Linssen's double saw NEC past Omonia on fewer chances than usual

NEC Nijmegen came from behind to beat Omonia Nicosia at the Stadion de Goffert, with Bryan Linssen scoring twice in a late spell that settled a game Omonia had led for most of.

Omonia Nicosia held the lead for most of this match, and for a while it looked like enough. Loïs Diony put them ahead in the 23rd minute, and they stayed in front until Bryan Linssen equalised early in the second half. The decider came late. Clement Bischoff put NEC ahead in the 74th minute, and Linssen added another two minutes later.

NEC had 63% of the ball, which is well above the 54.3% they average in home matches. They also took 18 shots, more than the 14.3 they usually manage at home, and eight of those were on target. Having the ball and having the shots is not the same as having the goals, and that is where this game becomes interesting.

Expected goals is a way of adding up the quality of each chance, giving every shot a value based on how often shots like it go in. NEC's chances added up to 1.49, which is below the 1.68 they usually reach at home. So they scored three goals from chances worth less than normal, which means they took their opportunities better than their chances suggested they would.

Omonia had 37% of the ball, against the 45.6% they average in away matches, and six shots against the 10.7 they usually take on their travels. Their expected goals came to 0.67, well short of the 1.12 they usually reach away. Their goalkeeper, T. Kaminski, made the most saves in the match, which kept the game close for longer than the chances alone would have suggested.

Linssen was the decider. He scored twice, the second from a pass by Dušan Tadić, and he was rated 9.1 for his efforts. Bischoff, who had been booked in the 32nd minute, was just as influential in a different way, creating five chances for team-mates and scoring NEC's second goal. Diony's goal was Omonia's only reply, and he was rated 7.8.

Before kick-off, NEC sat 20th in the table with four points from three games, while Omonia were 11th with six. Those positions make this a result that matters more to NEC than the score alone suggests, because it arrived from a side that had not been doing well in the table. Linssen was taken off in the 86th minute, with NEC already in front.

Player of the matchB. Linssen2 goals9.1

Clement Bischoff1 goal8.2

L. Diony1 goal7.8

T. Chery1 assist7.6