Alanyaspor had the ball, Kocaelispor the better chances

Kocaelispor won 2-1 at Alanyaspor by taking chances well above what they usually create, while the home side held more of the ball than usual.

Alanyaspor spent more time on the ball than they usually do at the Bahçeşehir Okulları Stadium and still went home beaten. They had 49% possession, against a season average of 42.1% for their home games. Kocaelispor's 51% was close to their own away average of 48%, so the visitors' share of the ball was ordinary for them. The result turned on what each side did with the ball, not on how much of it they had.

Kocaelispor took the lead in the 27th minute, Berkan Kutlu scoring with R. Rivas credited with the assist. Makana Baku doubled the advantage in the 42nd minute, with F. Aye providing the pass, so the visitors went in at the break two goals up. Their attacking output was well above what they usually produce. They took a large number of shots for an away side, and most of them came from inside the box, which is where the best chances tend to come from.

Expected goals, usually shortened to xG, is a way of scoring chances by how likely each shot was to go in, judged from where it was taken and how it was struck. Kocaelispor's total sat well above their own away average of 0.93 and above the league figure of 1.27 per team. Alanyaspor went the other way, with an xG of 0.27 against a home average of 0.95, and fewer shots than they normally manage. Their possession was higher than usual, but it did not turn into dangerous attacks.

Alanyaspor did score in the second half. Ruan pulled one back in the 52nd minute, with E. Keskin providing the assist, and the goal was his first of the match. A single goal is in line with their home average of one per game, but they conceded two, above the average of 1.1 they have been giving up at home. Their side had made three changes at half-time, though the match report gives no reason for them and nothing here suggests why.

Berkan Kutlu was the most influential figure for the visitors. He scored, won possession with five interventions and was rated 8.3, the highest mark in the match on either side. Ruan, the scorer for Alanyaspor, was rated 8.2. Paulo Victor made three saves in the Alanyaspor goal, the same number as the Kocaelispor keeper. Kocaelispor also had five of their shots blocked, a detail that tells us the defenders were called on repeatedly, while Alanyaspor had none. Neither side had a player sent off, so both finished the game with eleven.

The match did not change either club's position much. Alanyaspor are ninth in the table after eight matches, with three wins, three draws and two defeats, and have 12 points. Kocaelispor are eighth on the same number of matches and the same 12 points, with four wins and four defeats. Kocaelispor's recent run now ends with two straight wins, following a sequence that included three defeats in four matches before this one.

Player of the matchBerkan Kutlu1 goal8.3

Ruan Pereira Duarte1 goal8.2

Fidan Aliti1 chance created7.5

Makana Baku1 goal7.5