GIL Vicente won at Santa Clara after Pacheco's red card

Santa Clara lost a man at 62 minutes and still had more of the ball, but GIL Vicente created the better chances and won 2-1.

Santa Clara lost Pedro Pacheco to a red card in the 62nd minute, with the score level at 1-1. GIL Vicente then spent nearly thirty minutes pressing for the winner, and they found it at São Miguel when Murilo Souza scored in the 81st minute. A side that defends for that long with one fewer player is not simply defending well, and this result has to be read with that dismissal in mind.

Before the red card, Santa Clara had more of the ball than they usually do at home, and GIL had less than they usually do away. Santa Clara held 53% of possession against a home average of 46.7%, while GIL had 47% against an away average of 51.2%. Possession only tells us who had the ball, though, so the shots are the more useful picture.

Santa Clara managed nine shots, below their home average of 12.5, and none of them were on target. Five were blocked before they reached the goalkeeper. GIL took 20 shots, well above their away average of 12.4 and the league average of 11.9 per side, and four of those reached the goalkeeper.

The more useful measure is expected goals, or xG, which adds up the quality of each chance. A shot from close in counts for far more than a long-range effort, so the total gives a rough sense of how many goals the chances were worth. Santa Clara's 0.76 sits below their home average of 1.14, while GIL's 1.37 is above their away average of 1.06. On that measure GIL had the better of the chances, and the figure fits what the shot count suggests.

Santa Clara's only goal came from an own goal in the 29th minute. GIL's reply came in the 52nd minute, when Walace França finished after a pass from Murilo Souza, and Murilo then scored the winner himself. GIL's two goals were well above their away average of 0.8, and Murilo's display, rated 9.0, is the reason the scoreline reads as it does. Santa Clara conceded twice, against a home average of 0.6, and their goalkeeper made two saves.

The form behind the result is mixed on both sides. Santa Clara's last six home matches read win, loss, win, draw, win, win, which is a steady record at home. GIL's last six away matches read draw, loss, win, win, draw, loss, so they have not been consistent on the road. Santa Clara sit fourth in the table with 21 points from ten games, and GIL are seventh with 15.

Only two of GIL's last six away matches have ended in a win, and this one came after they had gone behind in the first half.

Player of the matchMurilo1 goal · 1 assist9.0

Walace1 goal8.2

Jonathan Buatu7 duels won7.1

Luis Fernando Santos Oliveira2 chances created6.9