Sports events around the world are under heavy pressure from the spreading coronavirus. Several football matches in Europe will be played behind closed doors in the coming week. A death blow to football. As the well-known statement goes ‘ Football without fans is nothing’ and we fully agree with that.
And therefore without live sporting events to participate in, most of the audiences draw entertainment from alternative sources such as the dewapoker. But the fun and excitement that live sports event offers is nothing to be found in online games.
Cricket, Football, Tennis: How Coronavirus Has Affected Sporting Events Across The World?
For the home playing clubs, the absence of supporters is extra disadvantageous. Here is the reason why.
The paid football matches in North Brabant have already been canceled this weekend. It is a measure that the KNVB prefers instead of completing matches without an audience. There is a chance that several matches from the Eredivisie and the Kitchen Champion Division will not be able to proceed due to the coronavirus in the coming weeks.
Top posters like Paris Saint-Germain – Borussia Dortmund, Juventus – Lyon, Barcelona – Napoli and Bayern Munich against Chelsea will all be finished without an audience in the coming days. It is an eyesore for Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola. The Spanish success trainer understands better than anyone that football is played for the supporters. He prefers to see as many games as possible postponed, as he made clear at the press conference in the run-up to the duel with Arsenal.
The supporters of Valencia made the most of it on Tuesday evening. Before the Champions League game with Atalanta, they gathered in large numbers for the Mestalla to give the team support.
The support of a swirling mass in a stadium is something elusive. Players get a kick when a heaving crowd starts to sing and jump. That feeling cannot be expressed in percentage or figures, but there is indeed a connection between the home advantage and the chance of winning that yields.
Why do teams perform better in their own stadium? The field, ball and weather conditions are the same for both teams. Nevertheless, there are a number of factors that ensure that a team has a greater chance of winning on trusted land. Several studies confirm this statement.
We explain the home portion on the basis of three elements.
The impact of the stadium and supporters
This obviously sounds very obvious: if you play in-house, the vast majority of the stadium is filled with supporters who try to help you win the match. In press conferences prior to home games, trainers and players cannot emphasize often enough how important the support of their supporters is in their own stadium. They are well aware that the atmosphere in the stadium can influence the result.
- A study shows that there is a correlation between greater mass density and better results. The more home supporters in the stadium, the more likely the home team is to win.
- With their singing and cheering, fans can create a hostile atmosphere. Footballers recognize that they feel intimidated in some stadiums as a result. It contributes to disrupting the morale of the visitors. They get the feeling that there is nothing to get.
- Referees are also sensitive to the atmosphere in a stadium. English, German and Turkish investigations show that umpires punish away team players more often than a home team player. It has not necessarily become fairer with the arrival of the VAR. The referees watch a screen, must decide in a split second and may also be influenced by the crowd present.
- Another important part of the home advantage in the field on which the game is played. The length and condition of the grass are tailored to the type of play of the home team. In the Eredivisie, the top teams want short-cut grass. These teams can then pass the ball around as quickly as possible.
- Smaller teams, therefore, do not care that the turf is in a somewhat worse condition when a top team comes to visit. A bumpy field does not help the better team get into the rhythm of their positional play. The underdog usually limits himself in this type of game to defending and playing the long ball. A perfect turf does not have the highest priority.
Psychological factors
The mental health of the current generation of footballers is becoming increasingly important. When you hear players talking about their matchday experiences, you can discover a number of trends.
The attention for the game increases every season. Fans are gaining more and more access to the players via social media and the most meaningless matches are being streamed via the internet. This automatically increases the pressure on the shoulders of the players. Every mistake can be magnified.
In the home games, the players naturally want to impress the coach, the family and friends who are in the stands and of course the loyal supporters. The familiar environment ensures higher motivation. They take to the field with a determined feeling.
In addition to the hostile atmosphere, the visiting team is also at a disadvantage because of the long travel distance, which can lead to fatigue.
Tactical factors
The trainer also adjusts his tactics for an away game. Usually, the teams take a somewhat more wait-and-see approach, to get an idea of how the home team plays. They don’t take too much risk in the opening phase.
The home team has the psychological advantage and seeks the attack faster. The home team usually tries to put pressure on the opponent early on. Enforce scoring opportunities. The incessant pressure must ultimately lead to the visiting team making mistakes.
Take into account the home advantage when betting
The impact of the home advantage has fallen slightly in recent years, yet it remains an important factor in determining the betting strategy. After all, home teams still score more goals, give away less and win on average about 50% of matches in their own stadium.
However, the actual benefit is difficult to measure because the leagues and tournaments are very different. Therefore, make sure that you take into account as many factors as possible that can lead to greater home advantage and look at the previous results of the match you want to bet on.
Chelsea became national champions in the 2016 / ’17 season, scoring twice or more that year in 63% of their home games. That means you can get a huge advantage if you play with an Asian handicap.
A trend that has started in the top competitions is that there is often a draw in the larger matches. The home advantage seems to disappear more into the background in those matches. So don’t be blind to the home advantage in a top match. Take the time for thorough research and make the right choice!