Analysis The numbers behind the result
Levski Sofia edge Plzen despite lower xG and possession
The result slightly favoured Levski Sofia, who edged Plzen 2-1 despite a near-identical expected goals tally (1.06 vs 1.09). Levski's clinical finishing — converting 2 of their 3 shots on target compared to Plzen's 1 from 2 — proved decisive. Plzen's 63% possession translated into more total shots (13 vs 6) and corners (4 vs 1), but Levski were more ruthless, with Reinaldo Nascimento Satorno (1 goal, 1 assist) and Francisco Everton Mota de Castro (1 goal) delivering the key moments.
Tactically, Plzen's dominance in build-up (472 passes to Levski's 488) failed to generate higher-quality chances, with only 2 of their 13 shots testing the keeper. Levski, meanwhile, scored twice from just 6 shots, capitalising on Plzen's defensive lapses — their goals came from swift transitions (assisted by Maicon Araújo dos Santos and Reinaldo Nascimento Satorno in the 44th and 65th minutes). The telling stat: Levski scored 2 goals from an xG of 1.06, outperforming their expected output by 89%, while Plzen underperformed theirs by 8%.