Atlanta United FC's chances dried up in a home win for the Red Bulls

New York Red Bulls beat Atlanta United FC 3-0 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, and the visitors created far less than they usually do.

Atlanta United FC went to Sports Illustrated Stadium and found their chances hard to come by. Expected goals, or xG, scores each shot by how likely it was to go in, so a tap-in counts for far more than a speculative effort from distance. Atlanta's eight shots added up to 0.63 xG, against a figure of 1.75 in their away matches this season. A typical side in this league reaches 1.45.

New York Red Bulls had the better chances, though not many more shots. They took fourteen, and eleven of them came from inside the box, which is where most goals are scored from. Their total of 2.78 xG was well above the 2.32 they usually reach at home. They also had the ball more than usual, holding 55% of possession when they normally average 48.8%.

The goals were spread across three different scorers. Adri Mehmeti opened the scoring in the 31st minute, Cade Cowell doubled the lead in the 54th after a pass from Sekou Kone, and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty finished the job in the 81st. The Red Bulls usually score 1.2 goals at home, so that tally was well above their normal return. The league averages 3.3 goals per match, and this one finished below that total.

Possession, the share of time a side spends with the ball, moved the other way for Atlanta. They held 45% of it, down from their usual 50.1% away from home. Passing was similar on both sides, with each team completing around 330 or more passes, so the difference lay in who was finishing moves rather than who was keeping the ball.

Atlanta's shooting problem was the sharpest part of their afternoon. Their eight attempts were well short of the 14.8 a side usually takes, and none of them were on target. They scored nothing, when their away average is 1.4 goals per game. The Red Bulls, who usually concede 1.6 goals at home, kept a clean sheet and never had to recover from a goal against them.

Form is worth a glance too. Atlanta United FC have won two of their last six matches, and the Red Bulls have also won two of theirs. Neither side arrived in especially strong form, which makes the gap on the day more striking than it might otherwise have been. Both sides changed their line-ups late, with Atlanta making several changes after the hour mark.

Atlanta United FC leave with no goal, and with fewer chances of scoring than their away matches usually give them. For the Red Bulls, the win comes with a clean sheet and a sharper attack than they usually field at home.

Player of the matchC. Cowell1 goal8.2

A. Mehmeti1 goal7.9

J. Marshall-Rutty1 goal7.6

S. Kone1 assist7.2