Falkirk (A) 0–1The verdict
Event data: Opta
A defeat that matched the balance of chances.
9–22 shots · 3–4 big chances · 1.05–1.81 NPxG
Watch Highlights
SPFL YouTubeSummary
How the match was decided
The match in three battles
Chance qualitySTRONG OPPONENT EDGE
1.05 – 1.81
Expected goals · Aberdeen – Rangers
AFC xG baseline: 1.19
0.12 – 0.08
xG per shot
9 – 22
shots
Aberdeen produced fewer attempts, but their average chance was far as valuable.
Territory & progressionOPPONENT EDGE
1.61 – 3.29
Expected threat created · Aberdeen – Rangers
AFC xT baseline: 1.88
36% – 64%
field tilt
32 – 59
final-third entries
Rangers had the better of the territorial battle.
Defensive resistanceMIXED
1.81 xGA
chances conceded
0.25 worse than AFC baseline (1.56)
22 (base 25)
Rangers box touches
0.08
xG per Rangers shot
A middling defensive night by Aberdeen's standards.
ShapeAberdeen started 3-4-1-2 and stayed in it for the whole match. Rangers started 4-1-4-1, then 4-3-3 on 49’, 4-2-3-1 on 72’.
The match by half
| Aberdeen | Usual | Rangers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| xG | 1.05 | 1.19 | 1.81 |
| Big chances | 3 | 1.8 | 4 |
| Touches in box | 19 | 21.6 | 22 |
| Possession % | 36 | 48.1 | 64 |
Aberdeen were a different side after half time — 1.00 xG to 0.05 before it.
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 1.05Rangers 1.81GoalAberdeen above · opponent below · shaded = sustained pressure
20%
24%
56%
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
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
9 shots
Rangers shots
2 goals: 0 open play, 2 corner
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
22 shots
Shot mix & shots over time
9shots · 3 on target · 1.05 xG
By situation
33%
33%
33%
Open play333%
Corner333%
Free kick / throw333%
By body part
22%
22%
56%
Right foot222%
Left foot222%
Head556%
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 9Rangers 22
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 10 games | 5-year 195 games | SPFL average 116 team-games | Where that sits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shots | 9 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 14.4 | below usual · 52 of 195 lower |
| below usual · 52 of 195 lower | |||||
| Shots in the box | 8 | 8.3 | 8 | 9.9 | about normal · 100 of 195 lower |
| about normal · 100 of 195 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
63.7%
24.4%
11.9%
Own Half
Middle
Final 3rd
Season avg: 46.1% own half
GK Distribution
GK Long Ball %
30.8%avg 60.7%
GK Total Passes
26avg 31
Build-Up Quality
Own-Half Accuracy
84.8%avg 86.1%
Progression
Progressive Passes
26avg 50
Directness
57.9%avg 57.9%
Season avg
Above avg
Below avg
In context · full match
| Aberdeen | This match | This season 10 games | 5-year 195 games | Where that sits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passes | 298 | 396.2 | 393 | below usual · 35 of 195 lower |
| below usual · 35 of 195 lower | ||||
| Pass accuracy % | 71.8 | 75.5 | 72.3 | about normal · 79 of 195 lower |
| about normal · 79 of 195 lower | ||||
| Passes into the final third | 11 | 30.8 | 25.4 | bottom 10% — fewest since @ Celtic, Dec 2025 · 10 of 195 lower |
