GIL Vicente let control slip as Maritimo strike late

GIL Vicente looked in control for most of the match, but could not turn that advantage into a second goal. Murilo put them ahead in the seventh minute, and the hosts finished with 60 per cent possession and 19 shots. Maritimo needed only 10 shots, yet Israel Ayuma equalised in the 90th minute for a 1-1 draw.

GIL Vicente started with the clearer attacking shape and quickly found the breakthrough. Murilo scored in the seventh minute, assisted by Gil Pinto Martins, giving the hosts a lead that matched their early control. The first half ended 1-0, with GIL Vicente able to keep Maritimo from turning possession into regular danger. The second half became a test of whether GIL Vicente could protect its advantage. The home team held 60 per cent of the ball and produced 19 shots, but only four were on target. Maritimo made its first change at half-time, then introduced Maurice Osei Boakye and Israel Ayuma in the 67th minute. Those changes eventually paid off. Ayuma, assisted by Boakye, scored in the 90th minute and changed the result from a narrow home win to a draw.

Murilo’s goal gave GIL Vicente the platform they wanted. It came in the seventh minute, with Gil Pinto Martins providing the assist. Murilo finished the match with four shots, although only one was on target. Gil Pinto Martins added two key passes and completed 32 of 36 passes, so the opening goal came from a pair who remained important to the home side’s attacking work. Maritimo’s response arrived only at the end, but it was not an isolated individual effort. Maurice Osei Boakye came on in the 67th minute and supplied the assist for Israel Ayuma’s goal. Ayuma had entered at the same time and needed 23 minutes to score. His only shot was on target, and it was enough to cancel out GIL Vicente’s lead. The late goal left the hosts with the stronger overall numbers but only one point.

GIL Vicente did plenty right in possession. Their 60 per cent share was ranked third across their six matches compared, and it stood 6.67 percentage points above their average of 53.33 per cent. They completed 454 of 505 passes, while Diogo Ferreira Prioste completed 59 of 60 passes and David Moreira completed 66 of 72. That gave the home side a stable base from which to build. The attacking volume was also real. GIL Vicente’s 19 shots were their second-highest total across those six matches, five above their average of 14. They had 11 shots from inside the box, also ranked second, but only four shots on target. That total ranked third and was just above their average of 3.83. Maritimo’s goalkeeper made three saves, while Lucão made two. The contrast is clear: GIL Vicente reached promising areas, but their accuracy did not match their control. Their four corners were close to their average of 3.67, and their nine fouls were their lowest figure in the comparison.

Maritimo spent much of the match without the ball, holding 40 per cent possession. That was five percentage points below their average of 45 per cent and ranked fourth across their seven matches compared. Their 10 shots were also below their average of 10.43, while seven came from inside the box against an average of 7.43. Three shots were on target, their lowest ranking in the comparison, where they stood fifth. Yet Maritimo stayed close enough for a late chance to matter. Fran Vieites made three saves, helping keep the deficit at one, while Romain Correia made three interceptions and completed 43 of 48 passes. Maritimo’s three corners matched their average, and their 13 fouls were below their average of 15.43. The substitutions gave the visitors more attacking involvement late on. Boakye assisted after entering in the 67th minute, and Ayuma scored after joining him. Maritimo did not control the match, but they kept the score within reach until the decisive moment.

Murilo was GIL Vicente’s clearest standout. He rated 7.98 against his own season rating of 6.55, a difference of 1.43. He scored the opening goal, won four of six duels and completed two successful dribbles from four attempts. Gil Pinto Martins also rose above his usual level, rating 7.55 against an average of 6.75. His assist, two key passes and 32 completed passes from 36 made him central to the goal and the attacking supply. Other home performances were solidly positive. David Moreira rated 7.31 against 6.29, while Ricardo Esgaio rated 7.42 against 6.72 and made six tackles. Santi García was 0.40 above his average, although Héctor Hernández rated 6.33 against 6.70. For Maritimo, Ayuma’s 7.99 was 1.46 above his season rating of 6.53, and his one shot produced the equaliser. Boakye rated 6.93 against 6.48 and supplied the assist. The visitors also saw Martín Tejón fall to 5.99 against 7.01, while Raphael Guzzo rated 6.18 against 6.74.

The match statistics support GIL Vicente’s feeling that the draw was not a fair reflection of the balance of play. They had 60 per cent possession, 19 shots and 11 shots inside the box, compared with Maritimo’s 40 per cent, 10 shots and seven efforts inside the box. The home side also forced three goalkeeper saves, while Maritimo made Lucão make two. The market view was even stronger before the result was settled. Its recorded probability for a draw was 0.967, and the actual outcome was a draw. That makes the result agree with the market, but the shot and possession figures point towards GIL Vicente having the stronger performance. The useful distinction is between earning control and converting it. GIL Vicente did the first, but Maritimo’s late accuracy decided the second.

GIL Vicente leave the match with evidence that their structure can control a game. Their possession was 6.67 percentage points above their average, and their 19 shots were five above their average. The problem is that the lead remained one goal deep until the closing minutes, despite 11 shots inside the box. The four shots on target show where control became less convincing. Maritimo can take confidence from a different kind of response. Their possession and shot totals were both below their usual figures, but the changes made in the 67th minute produced the equaliser. Ayuma scored after 23 minutes on the pitch, while Boakye assisted after the same spell. For GIL Vicente, the late substitutions came at the 71st, 84th and 88th minutes while the score was still 1-0. The next reading of both teams will depend on three details: - Whether GIL Vicente can turn 19 shots and 11 inside-box efforts into more than one goal. - Whether their shots on target rise above four after a match with 60 per cent possession. - Whether Maritimo’s late substitutes can again change a match after entering in the 67th minute.