When it comes to football betting, people think of winning and goal bets mostly, and corner bets often remain in the background. In fact, corner bets are one of the most dynamic markets with countless exciting opportunities.
There are a few things to keep in mind when targeting corner markets. In this article, we will give you some tips and guidance to increase your performance in this highly strategic market.
Team & coaching tactics
Some teams approach certain matches differently. The coach may love to play a more attacking style at home in front of his home crowd, but when the meeting is away from home, the coach's attitude and tactics can change significantly. And this is by no means an exception to the rule - in fact, even the majority of coaches prefer to practice a more protective style in their away games, sit deep in their own half and try to be more compact. Each tactic can produce or prevent corners. You should also consider how good the teams are on the counter attack. Teams that manage to pass the game quickly from defense to attack fill up a lot more corners than teams that aren't so good at it.
Also, there are teams trying to get at the opponent's door with attacks through the middle, while others rely on the flanks to break through. Those who rely on wing attacks statistically reach far more corners. The fast wings are a clear sign that corners of this team can be expected. The logic behind this is very simple, with the attacks on the flanks the ball approaches much more often out of the line, although the clean situations are not that high. Attacking through the middle, the ball approaches the goal more often, but with a greater proportion of 100% situations.
Scenario for the match development
If you know at least a little about football, then you know that Manchester United is a much better team than Stoke City. However, sometimes during the so-called matches between strong and weak teams, it happens that the class team falls behind in the result. Say Manchester United lost to Stoke City 1-0. Once the underdog team leads, in over 90% of the cases, the pitch events are carried completely around the penalty area of the leading team and then it would be a great time to bet for Manchester United to reach the first 5, 7 or 9 corners. This type of bet is available at many bookmakers such as Efbet. A similar scenario is observed too often in matches between equal teams - when one scores a goal, it closes and hopes that the opponent will not be able to return the hit.
Forget about ranking
Statistics show that corners only score once in 10 games. This statistic shows that just because one team is ahead in the standings and has scored more goals does not necessarily mean that it fills more corners than a team from the bottom half of the table that obviously did not score as many goals. Don't make the mistake of betting on your favorite to fill more corners. It's just not always the case. The average number of goals per game and the average number of corners are two completely separate statistics that rarely have many points of contact with each other. Even a team like Barcelona, which owns the ball in more than 70% of the time in many matches, has had many occasions in which it has reached only 4 corners per game.
Top 4 teams vs Top 4 teams
If, as you look at the stats, you see that a top 4 team has very good cornerbacks at home and plays against a team that is also in the top 4 and has good cornerbacks as a guest, do not rush to place a bet. You are very likely to witness a cautious game in which both teams will not allow the opponent near their goal line, especially at the beginning of the first half. The same is true when the match has a big charge - a battle for survival or a place in Europe.
Corner form as host and guest
For reasons directly related to the first point of team and coaching strategies, always look not only at the average number of corners in the overall stats, but also look at the corners statistics in home and away matches. The overall stats for corners of one team may be very good, but it is possible that it may be inflated by home matches and, as a guest, they may not be as good.
Moments of pressure
Football analysts say it is usually the most aggressive approach at the end of the first half and especially at the end of the match. Keep this in mind if you want to bet on the exact time of cornering.
Greg Gordon's Strategy
Greg Gordon is a popular journalist who has written for publications such as the Financial Times and the Sunday Times, as well as he is a consultant to bookmakers and private clients. He specializes in analyzing football matches and says:
"One of my favorite live betting strategies is to bet on a lot of corners in matches where the pre-match favorite is actively seeking to level the score."
Just as what we told you about the pace of the match. But Gordon thinks it is better to bet on the total number of corners in such duels rather than who will be the first to reach a certain number of corner kicks.
Here are some of the conditions, according to Gordon, that need to be fulfilled for placing a bet:
- 1. Fast paced game with dramatic flank attacks.
- 2. Forwards and wings receive the ball at the side of the penalty area and not attempt to enter it without a ball.
- 3. Attack of the losing team (favorite) should be high-speed and furious against the dense defense of the opponent.
- 4. Noisy audiences close to the pitch and not separated from the track, as is often the case in Italy. In England and Spain, for example, fans are located right next to the pitch.
When to place a bet: About 55-60 minutes of the game. But if the goal is scored well before this stage of the match, you can make your bet even earlier, because goals usually change the tempo and style of play instantly.
Conclusion
Like all types of football betting, research, homework, time and effort are integral to success. If you try hard, corner bets can be one of the most lucrative betting options. Often even far more profitable than winner or goal bets.
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