Iberia's penalty lead lost to Mjallby's late equaliser

Iberia 1-1 Mjallby AIF: the hosts led from the spot, but the visitors took most of the shots and ended with the better chances.

Jemali Giorgi Jinjolava put FC Iberia 1999 in front from the penalty spot in the 55th minute, and for a while that looked like the whole story. It was not. Mjallby AIF had been the side making the chances, and T. Pettersson levelled in the 89th minute, so the Europa Conference League tie at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium finished level.

The easiest way into the chances is to count the shots. Mjallby took 18 and Iberia 7, and the average side in this league takes 12.4 a match, which puts the visitors well above that and the hosts well below it. A shot count treats every effort alike, though, so the expected goals figure, usually shortened to xG, values each chance by how often chances of that kind go in. On that measure Mjallby came to 1.54 and Iberia to 0.99, against a league average of 1.32 per side, so the visitors had the better opportunities by some distance.

Possession tells the same story. Mjallby had 55% of the ball to Iberia's 45%, and they used it to reach the penalty area far more often, taking eleven shots from inside the box while the hosts managed far fewer. Áki Samuelsen had four efforts for the visitors, and the Iberia goalkeeper was kept busier than his opposite number, making three saves against none.

Iberia's expected goals sat below the league figure and their shot count well under it, so the penalty did most of the work. A penalty is a chance awarded rather than built, and it gave the hosts a lead they had not forced from open play. The match produced two goals in all, below the league's average of 3.3 a match, and the penalty was one of them.

Corners point the same way, with Mjallby winning seven to Iberia's two. Jemali Giorgi Jinjolava's rating of 7.9 reflects a productive evening for the hosts, with a goal, three shots and eight duels won, the most of any hosts player in that measure. Pettersson's late finish then undid it.

Iberia came into the game 34th in the table with no points, and they leave with one. Their only previous result had been a defeat, so this is their first point of the campaign. Mjallby were sixth on three points before kick-off and now have four after two matches.

Player of the matchJemali Giorgi Jinjolava1 goal7.9

Giorgi Kobuladze1 chance created7.7

Nika Sikharulashvili1 chance created7.6

Tony Miettinen7 duels won7.5