Europa Conference League stats dive: alternative stars of Matchday 4

UEFA.com has a treasure trove of statistics covering many aspects of play to enhance the UEFA Europa Conference League, Europe's newest club competition.

In this piece presented by Swissquote, we sift through the Matchday 4 data to see who earned top billing across a number of match-defining metrics.

Most passes completed

102: Jordy Clasie (AZ)
82: Shahar Piven (Maccabi Tel-Aviv)
81: Luis Hernandez (Maccabi Tel-Aviv)
80: Bruno Martins Indi (AZ)
79: Pantelis Hatzidiakos (AZ)
76: Sven Kums (Gent)

Stylish playmaker Jordy Clasie illuminated the 2-0 win at home to CFR Cluj that extended AZ's lead at the head of Group D, meaning Luis Hernandez is now ousted as the player with the second-most completed passes in a single game across the group stage. The Maccabi centre-back, who also finished 20 passes clear of his nearest rival in the table when he topped the pile on Matchday 2, was only eclipsed by team-mate Shahar Piven as a symbol of the control the Group A leaders exerted during their 3-0 victory at home to HJK. Bruno Martins Indi features for the third match out of four and is joined by accomplice Pantelis Hatzidiakos for the first time since Matchday 1, while Sven Kums appears for the first time after helping Gent maintain their lead in Group B courtesy of a 1-1 draw against Partizan.

Crosses completed

6: Benjamin Bourigeaud (Rennes)
5: Jan Krob (Jablonec)
5: Lovro Majer (Rennes)
4: Christopher Trimmel (Union Berlin)
4: Maximilian Wittek (Vitesse)
4: Yan Vorogovskiy (Kairat)

Rennes dominated possession as they stayed top of Group G with a late victory at home to Mura, midfielders Benjamin Bourigeaud and Lovro Majer ensuring the supply lines flowed for the French side, who have had the most attempts on goal of any team during this season's competition. Matchday 3's foremost crosser Jan Krob equalled Majer as Jablonec earned a potentially vital 2-2 draw at Randers in Group D, while Maximilian Wittek returns to the list for the first time since Matchday 1 after he became the only player across the four matchdays to complete ten deliveries.

Balls recovered

16: Andrei Burcă (CFR Cluj)
15: Macky Bagnack (Kairat)
15: Taron Voskanyan (Alashkert)
13: Hyunseok Hong (LASK)
12: Maksim Medvedev (Qarabağ)

Appearing in the top five for the first time, versatile defender Andrei Burcă achieved the most ball recoveries of any player in a match during the current campaign as CFR Cluj lost 2-0 at AZ. Despite also figuring in defeats on Matchday 4, Macky Bagnack and Taron Voskanyan put in performances that have only been matched by one player in this category this season. There was a better scoreline for fellow newcomer Hyunseok Hong, who energetically starred in a 2-0 success for LASK over Voskanyan's Alashkert, while Maksim Medvedev returns for the first time since he topped the list on Matchday 1, driving Qarabağ to an outright lead at the Group H summit.

Clearances

11: Brede Moe (Bodø/Glimt)
10: Marius Lode (Bodø/Glimt)
9: Igor Vujačić (Partizan)
9: Jaroslav Zelený (Jablonec)
9: Maksim Medvedev (Qarabağ)
9: Vladislav Kryuchkov (Alashkert)

Only an 84th-minute Roma equaliser denied visitors Bodø/Glimt a repeat of their Matchday 3 victory over the Italian outfit, and Brede Moe and Marius Lode's ample experience – the pair have each surpassed 100 appearances for the club – shone as they thwarted opponents who had significantly more shots during the match. All six stars are leading this category for the first time this term, with Partizan, Jablonec and Qarabağ all being rewarded with a point or three thanks to their dependable defenders.

Most saves

9: Assaf Tzur (Anorthosis)
7: David Yurchenko (Alashkert)
7: Shakhrudin Magomedaliyev (Qarabağ)
6: Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord)
6: Matko Obradović (Mura)

No goalkeeper had produced more than seven saves on a single matchday until Assaf Tzur's heroics to help Anorthosis claim their second point of the campaign with a 2-2 draw at Flora. David Yurchenko makes the list for the first time this season for a commendable showing as Alashkert spent much of their defeat at LASK defending, and Shakhrudin Magomedaliyev also makes his maiden entry having kept Kairat at bay for long spells as Qarabağ won via goals from both their shots on target. Justin Bijlow's excellent display means Feyenoord are on the brink of qualification for the knockout phase, while Matko Obradović has now made six saves to earn his place among the top stoppers on three of the four matchdays.