I always had the impression that small teams in La Liga fight hard until a win and tie is not possible anymore - but then do not care anymore as goal difference does not matter...
Tiebreakers: Head to Head vs Goal Difference. Which one is fairer?
- Thread starter SirAnderson
- Start date
What I don't like about goal difference is that freak results can get a big swing.
Sometimes being lucky to play teams with nothing to play for can give you extra goals near the end (and extra points).
Head to head clearly matters between two rivals if they are fighting for something.
I think head to head encourage more risks when 1-2 goals down too which can be fun.
Sometimes being lucky to play teams with nothing to play for can give you extra goals near the end (and extra points).
Head to head clearly matters between two rivals if they are fighting for something.
I think head to head encourage more risks when 1-2 goals down too which can be fun.
Does anyone remember goal average that was used from 1888-1976 and why it was replaced with goal difference?
How about total wins? Everyone can agree that a win > draw.
Is 3-1 > 1-0? Depends on who you ask.
Is 3-1 > 1-0? Depends on who you ask.
That's basically it. Gd encourages defensive football, closing up all the time. In Spain, losing 1 0 against a non direct rival is the same as 5 0, so teams try to attack when losing. Which more sometimes end in blowouts, but not always.
And when losing 2-0 against a non direct rival(big team) they tend to pack it in and focus on the next game
Depends on context.
For PL goal difference is better, as there are far more teams who can beat each other/more likely for the teams at the top to change.
In La Liga, where it's really Real v Barca for the title it sort of makes sense to have head to head. Also means more people are interested in those games.
For PL goal difference is better, as there are far more teams who can beat each other/more likely for the teams at the top to change.
In La Liga, where it's really Real v Barca for the title it sort of makes sense to have head to head. Also means more people are interested in those games.
H2H every single day of the week for who wins the Title, for European positions either.
Goal difference is much more accurate to a team's level IMO. A league is about the entire season, and incorporating as much of that work into the final result as possible is the best choice I think. The fact that it's not a factor in Spain is why you often see small teams at Camp Nou or Bernabeu still trying to score even though they are 4-0 down, because it doesn't really matter to their position if they concede again, whereas in the Premiership the extra goals scored or conceded might mean the difference between 17th and 18th position, safety or relegation.
Still better than teams parking the bus while 2 0 down.
My issue with head to head, is that you might concede a fluke goal while chasing the game that ends up hurting you at the end of the season.
For instance, you might put your centre back up front while chasing a game-or even your keeper up for corners. If the opposition score, then suddenly you are chasing a two goal deficit in the return match, rather than just a 6 pointer.
For instance, you might put your centre back up front while chasing a game-or even your keeper up for corners. If the opposition score, then suddenly you are chasing a two goal deficit in the return match, rather than just a 6 pointer.