Weekend Review: Italy crowned European champions after nerve-shredding shoot-out

The Euro 2020 final was good result all round for bookmakers with Italy edging past England on penalties as the Three Lions’ Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed from 12 yards. The final, which was held in front of 67,000 fans at Wembley, ended 1-1 (a 6/1 chance) after 90 minutes, and that is how the game finished following a tense period of extra time where Italy piled on the pressure. Despite missing two penalties, Italy – an even-money chance to lift the trophy ahead of Sunday’s showpiece – sent their section of fans wild as the Azzurri tasted victory in the Euros for the first time since 1968.

TUTTO VERO 🇮🇹✌️#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/rQTN37fooZ

— Roberto Mancini (@robymancio) July 11, 2021

England had traded at 1/6 in-play when 1-0 up after two minutes, and were as short as 2/7 during the dramatic penalty shoot-out, according to bet365’s Steve Freeth. “Once again, the Three Lions are left with memories of what might have been,” he remarked. Ahead of the match, the smart money seemed to be on the draw – 19/10 or 2/1 in places – as tipsters on all the major betting podcasts predicted a low-scoring and extremely tight affair. Indeed, the layers struggled to separate both nations in the betting, although the money came for England on the day as the Three Lions were backed in to 6/4 on the 1X2 market and Italy drifted to 12/5 after being 15/8. And with defenders Luke Shaw and Leonardo Bonucci the only players to find the back of the net in 90 minutes, the bookies cleaned up on the first, last and anytime goalscorer markets. “You can probably count on one hand how many people backed Luke Shaw to open the scoring,” said Alex Apati of Ladbrokes. In fact, England captain Harry Kane only managed to touch the ball once in the opposition’s 18-yard box while Italy’s main striker, Ciro Immobile, was hooked after 54 minutes. Betway’s Chad Yeomans said: “While Italy were the biggest losers in the book on the WDW market, other markets were good for us, with the first goalscorer obviously being a good result for us.” On reflection, Betfred’s Alan Firkins described it as an “absorbing and brilliant” Euros but that, from and English fan’s perspective, Italy “found another gear” at the right time. “Two old skeletons from England’s closet returned to haunt them: ball retention and penalties. “I thought we’d ironed out both in recent times, but England could hardly get a kick in the second half, and when it came to the spot-kicks, the wheels came off, despite two great saves from Jordan Pickford.”

If there's anyone who knows what Bukayo Saka is going through right now, it's Gareth Southgate.

If there's anyone who can show it's possible to come back stronger, It's Gareth Southgate ❤️https://t.co/dxIEr6G0no #ITAENG #Euro2020Final #bbceuro2020 pic.twitter.com/ViEWMYkiob

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 11, 2021

Just over £9m was matched on the Betfair Exchange’s match odds market before kick-off, while Smarkets said the final was the London-based firm’s most-traded match at £11.5m. As for the outright market, Italy were the best supported team going into the pan-European tournament on the back of a 27-game unbeaten run as their odds tumbled from 11/1 to 8/1 or shorter before the curtain-raiser against Turkey in Rome. That support was justified as Italy made light work of qualifying and played attacking, free-flowing football in most of their matches. “Roberto Mancini’s side were by far and away the best backed team in the outright market before a ball was kicked and that continued right throughout the tournament,” Freeth of bet365 stated. “Our big tournament liabilities on Italy put us in what felt an unusual position of cheering on England,” he added. Leading contenders France, Portugal, Belgium and Germany all bowed out fairly early on and gave the bookies something to cheer, though. As for the top goalscorer market, Cristiano Ronaldo topped the charts with five goals.  The Portuguese had been available at 14/1 in places ahead of the Euros. Going into the final, Kane was on four goals and had a chance to equal or go ahead of the Juventus ace to land the Golden Boot to add to his Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Freeth said: “We dodged one in the top goalscorer market after being 100/1 about Harry Kane before he scored during the Germany game.” Meanwhile, Italy’s goalkeeper and penalty shoot-out hero, Gianluigi Donnarumma, was named Player of the Tournament after the final. Currently a free agent, the former AC Milan shot-stopper didn’t even feature in the betting for this market before the tournament, which gave the bookies another reason to celebrate. Despite England coming agonisingly close to their first major trophy in 55 years, attention now turns to next year’s World Cup. Gareth Southgate’s men are top-priced 10/1 with William Hill to triumph in Qatar, while France lead the betting at 6/1. After extending their unbeaten run to 34 matches, Italy have shortened from 16/1 before the Euros to 10/1 to lift their fifth World Cup and match Brazil’s impressive record.