The match engine explained

The team ratings

• Defence rating per side: right, central and left.
• Midfield rating: how much of the match the team controls.
• Attack rating per side: where chances are created.

Controlling the match

The midfield rating is built from the whole team's playmaking. Central midfielders weigh heaviest, then wide midfielders, fullbacks, centre-backs, strikers and finally the goalkeeper with minimal influence. The team with the higher midfield rating gets a larger share of the chances.

Chances and finishing

A chance runs through side, build-up, shot and save. The attacker's pace and technique are set against the defender's defending and pace, then finishing or heading is judged against the keeper's shot stopping.

Set pieces

The player with the highest set piece attribute takes free kicks and corners, with mental strength as the tiebreaker. Heading decides a lot inside the box.

Stats and ratings

Every player gets stats for touches, key passes, goals, assists, tackles, shots on and off target, fouls and free kicks won. The match rating is calculated from those numbers.