Matches › 2023/24

Aberdeen 2–1 Hearts

Saturday 9 December 2023, 15:00 · Pittodrie Stadium · Round 17 · Half-time 0–1 · Referee Chris Graham · Attendance 16,064

Aberdeen Miovski 53', Clarkson 90+2'

Hearts Shankland 20'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Aberdeen	Hearts
Goals	2	1
xG	1.74	0.33
Expected Points	2.46	0.34

Aberdeen 76%Draw 20%Hearts 5%

Most likely score 1–0, 22%. Final score 2–1, 8%.

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

AberdeenHearts

1.74 +0.37xG0.33 −0.82

2.53 +1.37xG on target0.91 −0.21

14 +3Shots5 −9

6 +2.6Shots on target3 −1.1

2 +0.1Big chances1 0.0

25 +3Touches in the opposition box17 −10

51% +5Possession49% −9

382 +32Passes378 −96

73% +7Pass accuracy70% −6

58% +15Field tilt42% −14

33 +4Final-third entries26 −18

13 +3.2Box entries6 −7.4

12.5 −3Passes per defensive action10.1 −2

3 −1.6Corners8 +0.7

15 −2Tackles16 +3

10 +2.1Interceptions2 −4.6

17 −10Clearances24 +4

2 −1.3Saves4 +1.6

13 +2Fouls20 +9

4 +3.2Offsides0 −0.9

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

Aberdeen

Hearts

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

AberdeenHearts

1.04 10 shots, 1 goalOpen play0.11 2 shots, 0 goals

0.56 1 shot, 1 goalCounter-attacks0.00 0 shots, 0 goals

0.15 3 shots, 0 goalsSet pieces0.23 3 shots, 1 goal

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

Game state

0–00–11–12–1

Level: 59 min (60%) · Aberdeen 1.31, Hearts 0.19 xG
Aberdeen ahead: 7 min (7%) · Aberdeen 0.00, Hearts 0.05 xG
Hearts ahead: 33 min (33%) · Aberdeen 0.43, Hearts 0.09 xG

Line-ups

Aberdeen substitutes

73' Duk for Sokler · 1 assist
73' Morris for Milne
77' Polvara for Miovski
90+7' MacDonald for McGrath

Hearts substitutes

57' Tagawa for Vargas
58' Grant for Lowry
71' Halkett for Sibbick
72' Denholm for Nieuwenhof · yellow card 88'

Players

Aberdeen

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Roos	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.04	4	1
Devlin	CB	90			0.02	0.16	0	0.14	11	7
Gartenmann	CB	90			0.00	0.02	0	0.06	6	6
Jensen	CB	90			0.02	0.05	0	0.07	5	13
Milne	RWB	73			0.00	0.15	0	0.07	2	3
Clarkson	CM	90	1		0.65	0.03	1	0.03	1	0
Shinnie	CM	90			0.02	0.05	2	0.03	2	4
Hayes	LWB	90			0.00	0.08	2	0.10	6	4
McGrath	AM	90		1	0.16	0.28	3	0.27	6	2
Miovski	ST	77	1		0.28	0.01	1	0.03	0	0
Sokler	ST	73			0.32	0.08	1	0.11	0	0
Duk	FW	17		1	0.27	0.48	1	0.15	0	0
Morris	FW	17			0.00	0.17	1	0.20	3	1
Polvara	DF	13			0.00	0.01	0	0.01	0	1
MacDonald	DF	0			0.00	0.00	0	–	–	0

Hearts

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Clark	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.05	6	0
Kingsley	CB	90			0.01	0.00	0	0.03	3	2
Kent	CB	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.05	2	8
Rowles	CB	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.06	7	13
Sibbick	RWB	71			0.00	0.01	0	0.03	4	0
Nieuwenhof	CM	72			0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	1	6
Baningime	CM	90			0.00	0.01	1	0.01	3	3
Lowry	CM	58			0.02	0.01	0	0.02	3	1
Cochrane	LWB	90		1	0.00	0.41	3	0.10	3	6
Shankland	ST	90	1		0.26	0.03	0	0.05	3	0
Vargas	ST	57			0.00	0.04	0	−0.01	1	1
Tagawa	FW	33			0.00	0.00	0	−0.02	0	0
Grant	MF	32			0.00	0.05	0	0.04	2	1
Halkett	DF	19			0.05	0.00	0	0.03	2	1
Denholm	MF	18			0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	0	2

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

Aberdeen

Hearts

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

Aberdeen

From	To	Passes
Devlin	Milne	9
Roos	Devlin	9
Gartenmann	Jensen	9
Devlin	Gartenmann	8
Jensen	Gartenmann	8

Hearts

From	To	Passes
Kent	Baningime	8
Kingsley	Kent	7
Kent	Kingsley	6
Kent	Clark	6
Cochrane	Shankland	6

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

Defensive actions

Aberdeen

Against its average of 14 matches

Hearts

Against its average of 15 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

Aberdeen

Hearts

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
Aberdeen
Top six	42%	51%	+9
11th	6%	4%	−2
Bottom	4%	2%	−2
Hearts
Top six	90%	86%	−4

From the forecast before the match (9 December 2023): 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	Aberdeen	Hearts
Expected goals	1.43	1.18
Win	42%	30%
Expected Points	1.54	1.19
Clean sheet	31%	24%

Aberdeen 42%Draw 27%Hearts 30%

Most likely score 1–1, 13%. Both sides score 53%.

