Stuttgart had less of the ball at Leverkusen and the better chances

Stuttgart won 4-2 away at Leverkusen with only about a third of the possession, and their chances were the better ones.

Stuttgart had less of the ball at Leverkusen and still came away with the better chances. Expected goals, a figure that rates each shot by how likely it was to go in, gave the visitors 2.88 against the home side's 2.07. Stuttgart won with only a little over a third of the possession, which tells you the chances counted for more than the passing.

That is an unusual shape for the visitors, who usually hold 56.7% of the ball when they travel. Leverkusen were the reverse: 64% of the possession against a home average of 57.9%, and 24 shots where they usually take 17.9. Their chances were also above their normal output of 1.32 expected goals a match, but Stuttgart's figure sat well above their own away average of 1.58.

The match turned in the first half hour. Demirović scored in the 14th minute and Leweling doubled the lead in the 22nd, leaving Stuttgart two up. Schick pulled one back in the 28th, with Aleix García credited with the assist, but Leverkusen never came level. El Khannouss restored the two-goal gap in the 51st, and Demirović made it four in the 65th before Maza scored a late reply in the 79th.

Demirović had the afternoon he wanted, scoring twice and finishing with a rating of 8.8, the highest in either side's list. Stuttgart's goalkeeper made six saves to the home keeper's three, which is a reminder that the visitors were not always untroubled at the other end. Leverkusen still had their share of openings, but more of the high-quality ones went to Stuttgart.

The scoring was high by the standards of the league. The division averages 3.6 goals per match across 64 games, and this one produced six. Stuttgart scored four, against their usual 1.4 on the road, while Leverkusen conceded four, against the 1.7 they typically let in at home. Both sides were well away from their norms in the same match.

Leverkusen sit fourth in the table with 13 points from seven matches. Stuttgart are 15th, with their away record standing at two wins and five defeats from seven.

Player of the matchE. Demirović2 goals8.8

P. Schick1 goal8.0

B. El Khannouss1 goal7.7

D. Undav1 assist7.6