How previews are made

Where the data comes from

The desk holds a database of fixtures, results and match statistics for the competitions we cover. For every match it assembles a brief: this season's results with shots, expected goals, possession, corners and cards; half-time and full-time scores; head-to-head history; the table with home and away splits; the most-used players; injuries and lineups as reported; and market prices averaged across sources. Previous seasons are shown as context only and never counted in a rate, a record or a streak.

What the model does

The model reads the brief and writes the preview: form, tactics, the key duels, the numbers that matter, the ways the match could go, and one clear call with a confidence rating. Player news from the database is treated as a lead to verify: the model checks it against official club and league channels and reputable outlets before stating it, and names a sample for every rate it cites.

The model does not invent charts or statistics. A block with no data is left out; a missing chart is fine, a made-up one is not.

What the desk checks

Every preview must satisfy a published content contract before it is stored: block structure, evidence citations for every market lean, scenario likelihoods that sum to 100, one safer and one riskier lean, length limits, and search fields that name the teams. A preview that fails is refused, and the refusal reason goes back to the model for a rewrite. Previews that pass go live automatically.

A second gate refuses boilerplate: FAQ answers must carry the match's own figures and team names, scenarios may not repeat each other, and the summary must name a team.

How a preview changes

Previews are refreshed on a schedule tied to kick-off: once a day between one and two days out, every three hours inside the final day, and one mandatory pass 60 to 90 minutes before kick-off for the team sheets. A change in kick-off, fixture status, lineups, injuries or a market moving by a tenth or more triggers an extra pass. Every change is logged on the page with its reason and the blocks it touched.

After kick-off the preview is frozen and kept as written; it moves to the past previews archive.

Independence

Prices are indicative market averages, never an offer. We have no commercial relationship with any market operator, and no preview is written to promote one.

Corrections

If a preview states something wrong, write to [email protected]. We fix it in place, and material corrections appear in the page's update log.