Mamelodi Sundowns dominated the Tshwane derby statistics but SuperSport United stuck to the game plan
Percy Tau works his way through the SuperSport defence
The Tshwane derby finished in a draw for the first time in five years as Mamelodi Sundowns needed to rescue a 1-1 result against SuperSport United, and we break down the game in numbers. Report: Sundowns rescue Tshwane derby draw First-Half If matches were won on statistics, Sundowns would have wrapped up the game by half-time, with the Brazilians dominating in almost all areas of the pitch. And while the numbers make for impressive reading for Downs, it is what you do with the ball that matters most. For SuperSport, that meant implementing a more tactical approach to the game, with Matsatsantsa lining up deep and playing more transitional football, catching their opponents on the counter, and to good effect. From front to back, the Absa Premiership leaders overshadowed their neighbours, enjoying 58% of the possession and making the ball work for them with an 87% passing success rate. Pitso Mosimane's men also registered seven shots at goal compared to United's four while getting 15 deliveries into the area as SuperSport hung on. However, the only statistic Eric Tinkler would have cared about at the break was the scoreline, which saw Matsatsantsa lead their rivals 1-0 thanks to Thabo Mnyamane's first league goal of the season after just 11 minutes, proving SuperSport's first goal against Downs since 2015. One shot on target, one goal for United. Second-Half The opening 15 minutes of the second half proved all Sundowns, who started peppering Ronwen Williams' goal with efforts, forcing the goalkeeper into two sublime saves from the Brazilians' ninth and 10th shots of the match after only 60 minutes. Percy Tau proved the cog that turned all of Sundowns' wheels, with 51% of the team's attack coming through the forward, who also produced over 30% of the team's overall shots at goal. The pressure eventually proved too much for SuperSport as Sundowns finally made one of their 446 passes count, with Tau receiving a delivery inside the area before touching past two markers and arrowing into the bottom corner after 78 minutes. However, the match would finish 1-1 as Sundowns ultimately fell short of their clinical best, creating just three real chances through the game and managing only 25% of their 16 shots on target, with SuperSport enjoying a 38% ratio on target from half the number of chances. Top performers in numbers: Shots: Percy Tau (4) Passes: Themba Zwane (72) Successful Passes: Themba Zwane (60) Balls won: Motjeka Madisha (15)
