Not Again!
Landon Donavon's late, late goal for USA against Algeria secured the Americans' place in the second round, but it also had far-reaching implications for spread bettors. Sporting Index buyers who got on England's tournament win index a few weeks ago will know that Argentina and Spain immediately became potential latter-stage opponents thanks to his strike, making their task a whole lot harder. Spread punters in the outright tournament index with a selling position would have reacted with delight and will have been even more pleased when Germany topped Group D to ensure a last 16 meeting with England.
For the match itself, the Three Lions have been priced as slight favourites and any buyers of their supremacy spread at 0.2 will be willing a repeat of their sensational 5-1 victory in Munich nearly ten years ago. Buyers of England's team goal rush at 15 will also be looking for a landslide, as will spread bettors buying England's team goal minutes at 63 and buyers of the team's total goals at 1.3. Buyers of England's win index at 13, meanwhile, would settle for a repeat of the 1-0 win against their rivals at Euro 2000 or the most famous of all England successes, the 1966 World Cup final.
Spread punters looking at Germany's most famous recent successes will know they come on penalties at Italia '90 and Euro '96. In both games the score was 1-1 after 90 minutes and those hoping for a continuation of this pattern will be sellers of the total goals spread at 2.1. Spread bettors looking at the game in Turin will remember that the goals were second half strikes. Buyers of the first match goal spread at 44 will be happier the longer the scoreboard stays redundant and anything like Andreas Brehme's 60th minute strike would be welcome. Spread sellers of England's first goal do so expecting them to hit the back of the net earlier than Gary Lineker managed two decades ago with his equaliser ten minutes from the end of normal time. Alan Shearer's third-minute header put his side ahead six years later at Wembley and a goal that early on would be perfect for spread punters selling the first match goal at 41 and first England goal at 55.
While those games were both decided from 12-yards, spread sellers in the Sporting Index penalty goal minutes market will know that there hasn't been a spot kick other than the shoot outs when these sides have met since 1972. The same sellers will be further encouraged that England's games in South Africa haven't seen one so far and that Germany missed their only attempt from the spot against Serbia
Followers of both nations will feel that their campaigns have room for improvement, but the tentative nature of their group phase fixtures played into the hands of spread sellers in the main. The 4-0 defeat of Australia was the one bright spot for buyers of Germany's goals and team goal rush. Spread sellers in these markets were rewarded against Serbia and Ghana and sellers of the total goals spread have been happier than buyers for all of England's three fixtures which have averaged only 1 goal per game in South Africa.
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