Match Analysis / FIFA World Cup 2022
Round of 16 · December 6, 2022
Morocco 0–0 Spain
After extra time · Morocco won on penalties
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Education City Stadium · StatsBomb Open Data
Why this match is useful for learning
- Morocco finished 0–0 with Spain after extra time and won the shoot-out. Combined xG (open play and set pieces together) in regulation and extra time stays close (~0.57 vs ~0.49) while Spain complete far more passes and Progressive Passes (~162 on ~960 vs ~77 on ~250). Possession that does not become the larger shot process is not a moral failure. The penalty shoot-out is stored as a separate slice in this file. Do not add those shot values to the open-play and extra-time xG. A 0–0 scoreline is not a verdict on the result.
Match context
Spain controlled long possession spells across regulation and extra time. Morocco stayed organised, limited high-quality chances, and won the shoot-out after a 0–0 draw.
The penalty shoot-out is stored as a separate slice in this file. Do not add those shot values to the open-play and extra-time xG.
Regulation and extra time (shoot-out excluded)
Figures below cover regulation and extra time. The penalty shoot-out is stored as a separate slice in this file. Do not add those shot values to the open-play and extra-time xG. Transition rates use the 10-second window after a StatsBomb possession change.
- Morocco
- 6 shots · 0 goals · ~0.57 xG
- Progressive passes: 77 (30.8% of passes)
- Spain
- 12 shots · 0 goals · ~0.49 xG
- Progressive passes: 162 (16.9% of passes)
Visual 1
xG Timeline
Neither side builds much combined xG (open play and set pieces together) across regulation and extra time (~0.57 vs ~0.49). Spain pass a lot, but the line stays low. No process-sample goals are recorded. This chart is not a verdict on the result.
The line adds xG when a shot is recorded. A flat stretch means no shot, not that nothing happened. This is not xT and not a possession-value chart. The line is not a verdict on the result.
No process-sample goals in this event file (shoot-out excluded).
How to read this
- Mark Spain’s higher shot count against Morocco’s slightly higher combined xG. Volume and quality are separate questions.
- A flat stretch means no shots, not no football. Possession without a shot will not move this line.
- The penalty shoot-out is stored as a separate slice in this file. Do not add those shot values to the open-play and extra-time xG.
Limitations
- xG describes historical shot types. It does not measure build-up quality before the shot.
- A goal marker would show when the ball entered the net. This match has none in the process sample.
- Shoot-out attempts are excluded from this line. A flat line beside high possession is not proof that nothing happened.
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Visual 2
Half vs half
Spain complete far more Progressive Passes in every half. Half-by-half combined xG still stays small for both teams. Extra time adds another low-xG slice. Event data has no distance run. This is not a fatigue table.
| Metric | Period 1 | Period 2 | Period 3–Period 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | Spain | Morocco | Spain | Morocco | Spain | |
| xG | 0.32 | 0.03 | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.32 |
| shots | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| Progressive passes | 40 | 65 | 21 | 44 | 16 | 53 |
| PPDA | — | 19.86 | 42† | 24.67† | 36.67† | 52† |
The table splits the same process by half: shots, xG, progressive passes. Event data has no distance run. This is not a fatigue table. Read shots and xG together. Then ask how much came from open play vs set pieces.
PPDA (teaching definition): opponent passes starting in their own half ÷ Tackle + Interception + Foul Committed by this team in the opponent’s half. A dash or † means the sample of defensive actions is empty or tiny — often a deep block, not a physical ranking. Do not read half changes as proven fatigue.
How to read this
- Spain’s progressive volume reflects ball control. Morocco’s share shows how often their completed passes advanced territory.
- Extra time is a separate process slice from regulation. Do not collapse it into one match total without naming the split.
- PPDA here is a teaching proxy. A thin denominator is too weak for a fitness ranking.
Limitations
- Half splits are still small samples. A thin xG swing is usually too weak for a structural law.
- PPDA here is a teaching proxy (see footnote). A missing or very high value often means a deep block, not a physical ranking.
- Event data has no distance run. Do not read a second-half change as proof of tiredness.
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Visual 3
Transition board
Recoveries are even (~68 vs ~69). Morocco’s positive rate is about 46% versus Spain’s 38%. Spain still own the territorial volume. These rates are not a verdict on the result.
