Chelsea’s Europa victory is bad news for bookies
THE curse which has prevented Benfica from winning a European trophy for 51 years struck again last night when Chelsea stunned the Eagles to win the Europa League in dramatic style after a towering header by Branislav Ivanovic gave them an 2-1 injury-time victory in Amsterdam.
Chelsea, who are the first team to hold the Champions League and the Europa League at the same time, had been 31-20 to win inside 90 minutes before kick-off and first goalscorer Fernando Torres had been 13-2 to notch the opener. The 2-1 Chelsea scoreline was a 9-1 shot.
It was a terrible result for bet365, who said they lost “a seven-figure sum” on Chelsea’s victory.
Ladbrokes reported a payout of over £150,000 and Rafael Benitez’s side were backed in-play by some shrewd punters at 25-1 to win inside 90 minutes with the firm. A Chelsea win in normal time was matched at 29 on Betfair while the 2-1 correct score traded at 48.
The Blues are evens to bet365 to win a major trophy next season and 4-5 to end the campaign potless.
Benfica’s barren run in Europe dates back to 1962, when their manager at the time left the club and declared that the Portuguese side would not win a European cup for 100 years. The Eagles are 3-1 to receive some solace by beating rivals Porto to the Portuguese league title.
