Sport Boys and Atletico Grau played out a goalless draw at the Estadio Miguel Grau del Callao, a result that the underlying data suggests was a fair outcome despite a slight advantage in possession for the visitors. With a combined thirteen shots and three saves for each goalkeeper, neither side could find a decisive edge in the final third. The Lemeister model had narrowly favoured a home win at 35 per cent probability, making the draw a slightly less likely but ultimately accurate reflection of the contest.
The lack of goals was the defining feature of the match, and the numbers explain why both defences emerged intact. Sport Boys registered seven total shots and three on target, a tally matched exactly by Atletico Grau. Expected goals are not available in the data, but the shot locations offer a useful proxy: Atletico Grau had five of their six shots from inside the penalty area, suggesting they created the clearer chances, yet managed only three efforts on goal. Sport Boys, by contrast, attempted five shots from outside the box, which typically yield lower conversion rates.
Possession was evenly split in practice, with Atletico Grau holding a slight 52 per cent to 48 per cent advantage. That edge translated into a more controlled passing game: the visitors completed 277 of their 381 passes at a 73 per cent accuracy rate, while Sport Boys managed 226 accurate passes from 354 attempts at 64 per cent. The difference in passing precision, however, did not produce a meaningful attacking advantage, as both sides managed just two shots inside the box for Sport Boys and five for Atletico Grau. Corner kicks were also scarce, with Sport Boys earning two to Atletico Grau’s one.
Discipline became a factor in the second half, with four yellow cards issued in total. Jesús Barco of Sport Boys was booked in the 64th minute, the first of the afternoon. Atletico Grau then received three cautions: Rodrigo Tapia in the 66th minute, Rafael Guarderas in the 80th, and Piero Vivanco deep into stoppage time at the 95th minute. The away side’s physical approach, reflected in their three yellow cards, did not ultimately derail their defensive structure, as Sport Boys were unable to capitalise on any set-piece opportunities from the free kicks that followed these fouls.
The goalkeepers were both required to work. With each side recording three saves, the shot-stoppers were called into action on every shot that tested them. For Sport Boys, the three saves kept the score level despite Atletico Grau’s greater penetration inside the box, while the visiting goalkeeper denied the home side’s three efforts on target. Substitutions were made, with Sport Boys using five changes and Atletico Grau three, but none of the substitutes made a material impact on the scoreline.
In the context of the Clausura table, the draw moves both teams on to the next round of fixtures without a win in this encounter. For Sport Boys, the result is a missed opportunity given the Lemeister model’s slight favouritism, but they will take encouragement from a clean sheet. Atletico Grau will be the more satisfied party, having navigated a potentially tricky away fixture with a disciplined defensive display, even if the attacking output lacked the final product to claim all three points.
