Crusaders vs Ballymena United: match statistics
Crusaders vs Ballymena United: form, goals and key statistics
Key match information
Crusaders play Ballymena United in NIFL Premiership (Northern Ireland). The match date is 25 April 2026 at 16:00. Final score: 3:2.
Current form
Crusaders: 3-1-1, 2.00 points/match. Ballymena United: 1-2-2, 1.00 points/match.
Goal statistics
Crusaders scores 1.26 and concedes 2.13 goals per match. Ballymena United scores 1.21 and concedes 1.53. League average: 2.94 goals.
BTTS / Over / Under
BTTS: Crusaders 50%, Ballymena United 55%. Over 2.5: Crusaders 63%, Ballymena United 47%. League level: BTTS 52%, Over 2.5 56%.
xG, shots and style
Crusaders has higher xG: 1.25 vs 1.17. Crusaders: 9.7 shots per match, Ballymena United: 9.2.
Match halves
Crusaders: half-time lead 32%, second-half goals 0.58. Ballymena United: half-time lead 18%, second-half goals 0.76.
Goals by minute
Crusaders: 31-45+ (11 goals). Ballymena United: 61-75 (13 goals). This is historical distribution, not a predicted goal minute.
League context
NIFL Premiership: 2.94 goals per match, BTTS 52%, Over 2.5 56%.
Head-to-head
3 H2H matches: 0-2-1. Average goals 2.67, BTTS 67%.
Match description
Crusaders hold a slight edge based on form and chance creation: in the last 5 matches they have 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss (1.6 points per game), while Ballymena have 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss (1.2 pts/game). The home side’s creation metrics are superior — on average 3.94 shots on target and 10.5 attempts per game with xG 1.33, versus 3.06 on target and 8.78 attempts and xG 1.08 for the visitors. Crusaders’ defence, however, looks weaker: they concede on average 2.00 goals per home match (79 goals conceded this season), while Ballymena concede 1.67 goals away; both teams have only an 11% clean sheet rate, so goals are likely. Additionally, Crusaders fail to score in 44% of home games versus 33% for Ballymena, indicating offensive inconsistency despite better creation. Considering the higher xG and superior recent form of the hosts, but with clear defensive issues, I give a narrow edge to Crusaders and expect an open, high-scoring match.
Half-by-half
Match statistics
Pre-match profile— what do the season numbers say?
This is a team profile based on season data and form. Match-flow statistics are shown only after the fixture is played.
Team stats— who is more efficient?
Attack and defence comparison for both teams in the current season.
Shooting quality
| Crusaders | Ballymena United | |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy (shots on target) | 36% | 34% |
| Chance quality (xG per shot) | 0.13 | 0.13 |
| Finishing (goals per shot on target) | 0.37 | 0.38 |
xG per shot around 0.08 usually means long-range attempts; 0.15+ usually means box chances. The style label comes from possession, shot volume and conversion.
* xG (expected goals) says how many goals a team should score from its chances. If actual goals are above xG, finishing is above average; if below xG, chances are being missed.
Team form— who is in better shape?
Last five matches and season record, overall and split by home and away matches.
Crusaders is 100% better for: last-5 form.
2 pts / match - Crusaders · 1 pts / match - Ballymena United
Goals— how do both teams score and concede?
How many goals both teams score and concede, plus how often they keep a clean sheet or fail to score.
Ballymena United is 39% better for: goals conceded per match.
2.13 goals / match - Crusaders · 1.53 goals / match - Ballymena United
Crusaders scores in 63% of matches (24 of 38 matches), while Ballymena United keeps a clean sheet in 18% (7 of 38 matches).
Ballymena United scores in 71% of matches (27 of 38 matches), while Crusaders keeps a clean sheet in 16% (6 of 38 matches).
How often they score at least...
How often they concede at least...
* Statistics include both teams' home and away matches in the current season.
Both teams scored (BTTS)— how often do both teams score?
How often both teams' matches have goals on both sides, compared with the league average.
Goal patterns
BTTS and goal count
Goal count (Over/Under)— how often do these matches cross the goal lines?
How often matches involving these teams clear goal thresholds, in the full match and in each half.
Full match - team comparison (Over)
Over / Under — Crusaders
Over / Under — Ballymena United
1st half
2nd half
Match halves— when do the teams score more often?
How teams split performance between first and second half: goals, points, clean sheets and half-time state.
