Matches › 2025/26

Motherwell 1–2 Falkirk

Saturday 18 October 2025, 15:00 · Fir Park · Round 8 · Half-time 1–0 · Referee Steven McLean · Attendance 7,473

Motherwell Maswanhise 22'

Falkirk Miller 57', Arfield 79'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Motherwell	Falkirk
Goals	1	2
xG	1.01	1.35
Expected Points	1.03	1.66

Motherwell 24%Draw 31%Falkirk 45%

Most likely score 1–1, 17%. Final score 1–2, 12%.

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

MotherwellFalkirk

1.01 −0.66xG1.35 +0.20

2.03 +0.59xG on target1.17 +0.06

15 +3Shots9 −3

5 +1.3Shots on target5 +0.6

0 −2.3Big chances3 +0.9

35 +10Touches in the opposition box16 −6

67% +10Possession33% −21

573 +46Passes279 −139

86% +1Pass accuracy67% −10

75% +19Field tilt25% −30

48 +2Final-third entries25 −11

28 +14Box entries9 −3

11.8 −2Passes per defensive action12.7 0

6 +2.3Corners4 −0.9

10 −4Tackles22 +3

4 −3.7Interceptions10 +3.3

14 −7Clearances25 −4

3 −1.3Saves4 +0.3

14 +2Fouls19 +8

1 −1.7Offsides1 −2.0

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

Falkirk

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

MotherwellFalkirk

0.90 13 shots, 1 goalOpen play0.64 4 shots, 1 goal

0.10 2 shots, 0 goalsSet pieces0.72 5 shots, 1 goal

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

Game state

0–01–01–11–2

Level: 44 min (45%) · Motherwell 0.58, Falkirk 0.30 xG
Motherwell ahead: 39 min (40%) · Motherwell 0.32, Falkirk 1.06 xG
Falkirk ahead: 14 min (14%) · Motherwell 0.11, Falkirk 0.00 xG

Line-ups

Motherwell substitutes

63' Stamatelopoulos for Hendry
64' O'Donnell for Longelo
64' Charles-Cook for Just
84' Priestman for Fadinger
84' Sparrow for Koutroumbis

Falkirk substitutes

46' Lissah for Hart
64' Cartwright for Williams · yellow card 90+3'
64' Agyeman for Wilson
74' Arfield for Miller · goal 79'
75' Graham for MacIver

Players

Motherwell

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Ward	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.03	3	1
Koutroumbis	RB	84			0.08	0.09	1	0.18	14	1
McGinn	CB	90			0.00	0.05	1	0.12	19	4
Welsh	CB	90			0.00	0.02	0	0.07	4	7
Longelo	LB	64			0.00	0.01	0	0.08	6	2
Fadinger	DM	84		1	0.00	0.35	2	0.17	5	1
Watt	DM	90			0.05	0.09	0	0.18	14	2
Maswanhise	RW	90	1		0.11	0.02	1	0.03	4	3
Just	AM	64			0.17	0.13	2	0.17	2	2
Said	LW	90			0.20	0.13	1	0.39	13	2
Hendry	ST	63			0.18	0.04	1	−0.04	2	2
Stamatelopoulos	FW	27			0.21	0.00	0	−0.01	0	0
O'Donnell	DF	26			0.01	0.10	2	0.17	9	1
Charles-Cook	FW	26			0.00	0.00	0	−0.02	4	1
Priestman	MF	6			0.00	0.02	0	0.01	0	0
Sparrow	MF	6			0.00	0.02	0	0.01	1	0

Falkirk

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Bain	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.03	4	2
Adams	RB	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.05	7	12
Neilson	CB	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	2	8
Henderson	CB	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	4
Hart	LB	46			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	3
Spencer	DM	90			0.02	0.03	0	0.07	5	7
Tait	DM	90			0.02	0.08	1	0.11	6	4
Wilson	RW	64			0.51	0.01	1	0.11	2	1
Williams	AM	64			0.05	0.06	1	0.07	2	3
Miller	LW	74	1		0.50	0.11	2	0.20	3	3
MacIver	ST	75		1	0.15	0.13	1	0.01	2	2
Lissah	DF	44			0.00	0.00	0	0.06	3	4
Cartwright	MF	26			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	1
Agyeman	FW	26			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	3
Arfield	MF	16	1		0.11	0.00	0	0.00	0	2
Graham	FW	15			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	1	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

Falkirk

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
Ward	McGinn	23
McGinn	Ward	20
McGinn	Koutroumbis	17
Welsh	Ward	16
Welsh	McGinn	16

Falkirk

From	To	Passes
Adams	Tait	11
Bain	Neilson	8
Henderson	Bain	7
Neilson	Adams	7
Adams	Neilson	7

