Paris Saint Germain win late with fewer chances than usual

Paris Saint Germain beat Lyon 2-0 with both goals in the second half, despite creating fewer good chances than they usually do.

Both of Paris Saint Germain's goals arrived after the hour, and the second came in the 84th minute, so the result at the Parc des Princes was settled late. Senny Mayulu broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute, and Mika Godts doubled the lead twelve minutes later. Until then nothing on the scoresheet had suggested one finish would decide the game, which makes the figures from the first hour worth a closer look.

Paris Saint Germain had 69% of the ball, well above their usual 62.4% in home matches this season. Lyon had 31%, against a usual 51.7% away from home. Having that much of the ball usually brings a flood of shots, and the home side's total was not unusual for them.

They took 17 shots, close to their home average of 18.7, so the volume was ordinary by their standards. The quality was lower. Their expected goals figure, a rough measure of how good the chances were based on where and how each shot was taken, came to 1.03, against their normal 2.12. Across the league a typical side takes around 12.6 shots, so the home side still had plenty of efforts, just thinner ones.

Lyon's attacking figures were down on both counts. They took 8 shots, below their away average of 10.9, and their expected goals of 0.69 sat under the 1.06 they usually produce on the road. D. Greif had seven saves to make, two more than Safonov had at the other end, so the visitors' keeper was the busier of the two.

Mika Godts had the sharpest involvement, scoring the second goal and setting up the first, and he was rated 7.6 for it. Senny Mayulu earned a 7.8 for his finish and a key pass. Zacharie Athekame won seven duels for Lyon, while Fabián Ruiz created three chances for Paris Saint Germain, the same number as João Neves.

Paris Saint Germain picked up two yellow cards, Vitinha in the 31st minute and Maghnes Akliouche in the 51st. Lyon's only booking came from Ernest Nuamah in the 74th. Nobody was sent off, so the result was played out by eleven men a side, and the figures above reflect the full teams.

Both clubs have 14 points from seven matches, with Lyon fourth and Paris Saint Germain fifth. Each side has won four and drawn two, so the gap between them is down to goal difference rather than results.

Player of the matchM. Safonov5 saves7.9

Senny Mayulu1 goal7.8

M. Godts1 goal · 1 assist7.6

D. Greif7 saves7.5