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BILLY BUNTER |
Weblog: The football punter
Expect Apoel to be bowled over by Real
THE County Cricket season begins on Thursday - I noticed that about ten seconds before I saw there was forecast snow on Wednesday - and I do wonder whetherfootball could learn something from the old willow wielders.Obviously not in the way they can play for days and still not find a winner nor the bit where they have a three-course meal during each day of the match.
I’m also no supporter oftheir notion that ten old geezers falling asleep constitutes a decent crowd but the option to declare when the batters can’t be bothered to score more runs is something that would enhance football as far as I’m concerned.
Take this match between Real Madrid and Apoel at the Bernabeu. It takes a special kind of person to enjoy watching a massacre and you have got to be bloodthirsty to tune into this contest with Real Madrid already 3-0 up from the first game.
I’m pretty certain that even Mr Ruthless Jose Mourinho would much rather say to Apoel "c’mon lads lets not bother" but rules are rules and this could end up a score than even Sachin Tendulkar would be proud of come full time.
Real Madrid have played four Champions League home games this season and scored 17 goals in the process, while I don’t even remember the Apoel boys touching the ball inside the Madrid penalty box in the first leg cakewalk.
This could be embarrassing and this is a correct-score only bet type of game as far as I’m concerned. Apoel won’t score and I reckon Madrid may declare at five.
