Zagreb won at Sunderland with less of the ball and fewer shots

Dinamo Zagreb beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light despite having less of the ball, and the chances explain why.

Luka Stojkovic decided this inside the first 40 minutes. He scored in the 22nd minute, then set up Dion Drena Beljo's goal just before half-time, and Dinamo Zagreb won with less of the ball than Sunderland. That is the odd part of the story, because Sunderland had most of it and still ended up on the losing side.

Sunderland had 61% of the ball, above the 54.3% they average at home this season. Dinamo Zagreb had 39%, below the 45.7% they average away from home. Possession is not the same as chances, though, and the figures that follow show where Sunderland's advantage stopped counting.

Sunderland had 17 shots, fewer than the 22.3 they average at home, but still more than the 13.7 a side typically takes in this league. Dinamo Zagreb had nine, against an away average of 11.7. Expected goals, a rough measure of how likely each chance was to go in, put Sunderland at 1.64 against their usual 2.28 at home, while Zagreb's 1.32 matched what they produce on the road.

Twelve of Sunderland's shots came from inside the box and seven were on target, yet none went in. Sunderland have averaged 1.3 goals at home this season and scored nothing here. They have also conceded 0.7 on average at home, and this time they let in two. Zagreb's goalkeeper, Kotarski, was rated 8.3 for a night spent stopping the home side's efforts.

Dinamo Zagreb needed only four shots on target to win, and Luka Stojkovic was involved in both goals, scoring the first and setting up the second. He was rated higher than anyone on either side and was replaced at 64 minutes. Sunderland also had a goal at 47 minutes cancelled after a video review, when Wilson Isidor's effort was ruled out.

Sunderland stay ninth in the table, with two wins and one draw from three matches and no defeats. Dinamo Zagreb are eighteenth, with one win, one draw and one defeat from their three. Those are the only two clubs in this piece, and the table only tells the reader where each one stands in this competition so far.

Their last six matches before this one have produced three wins and three defeats for Dinamo Zagreb.

Player of the matchL. Stojković1 goal · 1 assist9.0

D. Kotarski7 saves8.3

D. Beljo1 goal7.8

S. Radeljić3 duels won7.1