Matches › 2023/24

Motherwell 4–1 Livingston

Saturday 4 May 2024, 15:00 · Fir Park · Round 35 · Half-time 2–0 · Referee David Munro · Attendance 4,399

Motherwell Bair 21' (pen), 68', Nicholson 45+2', Casey 74'

Livingston Nouble 77'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Motherwell	Livingston
Goals	4	1
xG	2.63	0.66
Non-penalty xG	1.84	0.66
Expected Points	2.66	0.22

Motherwell 85%Draw 12%Livingston 4%

Most likely score 2–0, 15%. Final score 4–1, 6%.

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

MotherwellLivingston

2.63 +1.41xG0.66 −0.28

1.84Non-penalty xG0.66

3.01 +1.65xG on target0.78 0.00

14 +2.7Shots5 −4.2

6 +2.1Shots on target1 −1.4

4 +2.1Big chances1 −0.3

17 −2Touches in the opposition box15 −2

47% +2Possession53% +10

391 +40Passes445 +124

79% +13Pass accuracy81% +19

55% +11Field tilt45% +4

36 +4Final-third entries38 +12

12 +2.3Box entries8 +0.8

26.8 +10Passes per defensive action15.0 0

6 +1.4Corners5 +1.8

14 −2Tackles7 −10

6 −1.5Interceptions8 +0.8

21 −3Clearances19 −5

0 −2.7Saves2 −0.9

8 −4Fouls12 −1

1 −0.2Offsides0 −1.8

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

Livingston

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

MotherwellLivingston

1.19 9 shots, 1 goalOpen play0.17 2 shots, 1 goal

0.51 1 shot, 1 goalCounter-attacks0.14 1 shot, 0 goals

0.14 3 shots, 1 goalSet pieces0.35 2 shots, 0 goals

0.79 1 shot, 1 goalPenalties0.00 0 shots, 0 goals

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

Game state

0–01–02–04–1

Level: 21 min (22%) · Motherwell 1.04, Livingston 0.14 xG
Motherwell ahead: 75 min (78%) · Motherwell 1.59, Livingston 0.52 xG

Line-ups

Motherwell substitutes

67' Zdravkovski for Nicholson · yellow card 85'
67' Paton for Halliday
84' Ebiye for Spittal
90+2' Ross for Gent
90+3' Butcher for Casey

Livingston substitutes

46' Yengi for Holt
61' Bradley for Obileye
61' Nouble for Mackay · goal 77'
74' Shinnie for Anderson

Players

Motherwell

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Kelly	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.03	2	0
Casey	CB	90	1		0.07	0.01	1	0.08	10	7
McGinn	CB	90			0.00	0.06	1	0.12	7	9
Blaney	CB	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.08	7	6
O'Donnell	RWB	90		1	0.00	0.01	1	0.06	11	7
Halliday	CM	67			0.08	0.01	0	0.01	3	1
Miller	CM	90			0.00	0.02	0	0.05	7	1
Gent	LWB	90		1	0.00	0.69	2	0.32	9	5
Spittal	AM	84		1	0.10	0.12	3	0.00	3	2
Nicholson	AM	67	1		0.08	0.11	2	0.11	3	2
Bair	ST	90	2		1.74	0.08	1	0.22	2	2
Zdravkovski	MF	23			0.00	0.01	0	−0.02	1	0
Paton	MF	23			0.20	0.00	1	0.12	1	1
Ebiye	MF	6			0.38	0.01	0	−0.01	0	0
Ross	FW	0			0.00	0.00	0	–	–	0
Butcher	DF	0			0.00	0.00	0	–	–	0

Livingston

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
George	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.02	3	2
Nottingham	RB	90			0.22	0.03	1	0.09	7	6
Devlin	CB	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.04	5	5
Obileye	CB	61			0.00	0.00	0	0.03	3	7
Sean Kelly	LB	90			0.00	0.29	1	0.08	6	3
Brandon	DM	90			0.00	0.07	0	0.15	7	1
Mackay	RM	61			0.00	0.30	0	0.04	1	1
Holt	CM	46			0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	1	2
Stephen Kelly	CM	90		1	0.14	0.76	2	0.51	10	4
Pittman	LM	90			0.05	0.01	1	0.01	2	1
Anderson	ST	74			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	0
Yengi	FW	44			0.00	0.00	0	−0.03	0	1
Bradley	MF	29			0.00	0.02	0	0.01	1	2
Nouble	FW	29	1		0.25	0.00	0	−0.01	2	0
Shinnie	FW	16			0.00	0.02	0	0.03	3	1

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

Livingston

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
Casey	O'Donnell	12
McGinn	Casey	8
Gent	Blaney	7
Bair	Spittal	7
O'Donnell	Casey	7

Livingston

From	To	Passes
Sean Kelly	Stephen Kelly	14
Devlin	Nottingham	12
Nottingham	Devlin	12
Devlin	Obileye	10
Nottingham	Brandon	10

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

Defensive actions

Motherwell

Against its average of 34 matches

Livingston

Against its average of 34 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

Livingston

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
Livingston
11th	1%	<1%	−1
Bottom	99%	>99%	+1

From the forecast before the match (4 May 2024): 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	Livingston
Expected goals	1.66	0.89
Win	55%	20%
Expected Points	1.90	0.84
Clean sheet	41%	19%

Motherwell 55%Draw 26%Livingston 20%

Most likely score 1–0, 12%. Both sides score 48%.

