The Sports Bookie Blog

CHELSEA v TOTTENHAM

The game of the weekend takes place in the Queen’s capital, as Chelsea and Tottenham battle it out in a replay of last season’s Carling Cup final. The two couldn’t have more different starts to the season – the Blues look unbeatable, thanks to Deco, while Spurs have been simply awful.

The question is who will be playing in this encounter. Rumours abound that Chelsea are close to signing Robinho, while Spurs look set to clinch Russian star Roman Pavlyuchenko. Spurs are in need of some support for Darren Bent, who has yet to carry his pre-season form onto a Premier League pitch.

Read full Chelsea v Tottenham preview

Last Five League Results
Chelsea: 4 wins (Wigan, Pompey, Newcastle, Man Utd), 1 draw (Bolton)
Tottenham: 1 win (Reading), 1 draw (Bolton) 3 losses (Sunderland, Boro, Liverpool)

Prediction: A comfortable Chelsea win

SUNDERLAND v MANCHESTER CITY

Watch out for Keano! Whilst all eyes were on Man City’s failure to lure big-name players, Sunderland quietly bought a whole new team over the summer. And it’s a team filled with quality too. Djibril Cisse got off to an excellent start from the bench last weekend and will be looking to start this week, while Anton Ferdinand has completed his switch to the Stadium of Light.

Mark Hughes will be happy having seen his side quickly forget their opening day defeat with a convincing over West Ham. Jo is now back from the Olympics and much is expected of the costly Brazilian, after a string of useless/luckless strikers have passed in and out the doors at Eastlands.

Last Five League Results
Sunderland: 2 wins (Spurs, Boro), 3 losses (Liverpool, Arsenal, Bolton)
Man City: 1 win (West Ham), 4 losses (A Villa, Boro, Liverpool, Fulham)

Prediction: A tight one, but Sunderland will just nick it thanks to home support

CELTIC V RANGERS

It’s the first Old Firm derby of the season and typically there’s not much between these two. Both have identical records: two wins and one draw. Both also have new signings to show off, more so Rangers who welcome Maurice Edu and Kyle Lafferty to their first red-hot-cauldron encounters. Meanwhile Kenny Miller will face scorn, most likely from both sets of supporters, having represented both sides of the divide on numerous occasions.

Gordon Strachan will be hoping Georgios Samaras and Shaun Maloney can keep up the good work up front, especially considering their his only realistic strike options (both Vennegoor of Hesselink and McDonald are injury doubts). It’s hard to call these games, best just to sit back and enjoy.

Last Five League Results
Celtic: 4 wins (Falkirk, St Mirren, Dundee Utd, Hibs), 1 draw (Dundee Utd)
Rangers: 3 wins (Hearts, Falkirk, St Mirren), 1 draw (Aberdeen), 1 loss (Aberdeen)

Prediction: A draw, which will suit Kilmarnock who have the chance of topping the SPL this weekend

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA v REAL MADRID

The Spanish league kicks off this weekend and the pick of the opening weekend’s clashes comes at the Estadio Municipal de Riazor. After four years of mid-table obscurity Deportivo fans are starting to forget the days when they actually used to compete against Madrid at the top of the tree. With Coloccini removed from their defence things won’t be getting any better.

Real look set to lose Robinho who, despite the heavy criticism, did his fair bit in terms of goalscoring last season to help guide his side towards winning the league. But in Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy Madrid boast arguably the most prolific, if slightly ageing, strike partnership in La Liga.

Last Five League Results
Deportivo: 2 wins (Barcelona, Levante), 3 losses (Zaragoza, Atletico, Villareal)
Real Madrid: 4 wins (Bilbao, Osasuna, Barcelona, Levante), 1 draw (Zaragoza)

Prediction: A Real Madrid victory to set their stall out to all challengers

FIORENTINA v JUVENTUS

After finishing fourth Fiorentina fans are salivating at the chance to take a big scalp on the opening weekend of Serie A. Although manager Cesare Prandelli has ruled out a title challenge this year, many will be expecting them to be there or there abouts with a new strike partnership of Adrian Mutu and Alberto Gilardino leading the line.

