How FC Köln Are The Most Dangerous Team From Corners In Bundesliga – Set-Piece Analysis

FC Koln have become one of the stronger teams in the Bundesliga following the appointment of Steffen Baumgart in 2021. In his first season in charge of Koln, he helped them climb up to a seventh-place finish in the league, earning them a Europa Conference League spot. Halfway into the season now, Koln are sitting in the middle of the league table, although they are in danger of potentially falling into the relegation zone.

Koln have both one of the leakiest defences, but also an effective attack, which has allowed them to score more goals than every team in the league, outside of the ones competing in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League.

Part of what makes their attack so strong is their use of corner kicks, where they have accumulated 5.57 xG, more than any other team in the Bundesliga. Koln have had 91 corners this season, and while it is a figure near the top end of the league, their xG total, which they have amassed from 40 attempts, means that they create a higher xG per shot value over any other team, meaning the quality of shots created is high. However, their corners arent always the most accurate, as they make first contact only 44% of the time.

In this tactical analysis, we will delve into the tactics FC Koln uses when attacking corners, examining how they have created so many high-quality chances from them. This set-piece analysis will look at the different methods theyve used when attacking corners and how effective theyve been.

Use Of Anchors

The biggest reason why FC Koln have been able to create so many high xG opportunities is down to a method which can be called Anchoring. This is the result when an attacking player plants himself in between the goal and the defender, almost like a screen, but creating space for himself rather than a teammate. This action is usually performed just as the kick is about to be taken, so there is no time for the defender to get back into the correct position.

When a player anchors, they create a clear opening between themself and the goal, meaning that should a cross be played into them, the attacker will have a clear shot on goal from their position. The image below shows Dietz positioning himself between the goal and the defender, having arrived there only after the kick was taken.

Its important to note that this sort of routine only works when the corner is delivered with precise accuracy. The corner must come over the zonal marker at the front of the six-yard box and instantly drop towards the players head. In addition, if the delivery is played too far from the goal, it may be cleared by a defender, whilst the corner cant be played too close to the goal, as the attackers bodyweight is leaning away from the goal, blocking the defender.

An attacker may not have time to adjust his body to attack the ball if it is played away from him. The attacker is like a beacon, an immovable object that stands firm, and gives the player a strong body core, from where he can drive the header into the back of the net accurately, like in the instance below.