Atalanta had the ball and the chances, and still lost at home

Atalanta dominated possession and shots at New Balance Arena, yet Parma won 3-0 on a handful of efforts.

Atalanta had seventy per cent of the ball and twenty shots at New Balance Arena, and still lost 3-0 to Parma. Parma led by a single goal at half-time, and it was the visitors' sharpest moments that decided the afternoon. What the numbers describe is a home side that kept the ball and pushed forward for most of the match and then found itself chasing the scoreline.

Expected goals, or xG, is a way of scoring each shot by how often shots of that type tend to end in goals. Atalanta's chances added up to 3.15, more than double their usual 1.42 at home. Parma's totalled 0.36, below half their away average of 0.75. On that measure Atalanta should have scored far more often, which makes the final scoreline the real surprise.

Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring in the 41st minute, set up by Vincent Sierro. Davide Zappacosta then put the ball into his own net early in the second half, doubling Parma's advantage. Simone Lontani added the third in the 58th minute, with Fabbian again providing the final pass. Parma had only two shots from inside the box all match, and two of them found the target and went in.

Parma's three goals were far above their away average of 0.6, and that is what makes this result stand out. They did not win the ball often and they did not threaten in volume, yet they took their rare openings with precision. Fabbian was involved in two of the goals, and Lontani's effort was one of only two efforts he made on target.

Atalanta had sixteen efforts from inside the box, and seven of their shots were on target, but none of them beat Parma's goalkeeper. G. Daffara made six saves, which was the most of the afternoon and the main reason the home side's xG never turned into a score. That is the kind of afternoon a goalkeeper remembers, and Daffara was the busiest man in the stadium for much of it.

Atalanta conceded three goals here, against an average of 1.9 when playing at home. That gap is about the finishing at both ends, and neither side received a card or lost a player, so no dismissal changed the balance. Atalanta's chances were the best on the pitch by a wide margin, and their defence still gave up three.

Parma had thirty per cent of the ball and five shots, and they walked away with three points from a match where they were rarely on top. Atalanta had the possession, the shots and the chances, and they went home with nothing.

Player of the matchG. Daffara6 saves8.6

G. Fabbian1 goal · 1 assist8.3

S. Lontani1 goal7.9

V. Sierro1 assist7.7