Claudio Ranieri duly delivered the good times back to Juve on their return to the top flight, leading the team to third place last season. Palermo hot shot Amauri joins an enviable attack of Alex Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaqunita. Tough to call, but there could be goals galore, just like the 2-3 thriller in Turin last March.

Last Five League Results
Fiorentina: 3 wins (Torino, Parma, Palermo), 1 draw (Sampdoria), 1 loss (Cagliari)
Juventus: 2 wins (Lazio, Atalanta), 2 draws (Sampdoria, Catania), 1 loss (Siena)

Prediction: Sitting firmly on the fence, a draw as both sides cancel each other out

>>Check out the latest bookmaker reviews and ratings onsite at BookieLabRat.com. Don’t throw away your betting profits by wagering with the wrong bookie!

Here’s an update on the La Liga Title Race and safe money betting from the team at Bodog Sports.

The folks at Sky Sports’ Revista De La Liga will be happy, having started a campaign for all Brits to get behind the Spanish side at Euro 2008, in the absence of any Home Counties to support. It’s fair to say, not many of us were rooting for the Germans come the end of June as Fernando Torres led his side to victory.

So now it’s back to the day job. La Liga has been one of the most exciting leagues to watch in the last few years, second only to the Premier League. Real Madrid are looking to make it three-in-a-row, while Barcelona are making a fresh start. But who should you be looking at to make you some easy money this season?

Atletico Madrid - Prediction: 3rd

It’s sod’s law isn’t it. When Fernando Torres left his hometown club for Liverpool the Atletico fans were baying for blood. But it turns out his departure really was the best thing for the club, as they finished fourth, their highest achievement since their last La Liga title in 1995/96.

Diego Forlan was brought in to replace El Nino and provided a perfect partner for Sergio Aguero, as the two scored nearly 40 goals between them.

In preparation for Champions League football this season Javier Aguirre has been busy, signing up defensive duo John Heitinga and Thomas Ujfalusi, while adding an attacking option with ex-Liverpool striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle, a player who, like Forlan, has excelled in Spanish football. The signs are good for an even better season than last.

Barcelona - Prediction: 2nd

Barcelona have taken a leaf out of Madrid’s books this season – shaking things up a bit with the appointment of Josep Guardiola as their new manager. The former Barca midfielder has wasted no time in building a new side too, dropping the axe on the likes of Deco, Ronaldinho and Gianluca Zambrotta. They’ve been replaced by Arsenal’s Alexsandr Hleb, Man Utd’s Gerard Pique and Seydou Keita. The biggest signing however has been Brazilian right back Dani Alves, who was officially the dirtiest player in La Liga last season!

Guardiola will be hoping the new faces can hit it off as well as those Madrid brought in last year. Up front, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o have a lot to do – Henry to find his Arsenal form, Eto’o to rediscover his love for Barcelona. It all sounds a bit like ‘transition season’ to us though, and second place won’t be deemed failure for a new manager in his first job.

Real Madrid - Prediction: 1st

Despite winning the league Bernd Schuster came on the receiving end of similar stick to that of previous boss Fabio Capello. The first half of last season provided a few shocks, most notably an early exit from the Champions League in the last 16 stage for the fourth year running. But Schuster turned it round to win the title with ease.

Real have been quieter on the transfer front so far this summer compared to other years although, to be fair, the chasing of Cristiano Ronaldo took up a lot of their spare time. Rafael van der Vaart is the only big name signing so far, but with the imminent departure of Robinho expect a quick replacement in the guise of David Villa or Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The loss of Wesley Sneijder to injury will be a blow but with so few changes to a side with statistically the best goalkeeper in the world and a bunch of in-from Dutchmen it’s hard to look past Madrid making it three titles in a row this season.

