Alaves 1-1 Malaga: Aitor Mañas levels late for the hosts
AI-written review based on match data · How we make it
Key numbers
- 63% possession: Alaves's highest this season
- xG 1.88 v 0.62, yet the match ended 1-1
- 89': Mañas equalises, Malaga's FN xPts −1.8
A late leveller after a first-half deficit
Malaga went ahead in the 44th minute when Adrián Niño Heredia finished a chance created by Ramón Enríquez, and they stayed in front for about 45 minutes. Aitor Mañas brought Alaves level in the 89th minute, a goal from the bench that was his first of the La Liga season. A point was the least Alaves deserved on the numbers.
Plenty of the ball, little to show for it
Alaves had 63% of possession, their highest this season and far above the 42.1% they have averaged. Yet 1.88 xG produced only one goal. The shots came in numbers, but each was worth roughly the usual amount, 0.10 xG a shot against a season average of 0.09. Territory did not turn into chances of a better standard than normal.
Puga anchored Malaga's resistance
Malaga had far fewer shots than usual, yet they led from the 44th minute. Puga was central to that, winning 12 of 15 duels and recording the most defensive actions of any player on either side, ten in all. Alaves found their equaliser only after he had been replaced, though the data cannot say whether the two things are connected.
Malaga lost more than Alaves gained
Mañas's goal in the 89th minute was worth +1.0 FN xPts to Alaves, but Malaga's FN xPts changed by −1.8. That made it the largest combined change of the match. Coming from a side that had led for so long, the equaliser took away more than it gave to the hosts, who had a lot more of the ball.
FN MOM
Highest FN Score · our own pick by a published formula, not the official Player of the Match
Puga 8.2Dominant
He won 12 of 15 duels and made ten defensive actions, the most on either side.
Puga's value came mainly from defending: eight tackles and two interceptions, plus 12 duels won from 15. He also completed three of five dribbles, carrying the ball forward as well as breaking up play. Malaga's lead from the 44th minute lasted until the 89th, and Alaves levelled only after he came off in the 77th.
Game state
0-11-1
Alaves ahead 0 min · level 45 min · Malaga ahead 45 min
FN xPts — what each moment was worth
How much each moment changed that team's expected points (win 3, draw 1). A goal's value is credited 70% to the scorer and 30% to the assist. The value next to a team code is what the same moment did to the other side's expected points; the decisive moment is the one with the largest combined change for both teams.
44'
Adrián Niño Heredia
Goal · scorer +0.8 · assist Ramón Enríquez +0.3 · ALA −0.9
+1.1
89'
Aitor Mañas
Goal · MAL −1.8
+1.0
Alaves
Expected (last two seasons) 2.0Own moments +1.0Opponent moments −0.9Time effect −1.1→ League points won 1
Malaga
Expected (last two seasons) 0.7Own moments +1.1Opponent moments −1.8Time effect +1.0→ League points won 1
Expected points don't add up to a fixed total (a draw is 1 + 1), so an opponent's moment isn't simply the mirror of your loss. "Time effect" is the change as the clock runs down on a lead or a chase, and isn't credited to any player.
How FN Score and FN xPts work →
Match stats
AlavesMalaga
1.88Expected goals (xG)0.62
Compared with usual
Alaves
9 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 1 | 1.4 | |
| Conceded | 1 | 1.1 | |
| xG | 1.88 | 1.2 | |
| xG against | 0.62 | 1.2 | |
| Shots | 18 | 12.8 | |
| On target | 4 | 4.8 | |
| Shots faced | 7 | 12.4 | |
| xG per shot | 0.1 | 0.09 | |
| Possession | 63% | 42.1% | high |
| Passes | 426 | 341.2 | |
| Corners | 7 | 3.8 | |
| Fouls | 14 | 13.7 | |
Malaga
9 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 1 | 0.67 | |
| Conceded | 1 | 2 | |
| xG | 0.62 | 0.85 | |
| xG against | 1.88 | 1.7 | |
| Shots | 7 | 11.3 | |
| On target | 3 | 3 | |
| Shots faced | 18 | 14.9 | |
| xG per shot | 0.09 | 0.08 | |
| Possession | 37% | 51% | |
| Passes | 464 | 480.7 | |
| Corners | 2 | 5.6 | |
| Fouls | 12 | 11.6 | |
Timeline
- 39'
Yellow
Lucas Boyé
- 44'
Goal
Adrián Niño Heredia league goal #4 assist Ramón Enríquez
- 45'
VAR
Adrián Niño Heredia
- 45'
Sub
Carles Aleñá → Hugo Novoa
- 55'
Sub
Nicolás Valentini → Yusi
- 55'
Sub
Abderrahman Rebbach → Denis Suárez
- 66'
Sub
Mariano Díaz → Toni Martínez
- 67'
Yellow
Nahuel Tenaglia
- 68'
Sub
Adam Aznou Ben Cheikh → José Salinas
- 68'
Sub
Ramón Enríquez → Rafa Rodríguez
- 75'
Sub
Antonio Blanco → Aitor Mañas
- 77'
Sub
Puga → Juan Berrocal
- 77'
Sub
Adrián Niño Heredia → Chupe
- 84'
Yellow
Carlos Dotor
- 87'
Sub
Carlos Dotor → Jens Cajuste
- 89'
Goal
Aitor Mañas league goal #1
- 90+2'
Yellow
Juan Francisco Funes Arjona (coaching staff)
Category leaders
- Key passesCarles Aleñá5
- Duels wonPuga12/15
- DribblesPuga3/5
- Defensive actionsPuga10
- ShotsNahuel Tenaglia3 (on target 0)
- Fouls wonNahuel Tenaglia4
#Alaves#Malaga#La Liga#Puga#Aitor Mañas#Adrián Niño Heredia
This review was written by AI from match data (API-Football). FN Score and FN xPts are calculated by Fulltime Note using a published formula.