Celtic won at Easter Road with fewer chances than usual

Hibernian led inside three minutes and were level before five, yet Celtic took the points with fewer chances than they usually make away from home.

Hibernian were ahead inside three minutes, with Owen Elding finishing after a pass from Joe Newell, but the lead did not last long. Jason Kerr put the ball into his own net to level the game, and Camilo Duran gave Celtic the lead just before half time. The score did not change after that, and Celtic's win came with fewer chances than they usually create on the road.

Celtic had 61% of the ball, only a little more than their average of 58.9% in away matches, so their share was close to what they normally manage. Hibernian had 39%, well short of the 51.4% they average at home, which meant they had less of the ball than usual at Easter Road. Possession alone did not decide the match, though, because the way each side used it mattered more.

Expected goals is a rough way of measuring the quality of chances, where a shot from close range counts for far more than one struck from distance. Celtic's total was 1.12, against an away average of 3.75, which is the clearest sign of a quieter night in attack than they have been having on their travels. Hibernian's figure of 1.39 was a little below their home average of 1.61, so their chances were slightly weaker than usual but not by much.

Shot counts tell a similar story. Celtic took 15 shots against an away average of 19.7, while Hibernian took 13, which is close to the league average of 13.9 but below their own home average of 15.9. Duran had four of Celtic's shots and also won seven duels, a sign of how often he was in the physical contests around the box.

Hibernian's goalkeeper made three saves from Celtic's four shots on target, and Celtic's goalkeeper made one save from Hibernian's two. Celtic conceded one goal, which is above their away average of 0.6, so they let in more than they usually do on the road. Hibernian's single goal matched their usual home return, but they conceded two, a little above their home average of 1.6. Celtic's two goals were a shade under their away average of 2.6.

Elding, Hibernian's scorer, had two shots and won two duels, while Newell won four duels for the home side. No one was sent off, and the discipline was ordinary, with Celtic picking up three yellow cards and Hibernian two. Neither side's cards affected the way the match ended, which was settled by Duran's goal before the interval.

Celtic remain top of the table, with 24 points from their away matches alone. Hibernian sit twelfth with seven points from their nine games so far, and they have lost five of their last six.

Player of the matchC. Durán1 goal7.8

O. Elding1 goal7.6

J. Newell1 assist7.2

Jota2 chances created7.0