Sevilla - Prediction: 4th

It was a horrible season for Sevilla last year. It all started with tragedy, after young midfielder Antonio Puerta collapsed on the pitch and later died in hospital. It’s no surprising results took a turn for the worse. Before too long Juande Ramos upped sticks to Tottenham, effectively killing off their first season in the Champions League.

It’s a testament to Manolo Jimenez, who stepped in as caretaker manager, that he managed to steer the side to fifth place. Well, him and the lethal strike partnership of Luis Fabiano and Freddie Kanoute. If Sevilla can keep Spurs at bay in regards to poaching either of those, Sevilla could claw their way back into a Champions League spot, having spent wisely over the summer.

Valencia - Prediction: 6th

It was a laughable season for Valencia last term. Sacking two managers in the space of six months would usually prove fatal (see Charlton FC), but it was thanks to caretaker manager Salvador Marco that the club scraped out of the relegation zone to finish tenth.

Ex-Almeria boss Unai Emery has now taken the reigns of what, on paper, should be a very tight ship. In David’s Villa and Silva they have two world-class European champions, whilst the addition of Getafe striker Pablo Hernandez should fire them up the table. Last year’s wobbles might take a while to forget though.

Villarreal - Prediction: 5th

The Yellow Submarine were surprise runners up last year, having finished outside the top four the previous two seasons and having sold hitman Diego Forlan to Atletico last summer. It was the form of Spanish midfielder Marcos Senna, Turkish Euro 2008 hero Nihat, and ex-Man Utd striker Giuseppe Rossi that has delivered them Champions League football this season.

The elevated status has pushed the Villarreal board’s hand in the transfer market, snapping up hotly rated American striker Jozy Altidore. It’s not perhaps the biggest transfer of the summer, but with a largely unchanged side a top four finish is achievable if this small squad are lucky with injuries.

Best of the Rest

Deportivo La Coruna have had a disappointing few seasons of late, after being real title-challengers in the early noughties (and winners in 2000). They seem resigned to staying in mid-table for the foreseeable future if they keep selling their best players, like Fabricio Coliccini. They’ll be relying on the attacking options of Omar Bravo, Mista and Riki to push them towards a European spot.

Almeria were the surprise package of last season, finishing eighth and taking some impressive scalps along the way (Sevilla, Valencia, Real Madrid). They may have lost manager Unai Emery to Valencia, but the young talent still remains, with Premier League interest in striker Alvaro Negrado. Under promising new boss Gonzalo Arconada a push for Europe isn’t out of the question.

Real Mallorca finished an impressive seventh last season, after a number of seasons flirting with the bottom of the table. Unfortunately a mass exodus of talent, including La Liga’s top scorer Daniel Guiza, means mid-table will be seen as success this season, despite English businessman Paul Davidson’s purchase of the majority of shares in the club.

>>Bet on La Liga at Bodog Sportsbook
>>Find out more about Bodog, a popular online sports bookmaker that accepts bettors from around the world including the United States of America (Bodog Sportsbook Review and Rating)
>>Check out the latest sports betting news and views here at BookieLabRat.com

With the Premier League barely a couple of days old Fabio Capello faces his first international fixture of the season, and his last friendly outing before next month’s World Cup qualifiers – where he’ll really earn, or waste, his wages.

The hot topic going into the Wembley fixture on Wednesday night surrounds his choice of strikers. Despite a great pre-season for Darren Bent and a big money move for Peter Crouch both have been left out of the side, which many see as an indication of Capello’s first choice for the qualifiers ahead.

It’s Emile Heskey who is the shock inclusion. What he lacks in goalscoring form, he more than makes up for in being there at the right time. Remember, he got himself on the scoresheet against the Germans in that famous 5-1 victory. And in the Euro 2008 qualifiers he hit some form at just the right time. Infact, only injury ruled him out of the important final few games. Who knows, had he played maybe England would’ve had a more interesting summer schedule.

The other topic of discussion is based around the captaincy role. Capello is due to name his permanent leader ahead of the friendly with the Czechs. Those in the know suggest it’s a clear cut contest between John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. It could be argued that Ferdinand has the mental toughness and recent accolades to warrant the role, but does the Italian risk upsetting the cart in what has been a disappointing year for Terry so far?

