LA FC came from two goals down to beat Galaxy 3-2

Two goals behind by the 51st minute, Los Angeles FC still won 3-2, on far more of the ball and with far more shots than they usually manage at home.

Los Angeles FC were two goals behind on 51 minutes and still beat Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 at the Banc of California Stadium. Joseph Paintsil had put the visitors ahead on 34 minutes, with Robert Taylor credited with the assist, and then scored again on 51. Denis Bouanga pulled one back two minutes later, Leo Walta levelled on 62, and the home side went on to take the points.

The home side had 57% of the ball, well above the 44.9% they average in front of their own crowd across eleven home matches. Their 21 shots were also far beyond the 12.4 they usually take at home, and ten of them came from inside the box. Possession and volume both pointed the same way, so this was a match where the home side spent most of its time pressing forward.

Shots alone can flatter a side, so it helps to look at expected goals, a measure that adds up how good each chance was. LA FC rated 2.4 here, against a usual 1.04 at home, which means their chances were not just more numerous but better. Galaxy, who had 43% of the ball against a usual 45.5% away, also created more than they normally do, and their figure was above their usual away mark too.

Galaxy had only 10 shots, below the 13.5 they usually manage on the road, yet the ones they took were dangerous. Paintsil had three attempts, two of them on target, and both his goals came from that work. Their defence was the weaker side of the story, with three goals conceded against an away average of 1.8, and their two scored was still above the 1.5 they usually find.

The early turn came on 28 minutes, when Bouanga's goal was cancelled after a VAR check. He was not held back for long, scoring on 53 minutes and finishing with four shots, two on target, and a rating of 8. Galaxy's goalkeeper, J. Marcinkowski, made three saves and kept his side in the contest through the middle stages, when the home side had most of the attacking possession.

LA FC also had twelve corners to Galaxy's one, a gap that shows how often the home side pushed the ball into the visitors' box. For a team that rarely dominates the ball at home, the 57% figure and the shot count together make this a result built on pressure rather than a lucky break. LA FC sit sixth in the table on 46 points from 31 matches, while Galaxy are ninth with 40 and have now conceded 52 goals this season.

Player of the matchJ. Paintsil2 goals8.8

D. Bouanga1 goal8.0

L. Walta1 goal7.8

Son Heung-Min4 chances created7.0