Can Italy see off France in Berlin?
England may be gone but it's final time in the World Cup with Italy taking on France in Berlin for ultimate glory
Dave Harris
29-Jun-2006
England may be gone but it's final time in the World Cup with Italy taking on France in Berlin for ultimate glory.
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Most pundits agree that Italy gave the most impressive performance in the semi-finals, and Sporting Index have them as slight favourites to edge it by 0 to 0.2 goals.
However, they've not beaten Les Bleus since 1978. France knocked Italy out in the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup, on penalties. They then met again in the 2000 European Championship final, when a Golden Goal by Trezeguet sealed the match. It's fair to say these two teams have some histoire...
Following all the low-scoring matches we've seen recently, Sporting predict a total of just 2 goals will scored in 90 minutes. Such low goals means that the "Player Goal Minutes" are also low. Strikers Toni and Henry are both priced up at 12 to 15 minutes, a very low spread for players of this quality in good form.
Much will depend on the performance of the playmakers in both teams, namely Pirlo and Zidane. Their "Player Performance" markets (where they are rewarded for good passages of play, and penalised for poor play) are likely to attract interest. Points are awarded for scoring, assisting, shooting, forcing a corner or free kick and much more, but deducted for conceding free kicks or getting cards. When you consider how often the ball comes through these players, it's worth looking up the latest price for an exciting bet that lasts for the full match.
After some card-happy refereeing in the group matches, things seem to have calmed down now but Sporting Index predict there will still be six yellow cards. Only two were shown in the final four years ago, but the mighty Collina was in charge then. And finally, if you can't find the right bet but want to have something riding on the game, Sporting Index have some very creative markets that could fit the bill:
Vi-agro - awards five points for each different Italian player fouled by Patrick Vieira. Latest spread = 12 to 14 points.
The Berlin Wall - a market on how many times a defensive wall will be erected in the final. Latest spread = 4 to 5 times.
The Crying Game - how many different players of the losing squad will be seen crying after the final whistle? Sporting think that 4 to 5 players will be reaching for a tissue.
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Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.