Spot Kick Heartache 9/2 For Roy’s Boys

No strangers to penalty exits, William Hill are offering 9/2 that England are knocked out of the Euros in the cruellest of ways (they are 1/8 to not be eliminated by penalties). Elimination at the hands of spot kicks is quoted at 9/2 but 1/8 that penalties do not decide the Three Lions’ fate.

William Hill are betting on how many of the quarter finals will go all the way to a penalty shootout with 4/6 being offered for all four to be finished without a shootout. One game is 11/8, two is 7/1, three is 25/1 and all four matches to go to a shoot out is 100/1. Germany are 14/1 to win the final with spot kicks.

There has not been a nil-nil scoreline in the Euros since the semi finals of Euro 2008 but William Hill go 5/6 for there to be at least one 0-0 draw (in 90 minutes) in the remainder of the tournament. It is also 5/6 there won’t be. After 24 matches every game has had at least one goal.

“The competition could get edgier as more and more is put on the line but we feel the quarter finals will be settled, at the maximum, within 120 minutes but good news for England is that their fate is not fancied to be settled by penalties. That should keep fingernails from biting a bit,” said William Hill spokesman Mark Young.

After the first round of the Euros, William Hill can report that they have just about broken even. The book has been aided by a couple of high profile draws but the positives from that have been negated by the fact that England, Wayne Rooney, Mario Gomez and Cristiano Ronaldo have all been on form.

How Many Quarter Finals will go to Penalties?
4/6 None
11/8 One
7/1 Two
25/1 Three
100/1 Four

Score line of 0-0 in the rest of the tournament?
5/6 yes, 5/6 no

England to exit the tournament in a penalty shootout?
1/8 no, 9/2 yes

14/1 Germany to win the tournament on penalties

Further Information
Mark Young
PR Assistant, William Hill
Email: myoung@williamhill.co.uk
Phone: 02089183981

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Champions League Final: You Bet History Can Repeat Itself

William Hill think that history may well repeat itself and offer odds on all previous Manchester United European Final victories. In 1968, Manchester United won the European Cup Final at Wembley by four goals to one and Hills offer 100/1 that United defeat Barca by the same score this weekend. In 1999, they came back from 1-0 down to triumph and Hills offer 14/1 that United come from behind and win within 90 minutes. 2008 saw United beat Chelsea on penalties and for the same to happen on Saturday is 11/1.

United also lost a Champions League Final in 2009 2-0 to Barcelona and Hills offer 8/1 for a repeat of that score line.

“In such a hotly contested match between two European heavyweights there is a strong feeling that we may see history repeating itself in one way or another,” said Hill’s spokesman Joe Crilly.

MANCHESTER UNITED are the longest odds they have been all season to win a game in 90minutes play as they prepare to take on Barcelona in the Champions League, with Hills offering them at 3/1 to clinch victory without having to worry about extra time or a penalty shot-out. Barca are 21/20 for a 90min win with the draw 21/10.

**ONE WILLIAM HILL ONLINE CLIENT FROM BOLTON HAS STAKED FIVE BETS, TOTALLING £80,000 ON BARCA LIFTING THE TROPHY AT ODDS OF 1/2 and Hills expect that industry wide, the Champions League Final will generate around £10 million turnover.

Champions League Final Odds:

Outright (90 minutes): 21/20 Barcelona; 3/1 Manchester United; 21/10 Draw

To Lift The Trophy: 1/2 Barcelona; 13/8 Manchester United

To go to penalties: 5/1

MVP (Messi, Villa & Pedro all to score): 25/1

Further Information…Joe Crilly…0208 918 3746 / 07850 518 164

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