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Premiership · Sat, 1 Aug 2026 · Pittodrie
Aberdeen
2
Hearts
1
FULL TIME · WONAberdeen: K. Nisbet 90+5′ (pen) · Aberdeen: L. Mayo 90′ · Hearts: O. McEntee 35′
2.65Aberdeen xG1.83Hearts xG2.29Aberdeen expected pointsTight game
2026–27 so far
WLLLDWDLWLL
Match 1 of 38 · 11 points so far. Tap a square for that match.
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The verdict
Event data: Opta

A dominant second-half attacking performance after a poor first half.

Aberdeen generated 2.29 xG after the break, having managed just 0.37 before it.

Watch Highlights

SPFL YouTube
Summary

How the match was decided

The match in three battles
Chance qualitySLIGHT ABERDEEN EDGE
2.65 – 1.83
Expected goals · Aberdeen – Heart of Midlothian
AFC xG baseline: 1.37 · non-penalty 1.87–1.83
0.24 – 0.10
xG per shot
11 – 19
shots
Aberdeen produced fewer attempts, but their average chance was 3 times as valuable.
Territory & progressionGAME STATE
2.88 – 1.40
Expected threat created · Aberdeen – Heart of Midlothian
AFC xT baseline: 2.54
55% – 45%
field tilt
61 – 70
final-third entries
Aberdeen had more of the play in Heart of Midlothian's half, but were behind for 61% of the match, having first gone behind in the 35th minute. Teams that are behind usually see more of the ball, so the territory may reflect the scoreline as much as control.
Defensive resistanceEVEN
1.83 xGA
chances conceded
0.26 worse than AFC baseline (1.56)
32 (base 25)
Heart of Midlothian box touches
0.10
xG per Heart of Midlothian shot
Heart of Midlothian accessed Aberdeen's box too easily, but most of their shots were low quality.
ShapeAberdeen started 4-2-3-1 and stayed in it for the whole match — the changes were personnel, not shape, despite chasing the game. Heart of Midlothian stayed in 4-2-2-2 throughout.
The match by half
 AberdeenUsualHeart of Midlothian
xG2.651.371.83
Big chances21.71
Touches in box2424.134
Possession %5046.850
Aberdeen created far more after half time (2.29 xG to 0.37) — but they were chasing by then, against a side content to sit in.
Usual = Aberdeen’s average for this half this season.
How this is measured
FotMob period stats. Usual = Aberdeen’s average for this half across 11 games in 2026-27. Green or red marks a figure clearly above or below our own norm, never a comparison with Heart of Midlothian.

Lineups

Shots

Where the chances came from

xG timeline

Aberdeen 2.66Heart of Midlothian 1.83GoalAberdeen above · opponent below · shaded = sustained pressure
59%
22%
19%
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.
0.00.51.02.5HT0'15'30'45'60'75'90'0-1 · McEntee1-1 · Mayo2-1 · NisbetGGG
Each step is a shot; the line climbs by that shot's xG. Steeper, sustained climbs (shaded) mark spells of real pressure.

Aberdeen shots

2 goals: 0 open play, 1 free kick, 1 pen
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
11 shots

Heart of Midlothian shots

1 goal: 0 open play, 1 free kick
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
21 shots

Shot mix & shots over time

11shots · 7 on target · 2.66 xG
By situation
45%
9%
18%
18%
9%
Open play545%
Counter19%
Corner218%
Free kick / throw218%
Penalty19%
By body part
55%
9%
36%
Right foot655%
Left foot19%
Head436%
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 11Heart of Midlothian 21
🟨⚽⚽↔↔↔↔↔🟨
🟥🟨↔↔↔↔🟨⚽
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
AberdeenThis matchThis season
11 games
5-year
196 games
SPFL average
132 team-games
Shots111312.214.5
about normal · 80 of 196 lower
Shots in the box78.7810
about normal · 76 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
44.8%
36.4%
18.8%
Own Half
Middle
Final 3rd
Season avg: 46.1% own half
GK Distribution
GK Long Ball %
73.1%avg 60.8%
GK Total Passes
26avg 31
Build-Up Quality
Own-Half Accuracy
85.7%avg 86.1%
Progression
Progressive Passes
57avg 50
Directness
61.7%avg 57.9%
Season avg
Above avg
Below avg
In context · full match
AberdeenThis matchThis season
11 games
5-year
196 games
Passes356394.6392.9
about normal · 74 of 196 lower
Pass accuracy %71.67572.3
about normal · 76 of 196 lower
Passes into the final third3530.325.4
above usual · 162 of 196 lower
Long balls6357.357.9
about normal · 132 of 196 lower
Long balls, % of passes17.714.815.5
above usual · 145 of 196 lower
marker = 5-year mean
Players