Back to the task in hand though – Capello will be looking for a win on Wednesday night. He’s done his experimenting, has had a look at the players he deems suitable for the starting eleven and is now raring to go in the build up to World Cup 2010.

Bet on England v Czech Republic at Bodog Sports

Czech Republic should provide good competition, they are ranked eighth in the world after all. There’s no doubting their skill on the pitch, and their threat in front of goal, but Capello will be well aware of their defensive frailties, as highlighted at the Euro championships. Ever-dependable goalkeeper Petr Cech has had a few howlers in recent months, star player Tomas Rosicky is still crocked and main striker Jan Koller has now retired, so an England victory is expected.

Wayne Rooney will be looking to get back on track after only managing five goals in three years for his country, largely due to injury. Who starts alongside him remains unclear. Jermain Defoe has pace but lacks that killer touch at the top level. Theo Walcott has skill but inexperience. Emile Heskey plays best in a supporting role – perhaps too similar to Rooney.

Capello could choose to try the 4-3-3 formation with Walcott and Joe Cole supporting the Man Utd man – it worked very well for Chelsea at the weekend after all. David Bentley will be snapping at his chance to earn a first England goal though, and judging by his pre-season form it’d be foolish to not utilize his ever-improving output.

Prediction: A morale-boosting win for England

Bet on England to win the World Cup 2010 at Bodog Sports

(For more on this popular online sportsbook read the latest Bodog Sportsbook Review at BookieLabRat.com) - Sorry, no USA residents can bet at Bodog.

Bundesliga Betting – Matchday 1 Preview & Odds (Aug 15-17)

Bayern Munich are hot favourites in the outright Bundesliga betting at leading online soccer sportsbook, PinnacleSports.com. The Bavarians are priced as short as 1.476* in the outright Bundesliga betting markets at Pinnacle, after being further strengthened by summer arrivals, including Tim Borowski. The German international, is however, one of several key players unlikely to play through injury in the season opener at home to Hamburg.

Klinsmann Putting His Stamp on Bundesliga Champions

After a limited amount of time spent with his new team in pre-season, Jurgen Klinsmann is yet to fully put his mark on defending Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich. This is Klinsmann’s first club appointment, so may take time for the famous ex-pro to adjust to the rigours of the Bundesliga, but game one is only days away, and HSV Hamburg will provide an early test. Franck Ribery is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained at Euro 2008, while Luca Toni has developed a calf problem which makes him a doubt for the season opener, along with Willy Sagnol, and new signing, Tim Borowski.

Hamburg in common with Bayern Munich, their Bundesliga matchday one opponents, start the new season under different management. Martin Jol – formerly coach of Tottenham Hotpsurs - has taken charge, and his biggest challenge is filling the void left by Rafael Van der Vaart, who joined Real Madrid in the summer. Van de Vaart was HSV’s best player for the past three seasons, so the Dutchman’s departure will certainly be a big blow. These sides shared two 1-1 draws last term, and Bayern Munich haven’t beaten Hamburg at home for three season, but on their Bundesliga betting PinnacleSports.com have the home side favourites, going Bayern Munich 1.806 (-0.5 & -1)* with Hamburg 2.140 (+0.5 & +1)* - a market priced to less than 102%.

Bremen Handed Comfortable Opponents on Matchday 1

Werder Bremen are the closest challenges to Bayern Munich in the outright Bundesliga betting at PinnacleSports.com. Bremen are priced 7.500* on the strength of last season’s second place finish, ten points adrift of the runaway winners. If Thomas Schaaf is to entertain serious hope of winning the league in 2008/09, he cannot afford to give Bayern Munich the head-start they enjoyed last term. Werder should be able to get this campaign off to a positive start, visiting Arminia Bielefeld on matchday one, who finished last season one place above the relegation zone.

