Al Hazem ضد Al Shabab — Saudi Pro League

**Al Hazem 1-1 Al Shabab**

**What set this match apart:** This match was more unusual than 62% of matches. The unusualness was primarily driven by the attacking phase (39%) and the build-up (26%). Al Shabab created significantly more clear-cut scoring opportunities, recording 4 big chances to Al Hazem's 1, a gap at the 95th percentile of gaps. Territorial control was also a defining factor, with both teams recording a high volume of passes in the opponent's half (379 in total, 94th percentile of joint volume), and Al Shabab making 204 to Al Hazem's 175.

**How it played out:** Al Shabab maintained a consistent presence in the final third, recording 8 corners to Al Hazem's 3, a gap at the 90th percentile of gaps. While there were few shots inside the box in the match (9 in total, 7th percentile of joint volume), Al Shabab was clearly ahead with 7 to Al Hazem's 2, a gap at the 86th percentile of gaps. Al Shabab also bypassed the midfield more frequently, recording 32 accurate long balls to Al Hazem's 18, a gap at the 90th percentile of gaps, despite few accurate long balls in the match overall (50 in total, 30th percentile of joint volume). Al Hazem focused on defensive stability, recording 14 interceptions to Al Shabab's 9, a gap at the 87th percentile of gaps, and 4 blocked shots to Al Shabab's 2, a gap at the 85th percentile of gaps. On the ground, Al Shabab won 42 ground duels to Al Hazem's 31, a gap at the 89th percentile of gaps, while aerial duels remained low for both sides (7 each, 8th percentile of joint volume).

**Verdict:** The fair probabilities are Al Hazem win 7%, draw 32%, and Al Shabab win 61%. The performances leaned towards an Al Shabab win, but the actual result was far from unlikely. With Al Shabab recording 4 big chances to Al Hazem's 1, the draw was a plausible outcome.