Player contributions

Player contributions
GK
M. MüllerGK90'
3 saves
DEF
C. CaddenDEF73'
4 tackles
L. MayoDEF90'
1 goal · 1 assist · 1 big chance created
D. HappeDEF90'
1 key pass · 9 clearances · 6 aerials won
N. Guinness-WalkerDEF83'
MID
B. LyonsMID90'
4 tackles
A. AfeezMID72'
T. OlusanyaMID90'
1 key pass
C. RonanMID73'
2 key passes
T. YoganeMID73'
3 dribbles won
FWD
K. NisbetFWD90'
1 goal · 5 shots · 4 aerials won
Substitutes
S. ArmstrongMID18'
1 key pass
A. BriedlMID17'
L. SmithFWD17'
1 key pass
A. MoulouaFWD17'
G. MolloyDEF16'
Context

How this match compares

Across the archive
All records
Where 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.
0.242
xG per shot
2nd highest of 195

Where this performance ranks

Against Aberdeen’s other matches this season — only the standout highs and lows.

2.66xG
2nd of 11 · 2nd best
+0.83xGD
2nd of 11 · 2nd best
2big chances
2nd of 11 · 2nd best
Home this season: 2-1-3, 1.75–1.45 xG avg
After scoring first: 2-1-0 (3 games)

Historical Context

How this match compares to the season so far

This match vs season so far
10 comparable games — each metric says how many of them actually have that stat.
xG
2.66avg 1.24
2nd best of 11 · Highest 3.07, 17 October 2026 (3-1) · Lowest 0.35, 30 August 2026 (0-1)
xGA
1.83avg 1.54
4th worst of 11 · Highest 2.67, 2 September 2026 (0-3) · Lowest 0.85, 15 September 2026 (4-0)
Possession
51%avg 47%
5th best of 11 · Highest 65%, 11 October 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 31%, 15 September 2026 (4-0)
Shots
11.0avg 13.2
5th best of 11 · Highest 22.0, 11 October 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 9.0, 8 August 2026 (0-2)
Shots on target
3.0avg 3.5
5th best of 11 · Highest 7.0, 17 October 2026 (3-1) · Lowest 2.0, 30 August 2026 (0-1)
Big chances
2.0avg 1.7
2nd best of 11 · Highest 4.0, 17 October 2026 (3-1) · Lowest 1.0, 8 August 2026 (0-2)
Box touches
23.0avg 23.8
5th best of 11 · Highest 44.0, 24 October 2026 (2-3) · Lowest 8.0, 19 September 2026 (1-1)
Final third entries
61.0avg 59.6
4th best of 11 · Highest 101.0, 11 October 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 35.0, 2 September 2026 (0-3)
Key passes
7.0avg 9.2
4th worst of 11 · Highest 15.0, 11 October 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 4.0, 2 September 2026 (0-3)
Corners
4.0avg 6.0
4th worst of 11 · Highest 13.0, 11 October 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 2.0, 15 September 2026 (4-0)
Tackles
19.0avg 18.1
4th best of 11 · Highest 31.0, 19 September 2026 (1-1) · Lowest 10.0, 24 October 2026 (2-3)
Interceptions
13.0avg 9.6
3rd best of 11 · Highest 15.0, 2 September 2026 (0-3) · Lowest 2.0, 30 August 2026 (0-1)
PPDA
12.4avg 15.7
4th best of 11 · Highest 28.2, 2 September 2026 (0-3) · Lowest 9.7, 5 September 2026 (0-0)
Counter-press rate
8%avg 6%
4th best of 11 · Highest 12%, 30 August 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 1%, 15 September 2026 (4-0)
avg
Above avg
Below avg