| bottom 10% — fewest since @ Celtic, Dec 2025 · 10 of 195 lower | ||||
| Long balls | 49 | 57.5 | 57.9 | below usual · 46 of 195 lower |
| below usual · 46 of 195 lower | ||||
| Long balls, % of passes | 16.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | about normal · 126 of 195 lower |
| about normal · 126 of 195 lower | ||||
marker = 5-year mean
Players
Player contributions
Player contributions
GK
M
D. MitovGK90'
6 saves
20/26
Pass
100%
Duels
6
Saves
DEF
P
D. PolvaraDEF90'
4 tackles · 5 clearances · 4 aerials won
19/34
Pass
75%
Duels
5
Tkl+Int
J. MilneDEF90'
7 clearances
37/45
Pass
20%
Duels
0
Tkl+Int
M. KnoesterDEF90'
3 interceptions · 5 tackles
24/37
Pass
56%
Duels
8
Tkl+Int
MID
D
N. DevlinMID90'
1 key pass
16/25
Pass
38%
Duels
1
Key P
M
K. M. KjartanssonMID62'
11/14
Pass
33%
Duels
-
Key P
S
G. ShinnieMID90'
1 key pass · 7 tackles
34/35
Pass
53%
Duels
1
Key P
E. GyamfiMID73'
10/13
Pass
63%
Duels
-
Key P
FWD
S. ArmstrongFWD87'
1 key pass
27/33
Pass
57%
Duels
1
Shots
K. NisbetFWD73'
1 big chance created · 1 key pass
6/16
Pass
50%
Duels
1
Shots
B
K. BilalovicFWD62'
6/8
Pass
50%
Duels
-
Shots
Substitutes
C
L. ClarksonMID28'
1 big chance created · 3 key passes
7/9
Pass
33%
Duels
3
Key P
L
M. LazetićFWD28'
3/4
Pass
100%
Duels
-
Shots
J
A. JensenMID17'
5/5
Pass
0%
Duels
-
Key P
K
J. KarlssonFWD17'
5/6
Pass
50%
Duels
1
Shots
K
T. KeskinenFWD3'
0/1
Pass
-
Duels
-
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.
39
Average pass position
2nd lowest of 195
49
Passes in the opposition half
10th lowest of 195
Where this performance ranks
Against Aberdeen’s other matches this season — only the standout highs and lows.
36%field tilt
38th of 38 · season worst
Form:WLDLL(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)
0.73–2.52avg 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
1.05avg 1.19
18th best of 38 · Highest 3.76, 14 December 2025 (2-1) · Lowest 0.32, 11 January 2026 (0-2)
xGA
1.81avg 1.55
14th worst of 38 · Highest 4.72, 21 December 2025 (1-3) · Lowest 0.10, 11 April 2026 (2-0)
Possession
36%avg 48%
4th worst of 38 · Highest 72%, 27 December 2025 (1-1) · Lowest 27%, 21 December 2025 (1-3)
Shots
9.0avg 11.3
17th worst of 38 · Highest 21.0, 6 December 2025 (3-1) · Lowest 5.0, 28 February 2026 (0-1)
Shots on target
3.0avg 3.4
18th best of 38 · Highest 9.0, 5 October 2025 (4-0) · Lowest 0.0, 3 January 2026 (0-1)
Big chances
3.0avg 1.7
5th best of 38 · Highest 5.0, 14 December 2025 (2-1) · Lowest 0.0, 23 November 2025 (1-0)
Box touches
19.0avg 21.4
17th worst of 38 · Highest 35.0, 24 January 2026 (6-2) · Lowest 7.0, 21 March 2026 (1-4)
Final third entries
32.0avg 56.0
2nd worst of 38 · Highest 85.0, 14 March 2026 (1-1) · Lowest 29.0, 21 December 2025 (1-3)
Key passes
7.0avg 8.2
18th best 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
23.0avg 15.6
4th best of 38 · Highest 27.0, 9 November 2025 (1-1) · Lowest 6.0, 27 December 2025 (1-1)
Interceptions
7.0avg 8.5
19th worst of 38 · Highest 20.0, 28 February 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 2.0, 27 December 2025 (1-1)
PPDA
20.2avg 15.0
5th 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%
9th best of 33 · Highest 11%, 24 February 2026 (0-0) · Lowest 2%, 9 November 2025 (1-1)
avg
Above avg
Below avg