Two missed penalties decide RAAL La Louvière against Cercle Brugge

RAAL La Louvière had far more of the ball and far better chances than usual, but Cercle Brugge won 1-0 at Tivoli after two penalties were missed.

Two penalties, two misses. RAAL La Louvière were given both spot-kicks at Tivoli and neither went in, and that was the difference in a 1-0 defeat to Cercle Brugge. Steve Ngoura put the visitors ahead in the sixth minute, set up by Gary Magnee, and the home side never found a way back. M. Isah missed the first on the stroke of half-time, and Léandro Rousseau missed the second at 80 minutes.

The home side had far more of the ball than usual. They held 62% of possession, where their home games this season average 38.1%, and they created chances to match. Their 13 shots carried an expected goals figure of 2.18 (xG, a rough score for chance quality where 1.0 means a near-certain goal), well above their usual 0.96. None of the 13 went on target, which is why all that pressure never reached the scoreboard.

Cercle Brugge were the reverse. They had a smaller share of the ball than their usual away figure of 43%, and their own chances came to 1.02 xG, below the 1.24 they normally create on the road. Their efficiency made up the gap: four of their nine shots were on target, and one of those was enough to win the match. A small number of accurate shots does more damage than a large number of harmless ones.

The other end was just as lopsided. Cercle kept a clean sheet, which is unusual for them, since they usually concede 2.2 goals a match when they play away. The home side's chances against were also thinner than usual, roughly half their usual level of expected goals conceded. Their only goal conceded was the sixth-minute strike, in a match where the league average is 3.2 goals a game.

Gary Magnee was the standout for the visitors, with the assist, five key passes and ten duels won, and his rating of 8.7 reflected that. Marcos Hernán Peano, rated 8.2, was the best of the home side, and the one who kept his team in contention for as long as the scoreline allowed. Neither display changed the fact that the penalties went begging.

The table puts the result in a wider frame. RAAL La Louvière sit 17th with seven points from 11 matches, and the home side have won only two of their last six. Cercle Brugge are 15th on nine points, with one win and one draw in their last six. Cercle Brugge stay on the road with a clean sheet to show for it, and RAAL La Louvière go home with two penalties to think about.

Player of the matchGary Magnee1 assist8.7

Marcos Hernán Peano4 saves8.2

Gaëtan Coucke1 save7.9

Nolan Gillot2 chances created7.7