Across Europe’s top 5 leagues, Sampdoria and Atletico Madrid lead the way in scoring from set plays. Atleti are top of the pile with 8 goals from 7 games in 2014/15; Samp second with 5 in 6 games[1]. Both have received criticism for failing to be more productive from open play but both have had strong starts to the season thanks in large part to their ability to generate wins and rescue draws through set plays. Like a man with numb testicles working on a spreadsheet, both excel with dead balls.

The Facts

Whilst the raw goals scored figures alone give an indication of the efficiency these teams have shown in converting corners and free kicks (direct and indirect) into goals, it may be useful to put them in some statistical context.

Of all the goals scored by all the teams in the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1in the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons (to 5 October 2014), 21.03% were scored from set plays. Atletico’s haul of 8 set piece goals (which doesn’t of course include Raúl García’s header from Koke’s corner in the first leg of the Super Cup against Real Madrid) is not only double any other team’s tally in La Liga but also accounts for a sizeable 66.66% of all the league goals they have scored this season. Sampdoria’s reliance on set pieces is even greater, accounting for 71.43% of their total league goals. Both percentages are way above average. Not only have these teams converted more set pieces than anyone else so far this season, they are also more dependent upon such goals.

Looking back on 2013/14, it is apparent that neither team is an early-season wonder this time around. Both were outscored by only one other team from dead balls in their respective leagues. Samp racked up 17 in Serie A, 35.42% of their total goal tally (again way above average). They were only trumped by Juve (19 goals) who obviously scored loads more in total (32) than the Doriani.

Atleti meanwhile totted up 18 goals from set plays in La Liga, 23.38% of their total goals (a smidge over average). Atleti were joint second in the dead ball scoring charts with Real Madrid and Sevilla, and everyone was pipped by Athletic Bilbao (19 goals). Whilst Atleti scored frequently from set pieces, as a proportion of their overall goal tally they were less reliant on set pieces last year than Sevilla, Athletic and Levante[2]. They also had the handy knack of scoring very important goals from set pieces in tight games (Diego Godin’s title-winning headed equaliser against Barcelona the prime example).

So, fine. Both Sampdoria and Atletico Madrid are good at set pieces and both have been heavily dependent upon them this season for goals and league points. For Samp this is a continuing theme from last season, for Los Rojiblancos there is an increased emphasis in 2014/15. All of which raises three questions:

What makes these teams so good from dead balls? Is this impressive or is over-reliance a bad thing? Are they equally effective at defending set pieces?

What makes these teams so good from dead balls?

All of Atleti’s set piece goals this season have been from crosses (corners and free kicks (both wide and centrally)). They haven’t scored a single direct free kick or indirect free kick resulting in a long range shot (although see Gabi’s absolute screamer last season in the Madrid derby). Their success is built upon high quality deliveries from Koke (wide free kicks and corners) and Gabi (central free kicks and corners), great movement, complete understanding and hard practice. Koke’s crosses in particular are astounding – highly accurate balls whipped in with his right foot at pace into dangerous areas where space has been created by intelligent movement. All 5 of his La Liga assists this season have been set piece crosses.

Sampdoria are more effective from direct free kicks. Manolo Gabbiadini is particularly productive having already scored two direct free kicks (although his effort to win the Genoa derby was more a viciously delivered cross than an attempt on goal). They also vary their takers a little more than Atleti (although they can no longer utilise Renan Garcia’s penchant for long rangers this season, the Brazilian having moved to Al Nasr). Angelo Palombo and, when on the field Nenad Krsticic and Gianluca Sansone, are both more than useful with a dead ball. Krsticic’s corners create particular trouble and, whilst not as devastating as Koke’s deliveries, have led to two goals already this season.

It is obviously impossible not to write about these teams without mentioning the two enigmatic club legends who coach them. Most teams reflect the personalities of their coaches, with these teams this is maybe exaggerated. For Diego Simeone football is about being as effective as possible with the players at his disposal. It’s about achieving results through organisation, hard work and training. Atleti have players of great skill (Arda Turan, Koke, Antoinne Griezemann) but it’s about the value of the team being greater than the sum of its parts. It is therefore not surprising that Atleti seek to squeeze every last drop of potential out of every game situation.

Atleti are therefore incredibly inventive with their set plays. The intricacy of their free kick routine against Sevilla was widely heralded as a masterpiece. A free kick in a central location floated deep in to the penalty box by Gabi, nodded back away from goal by Arda Turan to Miranda to volley across the area to the back post where Saúl was arriving to head in. It was, not to exaggerate, amazing (although Miranda’s volley was probably intended for Godin).

But maybe better still was Atleti’s remake of Javier Zanetti’s goal for Argentina against England in the second round of the World Cup in 1998 (Argentina of course captained by Simeone) in their 2-1 Champions League group stage win against Porto last season. With the role of Juan Sebastián Verón played masterfully by Gabi and Turan bettering Zanetti in his portrayal of the goalscorer (a cleaner first touch). The only thing missing was the genuinely distracting dummy run (but, hey, it wasn’t needed).

