Nashville won on eight shots, fewer than they usually take

Nashville SC beat CF Montreal 2-0 at Saputo Stadium with fewer shots than usual, but the chances they did create were worth more.

Nashville SC won at Saputo Stadium with eight shots, a lighter load than the 14.4 they usually take in away matches. Their finishing did the rest. Sam Surridge put them ahead in the 51st minute, and an own goal in the 76th made the result safe.

The more useful figure here is expected goals, which gives each chance a value from zero to one based on how likely it was to go in. Nashville's eight shots added up to 1.84, which is close to what they usually create away from home. Their chances were not better than normal, just fewer, and all eight came from inside the box.

CF Montreal's chances were thinner. Their ten shots were close to their usual home total, but their expected goals of 0.52 sat well below the 0.89 they normally create at Saputo. Five of those ten came from outside the box, while Nashville did not attempt a single shot from distance.

Montreal also struggled to stop chances at the other end. Nashville's 1.84 was more than the 1.43 they usually concede in home matches, which means the visitors found better openings than Montreal normally allow. Surridge scored from one of his three efforts, all of which were on target.

Possession shows a small shift in the same direction. Nashville had 56% of the ball, a little more than their usual 53.8%, while Montreal's 44% sat under the 46.8% they average at home. Possession alone does not win a match, but it confirms that Nashville kept the ball more often than they normally do.

Neither side lost a player to a red card, and both picked up two yellow cards, so the result was not shaped by discipline. Nashville's keeper, B. Schwake, made six saves and kept a clean sheet, which mattered because Montreal's keeper had to make three of his own at the other end.

Montreal have lost four of their last six matches, and this defeat extends a run that has left them searching for consistency at home. Nashville remain one of the more dangerous away sides in recent weeks, with four wins and two draws in their last six on the road.

Player of the matchB. Schwake6 saves7.8

M. Woledzi7 duels won7.7

S. Surridge1 goal7.6

A. Najar3 duels won7.4