With a high-tempo pressing game now the ideal across a world that continues to ‘get smaller’, there can never be any guarantees in football betting.
Regardless, the standards set by the greats of every league’s yesteryears will always stick in the mind of the new generation, and this can potentially make life as a football punter much easier.
For some, utilising existing knowledge of a league’s reputation for championing a specific style of play is a go-to method when placing bets.
Combining this knowledge with the form table, the more experienced football betting aficionado will back a team to honour their league’s ‘traditional’ style via betting in niche markets, such as ‘over/under X goals’ and ‘both teams to score’.
England: Premier League
Today, the keyword in the Premier League is ‘fitness’. Though Sir Alex Ferguson is unmatched by any other in terms of silverware, the arrival of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in October 1996 was a key watershed moment.
The Frenchman was the first among his Premier League peers to openly instil rigid, meticulous dietary programs. With unmatched fitness, Arsenal won the PL title for the first time in 1998, and other clubs attempted to follow suit as the new millennium approached.
With all five PL entrants in the 2017/18 Champions League surviving the group stage, there is no doubt that England’s top flight is the total package these days.
At peak fitness, players are able to honour the modern convention of quickfire counter-attacking and high pressing throughout the ninety minutes.
2018/19 title favourites Manchester City operated in such a way to gain a record 100 points in the Premier League, while Liverpool did likewise in the Champions League, scoring 5+ in matches with disquieting regularity.
That noted, players in the Premier League are only human, and great exertions can only come at the cost of defensive integrity. This is particularly true of teams that have finished outside the ‘top six’ in the past two years.
Countless times, unassuming teams have taken the lead at places like Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, and found themselves in two minds whether to attack and kill the game or sit back and prepare for the inevitable counter-attacks that will fly their way.
Top Tip For Betting On The Premier League
The in-play market is a potential goldmine. Take a look at home teams that were massively favoured by bookmakers before kickoff.
If any of them are trailing by a single goal to a team in the bottom half of the table with ten minutes to go, they will have exceptionally long odds against them winning. The underdog team leading will be increasingly fraught and tired – then is the time to strike!
Spain: La Liga
Compared to the Premier League, the Spanish top flight has a reputation for a slower pace on the pitch, with a greater emphasis on passing and playing from the back.
‘Technique’ is the byword, and the Spanish philosophy is that having exceptional ball control will starve the opposition of possession and frustrate them. In turn, this can only lead to more chances, with the team in possession turning their opponents’ passion against them.
While ‘Tiki-Taka’ football is not the force it was ten years ago, when Spain won Euro 2008 through that approach, it still has relevance today. Generally, this means that there are fewer crosses played in a La Liga game than anywhere else in the ‘top’ leagues of Europe.
In the modern La Liga, players like Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale use their uncanny abilities to drift inwards from an advanced wide position and become makeshift strikers within seconds.
Both men are set to remain vital components of their respective clubs, both of which, as ever, occupy the top two places in next season's LaLiga betting markets.
As evidenced by Real Madrid’s trio of Champions League trophies between 2016 and 2018, this can be exceptionally difficult to play against.
Last season, three Spanish teams (the others being Sevilla and Barcelona) reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and together they averaged exactly two goals across their six home knockout ties.
In practice, this means that the ‘over/under’ goals market can be a great investment whenever a Spanish team plays at home in a European game.
Top Tip For Betting On La Liga
It's often best to look outside the box, here. High corner count, low card count. LaLiga games never want for passion, but a patient approach – compared to the ‘get the ball at all costs’ mentality of the English game – can only see fewer cards on average.
Germany: Bundesliga
While German teams (including the national side) now also have many players with the perfect blend of flair, technique and toughness, there is also much more room for team spirit.
Undoubtedly, a strong psyche in the dressing room, where many would assert the game is won and lost before the first whistle, is crucial if teams are to live up to the expectation for ‘German efficiency’.
In the Bundesliga, wasting a pass is a crime against nature, and if one teammate makes a mistake, another is expected to step in.
Every player knows their role, and no other team embodies this to greater effect than current champions and this season's favourites Bayern Munich.
Robert Lewandowski, for instance, has been the primary goal outlet. He scores, and that is all he does. Thomas Muller, the ‘number ten’, creates the through-ball for Lewandowski – and nothing else.
Off the pitch, responsible ticket pricing ensures that the passion of future generations is as strong as ever.
Certainly, compared to the Premier League, there is a relatively greater focus on fans as a priority over corporate attendees, and fan power can be a great weapon in the Bundesliga.
It is, perhaps, a worry that only Bayern Munich survived the group stage of last season’s Champions League. Nonetheless, the production of talent in Germany is steady, and the next breakout star is never far away.
Top Tip For Betting On The Bundesliga
With efficiency comes an adherence to certain game plans. For instance, some German teams will focus on wearing down the opposition and striking late, thereby making efficient use of their stamina.
For that reason, Bundesliga bettors may want to look at markets relating to goal time, especially the odds for a certain team scoring after the 75-minute mark.
Italy: Serie A
Italian football is often stereotyped as cautious and low-scoring. With the influx of foreign talent, not to mention the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, it is now a stereotype that seems like more of a joke than a justification for betting in a certain way.
Nonetheless, players grown in Italy will always respect their national heroes of yesteryear and thus will always turn to dogged defending and efficient tackling and hold-up play if the situation demands.
Though financially powerful teams like Juventus and Napoli will score for fun, Serie A still has a place for defensive football, and the lesser teams of the league will honour this when faced with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala or Dries Mertens.
With the evolution in training regimes across Europe, physical strength is more of an asset than ever, and Italian football is no exception. With the physical strength of Serie A midfields increasing year by year, there may be a shift towards employing players in the final third for specific roles.
For instance, a striker with a physical presence and good hold-up play may become more of a requirement over the next couple of seasons.
From a betting perspective, this should make the markets relating to first (or last) goalscorer, and the over/under market of particular interest in 2018/19.
Top Tip For Betting On Serie A
Consider backing a match between two top teams to produce under 1.5 goals, especially if both teams have a lot to lose.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
