The verdict
Event data: Opta
A defeat that matched the balance of chances.
6–18 shots · 2–3 big chances · 0.68–1.61 NPxG
Watch Highlights
SPFL YouTubeSummary
How the match was decided
The match in three battles
Chance qualitySTRONG OPPONENT EDGE
0.68 – 1.61
Expected goals · Aberdeen – Rangers
AFC xG baseline: 1.19
0.11 – 0.09
xG per shot
6 – 18
shots
Aberdeen's chances were the better ones — 0.11 xG per shot to 0.09.
Territory & progressionOPPONENT EDGE
1.56 – 2.24
Expected threat created · Aberdeen – Rangers
AFC xT baseline: 1.88
41% – 59%
field tilt
45 – 59
final-third entries
Rangers had the better of the territorial battle.
Defensive resistanceEVEN
1.61 xGA
chances conceded
0.05 worse than AFC baseline (1.56)
31 (base 25)
Rangers box touches
0.09
xG per Rangers shot
Rangers accessed Aberdeen's box too easily, but most of their shots were low quality.
ShapeAberdeen started 3-5-2 and stayed in it for the whole match. Rangers stayed in 4-2-3-1 throughout.
The match by half
| Aberdeen | Usual | Rangers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| xG | 0.68 | 1.19 | 1.61 |
| Big chances | 2 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Touches in box | 7 | 21.6 | 35 |
| Possession % | 38 | 48.1 | 62 |
The second half only looks like a revival next to the first. At 0.68 xG it was an ordinary Aberdeen half (0.68 usual); the first, at 0.00 against 0.52, was the outlier.
Usual = Aberdeen’s average for this half this season.
How this is measured
FotMob period stats. Usual = Aberdeen’s average for this half across 38 games in 2025-26. Green or red marks a figure clearly above or below our own norm, never a comparison with Rangers.
Lineups
Shots
Where the chances came from
xG timeline
Aberdeen 0.68Rangers 1.61GoalAberdeen above · opponent below · shaded = sustained pressure
14%
25%
61%
Match odds from simulating these shots at their own xG (20,000 runs) — for fun, not a prediction: it scores what should have happened, not what did.
Each step is a shot; the line climbs by that shot's xG. Steeper, sustained climbs (shaded) mark spells of real pressure.
Aberdeen shots
1 goal: 1 open play
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
6 shots
Rangers shots
4 goals: 2 open play, 1 free kick
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
18 shots
Shot mix & shots over time
6shots · 1 on target · 0.68 xG
By situation
67%
17%
17%
Open play467%
Counter117%
Free kick / throw117%
By body part
83%
17%
Right foot583%
Left foot117%
How this is measured
Every shot in one bucket only. Open play covers unassisted and assisted attempts; counter is a fast break; free kicks, direct set pieces and throw-in routines are grouped because there are rarely enough of any one of them in a single match to read separately. A mix heavy on corners and free kicks with few open-play shots means the side needed a dead ball to get near the goal.
Shots over timefull match · drag to focus a period
Aberdeen 6Rangers 18
0'HTFT
Drag across the chart to pick any window.
How this is measured
Five-minute buckets — a side takes roughly a dozen shots a match, so the two-minute bars used for passing would be almost all gaps. Use the buttons for the common windows, or drag across the chart for anything else.
In context
| Aberdeen | This match | This season 11 games | 5-year 196 games | SPFL average 132 team-games | Where that sits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shots | 6 | 13 | 12.2 | 14.5 | bottom 10% — fewest since @ Heart of Midlothian, Feb 2026 · 14 of 196 lower |
| bottom 10% — fewest since @ Heart of Midlothian, Feb 2026 · 14 of 196 lower | |||||
| Shots in the box | 4 | 8.7 | 8 | 10 | below usual · 22 of 196 lower |
| below usual · 22 of 196 lower | |||||
marker = 5-year mean
Passing
How the ball moved
Build-Up Play
Where Aberdeen's passes were and how they progressed the ball
Pass Territory
59.4%
32.2%
Own Half
Middle
Final 3rd
Season avg: 46.1% own half
GK Distribution
GK Long Ball %
77.4%avg 60.8%
GK Total Passes
31avg 31
Build-Up Quality
Own-Half Accuracy
88.2%avg 86.1%
Progression
Progressive Passes
25avg 50
Directness
58.2%avg 57.9%
Season avg
Above avg
Below avg
In context · full match
| Aberdeen | This match | This season 11 games | 5-year 196 games | Where that sits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passes | 295 | 394.6 | 392.9 | below usual · 33 of 196 lower |