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

Defensive actions

Motherwell

Against its average of 7 matches

Falkirk

Against its average of 7 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

Falkirk

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	59%	45%	−14
11th	2%	4%	+2
Bottom	1%	1%	0
Falkirk
Top six	7%	13%	+6
11th	22%	20%	−2
Bottom	31%	19%	−12
Dundee FC
11th	27%	26%	−1
Bottom	33%	37%	+4
Livingston
Top six	4%	5%	+1
11th	26%	24%	−2
Bottom	26%	32%	+6

From the forecast before the match (18 October 2025): 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	Falkirk
Expected goals	1.90	0.92
Win	60%	17%
Expected Points	2.03	0.74
Clean sheet	40%	15%

Motherwell 60%Draw 23%Falkirk 17%

Most likely score 1–1, 11%. Both sides score 52%.

From the forecast as it stood on 18 October 2025: 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	Falkirk win
Motherwell
Top six	59%	65%	53%	45%
11th	2%	1%	2%	4%
Bottom	1%	<1%	1%	1%
Falkirk
Top six	7%	5%	7%	13%
11th	22%	23%	22%	20%
Bottom	31%	36%	27%	19%
Dundee FC
11th	27%	27%	28%	26%
Bottom	33%	30%	35%	37%
Livingston
Top six	4%	4%	4%	5%
11th	26%	27%	25%	24%
Bottom	26%	25%	27%	32%

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

Falkirk

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

Season to date

Measure	Motherwell	Falkirk
Position	6th	10th
Played	7	7
Won, drawn, lost	1–⁠5–⁠1	1–⁠3–⁠3
Points	8 (1.14 per game)	6 (0.86 per game)
Expected Points per game	1.52	1.07
Goals	11–⁠10	8–⁠13
xG per game	1.67–⁠1.43	1.15–⁠1.54
Home: points, xG per game	1.67, 1.98–⁠1.01	0.75, 1.33–⁠1.57
Away: points, xG per game	0.75, 1.43–⁠1.74	1.00, 0.90–⁠1.50
Manager	Jens Berthel Askou (7)	John McGlynn (7)

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		Falkirk
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	+51%	+12%	+5%	−1%
Counter-attacks	+33%	+10%	−59%	+100%
Set pieces	−41%	+8%	+1%	−4%
Penalties	+54%	−23%	−100%	+54%
Headers	+1%	+29%	+13%	+3%
Left side	+21%	−27%	−46%	−30%
Centre	−11%	+33%	+14%	+25%
Right side	+103%	−12%	−5%	+9%

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 createdFalkirk concededLeft side+21%+9%Centre−11%+25%Right side+103%−30%Open play+51%−1%Counter-attacks+33%+100%Set pieces−41%−4%Headers+1%+3%

Falkirk attacking

Falkirk createdMotherwell concededLeft side−46%−12%Centre+14%+33%Right side−5%−27%Open play+5%+12%Counter-attacks−59%+10%Set pieces+1%+8%Headers+13%+29%

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

MotherwellFalkirk

1.67xG1.15

1.43xG against1.54

57%Possession54%

11.9Shots12.1

11.9Shots against13.0

3.7Shots on target4.4

2.3Big chances2.1

25.1Touches in the opposition box21.7

527Passes418

85%Pass accuracy77%

3.7Corners4.9

56%Field tilt55%

45.8Final-third entries36.4

14.1Box entries11.9

13.4Passes per defensive action12.5

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	59	1.20	1.42
Ahead	16	2.08	2.40
Behind	16	2.99	0.49

Falkirk

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	53	1.15	1.59
Ahead	2	0.12	0.12
Behind	35	1.21	1.55

xG by period

Motherwell

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.01	0.17	0–1
16–30	0.18	0.19	1–2
31–45	0.32	0.12	3–0
46–60	0.41	0.14	2–1
61–75	0.35	0.25	2–3
76–90	0.40	0.56	3–3

Falkirk

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.17	0.11	0–0
16–30	0.25	0.44	0–3
31–45	0.20	0.45	1–5
46–60	0.11	0.22	1–1
61–75	0.27	0.17	5–2
76–90	0.16	0.15	1–2

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

Most used players by position

Motherwell

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

Falkirk

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.

Key players

Motherwell

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Stamatelopoulos	6	484	3	1	0.94	0.05
Maswanhise	7	600	3	1	0.31	0.11
Longelo	7	630	3	1	0.20	0.12
Watt	7	613	0	1	0.00	0.14

Falkirk

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
MacIver	6	481	2	0	0.38	0.13
Miller	7	540	0	1	0.19	0.18
Tait	7	559	1	0	0.14	0.14
Spencer	7	630	0	1	0.07	0.18

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