Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

St. Johnstone v Motherwell

Wednesday 28 October 2026, 19:45 · McDiarmid Park · Round 11

Forecast

St. JohnstoneMotherwell
Expected goals1.221.34
Win33%39%
Expected Points1.271.45
Clean sheet26%30%

St. Johnstone 33%Draw 28%Motherwell 39%

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

Motherwell goalsSt. Johnstone goals0123456+0123456+8%7%3%1%9%8%4%1%6%8%5%2%2%3%2%1%10%13%

From the forecast as it stood on 11 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

Form

St. Johnstone

  1. W1–011 OctAberdeen (A)xG 1.10–1.23
  2. D1–119 SepFalkirk (H)xG 0.94–1.29
  3. L0–19 SepCeltic (H)xG 0.69–1.80
  4. W2–16 SepHibernian (H)xG 2.32–1.61
  5. D1–12 SepDundee FC (A)xG 1.08–2.07
  6. L1–229 AugHearts (A)xG 1.28–2.20

Motherwell

  1. L0–211 OctCeltic (H)xG 1.10–2.85
  2. L1–219 SepDundee FC (A)xG 1.10–1.38
  3. L0–415 SepAberdeen (H)xG 0.85–0.90
  4. L0–15 SepRangers (A)xG 0.70–4.29
  5. W3–02 SepDundee United (H)xG 2.39–0.16
  6. D3–330 AugSt. Mirren (A)xG 2.45–2.92

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

Season to date

St. JohnstoneMotherwell
Position5th9th
Played88
Won, drawn, lost3–⁠2–⁠32–⁠2–⁠4
Points11 (1.38 per game)8 (1.00 per game)
Expected Points per game1.171.27
Goals10–⁠109–⁠13
xG per game1.33–⁠1.591.51–⁠1.87
Home: points, xG per game1.75, 1.49–⁠1.411.00, 1.40–⁠1.11
Away: points, xG per game1.00, 1.16–⁠1.771.00, 1.61–⁠2.63
ManagerSimo Valakari (39)Alfred Johansson (8)

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

Ratings

0.51.01.52.0League average 1.34AttackSt. Johnstone1.07, 12thMotherwell1.30, 5thDefence (lower is better)St. Johnstone1.56, 11thMotherwell1.32, 5th

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctSt. Johnstone attack: 1.07Motherwell attack: 1.301.301.07MotherwellSt. JohnstoneDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctSt. Johnstone defence: 1.56Motherwell defence: 1.321.561.32

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

St. JohnstoneMotherwell
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play−21%+11%+6%+1%
Counter-attacks−55%−18%−12%+81%
Set pieces−29%+3%−42%average
Penalties+80%−40%+20%+80%
Headers−18%+40%−43%−1%
Left side−6%+13%−32%−13%
Centre−20%−7%−31%+19%
Right side−63%+16%+58%+22%

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

St. Johnstone attacking

St. Johnstone createdMotherwell concededLeft side−6%+22%Centre−20%+19%Right side−63%−13%Open play−21%+1%Counter-attacks−55%+81%Set pieces−29%averageHeaders−18%−1%

Motherwell attacking

Motherwell createdSt. Johnstone concededLeft side−32%+16%Centre−31%−7%Right side+58%+13%Open play+6%+11%Counter-attacks−12%−18%Set pieces−42%+3%Headers−43%+40%

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

St. JohnstoneMotherwell

1.33xG1.51
1.59xG against1.87
48%Possession58%
9.9Shots14.0
14.0Shots against16.4
3.4Shots on target4.4
2.4Big chances2.1
18.4Touches in the opposition box24.6
441Passes571
80%Pass accuracy88%
3.2Corners5.1
49%Field tilt59%
39.7Final-third entries50.8
10.9Box entries14.1
18.3Passes per defensive action14.8

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

St. Johnstone

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level461.591.52
Ahead210.831.90
Behind231.251.44

Motherwell

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level331.601.37
Ahead172.361.40
Behind401.082.49

xG by period

St. Johnstone

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.170.121–1
16–300.200.202–1
31–450.290.321–2
46–600.330.312–4
61–750.130.211–1
76–900.200.423–1

Motherwell

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.320.181–2
16–300.280.342–1
31–450.270.242–5
46–600.140.460–3
61–750.280.262–0
76–900.220.392–2

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

Most used players by position

St. Johnstone

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTSteward 8Smith 5Todd 3Mitchell 6Finlayson 2Diabate 7Foulds 1Alić 6Foulds 2McAlear 7Stanton 1Holt 8Stanton 4Campbell 2Smith 1Paton 2Cotterill 2Gullan 2Paton 3Steven 3Gullan 2Fowler 7Gullan 14-2-3-1 in 4 of 8 starts

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

Motherwell

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTPaulsen 8Sparrow 8Girdwood-Rei… 4Girdwood-ReichKnight-Lebel 3O'Donnell 1Moormann 8Longelo 7Williams 1Fadinger 8Priestman 2Hodge 5Levitt 1Maswanhise 4Vogt 3Kanga 1Lowry 4Charles-Cook 3Booth 1Said 4Longelo 1Houlden 1Houlden 2Maswanhise 2Lowry 14-2-3-1 in 5 of 8 starts

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

DateHomeAwayxG
26 April 2025Motherwell3–2St. JohnstonexG 2.03–1.84
25 January 2025St. Johnstone2–1MotherwellxG 1.50–1.22
9 November 2024Motherwell2–1St. JohnstonexG 1.44–1.18
31 August 2024St. Johnstone1–2MotherwellxG 0.74–0.89
19 May 2024Motherwell1–2St. JohnstonexG 2.48–1.82
27 January 2024St. Johnstone1–1MotherwellxG 0.82–0.87

18 league meetings since 2020/21: St. Johnstone won 6, Motherwell won 6, and 6 were drawn. Goals 24–23 and xG 1.22–1.08 per game.

Key players

St. Johnstone

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Fowler7557510.560.05
Alić6540100.030.16
Stanton6545010.090.05
Diabate7593100.070.02

Motherwell

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Maswanhise6491120.600.05
Lowry6534210.260.23
Longelo8656000.080.24
Fadinger8689100.180.06

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