Analysis The numbers behind the result
Samsunspor's wasted dominance punished by Göztepe's efficiency
Samsunspor's 2.74 xG to Göztepe's 1.89 suggests the hosts were marginally unfortunate not to win, but their profligacy — particularly Marius' 58th-minute penalty miss — and Göztepe's ruthless finishing (3 goals from 7 shots on target) made the draw a fair outcome. Despite 69% possession and 21 total shots (14 inside the box), Samsunspor converted just two of their three on-target efforts, while Göztepe scored with three of their seven.
The game swung on transitions: Göztepe's early lead via Alex Matos (3') and rapid reply through Sinclair Armstrong (46') after Emre Kılıç's equaliser (43') exposed Samsunspor's high line. Eren Bekiroğlu's 65th-minute strike, assisted by Janderson, typified their threat on the break, while Celil Yüksel's 90th-minute leveller came too late to mask Samsunspor's wastefulness. The decisive stat? Göztepe's +1.11 goals over xG (3 vs 1.89) — clinical when it mattered.