Freiburg had the ball and the corners, but only one shot on target

Monaco won late on despite Freiburg having more of the ball, and the chances told a different story from the possession.

Freiburg had 52% of the ball and 11 corners at Monaco, but they came away with one shot on target and a heavy defeat. Eleven shots is close to the 12.2 an average side in this league takes in a match, so the number of attempts was not the problem. Six of their efforts missed the target altogether, and the sharpness they usually bring on the road was missing.

The quality of those chances was also below what Freiburg normally create. Expected goals, a rough guide to how likely a shot is to become a goal, came to 0.82 for them, against the 1.85 they average away from home. In plain terms, their openings were fewer and less promising than usual, so the possession never turned into much danger.

Monaco had 48% of the ball, well below the 57% they average at home, and they took 10 shots, a little above their usual nine. Their chances were worth 1.10 expected goals, slightly under the 1.32 they average at home, so they did not create more than normal either. At the other end, Monaco allowed chances worth less than the 1.23 they usually concede at home, which is the same measure seen from the defensive side.

Paris Brunner gave Monaco the lead in first-half stoppage, finishing after Edan Diop's assist, and that single goal stood for 38 minutes. Lamine Camara doubled the lead on 83, and A. Fati added a third on 90 from M. Abline's pass. Those two goals in the final seven minutes turned a narrow home lead into a clear win, and they arrived after Freiburg had already spent a long spell chasing the game.

Brunner was the standout for Monaco, scoring with five shots and getting three of them on target. His rating of 8.2 was the highest of any player listed for either side, which fits a forward who both scored and kept testing the goalkeeper. Diop's assist came alongside eight duels won, a reminder that his work in midfield did as much as the final pass to set up the first goal.

On the Freiburg side, Mio Backhaus made four saves, more than anyone else in their list, and he was the reason the scoreline was not wider for much of the second half. Freiburg's 3-0 defeat is also their heaviest in their last six matches, a run that includes four wins, one draw and a 5-0 home win. Monaco's last six matches brought three wins, each by a single goal, so this is the widest margin they have won by in that spell.

Player of the matchParis Brunner1 goal8.2

Edan Diop1 assist7.9

Lamine Camara1 goal7.5

Jordan Teze1 chance created7.3