Do Huddersfield Town have an advantage in the Championship play-off final?

Play-off finals are notoriously tight and nervy affairs. Huddersfield Town's ability at set-pieces could settle the affair and win them promotion to the Premier League

After two enthralling ties, the Championship play-off final is set. Carlos Corberan’s Huddersfield Town will meet Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest at Wembley on Sunday, May 29 as they fight it out for a place in the Premier League.

Forest needed penalties to defeat Paul Heckingbottom’s Sheffield United side, after the Blades out on an excellent performance at the City Ground to win 2-1 on the night and take the tie all the way. Meanwhile, Huddersfield won in normal time, picking up a 1-0 victory at home on Monday night and a 2-1 aggregate win over Luton Town. 

The manner of Jordan Rhodes’ winning goal was something that summed up the Terriers this season. The 32-year-old finished at the back post after a Sorba Thomas free-kick found the Championship veteran ahead of his marker. The fact that the goal came from a set-piece would not have come as a surprise to those who have paid much attention to the Championship this season, as they have been a regular source of goals for the Yorkshire side throughout. 

In fact, only Millwall have had a higher proportion of their goals come through set-pieces. The Terriers scored a total of 60 goals in the league this season, with 20 of those being classed as set-piece goals. That means that a total of 31.25% of their total goals have been from set-piece situations. That’s just 4.65% fewer than Millwall and perhaps importantly, 10.7% higher than their opponents in the final, Forest. 

Cooper’s side have scored nine more goals than Huddersfield but they have the stronger individual attackers, as shown by Brennan Johnson hitting 16 goals in the regular season and two more in the play-offs thus far, with Lewis Grabban also breaking double figures. Huddersfield have only one player - Danny Ward (14 goals) - who has managed at least ten goals. Corberan appears to have recognised that his side don’t have outstanding individuals in the league. Therefore set-pieces - where clever routines, good delivery, and players good at attacking crosses can thrive - are one of the areas his side can gain an advantage.

Without their outstanding performance from set-pieces, the Terriers wouldn’t have made the play-offs. In fact, last season they only finished two places above the relegation zone. Now that they have made it all the way to the Championship play-off final, it wouldn’t be surprising to it be settled by a clever routine such as the one which won the semi-final. Considering how tense play-off finals can be, their skill in dead-ball situations may be an advantage for Huddersfield. 

The Terriers finished above Huddersfield in the league, but due to their attacking talents - particularly Johnson and Djed Spence on the right - Forest will come into the game as the favourites. Corberan will likely try to keep the game tight and compact the field so that those two players won’t have space in behind to run into, where they can thrive. If they can successfully manage that, the most dangerous situations in the game will likely be when Thomas is standing over a corner or a free-kick. Without Huddersfield’s set-piece ability, it might be difficult to imagine how they can record a victory over Forest. However, their not so secret weapon means they have more than a fighting chance to win promotion to the Premier League for only the second time in the club's history.