From the forecast as it stood on 9 December 2023: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

League probabilities by result

Chance	Now	Aberdeen win	Draw	Hearts win
Aberdeen
Top six	42%	51%	38%	31%
11th	6%	4%	7%	8%
Bottom	4%	2%	4%	6%
Hearts
Top six	90%	86%	90%	95%

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

Aberdeen

Hearts

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

Season to date

Measure	Aberdeen	Hearts
Position	11th	3rd
Played	14	15
Won, drawn, lost	3–⁠4–⁠7	7–⁠2–⁠6
Points	13 (0.93 per game)	23 (1.53 per game)
Expected Points per game	1.17	1.30
Goals	15–⁠24	14–⁠13
xG per game	1.37–⁠1.77	1.15–⁠1.47
Home: points, xG per game	0.83, 1.47–⁠1.44	1.38, 1.18–⁠1.41
Away: points, xG per game	1.00, 1.29–⁠2.02	1.71, 1.12–⁠1.53
Manager	Barry Robson (29)	Steven Naismith (11)

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	Aberdeen		Hearts
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	−14%	+26%	−5%	average
Counter-attacks	+59%	+2%	−26%	−46%
Set pieces	+21%	+43%	−8%	+17%
Penalties	−21%	+18%	−100%	+47%
Headers	−4%	+72%	−40%	−5%
Left side	−25%	+24%	−6%	−1%
Centre	+22%	+47%	−15%	average
Right side	−20%	−8%	+6%	+7%

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.

Matchups

Aberdeen attacking

Aberdeen createdHearts concededLeft side−25%+7%Centre+22%averageRight side−20%−1%Open play−14%averageCounter-attacks+59%−46%Set pieces+21%+17%Headers−4%−5%

Hearts attacking

Hearts createdAberdeen concededLeft side−6%−8%Centre−15%+47%Right side+6%+24%Open play−5%+26%Counter-attacks−26%+2%Set pieces−8%+43%Headers−40%+72%

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

AberdeenHearts

1.37xG1.15

1.77xG against1.47

46%Possession58%

10.9Shots14.0

14.1Shots against13.3

3.4Shots on target4.1

1.9Big chances1.0

22.1Touches in the opposition box27.5

350Passes474

66%Pass accuracy76%

4.6Corners7.3

42%Field tilt56%

29.2Final-third entries44.0

9.8Box entries13.4

15.3Passes per defensive action12.4

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Aberdeen

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	43	0.90	1.33
Ahead	20	1.92	2.25
Behind	27	1.70	2.12

Hearts

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	42	1.28	1.04
Ahead	28	0.93	1.71
Behind	21	1.20	2.01

xG by period

Aberdeen

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.12	0.26	1–3
16–30	0.18	0.33	3–3
31–45	0.35	0.19	4–1
46–60	0.17	0.23	2–1
61–75	0.23	0.25	3–5
76–90	0.31	0.52	2–11

Hearts

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.07	0.18	2–2
16–30	0.24	0.30	3–2
31–45	0.07	0.20	0–1
46–60	0.16	0.36	1–1
61–75	0.33	0.11	6–3
76–90	0.29	0.32	2–4

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

Most used players by position

Aberdeen

Formations: 3-4-1-2 (7), 5-4-1 (3), 3-5-2 (2), 5-3-2 (2)

Hearts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (8), 3-5-2 (6), 4-3-3 (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
16 September 2023	Hearts	2–0	Aberdeen	xG 1.18–0.53
20 May 2023	Hearts	2–1	Aberdeen	xG 2.55–1.01
18 March 2023	Aberdeen	3–0	Hearts	xG 2.03–0.52
18 January 2023	Hearts	5–0	Aberdeen	xG 3.54–1.02
16 October 2022	Aberdeen	2–0	Hearts	xG 1.73–1.36
2 March 2022	Hearts	2–0	Aberdeen	xG 1.15–0.92

8 league meetings since 2020/21: Aberdeen won 3, Hearts won 4, and 1 was a draw. Goals 9–13 and xG 1.11–1.55 per game.

Key players

Aberdeen

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Miovski	14	1,181	5	1	0.48	0.14
McGrath	10	801	4	0	0.37	0.16
Duk	9	815	2	2	0.25	0.12
Clarkson	10	1,004	0	1	0.02	0.27

Hearts

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Boyce	7	631	1	3	0.36	0.20
Shankland	15	1,350	6	0	0.37	0.17
Lowry	8	613	0	1	0.12	0.27
Grant	5	469	0	1	0.09	0.22

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.