DSC have been busy in the off season, with seven new signings, and several players going in the opposite direction. Christopher Katongo joins from Brondby offering several options in forward positions, he replaces the outgoing Christian Eigler. Bielefeld were riding high in the early part of last season, sat in second position having taken 10 points from five games. Their form plummeted after that early burst, spending the remainder of the season struggling against the drop, and PinnacleSports.com make them under-dogs on their Bundesliga betting, for this opener despite home advantage, pricing Arminia Bielefeld 1.962 (+0.5)* and Werder Bremen 1.962 (-0.5)*.

To add even further value betting on the Bundesliga, PinnacleSports.com’s low margin pricing has also been applied to the new live soccer betting markets for the Bundesliga with 1.95/1.95 style live Asian Handicap pricing and in-running Total goals betting.

*All odds subject to change

If you’ve not got an account with PinnacleSports yet you can grab a 10% sign-up bonus, plus 7% cash back on horse bets.

For more on PinnacleSports and other top rating sportsbooks check out the latest online bookmaker reviews and ratings at BookieLabRat.com.

Arsenal Welcome the Cream of Europe

Emirates Cup betting is now on with the four team pre-season event, hosted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, running Saturday and Sunday (August 2 and 3, 2008).

Along with the hosts, Arsenal, soccer punters can get early look at Real Madrid, Juventus and Hamburg. The Emirates Cup only features four games, with three points for a win and one for a goal, but bettors can look to profit from smart betting - especially if you use a top online sportsbook for the best odds.

If you’re into handicap betting PinnacleSports.com is well worth a look, and for fixed odds bets on the Emirates Cup, we’d suggest Bet365. We’ve provided handicap odds below:

The event kicks off at 2pm (GMT) on Saturday with La Liga Champions, Real Madrid, against Bundesliga side, Hamburg, now coached by ex-Spurs boss, Martin Jol, who will be all too familiar with the Gunners. PinnacleSports.com price Real Madrid favourites 2.090 (-0.5 & -1)* with Hamburg 1.840 (+0.5 & +1)* – a market priced to 102%.

As always with friendly games, bettors should play close attention to the team sheets, as soon as they are available. The on-pitch squad and overall positional makeup pre-season make for some tricky betting. 

At 4.15pm (GMT) the hosts Arsenal, take on the mighty Juventus for what should be a cracking game. The Gunners remained unbeaten at home last season, conceding just 11 goals from 19 home games. Kolo Toure is a doubt having suffered a bout of malaria, but Arsenal fans could get more familiar with new signing, Samir Nasri – an adaptable attacking midfielder. The Old Lady was rejuvenated last season having returned from the wilderness of Serie B. Claudio Ranieri achieved the target of Champions League qualification, but this season, he has set his sights much higher. PinnacleSports.com price Arsenal slight favourites 1.893 (0/scratch & -0.5)* with Juventus 2.040 (0/scratch & +0.5)*.

*All odds subject to change so check out the latest onsite at PinnacleSports.com.

About PinnacleSports.com
PinnacleSports.com was the first online sports book to introduce reduced margin betting, using a pricing model that gives players up to 60% better odds than other bookmakers. They’re not a betting exchange, like BetFair, but with low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry-leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player as a sportsbook. 

Get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on US horse bets and some of the best odds on all major sports.  (Compare PinnacleSports.com to other popular online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com)

Intertoto Betting - Round Three (July 19/20 & 26/27)

The UEFA Intertoto Cup has reached a crucial point as the competition now enters its third and final round with fixtures on the weekends of July 19/20 and 26/27. At this stage some big names appear in the Intertoto betting menu at PinnacleSports.com, such as Aston Villa, VfB Stuttgart, Napoli and Deportivo La Coruna. The current Intertoto betting suggests that all the big guns should comfortably qualify for the UEFA first round, but the minnows should be sharper having been sharpened by the earlier rounds.

