Plzen's early goal beat Lillestrom despite 65% of the ball

Prince Kwabena Adu's tenth-minute goal gave Plzen a 1-0 win at Åråsen Stadion, while Lillestrom had most of the ball but few clear chances.

Prince Kwabena Adu put Plzen ahead after ten minutes, and that goal turned out to be the whole match. Patrik Hrošovský is credited with the assist, and from that point Plzen had a lead to protect while Lillestrom had to find a way back. The home side kept the ball for long spells, but they never found the equaliser that would have changed the mood of the match.

Lillestrom had 65% of the ball, well above their usual 52.3%. Plzen had 35%, a little under their normal 36.5%, so the home side took on the role of building play while the visitors waited for their moment. Lillestrom completed 532 of their 632 passes, which shows they were comfortable on the ball, but passing accuracy only tells us how neatly a team keeps possession, not how often it hurts the opponent.

Lillestrom took 13 shots, close to their usual 14.3, so the number of attempts was ordinary. The quality of those attempts was not. Expected goals, a figure that adds up how likely each chance was to become a goal, came to 0.54, far below the 1.35 they usually produce. Only five of their shots came from inside the penalty box, which is where most goals are scored from.

Plzen had 16 shots, slightly above their usual 15, and ten of them came from inside the box. Their expected goals of 1.63 was above their own average of 1.46, and above the league average of 1.46 per side, so the visitors had the better chances. Those chances were enough for one goal, and the visitors were content to let the home side press without giving much back.

Dahlberg made nine saves for Lillestrom, the most of any keeper in the match, and was rated 8.4, the best mark on either side. Plzen's Wiegele made four saves and was rated 7.8, while Adu, the scorer, was rated 8.0 before being replaced at 70 minutes. Each of those saves was a moment when one side's chance did not become the other side's goal, and the result sat on those small margins.

Lillestrom scored nothing, against their usual 0.5 per match, and conceded one, below their average of 2.3. Plzen kept a clean sheet, having conceded 2.5 on average when playing away. Lillestrom's recent home form includes a 6-0 defeat, so a 1-0 loss with a single goal conceded was a far more controlled result than their recent history suggests.

Lillestrom sit 31st in the table on one point from three games, and Plzen are 33rd on none from three.

Player of the matchP. Dahlberg9 saves8.4

P. Adu1 goal8.0

F. Wiegele4 saves7.8

S. Dweh1 shot on target7.2