Seven key passes. Zero assists. One goal conceded. That was the afternoon for Mehdi Bounou, whose creative work went unrewarded as Koninklijke Sporting Hasselt fell 0-1 at home to K. Beerschot V.A. in the Challenger Pro League.
Bounou was the busiest creator on the pitch, threading seven passes that opened up sight of goal for his teammates. None of them landed. It is the kind of afternoon that will frustrate a forward more than any other: doing the hard part again and again, only for the finishing touch to go missing at the other end.
Efficient, but not enough
The numbers tell a mixed story. Bounou completed 25 of his 34 passes, a return that points to a player heavily involved in Hasselt's build-up and final-third moments rather than someone drifting on the fringes. He finished the match with a 6.5 rating, respectable for a player on the losing side, and a reflection of the chances he manufactured even as the scoreline refused to move his way.
Beerschot needed just the one goal to take the three points. For Hasselt, the frustration will be that their most incisive creator did his job well enough to have earned more than a defeat.
With seven key passes going to waste, the margins in this one were thin. Hasselt created, Beerschot converted, and that was the difference.