Bursaspor won with fewer chances than they usually make

Three goals inside the first 23 minutes gave Bursaspor a comfortable win over Bandırmaspor, even though their chances were below their home norm.

Bursaspor were three goals up before the half-hour mark. Halil Akbunar opened the scoring in the seventh minute, Lewis Baker struck twice after that, and by the time the first quarter of an hour was gone the home side already had the match in hand. Bandırmaspor had the rest of the afternoon to respond and never did.

Bursaspor had less of the ball than usual. At home they normally keep about 60.3% of possession, and this time they finished with 56%, which meant the visitors had more of it than Bursaspor usually allow. They also took 12 shots, below their home average of 14.1, so on the surface this was a quieter attacking afternoon than most of their home games.

The more telling measure is expected goals, which scores each chance by how often shots from that spot and in that way tend to go in. Bursaspor's total came to 0.96, against a home average of 1.49, so the chances they created were of poorer quality than their usual ones. Even so, they scored three, comfortably above the 2.4 they average at home.

Baker is the reason the numbers came out that way. He had three shots, two of them on target, and both of those ended up in the net, earning him the highest rating of the match. Boutrah set up the second goal of the evening, and Akbunar was involved in two of the three, scoring the first and then setting up Baker's second.

Bandırmaspor's chances were thinner than they usually create on the road. Their expected goals figure was 0.54, against an away average of 1.29, and they had ten shots compared with their usual 13.8. Their 44% of the ball was also well short of the 60.4% they average away from home, and they finished without a goal, where they normally score 1.8 away. They conceded three, against an away average of 0.9.

Bursaspor also had ten corners to Bandırmaspor's four, and eight of their shots came from inside the penalty area, against six for the visitors. K. Matisli made three saves in the Bursaspor goal, but the most noticeable thing about the afternoon was how little the visitors managed to create at the other end.

A total of three goals in a match is close to what this league usually produces, which averages 2.9 per game, so the scoreline itself is ordinary. The unusual part was how Bursaspor reached it. Their home record now reads nine wins, one draw and two defeats from twelve games.

Player of the matchL. Baker2 goals8.9

H. Akbunar1 goal · 1 assist8.5

A. Boutrah1 assist7.5

K. Matisli3 saves7.4