+53%Set pieces−3%−19%Headers+37%−18%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

MotherwellAberdeen

1.42xG1.15

1.44xG against1.01

42%Possession62%

9.5Shots11.8

13.8Shots against8.0

4.8Shots on target3.8

2.2Big chances1.5

302Passes516

67%Pass accuracy82%

4.8Corners5.5

31%Field tilt59%

31.0Final-third entries40.6

8.8Box entries7.8

13.6Passes per defensive action12.9

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Motherwell

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	46	1.56	1.11
Ahead	25	0.39	2.44
Behind	19	2.40	0.97

Aberdeen

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	54	0.91	1.17
Ahead	16	0.49	0.74
Behind	20	2.28	0.81

xG by period

Motherwell

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.30	0.08	1–0
16–30	0.10	0.23	1–1
31–45	0.05	0.07	1–2
46–60	0.36	0.32	1–1
61–75	0.19	0.49	0–1
76–90	0.41	0.25	2–0

Aberdeen

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.20	0.15	0–0
16–30	0.23	0.01	1–0
31–45	0.05	0.32	0–2
46–60	0.19	0.32	2–1
61–75	0.25	0.12	1–0
76–90	0.23	0.08	2–0

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

Motherwell

Aberdeen

Formations: 4-3-3 (1), 4-2-3-1 (1), 4-1-4-1 (1), 4-4-2 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

Date	Home	Score	Away	xG
23 January 2021	Aberdeen	2–0	Motherwell	xG 3.10–0.47
23 December 2020	Motherwell	0–0	Aberdeen	xG 0.22–1.16
20 September 2020	Aberdeen	0–3	Motherwell	xG 0.70–1.75

3 league meetings since 2020/21: Motherwell won 1, Aberdeen won 1, and 1 was a draw. Goals 3–2 and xG 0.81–1.65 per game.

Key players

Motherwell

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Watt	31	2,667	6	5	0.26	0.11
O'Hara	25	2,257	5	0	0.16	0.07
Maguire	16	1,528	1	1	0.04	0.10
Carroll	18	1,550	0	4	0.01	0.12

Aberdeen

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
McGinn	13	1,093	0	1	0.17	0.33
Watkins	9	758	2	1	0.32	0.07
Ferguson	38	3,372	9	3	0.27	0.07
Hedges	26	2,173	5	4	0.16	0.17

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes. Until a side has played six matches, last season's minutes at the club count too.