Five talking points from the sporting weekend

Updated: 12/12/2024

Football, tennis and cricket headline                

A packed weekend of sport took place last week. The Nations League Finals are taking shape as we found three of our four semi-finalists.

There was a surprising winner at the ATP Tour Final in London and we also wrap up a historic victory for England’s cricketers in Sri Lanka.

England through to another semi-final

The Three Lions late win over Croatia has continued the feel-good factor around the national team.

It was a winner-takes-all match at Wembley on Sunday. Lose and relegation became a reality.

England rallied after going a goal down to turn the game on its head, thanks to an 85th- minute winner from Harry Kane.

The semi-finals beckon and the team will go out to Portugal next summer currently as 5/2 second favourites.

Alexander Zverev’s shock win at the ATP Tour Finals

Alexander Zverev picked up the first major honour of his career and took some big scalps along way too.

The end-of-season showpiece featured both top-two favourites Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. But it was the 10/1 ‘pretender to the throne’ in Zverev that stole the show.

After a controversial last-four win over Federer, the young German disposed of world number one Djokovic to leave the London crowd stunned.

Zverev is now 9/1 fourth favourite to win the first major of 2019 at the Australian Open in January.

Germany are relegated!

The 2014 World Cup champions have ended a dismal 2018 with relegation. The new-fangled Nations League is meant to give your nation a greater chance of Euro 2020 qualification.

But it’s compounded a miserable year for Die Mannschaft. The Netherlands win over France on Friday resigned the Germans to League B.

Germany play Die Oranje tonight and with nothing but pride at stake, Joachim Low’s men are 19/20 to win.

Ireland beat New Zealand in hard fought clash

A heavyweight bout between the two best nations in the world definitely lived up to the hype.

Ireland waited 111 years for a first win over the All Blacks, but after their 16-9 victory on Saturday it’s now two wins in two years.

The Aviva Stadium hosted a bloodied and bruised clash, which was always going to come down to fine-margins.

Ireland are 8/11 favourites for Six Nations success next Spring. But this victory will give them belief as the countdown begins to the World Cup in Japan next September.

England beat Sri Lanka for first time in 17 years

Joe Root has captained his side to their first series win in Sri Lanka since 2001 with 57-run second Test victory.

Sri Lanka needed 75 runs to win on day five in Pallekelle, but were drawn in by spin-bowlers Moeen Ali and Jack Leach.

The win was sealed with the final Test in Colombo left to play. England are 10/11 for a series white-wash.

The hosts start at 5/2 to grab a consolation win. This was England’s first series away win since beating South Africa in 2016 and the first under Root.

Big match previews, betting tips and transfer news – Coral has it all.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing

Original source: http://news.coral.co.uk/football/five-talking-points-from-the-sporting-weekend-.html

Relevant news

Leave a Reply