For Atleti their centre backs, Miranda and Godin, are also key thanks to their intelligent movement and obvious aerial threat. Both have scored already this season but Miranda has been prolific (in the same way Godin was at the tail end of last season). As well as the assist for Saúl mentioned above, the Brazilian has notched up 3 goals in La Liga all from Koke crosses.

With Samp, it is no surprise at all that one of the great free kick specialists (and Mihajlovic still has it – last season he took €50 apiece from Palombo & Enzo Maresco in a free kick competition after training) would demand equal dedication to dead ball practice and technique development from his players. Samp are less inventive than Atleti, although they did manage to score against Verona from a corner last season as Gabbiadini rolled the ball in to the box, ricocheting it off the referees legs in to the path of the onrushing Renan to finish. It appeared to be unintentional but, then again, this is Serie A.

Another aspect of Mihajlovic’s playing style and character may also, counter-intuitively, help Samp out. To understate it, Mihajlovic was a fiery player, physical and often ill-disciplined. His team shares this trait (they garnered the most red cards in Serie A last season – 10). It is distinctly possible that their rough approach encourages opponents to fight fire with fire. No team was fouled more times per game last season than Samp and no team has been fouled more this season either. So if Samp win more fouls they have more opportunity to convert dead balls with well-honed set plays. Just a theory. It could also be that Stefano Okaka, Gabbiadini, Éder and Roberto Soriano are adept at drawing these fouls through skill.

Finally, both Samp and Atleti may also have benefitted from defences suffering early season jitters, even more so when defences contain new signings, yet to acquire the organisational wherewithal to withstand well-drilled set plays.

Is this impressive or is over-reliance on dead balls a bad thing?

Both. Or neither. Or it depends on your view of how football should be played. If you consider set piece goals to be inferior to goals from open play (2006 to 2012 era Jogi Löw stylee), then criticism is probably appealing[3]. There are however many ways to win a game of football and whilst both of these teams have been outstanding in their use of dead balls, it makes the average club look professionally negligent in failing to capitalise in the same way.

Over reliance on set pieces is often seen as indicative of a lack of creativity, invention, fluidity or understanding between players in open play and it is commonly held that teams who are reliant in this way will not be able to pick up points from set pieces all season. It is difficult however to see Samp’s reliance on set pieces dipping below last season’s level: same coach for the most part, same players for the most part too. But Atleti are learning a new way of playing (or at least tweaking, modifying their approach to account for the loss of Diego Costa to Chelsea). They are, to use a phrase aimed consistently at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur this season, a work in progress. For them it is great that they have a pragmatic plan B, a route to goal that is likely to present itself in any game, therefore always giving them a chance[4].

Simeone has defended his team’s recent reliance on set plays saying “I’m not worried about winning from strategic goals because it’s part of the game” and “in order to have corners you have to attack”. All of which is completely fair enough. It will be interesting to see however whether this remains a major part of their game this season or whether their dead ball success reverts to last season’s level eventually.

Are they equally effective at defending set pieces?

The sides have performed an interesting role reversal in this regard. Last season Atletico were basically impermeable (until the last minute of the last game of course) and very strong indeed at defending set pieces. Their organisation, height and physical strength all contributed to this. This season they have shown a peculiar weakness from corners (Valencia and, in Europe, Olympiakos have both taken advantage of this). This may be due to the loss of Thibaut Courtois in goal. The young goalkeeper is commanding on crosses but also a proficient organiser and communicator with his team mates. He became so good for Atletico that he no doubt inspired confidence in his defence (this may also have had a psychological impact on attackers). This is not to disrespect Moyá but he is no Courtois. It is difficult to envisage a ball getting in to the 6 yard box as it did in Atletico’s last game against Valencia without being dealt with by the Belgian.

On the contrary, Sampdoria consistently conceded from corners last season. Often (Juve, Atalanta, Inter) crosses were floated into the box and went basically unchallenged. Attackers freely roaming the Samp box amidst blue statues. This appears to have been a systemic failing, down possibly to an unfamiliar marking system. It was a problem that Mihajlovic was unable to cure as Samp’s vulnerability was exposed time and again throughout the season. This time around something appears to have changed – Sampdoria are yet to concede from a set piece at all (indeed they have only conceded two goals in seven games, a formidably strong record albeit they haven’t yet been truly tested by a top Serie A opponent.

Irresistible force versus immovable object

So, to wrap up, a final question: how would Samp’s new found defensive resilience from set pieces fare against Atleti’s free-scoring dead ball antics? The teams met in pre-season helpfully enough – Atleti won 2-0 and, drum-roll….scored from a corner. Of course they flipping did.

[1] West Ham United have also been fantastically productive from set plays this season (5 goals, half their tally from the whole of 2013/14) however they have played an additional game to Samp and have also scored more goals through other means thereby reducing their reliance on dead balls).

[2] Interestingly Levante were the team who relied most on set pieces in last season’s La Liga (31.43% of their goals) but have failed to score from a single set piece in 7 games this season, something which has possibly contributed to their poor early form.

[3] As an aside, all of Barcelona’s 18 league goals this season have been scored from open play, itself astonishing.

[4] Borussia Dortmund are often criticised for not having a Plan B but last season they notched a hefty 24 league goals from set pieces. There’s more to them than the high intensity press.