Stojkovic scores twice as Zagreb beat Rijeka on fewer chances

Dinamo Zagreb beat HNK Rijeka 2-1 at Maksimir, with Luka Stojkovic scoring both goals, but the hosts created less than they usually do.

Luka Stojkovic scored both of Dinamo Zagreb's goals, and the second, in the 85th minute, is the one that decides the afternoon. His first, in the 35th minute, put the hosts in front. Rijeka drew level through Samuele Vignato at 63, and the visitors stayed level for 22 minutes before Stojkovic turned the match around.

Expected goals, or xG, is a way of adding up the quality of each chance, so a tap-in counts for nearly a full goal and a speculative shot for very little. Zagreb's total in this match was well below what they usually produce at home over their nine games. They took a number of shots close to their usual level, so the drop lies in the quality of the chances rather than their quantity.

Rijeka had 47% of the ball, below the 60.3% they average on their travels, and managed five shots in a league where a side typically takes 12.5. Their chances were worth less than their usual haul too, so the visitors were not simply unlucky in front of goal. They had a much harder time creating anything than their recent away form suggests.

Zagreb had less of the ball than usual, at 53% against their usual 61.6%, yet they conceded fewer chances than they normally do. Rijeka's expected goals of 0.42 sit beneath the 0.98 that Zagreb usually allow at home. That made the difference between a comfortable home win and a late, tense one, because the visitors were never as dangerous as they had been on their travels.

I. Vekič made four saves for Rijeka, the clearest sign of a match in which the visitors spent long spells defending. Their goalkeeper was the busier of the two keepers, and the one moment that took the game away from him was a finish from close range that he could not reach.

Stojkovic had four shots in the match, three of them on target, and won five individual duels, which is why his rating of 9.5 is the highest on the pitch by some distance. Dion Drena Beljo, who set up the first goal, was among the most involved Zagreb players in the game's second half. The result rests on a forward who was given the chances and took two of them.

Zagreb sit second in the table with 19 points from nine matches, while Rijeka are fourth on 17 points from the same number of games. The win keeps the hosts within touching distance of the top of the table.

Player of the matchL. Stojković2 goals9.4

Sergi Domínguez1 chance created7.5

J. Mišić1 assist7.4

S. Vignato1 goal7.1