Crusaders is 19% better for: first-half form (half-time points).
1.13 pts / match - Crusaders · 0.95 pts / match - Ballymena United
Before half-time (1st half)
After half-time (2nd half)
Crusaders - second-half results
Leads at half-time in 32% of matches and wins 26%. Usually protects the lead until full-time.
Concedes 0.5 more goals per match after half-time - defensive level drops in the second half.
Ballymena United - second-half results
Leads at half-time in 18% of matches and wins 26%. Also wins matches without a half-time lead.
Defence stays stable across the full match.
| 1st half | 2nd half | |
|---|---|---|
| Points per match | 1.40 | 1.80 |
| Goals scored / match | 1.4 | 0.6 |
| Goals conceded / match | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Average goals in match | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| 1 goal | 80% | 100% |
| 2 goals | 60% | 20% |
| 3 goals | 60% | 20% |
| Clean sheet | 40% | 60% |
| No goal | 40% | 40% |
| Goal difference | +3 | -2 |
| 1st half | 2nd half | |
|---|---|---|
| Points per match | 1.00 | 1.60 |
| Goals scored / match | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| Goals conceded / match | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Average goals in match | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| 1 goal | 80% | 80% |
| 2 goals | 40% | 40% |
| 3 goals | 20% | 20% |
| Clean sheet | 40% | 40% |
| No goal | 40% | 40% |
| Goal difference | -2 | +1 |
* Colours in tables show event frequency: green is common, yellow is moderate, red is rare. It is frequency, not a team rating.
Goals by minute— when do goals arrive?
Match phases in which both teams most often score and concede.
Most dangerous in minutes 31-45 (11 goli). Concedes most in 76-90 (24). Late-goal balance (76-90): -17 - late phases are a weakness.
Most dangerous in minutes 61-75 (13 goli). Concedes most in 76-90 (14). Late-goal balance (76-90): -6 - late phases are a weakness.
* Buckets 31-45 and 76-90 include added-time goals.
Additional team indicators— what do xG, efficiency and form show?
A comparison of chance quality, results and trends based on completed matches from the current season.
Match profile
Crusaders
Ballymena United
* The estimated goal total and split, BTTS estimate, 0:0 risk and goal range are calculated from public season averages and frequencies for both teams. This is a statistical match profile, not a private model prediction or betting pick. The remaining indicators describe completed matches from the season.
League context— is this a high-scoring league?
How both teams compare with league-wide averages (NIFL Premiership).
Teams vs league
| Crusaders | Liga | Ballymena United | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average goals in match | ▲ 3.39 | 2.94 | ▼ 2.74 |
| Both teams scored | ▼ 50% | 52% | ▲ 55% |
| Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5) | ▲ 63% | 56% | ▼ 47% |
| Clean sheets | ▼ 16% | 26% | ▼ 18% |
| Goal before half-time | ▲ 82% | 76% | ▲ 79% |
| Goal after half-time | ▲ 87% | 80% | ▲ 82% |
^ green = above league average, ˇ red = below league average. This shows direction of the gap, not a team rating.
Head-to-head
Recent meetings (3): Crusaders 0 - 2 - 1 Ballymena United. Average goals 2.67, both teams scored in 67% matches.
FAQ
What was the result of Crusaders vs Ballymena United?
The NIFL Premiership match finished Crusaders 3:2 Ballymena United. Full match statistics, the half-by-half breakdown and head-to-head are on this page.
What is the head-to-head record between Crusaders and Ballymena United?
In the last 3 head-to-head matches Crusaders won 0, Ballymena United won 1 and 2 ended level. These games averaged 2.67 goals, with both teams scoring in 67% of them.
What do the goal statistics show before Crusaders vs Ballymena United?
Crusaders score 1.26 goals per game on average and Ballymena United 1.21. The NIFL Premiership average is 2.94 goals, with Over 2.5 landing in 56% of games. Both teams score in 50% of Crusaders's matches and 55% of Ballymena United's.
What form are Crusaders and Ballymena United in?
Over the last 5 games Crusaders have a 3-1-1 record (2.00 points per game) and Ballymena United 1-2-2 (1.00 points per game).
Where can I find a betting tip and analysis for Crusaders vs Ballymena United?
The statistical background for Crusaders vs Ballymena United — form, head-to-head, goals, BTTS and Over/Under — is on this page. The tip with full reasoning and a value assessment is in the NoFluffPicks app.