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Tie hard: Europe's draw specialists

Five European clubs have tied 50% or more of their league games this season; UEFA.com does a whistle-stop tour of the continent to meet the sides who top the drawing board.

Tie hard: Europe's draw specialists ©Fedja Krvavac

BHZ: NK Čelik Zenica
P19 D11 – draw ratio: 57.9%
Eighth in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Premier League at the winter break, Čelik's autumn was an exhausting one with 19 league games and three more in the cup. The nation's clubs all agreed to compress more action into the first half of the season in order to give the national team extra time in the spring to prepare for their FIFA World Cup finals debut. For Nizah Hukić's side, that has meant tired legs – and a lot of draws. However, the coach said: "Knowing the reason for this marathon, we are happy to put in the extra effort. The players found it tough, but they endured."

GER: 1. FC Nürnberg
P20 D11 – draw ratio: 55%
Nürnberg failed to win a match in the autumn, recording 11 draws in their 17 German Bundesliga outings, and notably letting slip a 3-0 lead against Hannover 96, conceding three times – including two in the final three minutes – to draw 3-3. During the winter recess, coach Gertjan Verbeek told his team draws were no longer positive results. "We want to learn systems whereby we can play for a win, even from the 75th minute and later," said the Dutchman, whose side have since gone on to win two of their three top-flight fixtures in 2014.

FRA: Montpellier Herault SC
P24 D13 – draw ratio: 54.2%
Montpellier's unusually high number of draws this term has barely brought a raised eyebrow in the traditionally low-scoring Ligue 1, where Stade Brestois 29 and AJ Auxerre have had similar statistics at this stage of recent seasons. MHSC are battling against relegation, but have moved up from 17th to 14th since coach Rolland Courbis took over from Jean Fernandez, who left on 10 December. "I'm neither Zorro nor a wizard," the 60-year-old said. "We will see how the results go in a few weeks."

ARM: FC Banants
P14 D7 – draw ratio: 50%
One of two Armenian Premier League clubs to have drawn half of their games in the autumn, according to Proud Eagles coach Zsolt Hornyák his charges have only played badly once all season – in a 1-0 loss to Ulisses FC – but maybe lack that killer instinct, having tied five of their matches 0-0. "We have created a new team with a lot of potential but we need time to understand each other," the Slovak said. "We were ahead in a lot of games. We found that we need a top-class goalscorer."

ARM: FC Mika
P14 D7 – draw ratio: 50%
Based in Armenia's capital Yerevan, Mika's problems have been fairly similar to those of their neighbours Banants; the two sides went into the break with identical records (W4 D7 L3), with Mika coach Aram Voskanyan hoping that more points will follow as his troops get used to each other. "We do not have much experience and that means that we lack consistency," said the former Armenia striker, 38. "We have a lot of desire to win but there is also a lack of experience and nous."

Bubbling under
RUS: FC Krylya Sovetov Samara
P19 D9 – draw ratio: 47.4%

RUS: FC Rubin Kazan
P19 D9 – draw ratio: 47.4%

MNE: FK Dečić
P17 D8 – draw ratio: 47.1%

ENG: West Bromwich Albion FC
P26 D12 – draw ratio: 46.2%

SUI: FC Basel 1893
P20 D9 – draw ratio: 45%

 

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