| below usual · 33 of 196 lower | ||||
| Pass accuracy % | 73.9 | 75 | 72.3 | about normal · 102 of 196 lower |
| about normal · 102 of 196 lower | ||||
| Passes into the final third | 14 | 30.3 | 25.4 | below usual · 24 of 196 lower |
| below usual · 24 of 196 lower | ||||
| Long balls | 46 | 57.3 | 57.9 | below usual · 30 of 196 lower |
| below usual · 30 of 196 lower | ||||
| Long balls, % of passes | 15.6 | 14.8 | 15.5 | about normal · 112 of 196 lower |
| about normal · 112 of 196 lower | ||||
marker = 5-year mean
Players
Player contributions
Player contributions
GK
M
D. MitovGK90'
3 saves
15/31
Pass
-
Duels
3
Saves
DEF
J. MilneDEF90'
3 interceptions · 7 clearances
38/47
Pass
71%
Duels
5
Tkl+Int
M
L. MorrisonDEF90'
11 clearances · 6 aerials won
31/33
Pass
75%
Duels
1
Tkl+Int
G. MolloyDEF90'
5 clearances
23/29
Pass
50%
Duels
1
Tkl+Int
MID
L
D. LobbanMID45'
6/12
Pass
100%
Duels
-
Key P
G
D. GeigerMID90'
1 goal
28/33
Pass
33%
Duels
-
Key P
A. AremuMID67'
1 assist · 1 big chance created · 1 key pass
15/24
Pass
50%
Duels
1
Key P
P
A. PalaversaMID67'
14/24
Pass
50%
Duels
-
Key P
E. GyamfiMID90'
10/16
Pass
57%
Duels
-
Key P
FWD
B
K. BilalovicFWD45'
3/3
Pass
0%
Duels
-
Shots
K. NisbetFWD67'
7/16
Pass
38%
Duels
2
Shots
Substitutes
J
A. JensenMID45'
1 key pass
17/21
Pass
50%
Duels
1
Key P
T. OlusanyaFWD45'
1 key pass
6/7
Pass
18%
Duels
1
Shots
K
T. KeskinenFWD23'
1 big chance created · 2 key passes
2/4
Pass
33%
Duels
1
Shots
S
G. ShinnieMID23'
12/13
Pass
100%
Duels
-
Key P
L
M. LazetićFWD23'
2/2
Pass
75%
Duels
1
Shots
Context
How this match compares
Across the archive
All recordsWhere this match ranks against every Aberdeen match with data for each metric — coverage varies (shots/possession from 2015-16, xG from 2020-21, most else from 2021-22; see /records for each metric's exact range). Only metrics in the top or bottom 10 are shown.
40.10
Average pass position
8th lowest of 196 · tied with 1
48
Passes in the opposition half
9th lowest of 196
7
Touches in the box
10th lowest of 196 · tied with 5
Where this performance ranks
Against Aberdeen’s other matches this season — only the standout highs and lows.
7box touches
38th of 38 · season worst
25progressive passes
31st of 33 · among the worst
Form:LDLLD(last 5)
Away this season: 4-2-13, 0.96–1.71 xG avg
Historical Context
Games at this ground, and how this match compares to the season so far
At Rangers — every meeting on record
1-1-9(11 games)
0.77–2.55avg xG (n=9)
LLLLWLLLDLL
This match vs season so far
37 comparable games — each metric says how many of them actually have that stat.
xG
0.68avg 1.20
13th worst of 38 · Highest 3.76, 14 December 2025 (2-1) · Lowest 0.32, 11 January 2026 (0-2)
xGA
1.61avg 1.56
16th worst of 38 · Highest 4.72, 21 December 2025 (1-3) · Lowest 0.10, 11 April 2026 (2-0)
Possession
38%avg 48%
8th worst of 38 · Highest 72%, 27 December 2025 (1-1) · Lowest 27%, 21 December 2025 (1-3)
Shots
6.0avg 11.4
6th worst of 38 · Highest 21.0, 6 December 2025 (3-1) · Lowest 5.0, 28 February 2026 (0-1)
Shots on target
1.0avg 3.5
7th worst of 38 · Highest 9.0, 5 October 2025 (4-0) · Lowest 0.0, 3 January 2026 (0-1)
Big chances
2.0avg 1.7
12th best of 38 · Highest 5.0, 14 December 2025 (2-1) · Lowest 0.0, 23 November 2025 (1-0)
Box touches
7.0avg 21.7
worst of 38 · Highest 35.0, 24 January 2026 (6-2) · Lowest 9.0, 29 October 2025 (1-0)
Final third entries
45.0avg 55.7
12th worst of 38 · Highest 85.0, 14 March 2026 (1-1) · Lowest 29.0, 21 December 2025 (1-3)
Key passes
5.0avg 8.2
14th worst of 38 · Highest 15.0, 5 October 2025 (4-0) · Lowest 3.0, 23 November 2025 (1-0)
Corners
4.0avg 4.7
17th best of 38 · Highest 11.0, 5 October 2025 (4-0) · Lowest 1.0, 10 August 2025 (0-2)
Tackles
16.0avg 15.8
16th best of 38 · Highest 27.0, 9 November 2025 (1-1) · Lowest 6.0, 27 December 2025 (1-1)
Interceptions
12.0avg 8.4
9th best of 38 · Highest 20.0, 28 February 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 2.0, 27 December 2025 (1-1)
PPDA
16.9avg 15.1
8th worst of 33 · Highest 31.4, 10 August 2025 (0-2) · Lowest 9.3, 11 January 2026 (0-2)
Counter-press rate
6%avg 5%
12th best of 33 · Highest 11%, 24 February 2026 (0-0) · Lowest 2%, 9 November 2025 (1-1)
avg
Above avg
Below avg

