Two goals in three minutes gave Copenhagen the win

Copenhagen beat FC Iberia 1999 2-1 at Parken, but the sharper story is how much better their chances were than usual, from fewer shots.

Two goals in three minutes did most of the work for Copenhagen at Parken. Elyounoussi converted a penalty in the 19th minute, and Selimovic's own goal three minutes later doubled the lead. Iberia pulled one back through Dzagania on 30 minutes, and the home side held on from there.

Copenhagen had more of the ball than usual. They held 53% of possession, which is the share of time a side keeps the ball, and their average over six matches this season is 45%. Keeping the ball only matters if it leads somewhere, and here the shots tell a more interesting story.

Copenhagen took only 9 shots, below their usual 11.3 a match, so they did not simply shoot more and win. What changed was the quality. Expected goals, a figure that adds up how good each chance was, reached 2.07 for them. Their usual figure is 0.64, so their chances were far better than normal for them.

Iberia had 47% of the ball and five shots, two of them on target. Their expected goals came to 0.22, while a typical side in this league reaches 1.35, so their chances were thin. Makaridze had to make two saves in the Iberia goal, and he was the one who kept the scoreline within reach.

Copenhagen's defence was less steady than usual, though the goals came in an unusual way. Both were from a penalty and an own goal, not from open play. They conceded two goals against an average of 0.8, and they scored fewer than their usual 3.2 a match despite the better chances.

Elyounoussi's penalty earned him a rating of 8.2, and Dzagania's goal was his only shot to find the target on the night. Iberia also had a goal from Tiboue ruled out for a foul at 53 minutes, which was a clear moment for the visitors that did not count.

Copenhagen are 10th in the table with four points from two matches, while Iberia are 29th with one point.

Player of the matchMohamed Elyounoussi1 goal8.2

Amiran Dzagania1 goal7.7

Maher Carrizo3 chances created7.6

Viktor Bjarki Dadason6 duels won7.3