Levadiakos, goalless in six, won on the better chances

Levadiakos beat Aris Thessalonikis 3-0 at home with less of the ball but far better chances, and their striker-less spell of recent results ended in one afternoon.

Levadiakos had 30% of the ball, against a usual 47.8% at home, and still came out on top. Giorgos Nikas scored after eight minutes, with Giannis Kosti credited with the assist, and Marios Vichos converted a penalty on 42 minutes. Those two goals shaped the afternoon, and what followed was about protecting a lead against a side that held most of the possession.

The more telling figure is expected goals, a rough measure of how good each chance was, based on where and how the shot was taken. Levadiakos reached 2.35, well above their usual 0.61 at home, while Aris managed 0.25 away from a usual 1.34. Levadiakos took nine shots, close to their average of 10.5, and seven of them came from inside the box, where most goals are scored.

Aris had the ball for much of the match, but their possession did not turn into much. Their shots numbered eight, below their away average of 16.8, and only one was on target. Their goalkeeper made two saves, while the Levadiakos keeper made one, which tells you how little the visitors were forcing him to do.

The match also turned on a decision that never counted. A red card against Martin Hongla was cancelled on the 62nd minute after a video review, so Aris stayed with eleven men. The only booking they received was Omar Richards's yellow card on 67 minutes, which meant the officials did not punish them further on the field.

Levadiakos had failed to score in any of their recent six matches, so Vichos's penalty and Alexandru Grigoraş Pantea's finish on 87 minutes meant more than the points alone. Pantea's goal came from an assist by Dimitrios Emmanouilidis. Levadiakos conceded nothing, against a usual 0.8 at home, while Aris conceded three, where they normally concede 1.2 away from home.

Nikas, who scored the opener, was rated 7.9, the highest in the match, and his goal was the sort of early moment that sets the tone. Kosti, whose assist began it, won ten of his duels and created three chances, and his 7.7 rating reflected a busy afternoon in midfield. For Aris, Hongla and Fabiano both finished with 6.6 and 6.4, showing that the visitors' problems ran through the whole side rather than one player.

Levadiakos, who now have three points from eight matches, sit 12th, while Aris are fourth with 16.

Player of the matchG. Nikas1 goal7.9

I. Kosti1 assist7.7

A. Pantea1 goal7.4

D. Emmanouilidis1 assist7.0