Manchester United’s four-match winning streak came to an end in the UEFA Europa League after a 0-1 defeat to Real Sociedad of Spain. The visitors were given a penalty for a controversial handball and that became the turning point of the match.
We’ve broken down all the key stats for you to digest, including;
* shot maps
* xT (expected threat)
* pass networks
* xG timelines
* defensive duels
* average positions and much more!
We also try to answer some questions for you with the visuals;
How many shots were on target for Manchester United? Which Real Sociedad player won the most number of aerial duels?
To navigate the stats gallery, simply click on the numbers to move through the pages.
Manchester United started the match in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line. The hosts played in the same formation for 83 minutes and ended the match in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
The visitors started the match in a 4-1-4-1 formation. They changed their game plan twice by starting the second half in a 4-4-1-1 formation and ending the match in a 4-3-3 formation.
The Red Devils ended the match with 50.9% ball possession. They began the match with a low possession rate but ended the first half with 68% ball possession. The second half saw United failing to keep the ball, but they managed to hold the ball in the last stages of the match.
Real Sociedad started the match with a high possession rate but failed to hold the ball in the latter stages of each half. They ended the match with 49.08% ball possession.
The home team created 27 positional attacks and attempted nine shots from these attacks. Most of the attacks were created from the centre.
The visitors created more positional attacks. They created 33 attacks but only attempted three shots from these attacks. Most of the attacks came from the left side.
The Red Devils attempted 12 shots and struggled to find the target. They hit the target just once, and only two shots were attempted in the first half.
The visitors attempted only five shots but were accurate with their shooting. They had three shots on target. All the shots were attempted in the second half.
The Red Devils ended the match with an xG rate of 0.89. They attempted two shots from inside the 6-yard box but failed to hit the target.
Real Sociedad ended the match with an xG rate of 1. The goal was scored from the penalty spot and that generated the highest xG rate for the visitors.
The home team attempted 490 passes with an accuracy rate of 86.33%. Most of the passing channels were created in the midfield. Fred linked the play between the defence and the attack.
The visitors attempted 388 passes with an accuracy rate of 81.44%. They created most of the passing links on the left side.
Manchester United attempted 46 passes to the final third and were successful 41 times. Anthony Elanga was the targeted man on the left side, while Antony was targeted on the right side.
Real Sociedad attempted 34 passes to the final third and were successful 20 times.
Both teams contested 231 duels, and the home team won 100 of those. These included 32 defensive duels wins, with most of the wins coming on the flanks.
The visitors won 121 duels in the match. These included 47 defensive duels wins, with most of the wins coming in the defensive half. Aihen Muñoz won eight defensive duels for his side.
The Red Devils won 11 aerial duels. They failed to win most of these duels in the middle third.
Real Sociedad won 21 aerial duels in the match. Jon Pacheco won five aerial duels for his side.
The Red Devils won 35 offensive duels, and most of the wins came in the middle third.
The visitors won 30 offensive duels, and most of the wins came on the left side.
The hosts made 38 recoveries in the defensive third, 33 in the middle third, and 17 in the final third. Casemiro made 15 recoveries in his first start in a United shirt.
The visitors made 29 recoveries each in the defensive and middle third. The remaining eight recoveries came in the attacking third.
Manchester United were unable to find the rhythm and failed to create chances in the match. The manager gave some playing time to a few players, but they were unable to make their mark on the team. The Red Devils need to bounce back with a win in their next match to try and end the group stage at the top of the table.
Visuals via Wyscout