Sould City 5 - 1 Ilforth

Key Events:

• 4' Yellow card to Ilforth Jose Cedeño
• 9' Yellow card to Sould City Souleymane Ba
• 12' Ilforth Jose Cedeño scores
• 30' Sould City Khadim Diakhate scores
• 43' Sould City Souleymane Ba scores, assisted by Rainer Müller
• 61' Sould City Gerrit Valk scores, assisted by Khadim Diakhate
• 69' Sould City Joaquim Lopes scores, assisted by Souleymane Ba
• 83' Sould City Rainer Müller scores

The visitors struck first through Jose Cedeño in the 12th minute, after both sides had already collected a yellow card. Khadim Diakhate levelled, and Souleymane Ba put Sould City ahead just before half-time, assisted by Rainer Müller. The second half brought three more home goals: Gerrit Valk and Joaquim Lopes converted assists from Khadim Diakhate and Souleymane Ba respectively, before Rainer Müller completed the 5-1 scoreline. The match began with a lead for Ilforth and ended with a rather less ambiguous distribution of goals.

The xG figures—2.6 for Sould City and 2.12 for Ilforth—suggest a contest that offered chances to both sides, not one that was expected to finish 5-1. Sould City scored 2.4 goals above its xG, while Ilforth scored 1.12 below its estimate. The hosts put nine of their 12 shots on target, compared with six from Ilforth, and converted their chances at an unusually high rate. With possession nearly even at 49%-51%, the decisive difference was not who held the ball for longer, but who turned their opportunities into goals.

For Ilforth, the early goal and a respectable 2.12 xG offered evidence of a side that created chances, even if the final return was limited to one. The visitors also edged possession and recorded more dribbles and tackles; those efforts were real, but the scoreboard is famously resistant to being persuaded by effort alone. Sould City, meanwhile, needed neither a territorial monopoly nor a large shot advantage to build a four-goal margin. Its more accurate shooting and sharp finishing did the decisive work, carrying the hosts from behind to a 5-1 win.