SIGN-UP NOW FOR 60% BETTER INTERTOTO ODDS AT PINNACLESPORTS.COM

In all there are eleven third round Intertoto ties over two legs, with each providing the winning team with a place in the UEFA Cup, beginning October 23rd. One of the biggest david and goliath Intertoto betting heats sees Israel’s Bnei Sakhnin take on the might of Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna, while Danish side Odense, will have their work cut out against Premiership side, Aston Villa.

The first round of the Intertoto kicked off on June 27th starting the long road to the final of the UEFA Cup, taking place this time around in Turkey at Fenerbahce’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on May 20th, 2009. Last year’s competition - won by Zenit St.Petersburg - showed the increasing strength of Russian clubs, but Italian giants, AC Milan, will the team to beat this year round, having failed to qualify for the Champions League, finishing fifth in Serie A.

The group stages of the 51st UEFA Cup starts on October 23rd with the all important draw taking place on October 7th. As ever PinnacleSports.com will be offering 1.96/1.96 style Asian Handicaps priced to less than 102%, which gives punters up to 60% better UEFA Cup betting odds than traditional bookmakers.

Get the Best UEFA Cup betting odds at PinnacleSports.com!

1.96/1.96 style Asian Handicap pricing (c102%) & live-betting on the major European Football competitions, gives gamblers up to 60% better UEFA Cup online betting odds. PinnacleSports.com offers commission-free fixed odds online sports betting with exchange style pricing, as well as the web’s highest guaranteed liquidity and fastest payouts.

Get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on US horse bets and the best odds on all major sports. (Sorry, no USA residents can be members).

Compare PinnacleSports to other popular safe online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com.

The UEFA Intertoto Cup is a European club competition that gives teams a back-door to the UEFA Cup. Fourteen teams negotiated round one, to face opponents given a bye from the first elimination. Norway’s FC Rosenborg and Switzerland’s Grasshoppers are probably the two biggest sides in action in the second round of the Intertoto Cup this weekend (July 5-6), and both will be strong favourites with top handicap sportsbook, PinnacleSports.com, offering Intertoto Asian Handicaps and total goals priced to less than 102%.

The second round of the Intertoto concludes the following weekend (July 12/13) where some of Europe’s less fashionable clubs will be in line to face the likes of Aston Villa, Napoli, Stuttgart or Deportivo, who all lie in wait in the third round.

The first round qualifiers kicked off on June 27th starting the long road to the final, taking place this time around in Turkey at Fenerbahce’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on May 20th, 2009. Last season’s UEFA Cup competition showed the increasing strength of Russian clubs, but Italian giants, AC Milan, will be the team to beat this year round, having failed to qualify for the Champions League, finishing fifth in Serie A.

The group stages of the 51st UEFA Cup starts on October 23rd with the all important draw taking place on October 7th.

Check out PinnacleSports.com for some of the best Intertoto betting odds on the net!

ABOUT PINNACLESPORTS.COM

Pinnacle Sports has been around since 1998 and is licensed in Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles) and have clients in 100+ countries worldwide. They have a reputation as the bookmaker for professional gamblers as they accept large stakes and offer strong odds on most major markets.

1.96/1.96 style Asian Handicap Intertoto pricing (c102%) and live-betting on the major European Football competitions, gives gamblers up to 60% better Intertoto Cup online betting odds. PinnacleSports.com offers commission-free fixed odds online sports betting with exchange style pricing, as well as the web’s highest guaranteed liquidity and fastest payouts.

Oh yeah, if you’ve not got an account with these guys yet you can claim a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on US horse bets. (Sorry, no USA residents). 

Compare Pinnacle to other top online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com.

Spain ended their 44-year wait for a major international title with a 1-0 victory over Germany at the Euro 2008 final on Sunday.

Fernando Torres scored the only goal of the game in the first half as football’s perennial underachievers finally banished that unwanted tag to the history books. It was the first time Spain had won the European title since 1964 and their first final since 1984.

For 69-year-old Spanish coach Luis Aragones there was a tinge of bitterness mixed with the moment of glory. “We did things well, we won, period. I will not be staying on as coach because I have been given no possibility to,” said Aragones.

For Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas it was a dream come true. “This is great,” said the 21-year-old Arsenal star. “This is the best day of my life as a player. “I don’t think we are conscious yet of what we have achieved….44 years later. “It has been one of my dreams and I made it. “It is true we won it with style. “We were trying to create chances and play beautiful football and we have at last had the success we deserved. “I don’t know why it has taken this long and I don’t want to think about that anymore as we have achieved it and we are a young team and will fight for the World Cup in two years time.”

For Torres too it was a dream realised. “For me, it’s a dream come true,” said Torres. “Victory in a Euro, is almost as big as a World Cup. I think that we have played very good football throughout the tournament and it was justice done when we won the final.”

German coach Joachim Loew professed his admiration for his side, who defied expectations to reach the final. “I have to compliment the team for what they have achieved over the past few weeks,” said the 48-year-old. “It has been fantastic. The players are obviously disappointed, but they have every reason to hold their heads up high.”

For German captain Michael Ballack it was more disappointment in a major tournament. “It is very sad to lose when one has come such a long way,” said the 31-year-old, who missed the 2002 World Cup final because he was suspended and has also lost two Champions League finals. “All the team battled away. This tournament has come at the end of the season and physically it has been tough. However, today (Sunday) we have made too many errors.”

Spain seemed to start tentatively and a mistake from Sergio Ramos gave Miroslav Klose a glorious opportunity after just four minutes, but after taking the ball past Carles Puyol his next touch was too strong and he ran the ball out of play. Spain gradually started to settle but three-time champions Germany still had the next chance, Thomas Hitzlsperger hitting a tame shot straight at Spain captain Iker Casillas.

Just before the quarter-hour mark Jens Lehmann came to Germany’s rescue as a cross from Andres Iniesta deflected off Christoph Metzelder’s boot and only a stunning reaction save from the Arsenal stopper prevented a goal.

Spain were starting to take control and Torres headed a Xavi free-kick over the bar. On 23 minutes Ramos cut in from the right and crossed to the back post where Torres climbed above the considerably taller Per Mertersacker; his downward header beat Lehmann but unfortunately for Spain not the base of the post.

Up the other end Spain’s slightly suspect defence was struggling to cope with the direct running of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski but Germany created little despite Ballack’s volley being blocked by Ramos. Then on 33 minutes Torres put Spain ahead with a moment of sublime quality. He latched onto a piercing through ball from Xavi, outpaced Philipp Lahm and chipped the ball over the advancing Lehmann with a flicked shot that could have threaded the eye of a needle. Spain were suddenly rampant and Iniesta crossed to the back post where the unmarked David Silva had a rush of blood to the head and lashed a volley wildly over.

Spain seemed brimming with confidence at the start of the second period and both Xavi and Silva went close with long range efforts before Torres again outpaced the German defence but couldn’t quite reach the ball before Lehmann came out to smother. Germany coach Joachim Loew responded by sending on a second forward in Kevin Kuranyi to replace midfielder Hitzlsperger. That immediately shifted the momentum of the game and on the hour a mistake from Puyol was almost punished as Ballack fired just wide; moments later Casillas came storming out of goal to take a cross from Ballack off Kuranyi’s head. Spain remained dangerous and Ramos forced Lehmann into a fine block with a powerful header from a Xavi free-kick before Torsten Frings cleared a shot from Iniesta off the line.

Brazil-born Marcos Senna came within inches of settling the game in the final 10 minutes but he couldn’t quite stretch his leg out far enough to meet substitute Daniel Guiza’s downward header with the goal at his mercy.

After thirty games and almost 3,000 minutes of soccer action the Euro 2008 betting market boils down to just two teams – Spain and Germany. Though the Germans were the outright favourite most sportsbooks before the tournament kicked-off on June 7th, it is the Spaniards who come into the final of Euro 2008 as favourites.

