Most soccer leagues and competitions are based on home and away matches. Meaning, head to head. But, what is head to head in soccer, really? How does it work?
This is what you are going to find out in this article.
- What is Head to Head in soccer?
- How does head to head work?
- Is Champions League based on head to head only?
- Why do teams win home matches more than away matches?
- Final Thoughts
What is Head To Head In Soccer?
In soccer, Head to head is the process of playing two direct confrontations against another team in a competition. Those two confrontations are also known as the first and second leg. Both teams play home and away and the final result will only be determined at the end of both confrontations.
How Does head-to-head work?
The head-to-head process is very simple. During a competition like the UCL for instance, during the group stages or knock-out stages, each team confronts the other twice, except in the final.
So, team A has to confront team B twice. This consists of two games of 90 minutes each and both teams have a home and away match.
It doesn’t matter who wins the first game(first leg) as the final result depends on the second game(second leg).
In the event of a tie in the final result, this can be (0-0, 1-1, 2-2, etc), there will be an extra time of 30 minutes and if no one is able to take the lead, there will be a penalty session.
Note that there are other essential factors such as an away goal, which is a great advantage for the team playing away.
Is Champions League Based On Head To Head Only?
Yes, absolutely. As we just saw in the previous section of this article, Champions League is composed of group stages and knock-out stages.
Each group stage consists of four teams and each team has six confrontations to go.
During those six confrontations, each team plays three matches at home and three matches away.
Only the two teams who finish on top of the group are allowed to move on to the next round, the knock out stage.
During the knock out stage, the process is the same… Until the UCL Final, which is a match of 90 minutes in a neutral stadium.
Why Do Teams Win Home Matches More Than Away Matches?
From its early stages to the global phenomenon of our century, soccer has changed profoundly.
But, if the lawns are greener and the rules sharper, if the technology invites itself and the pro players exist, a certainty remains. As on the first day, in search of victory one is better at either.
Why do we win most often at home?
Most teams score more points at home than away, this is a fact.
There are three main reasons:
1. Fans’ support.
The passion of the fans who sing the fervour and scream their hero’s name, and push the team to a form of transcendence. It is the power of the 12th man that makes exertion less painful and fatigue less tangible. It is a valuable source of motivation, also capable of intimidating the opposing team with a deafening uproar and influencing events.
2. Playing at home.
While the adversary undertakes a long and arduous journey sometimes and must spend the night at a hotel away from his family.
Playing at home is to reap the benefits of the habit.
Finding your locker room, your seat, and your jersey is a comfort that makes it easier to prepare for a match.
3. The referee.
In the Premier League, for instance, the study of Ryan Boyko showed that the crowd has such an impact on the referee’s decisions that it can be measured at 0.1 goals for every 10,000 spectators, and it is more evident in a penalty situation.
That’s not all, Thomas Dohmen in the Economic Inquiry also states that the capacity of an audience influenced the decisions of the referee and the crowd’s proximity to the field is related to the quality of refereeing.
Also read=> What is a skill in soccer?
Final Thoughts
Head to head in soccer is more and more exciting as a team can lose the first leg and still hope to qualify in the second leg.
What’s even more exciting is that it gives both teams the opportunity to play at home, on their pitch and in front of their fans.
But while our football is less and less localized, and every day globalized, is this advantage doomed to disappear?
Do you have any questions? maybe you would love to share some ideas, feel free to leave them in the comment section below.