Morocco
- Recoveries (possession starts)
- 68
- Positive transitions
- 31 (45.6%)
- Turnovers (possession ends)
- 69
- Negative transitions
- 15 (21.7%)
Spain
- Recoveries (possession starts)
- 69
- Positive transitions
- 26 (37.7%)
- Turnovers (possession ends)
- 68
- Negative transitions
- 18 (26.5%)
Recovery = new possession after the opponent had the ball. Turnover = that possession ends. Positive rate = share of recoveries followed within 10 seconds by a progressive pass or a shot. Negative rate = share of turnovers after which the opponent progressed or shot within 10 seconds. A higher negative rate means giving the ball away was more costly in this window. It is not a fitness ranking.
Window: 10s after recovery/turnover for a progressive pass or shot. Approximate event-data proxies — not tracking. They do not show how a team is set when possession is lost.
How to read this
- Positive transition rate: share of recoveries followed within 10 seconds by a Progressive Pass (~12 m forward) or a shot.
- Negative transition rate: share of turnovers after which the opponent progressed or shot within 10 seconds. Higher is more costly in this window.
- Winning the 10-second window is not the same as creating the larger shot process. Spain’s possession volume does not appear here as a shot advantage.
Limitations
- Recoveries and turnovers are inferred from StatsBomb possession changes. Restarts and fouls make the counts approximate.
- “Positive” only means a Progressive Pass or shot followed within 10 seconds. It is not proof of a planned counter-attack.
- Event data has no sprint distances and no continuous off-ball picture.
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Visual 4
Shot map
Neither side scored in regulation and extra time. Spain recorded more shots (~12 vs ~6) with similar combined xG. Read location with phase. Keep the shoot-out separate from this map’s match process.
How to read this
- Start with location and quality, not pass counts. A team can dominate circulation and still create few box chances.
- Compare Spain’s higher shot volume with Morocco’s fewer attempts. Similar combined xG totals remind you that volume and quality are different questions.
- The penalty shoot-out is stored as a separate slice in this file. Do not fold those high-xG attempts into this process map.
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Visual 5
Pass network
Spain’s network is dense and multi-node on far more completed passes. Morocco’s is lighter and more selective. Density measures combination frequency. It does not overturn a 0–0 by itself.
How to read this
- Look for hubs in Spain’s first and second lines. Heavy circulation behind a compact block is expected when central lanes stay closed.
- Morocco’s thinner network can still work if it protects rest-defence and enables selective progressive exits.
- Extra time and substitutions flatten phases into one average picture.
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Visual 6
Progressive passes
Spain record far more Progressive Passes in absolute terms (~162 vs ~77) because they complete far more passes overall. Morocco’s progressive share is higher (~31% vs ~17%). High progressive volume without goals is the sterile-control lesson.
How to read this
- Separate absolute progressive volume from progressive share. Spain’s volume reflects ball control. Morocco’s share shows how often their completed passes advanced territory.
- Trace end zones. Progression that dies outside the box is different from progression that feeds shot locations.
- A Progressive Pass is a completed pass with at least ~12 metres of forward gain on the StatsBomb x-axis. It is not Expected Threat (xT).
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Visual 7
Average positions
Average Positions summarise where on-ball actions clustered across 120 minutes. Spain’s picture usually sits higher. Morocco’s often reads as a deeper, compact block. Form a hypothesis, then test it on video.
How to read this
- A deeper Moroccan average block is consistent with absorbing pressure. It is not automatically negative football.
- Spain’s higher involvement height can indicate territorial dominance or repeated final-third entries. Check Heatmaps for density, not only point averages.
- Form a question about height of involvement, then verify on video. StarkPitch does not print a Field Tilt number on this page.
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Putting it together
A responsible short report should separate Spain’s possession and progressive volume from the modest combined-xG sample. Keep the shoot-out separate.
If you are following the Learn path, write five supported sentences from these visuals. Then note what still needs video.
Practice prompt
In 150–200 words: write one claim about Spain’s build-up volume versus chance quality, one claim about Morocco’s block or selective progression, and one limitation of reading a deep-block match from event data alone. Keep the shoot-out separate. Link each claim to a visual above.
Glossary
Concepts
Event data from StatsBomb’s public World Cup 2022 release. Coordinates use StatsBomb’s pitch model.