Eredivisie · 2025Sun, 24 Aug 2025, 14:45 UTCFull timeJohan Cruijff ArenAFull-time recap
20Full-time recap

This page describes the completed match context. The result is not presented as a prior forecast.

This match

Match statistics

MetricAFC AjaxHeracles Almelo
Shots27 shots/match3 shots/match
Shots on target10 shots/match0 shots/match
Expected goals2.75 xG/match0.18 xG/match
Possession66%34%
Corners10 corners/match1 corners/match
Fouls10 fouls/match15 fouls/match

Every shot

Shot map

Every recorded shot, placed where it was taken and sized by its expected-goals value. Each team attacks towards its own end of the pitch.

Wout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 6′ · 0.01 xG · off target or blockedAnton Gaaei · AFC Ajax · 54′ · 0.01 xG · off target or blockedTristan van Gilst · Heracles Almelo · 33′ · 0.03 xG · off target or blockedOwen Wijndal · AFC Ajax · 6′ · 0.04 xG · on targetLuka Kulenović · Heracles Almelo · 34′ · 0.04 xG · off target or blockedThomas Bruns · Heracles Almelo · 51′ · 0.04 xG · off target or blockedDavy Klaassen · AFC Ajax · 90′ · 0.04 xG · off target or blockedKian Fitz-Jim · AFC Ajax · 54′ · 0.05 xG · off target or blockedWout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 80′ · 0.05 xG · off target or blockedJan Žambůrek · Heracles Almelo · 43′ · 0.06 xG · off target or blockedOscar Gloukh · AFC Ajax · 9′ · 0.07 xG · on targetOscar Gloukh · AFC Ajax · 31′ · 0.07 xG · off target or blockedKian Fitz-Jim · AFC Ajax · 66′ · 0.07 xG · on targetSteven Berghuis · AFC Ajax · 48′ · 0.08 xG · off target or blockedWout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 53′ · 0.08 xG · off target or blockedRaúl Moro · AFC Ajax · 62′ · 0.08 xG · on targetSteven Berghuis · AFC Ajax · 62′ · 0.08 xG · on targetWout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 16′ · 0.09 xG · off target or blockedYouri Baas · AFC Ajax · 54′ · 0.10 xG · off target or blockedWout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 13′ · 0.11 xG · off target or blockedYouri Baas · AFC Ajax · 30′ · 0.11 xG · on targetKenneth Taylor · AFC Ajax · 46′ · 0.11 xG · off target or blockedSteven Berghuis · AFC Ajax · 48′ · 0.11 xG · off target or blockedDavy Klaassen · AFC Ajax · 72′ · 0.11 xG · off target or blockedSteven Berghuis · AFC Ajax · 4′ · 0.12 xG · off target or blockedSteven Berghuis · AFC Ajax · 31′ · 0.13 xG · goalWout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 61′ · 0.14 xG · off target or blockedOliver Valaker Edvardsen · AFC Ajax · 83′ · 0.16 xG · off target or blockedKenneth Taylor · AFC Ajax · 4′ · 0.17 xG · on targetWout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 87′ · 0.17 xG · goalOliver Valaker Edvardsen · AFC Ajax · 90′ · 0.34 xG · on target
  • off target
  • on target
  • goal
  • penalty
  • size = xG

AFC Ajax: 27 shots, 10 on target, 2.70 xG. Heracles Almelo: 4 shots, 0 on target, 0.17 xG.

How the match built

Expected-goals timeline

Expected goals accumulated minute by minute. Circles mark the goals that were actually scored.

01.530′HT90′Steven Berghuis · AFC Ajax · 31′Wout Weghorst · AFC Ajax · 87′

The step line is cumulative expected goals; circles mark goals. Final: AFC Ajax 2.70 xG · Heracles Almelo 0.17 xG.

30-second read

What the record shows

The clearest recorded pattern is: AFC Ajax's shot volume and the opposing shot-allowance context sit above their competition baselines. A second useful context is: AFC Ajax have recorded the higher season possession share. Limitation: At least one team has fewer than the configured season sample.

AFC Ajax show a distinct attacking-volume record

weak

AFC Ajax's shot volume and the opposing shot-allowance context sit above their competition baselines.

21.7 shots/matchShotsAFC Ajax · Heracles Almelo8.67 shots/match
Evidence and caveat

Comparison: Team shot volume is paired with the opponent's recorded shot allowance.

Window: season

MetricAFC AjaxHeracles AlmeloBaseline
Shots21.7 shots/match8.67 shots/match13.3 shots/match
Shots against9.67 shots/match23.3 shots/match15.2 shots/match

Caveat: Shot volume describes activity; it does not establish finishing quality or a match outcome.

The teams have contrasting possession records

weak

AFC Ajax have recorded the higher season possession share.

59.7%PossessionAFC Ajax · Heracles Almelo34.7%
Evidence and caveat

Comparison: The recorded possession gap is 25.0 percentage points.

Window: season

MetricAFC AjaxHeracles AlmeloBaseline
Possession59.7%34.7%48.2%

Caveat: Possession share does not show where possession occurred or how chances were created.