EURO 2008 FINAL ASIAN HANDICAP BETTING PRICED TO 101.7%

Spain 1.690*
Germany 2.350*

Germany were fancied to do well at Euro 2008 on account of relatively easy group, a relatively comfortable route to the final and strong support. Though they have succeeded in reaching the final, some of their performances en-route have raised eye-brows. Germany were beaten by Croatia at the group stage and gave a lacklustre performance against a severely weakened Turkey at the semi-final stage. These concerns have led bookmakers such as PinnacleSports.com, to push Germany to under-dogs for the final in Vienna on Sunday, but as all soccer fans know, Germany don’t know the meaning of the word under-dog.

EURO 2008 FINAL THREE WAY BETTING PRICED TO 102.85%

Spain 2.400*
Germany 3.300*
Draw 3.230*

Spain’s appearance in the Euro 2008 final is an historic moment for a soccer nation that has consistently under-achieved on the world stage. During their 3-0 semi-final defeat of Russia, the side visibly grew with confidence and the cries of ‘Ole’ became more triumphant from their ecstatic supporters. Coach, Luis Aragones, has been dealt a blow by the injury to David Villa (the tournaments current top-scorer) which keeps him out of the final. However, Aragones has La Liga’s top-scorer, Dani Guiza, and Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas - who has made a huge impact when used as a substitute – ready to step into the breach.

On performances so far, Spain are worthy favourites with PinnacleSports.com to lift the Euro 2008 trophy, the question punters have to ask is whether they can deal with the pressure in the final, and deliver on their undoubted potential.

Go to PinnacleSports.com for a full range of Euro 2008 final match markets including corners, red & yellow cards, and total goals, all priced to 60% better than traditional bookmakers.
*All odds subject to change.

For more on PinnacleSports and detailed reviews of the better online sportsbooks, visit BookieLabRat.com. It’s run by punters, for punters.

Compare Live Euro2008 Final Odds across top online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com. 

Ready to place your bets on the final? Check out these stake-back deals first!

Absolutely Fabregas! - Euro 2008 Final - Sunday 29th June LIVE ON BBC1/RTE2
Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast single bets on this match if Cesc Fabregas scores at any time in 90mins. If Cesc Fabregas plays no part in the match special will revert to if the last goal is scored from outside the box. Max Refund €300/£200 per customer/bet.

Euro 2008 Final  - Sunday, 29 June
If your bet loses and the match is tied 0-0 at the end of 90-minutes, Canbet will refund your bet (Correct Score Only). To take advantage of this offer, enter the promotional code: EUFINAL. Maximum refund £50 (€65)

Last Action Hero - Germany v Spain - Euro2008 Final, Sunday 7:45pm
If Fernando Torres or Michael Ballack scores the last goal of the game (90 mins play only) Boylesports will refund losing First/Last/Anytime Goalscorer, Correct score & Scorecast single bets on this match. Max Refund €300 (or Currency Equiv) per customer

Nil All?  BET365 Bore Draw Offer
Place a pre-match correct score, double result or scorecast bet on ANY FOOTBALL MATCH and Bet365 will refund losing stakes if the match finishes 0-0.

Fred’s Euro2008 Cashbacks
Scorecast Cashback Offer: Place a scorecast bet on any Euro 2008 match and if ‘half’ of your scorecast wins but the other half lets you down, BetFred will refund your losing stake (to £100 max).

First Goalscorer Cashback Offer: Place a bet on any Euro 2008 First Goalscorer market and if your selection misses out on the first goal but goes on to score the last goal, BetFred will refund your losing stake (to £100 max). 

Victor Chandlers Cashbacks
Money for Nothing: Place a bet on the Correct Score, First Goalscorer or Double Result (HT/FT) on
the EURO 2008 final and if it finishes 0-0 VCBet will refund your losing stake as a free bet. Max refund £100 (€120) per offer per person per match. Applies to singles only. Does not apply to in-running bets.

1st Scorer 2nd Chance: Place a First Goalscorer bet on the EURO 2008 final and if your player fails to score the first goal but scores at any other time in the match VCBet will refund your stake as a free bet. Max refund £100 (€120) per offer per person per match. Applies to singles only.