888sport: Germany to Win Russia 2018, Predict UK Football Fans

LEEDS, England, June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Nation predicts a German victory in Russia this year, but England might yet surprise fans  

Football fans in the UK have predicted that Germany will prevail in this summer's tournament held in Russia, new research has revealed.

888sport polled 1000 fans in the UK to understand how they see the tournament playing out, with Germany being the frontrunner for 28% of people, while Brazil (12%) and Spain (10%) were also in the running. The research covered predictions such as who will receive the highest number of bookings, which team will be the biggest disappointment and who will be England's top scorer. The betting brand created an interactive page allowing fans to see the UK's top picks.

There isn't much hope for England this year - voted most likely to disappoint fans by a third of people (33%). Despite this, 10% of people believed England could be the biggest surprise of the tournament, getting further than anyone expects. However, judging by previous performances, England fans said that, should the team be knocked out earlier in the competition, they are most likely to support Spain (10%) or Brazil (7%) going forward.

From the 32 countries playing this year, Germany is predicted to be the highest goal scoring team (19%), with 14% also expecting the side to have the top-scoring player in the tournament. Respondents also said that Germany would score the fastest goal in the group stage.

When it came to playing dirty, UK fans pegged host country Russia to be the first to receive a red card (8%) in addition to committing the most fouls (9%), while Argentina will apparently clock up the most bookings in the event (10%).

This year will be the first time the controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will be used in a global tournament, and more than half (53%) of respondents said they think one or more goals will be reversed as a result.

While England fans weren't confident about the team's chances on the world stage this year, they did weigh in on their player-related predictions. Striker Harry Kane is clearly the one to watch this year. As well as being rated the player people are most excited to see on the pitch, 35% also forecast the Spurs man to be the England team's top goal scorer. Jamie Vardy was a runner-up as the top goal scorer, and Dele Alli was the player picked as having the most assists (14%).

Itai Pazner, Group COO of 888sport said: "With the buzz about Russia 2018 reaching fever pitch, we wanted to discover how the nation is predicting how the tournament will turn out. Germany are the clear favourites to win, according to football fans in the UK, which is probably down to having the most complete team in the competition.

"At 888sport, we currently have Brazil as the favourites at 9/2, with a fighting fit Neymar the possible key to their success, while Germany is at 5/1. Where England are concerned, it seems that people aren't holding out much hope for a repeat of '66, but we're happy to be surprised."

Notes to editors 

Survey carried out by OnePoll on the behalf of 888Sport on 1000 UK football fans in May 2018.

About 888sport 

888sport.com is one of the world's most popular online sports betting destinations, boasting thousands of in-play and pre-event markets from around the globe accessed through desktop, mobile and app.

Its parent company, 888.com, was founded in 1997, and, since its inception, has been at the forefront of the online gaming industry, offering a comprehensive gaming experience including casino, poker, bingo and sports betting.

888.com can be used in 22 different languages in 176 countries worldwide and is committed to an industry-leading corporate and social responsibility programme, providing a safe, fun, fair, regulated and secure gaming environment.

888.com is licensed and regulated by the Government of Gibraltar, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.