Metric comparison

Values, percentiles and samples

Where the edge is

AFC Ajax favored in 0 of 14 directional metrics · Heracles Almelo in 0 · 14 too close

2 goals/matchGoals scoredseason · 3/30.33 goals/match
0.67 goals/matchGoals allowedseason · 3/33.33 goals/match
2.1 xG/matchExpected goalsseason · 3/30.7 xG/match
0.63 xG/matchExpected goals allowedseason · 3/32.59 xG/match
21.7 shots/matchShotsseason · 3/38.67 shots/match
9.67 shots/matchShots allowedseason · 3/323.3 shots/match
9.33 shots/matchShots on targetseason · 3/33 shots/match
2.67 shots/matchShots on target allowedseason · 3/39.33 shots/match
59.7%Possessionseason · 3/334.7%
9 corners/matchCornersseason · 3/32.67 corners/match
5.67 corners/matchCorners allowedseason · 3/37 corners/match
Cardsseason · 0/0
10.3 fouls/matchFoulsseason · 3/313.3 fouls/match
Passesseason · 0/0
Pass accuracyseason · 0/0
Shots inside boxseason · 0/0
Blocked shotsseason · 0/0
Goalkeeper savesseason · 0/0
Offsidesseason · 0/0
67%Clean-sheet frequencyseason · 3/30%
100%Scoring frequencyseason · 3/333%

Style profile

How the teams compare

Competition percentiles describe recorded style; they do not rank likely outcomes.

Possession control

Relative share of recorded possession within the competition.

AFC Ajax82.1
Heracles Almelo3.6
0–100 competition percentile · coverage 100%

Attacking volume

Recorded shot and scoring volume, expressed as competition percentiles.

AFC Ajax85.7
Heracles Almelo8.3
0–100 competition percentile · coverage 100%

Defensive resistance

Lower recorded scoring and shot allowance produces a higher descriptive percentile.

AFC Ajax90.5
Heracles Almelo9.5
0–100 competition percentile · coverage 100%

Directness proxy

Shots per possession point; a descriptive transition/directness proxy, not an outcome score.

AFC Ajax96.4
Heracles Almelo32.1
0–100 competition percentile · coverage 100%

Physicality

Recorded fouls and cards relative to competition peers.

AFC Ajax35.7
Heracles Almelo75
0–100 competition percentile · coverage 50%

Set-piece relevance

Corner volume relative to competition peers.

AFC Ajax96.4
Heracles Almelo7.1
0–100 competition percentile · coverage 100%

Tempo and pressure proxy

Combined event-volume percentiles for shots, corners and fouls.

AFC Ajax79.5
Heracles Almelo25.9
0–100 competition percentile · coverage 100%

Recent form

Season, last 10 and last 5

Window

Last 5

3 / 3 matches
2 goals/matchGoals scored3/30.33 goals/match
0.67 goals/matchGoals allowed3/33.33 goals/match
2.1 xG/matchExpected goals3/30.7 xG/match
21.7 shots/matchShots3/38.67 shots/match
9.33 shots/matchShots on target3/33 shots/match
59.7%Possession3/334.7%
9 corners/matchCorners3/32.67 corners/match
Cards0/0
10.3 fouls/matchFouls3/313.3 fouls/match

Window

Last 10

3 / 3 matches
2 goals/matchGoals scored3/30.33 goals/match
0.67 goals/matchGoals allowed3/33.33 goals/match
2.1 xG/matchExpected goals3/30.7 xG/match
21.7 shots/matchShots3/38.67 shots/match
9.33 shots/matchShots on target3/33 shots/match
59.7%Possession3/334.7%
9 corners/matchCorners3/32.67 corners/match
Cards0/0
10.3 fouls/matchFouls3/313.3 fouls/match

Window

Season

3 / 3 matches
2 goals/matchGoals scored3/30.33 goals/match
0.67 goals/matchGoals allowed3/33.33 goals/match
2.1 xG/matchExpected goals3/30.7 xG/match
21.7 shots/matchShots3/38.67 shots/match
9.33 shots/matchShots on target3/33 shots/match
59.7%Possession3/334.7%
9 corners/matchCorners3/32.67 corners/match
Cards0/0
10.3 fouls/matchFouls3/313.3 fouls/match

Venue split

Home and away samples

Window

Home team at home / away team away

2 / 2 matches
Goals scored2/2
Goals allowed2/2
Expected goals2/2
Shots2/2
Shots on target2/2
Possession2/2
Corners2/2
Cards0/0
Fouls2/2

Schedule context

Rest and recent workload

7.19 daysRest before fixtureprevious completed fixtures · 1/17.86 days
1 matchesMatches in previous 14 daysprevious completed fixtures · 1/12 matches

Evidence quality

How much supports this analysis

Grade C · Limited evidencelimited
Season samples3 / 3home / away teams
Recent samples3 / 3last-five windows
FreshnessLess than one dayfrom nearest prior match
  • At least one team has fewer than the configured season sample.
  • At least one team has an incomplete last-five window.

Known unknowns

  • Lineups, injuries, suspensions and tactical changes are not available in the retained dataset.
  • Some metrics are unavailable or below their observation minimum: cards.
  • The completed-match sample is too small for broad style conclusions.
Analysis cutoff: Sun, 24 Aug 2025, 18:45 UTC · analysis-v4

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AFC Ajax vs Heracles Almelo — stats, xG & match recap | PitchMath