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So last night I was watching the Porto versus United match, yeah? And honestly, the final score didn’t really tell the whole story. Felt like I needed to dig deeper into what actually happened on that pitch. Grabbed my laptop right after the whistle blew.
First Steps
Started by pulling up the stats page – you know, the basic ones like possession and shots. Right away noticed United had like 65% possession. Thought that meant they dominated, but then scrolled down. Their pass accuracy was lower than Porto’s even with all that ball time. Weird, right?
Made a coffee and started comparing:
- Deep passes completed: Porto 22 vs United 15
- Shots on target: Actually dead even at 5 each
- Corners conceded: United gave away 7 to Porto’s 3
What Numbers Hide
Started wondering why United’s possession didn’t translate to control. That’s when I checked the defensive actions heatmap. Whoa. United’s backline was constantly stretched wide left. Explains why their midfield kept playing square passes sideways – they were afraid of getting caught on that flank.
Almost missed something big too. Scrolled past the yellow cards at first. Then realized Fernandez got booked early. Changed everything! After that card, his tackling dropped 60%. Porto targeted his side the rest of the match.
Why This Stuff Matters
See, the scoreline just shows 2-1. But these numbers? They show why. That defensive weakness on United’s left? That’s where Porto’s first goal came from. Those corners United gave away? Directly led to that scary header in the 78th minute.
Numbers don’t lie like highlights do. You can show me a clip of Rashford’s run, but stats prove he only completed 3 dribbles all night. These digits tell us where tactics worked, where players bottled it, what needs fixing.
Anyway, ended up scribbling all this in my worn notebook around midnight. Beer was warm but brain was buzzing. Next morning, showed my United-supporting mate. He thought they’d been unlucky. After seeing the stats? His exact words: “Christ, we got outsmarted.” Exactly.