World Cup 2026 xG story · 23 June
England let Ghana off the hook in a 0–0 draw the xG tilted hard
England did almost everything but score. Ghana earned the clean sheet with stubborn defending, but the chance quality made this a lopsided stalemate rather than a balanced deadlock.
- Score: England 0–0 Ghana
- xG: England 1.36–0.17 Ghana
- xPts: England 2.33, Ghana 0.40
- Points swing: England Δ -1.33, Ghana Δ +0.60
Quick answers
- Who won England vs Ghana?
- England and Ghana drew 0–0. The xG was England 1.36, Ghana 0.17.
- What was the xG in England vs Ghana?
- England finished with 1.36 xG and Ghana with 0.17 xG.
- Was England 0–0 Ghana fair by xG?
- England created the better chances — 1.36–0.17 xG, an edge of 1.19. But it finished 0–0, England unable to convert the better chances. In expected points, England earned 2.33 and Ghana 0.40 from this game; the actual return was 1 and 1 (Δ -1.33 for England, +0.60 for Ghana).
Why the draw flatters Ghana
A point each looks tidy in the group table, but the match underneath was not that even. England kept Ghana away from the clearer openings and built enough pressure to make the goalless draw feel like two points dropped. Ghana's resilience mattered, but the expected-goals ledger says England were the side denied by the scoreboard.
What the expected goals say
England created the better chances — 1.36–0.17 xG, an edge of 1.19. But it finished 0–0, England unable to convert the better chances. In expected points, England earned 2.33 and Ghana 0.40 from this game; the actual return was 1 and 1 (Δ -1.33 for England, +0.60 for Ghana).
How each side fared
England were wasteful in front of goal — just 0 from 1.36 xG, and conceded about what their defending deserved (0 from 0.17 xGA). On balance their result return trailed the chances (Δ -1.33).
Ghana were about on script in attack — 0 from 0.17 xG, and well protected at the back, conceding 0 from 1.36 xGA faced. On balance a fortunate return — more than the chances merited (Δ +0.60).
What it means for the tournament luck table
See the full England vs Ghana xG breakdown, the England luck tracker and Ghana luck tracker, or put it in context against the biggest xG robberies, the unluckiest teams and the overperformers of the World Cup 2026.