From the forecast as it stood on 4 May 2024: 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	Livingston win
Livingston
11th	1%	<1%	<1%	2%
Bottom	99%	>99%	>99%	98%

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

Livingston

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

Season to date

Measure	Motherwell	Livingston
Position	9th	12th
Played	34	34
Won, drawn, lost	8–⁠13–⁠13	4–⁠9–⁠21
Points	37 (1.09 per game)	21 (0.62 per game)
Expected Points per game	1.22	1.13
Goals	46–⁠52	24–⁠59
xG per game	1.22–⁠1.50	0.94–⁠1.43
Home: points, xG per game	1.06, 1.32–⁠1.40	0.88, 1.11–⁠1.25
Away: points, xG per game	1.12, 1.12–⁠1.61	0.35, 0.77–⁠1.61
Manager	Stuart Kettlewell (48)	David Martindale (133)

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		Livingston
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	−8%	+15%	−48%	+7%
Counter-attacks	+6%	−26%	−31%	+23%
Set pieces	−25%	+10%	−16%	−2%
Penalties	−11%	+4%	+19%	−11%
Headers	−13%	+43%	−22%	−16%
Left side	−21%	+29%	−43%	+17%
Centre	+6%	+2%	−31%	average
Right side	−35%	+6%	−47%	+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

Motherwell attacking

Motherwell createdLivingston concededLeft side−21%+7%Centre+6%averageRight side−35%+17%Open play−8%+7%Counter-attacks+6%+23%Set pieces−25%−2%Headers−13%−16%

Livingston attacking

Livingston createdMotherwell concededLeft side−43%+6%Centre−31%+2%Right side−47%+29%Open play−48%+15%Counter-attacks−31%−26%Set pieces−16%+10%Headers−22%+43%

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

MotherwellLivingston

1.22xG0.94

1.50xG against1.43

45%Possession43%

11.3Shots9.2

14.2Shots against13.4

3.9Shots on target2.4

1.9Big chances1.3

19.5Touches in the opposition box16.7

351Passes321

66%Pass accuracy62%

4.6Corners3.2

44%Field tilt41%

31.6Final-third entries26.4

9.7Box entries7.2

16.3Passes per defensive action14.8

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	0.96	1.40
Ahead	13	1.24	2.12
Behind	30	1.61	1.39

Livingston

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	48	0.81	1.22
Ahead	11	0.94	1.81
Behind	32	1.14	1.61

xG by period

Motherwell

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.14	0.13	5–6
16–30	0.15	0.22	6–12
31–45	0.21	0.23	6–5
46–60	0.12	0.30	2–9
61–75	0.24	0.28	8–10
76–90	0.37	0.34	19–10

Livingston

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.10	0.21	4–5
16–30	0.07	0.20	3–10
31–45	0.18	0.21	4–10
46–60	0.15	0.28	4–10
61–75	0.15	0.18	4–7
76–90	0.30	0.35	5–17

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

Most used players by position

Motherwell

Formations: 3-4-2-1 (9), 3-5-2 (6), 3-4-3 (6), 3-4-1-2 (4), 3-1-4-2 (3), 5-4-1 (2), 3-5-1-1 (2), 5-3-2 (2)

Livingston

Formations: 3-4-2-1 (8), 3-4-1-2 (7), 4-2-3-1 (5), 4-1-4-1 (3), 3-5-2 (3), 4-3-1-2 (2), 4-4-2 (1), 4-3-3 (1), 4-5-1 (1), 5-4-1 (1), 4-3-2-1 (1), 3-4-3 (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
28 February 2024	Livingston	1–3	Motherwell	xG 0.92–1.25
30 December 2023	Motherwell	3–1	Livingston	xG 1.48–0.94
7 October 2023	Livingston	2–0	Motherwell	xG 2.59–0.06
24 May 2023	Livingston	1–1	Motherwell	xG 0.70–0.47
8 April 2023	Motherwell	3–0	Livingston	xG 1.59–0.84
2 January 2023	Livingston	1–1	Motherwell	xG 2.40–1.82

13 league meetings since 2020/21: Motherwell won 8, Livingston won 1, and 4 were drawn. Goals 25–13 and xG 1.22–1.16 per game.

Key players

Motherwell

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Biereth	11	1,022	6	5	0.36	0.22
Bair	27	2,291	13	4	0.43	0.09
Spittal	33	2,969	7	9	0.17	0.23
Vale	9	729	2	2	0.25	0.10

Livingston

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Yengi	9	802	3	2	0.35	0.11
Anderson	14	1,666	6	0	0.31	0.06
Sean Kelly	17	1,498	4	0	0.22	0.08
Bradley	8	583	0	0	0.19	0.10

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