It is difficult to quantify the importance of the fact that soccer matches are currently played behind closed doors and not with stadiums overflowing, but there is no doubt that there is data that shows that, at least, emptiness influences.
Proof of this is what happened this Thursday when of the 16 first leg matches of the round of 32 of the Europa League there were only 3 local wins. A fact that is very striking considering that in the first leg matches of this same round in last season’s edition, just before the explosion of the damn coronavirus, there were up to 9. Triple, well.
It should be noted, however, that the data may have part of the simple configuration of the qualifying rounds when dealing with different teams, but the existing difference is evident enough to assert that playing behind closed doors and not with the public is noticeable.
The ‘field factor’ has been lost. Or the less the effect has been mitigated. Because it is clear that, although without their fans, the local can have a certain advantage by playing at home, if only by being used to it and by keeping the players in their routines without displacement. But the bonus that people do not have.
3 of 16 against 9 of 16 of a Europa League to another. And if we broaden our focus to Champions League, we see that of the 4 first leg matches of the round of 16 played this week there was only 1 local win. Last year, 4 of 8.
Dynamo Kiev 1-1 Bruges
Krasnodar 2-3 Dinamo Zagreb
Red Star 2-2 Milan
Olympiacos 4-2 PSV
R. Society 0-4 Manchester United
Slavia Prague 0-0 Leicester
Braga 0-2 Rome
Wolfsberger 1-4 Tottenham
Young boys 4-3 Bayer Leverkusen
grenade 2-0 Naples
Lille 1-2 Ajax
Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-2 Shakhtar
Mold 3-3 Hoffenheim
RB Salzburg 0-2 Villarreal
Antwerp 3-4 Rangers
Benfica 1-1 Arsenal
Cluj 1-1 Seville
Bruges 1-1 Manchester United
Frankfurt 4-1 RB Salzburg
Copenhagen 1-1 Celtic
Getafe 2-0 Ajax
Ludogorets 0-2 Inter
Shakhtar 2-1 Benfica
Sporting Portugal 3-1 Basaksehir
APOEL Nicosia 0-3 Basel
AZ 1-1 LASK Linz
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Porto
Olympiacos 0-1 Arsenal
Rangers 3-2 Briefs
Rome 1-0 Gent
Wolfsburg 2-1 Malmo
Wolverhampton 4-0 Espanyol
