Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Motherwell v St. Johnstone

Saturday 2 January 2027, 15:00 · Fir Park · Round 22

Forecast

MotherwellSt. Johnstone
Expected goals1.750.94
Win56%20%
Expected Points1.920.83
Clean sheet39%17%

Motherwell 56%Draw 25%St. Johnstone 20%

Most likely score 1–1, 12%. Both sides score 51%.

St. Johnstone goalsMotherwell goals0123456+0123456+7%6%3%5%2%5%1%6%6%3%3%2%1%11%12%10%10%

From the forecast as it stood on 18 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page. How the forecasts work.

Form

Motherwell

  1. L2–317 OctKilmarnock (A)xG 3.37–1.64
  2. L0–211 OctCeltic (H)xG 1.10–2.85
  3. L1–219 SepDundee FC (A)xG 1.10–1.38
  4. L0–415 SepAberdeen (H)xG 0.85–0.90
  5. L0–15 SepRangers (A)xG 0.70–4.29
  6. W3–02 SepDundee United (H)xG 2.39–0.16

St. Johnstone

  1. D1–117 OctDundee United (H)xG 1.29–1.02
  2. W1–011 OctAberdeen (A)xG 1.10–1.23
  3. D1–119 SepFalkirk (H)xG 0.94–1.29
  4. L0–19 SepCeltic (H)xG 0.69–1.80
  5. W2–16 SepHibernian (H)xG 2.32–1.61
  6. D1–12 SepDundee FC (A)xG 1.08–2.07

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

MotherwellSt. Johnstone
Position10th5th
Played99
Won, drawn, lost2–⁠2–⁠53–⁠3–⁠3
Points8 (0.89 per game)12 (1.33 per game)
Expected Points per game1.401.21
Goals11–⁠1611–⁠11
xG per game1.71–⁠1.851.32–⁠1.52
Home: points, xG per game1.00, 1.40–⁠1.111.60, 1.45–⁠1.33
Away: points, xG per game0.80, 1.96–⁠2.431.00, 1.16–⁠1.77
ManagerAlfred Johansson (9)Simo Valakari (40)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

0.51.01.52.02.5League average 1.35AttackMotherwell1.33, 4thSt. Johnstone1.08, 12thDefence (lower is better)Motherwell1.32, 5thSt. Johnstone1.52, 10th

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctMotherwell attack: 1.33St. Johnstone attack: 1.081.331.08St. JohnstoneMotherwellDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctMotherwell defence: 1.32St. Johnstone defence: 1.521.521.32

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

MotherwellSt. Johnstone
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play+23%+3%−26%average
Counter-attacks+12%+74%−50%−11%
Set pieces−48%−11%−18%+1%
Penalties+14%+71%+71%−43%
Headers−41%−13%−17%+29%
Left side−39%−14%−14%+7%
Centre+9%+1%−18%−10%
Right side+49%+40%−58%+5%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't.

Matchups

Motherwell attacking

Motherwell createdSt. Johnstone concededLeft side−39%+5%Centre+9%−10%Right side+49%+7%Open play+23%averageCounter-attacks+12%−11%Set pieces−48%+1%Headers−41%+29%

St. Johnstone attacking

St. Johnstone createdMotherwell concededLeft side−14%+40%Centre−18%+1%Right side−58%−14%Open play−26%+3%Counter-attacks−50%+74%Set pieces−18%−11%Headers−17%−13%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

MotherwellSt. Johnstone

1.71xG1.32
1.85xG against1.52
57%Possession46%
14.2Shots10.0
16.3Shots against14.0
4.7Shots on target3.6
2.6Big chances2.2
24.9Touches in the opposition box18.2
561Passes432
87%Pass accuracy79%
4.9Corners3.3
59%Field tilt49%
50.8Final-third entries39.7
14.1Box entries10.9
14.8Passes per defensive action18.3

Per league match this season before kick-off. Field tilt, entries, and passes per defensive action cover 8 and 8 of those matches.

Game state this season

Motherwell

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level352.001.50
Ahead152.331.42
Behind401.232.32

St. Johnstone

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level441.631.53
Ahead250.841.58
Behind211.251.44

xG by period

Motherwell

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.290.211–3
16–300.420.303–1
31–450.280.252–5
46–600.270.441–4
61–750.240.292–1
76–900.200.362–2

St. Johnstone

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.150.141–1
16–300.250.183–1
31–450.260.291–2
46–600.330.282–4
61–750.130.201–1
76–900.200.433–2

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

Motherwell

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTPaulsen 9Sparrow 9Girdwood-Rei… 4Girdwood-ReichKnight-Lebel 3O'Donnell 2Moormann 9Longelo 8Williams 1Fadinger 9Priestman 2Hodge 6Levitt 1Maswanhise 5Vogt 3Kanga 1Lowry 5Charles-Cook 3Booth 1Said 5Longelo 1Houlden 1Houlden 3Maswanhise 2Said 14-2-3-1 in 6 of 9 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (6), 4-4-2 (2), 4-2-2-2 (1)

St. Johnstone

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTSteward 9Smith 6Todd 3Mitchell 6Finlayson 3Diabate 8Foulds 1Alić 7Foulds 2McAlear 8Stanton 1Holt 9Stanton 5Campbell 2Steven 1Cotterill 3Paton 2Gullan 2Steven 4Paton 3Gullan 2Fowler 8Gullan 14-2-3-1 in 5 of 9 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (5), 4-4-2 (2), 3-4-2-1 (1), 4-3-3 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

DateHomeAwayxG
26 April 2025Motherwell3–2St. JohnstonexG 2.03–1.84
25 January 2025St. Johnstone2–1MotherwellxG 1.50–1.22
9 November 2024Motherwell2–1St. JohnstonexG 1.44–1.18
31 August 2024St. Johnstone1–2MotherwellxG 0.74–0.89
19 May 2024Motherwell1–2St. JohnstonexG 2.48–1.82
27 January 2024St. Johnstone1–1MotherwellxG 0.82–0.87

18 league meetings since 2020/21: Motherwell won 6, St. Johnstone won 6, and 6 were drawn. Goals 23–24 and xG 1.08–1.22 per game.

Key players

Motherwell

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Maswanhise7581120.530.15
Lowry7602310.300.23
Longelo9746000.070.28
Said6533100.160.18

St. Johnstone

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Fowler8603610.570.05
Paton5452100.420.05
Alić7630110.070.18
Stanton7627010.090.05

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.