Gambling on European Championship football

Sports gambling in Ireland takes many forms, but it is generally considered that horse racing and football are the two most popular gambling sports. Both however are not confined to events taking place only in Ireland, and gambling on football in particular is often concentrated on the English Premier League with so many matches available  live on television. It should also be said that many Irish football gambling fans have a particular affinity with two of the premier league clubs, and Liverpool and Manchester United are both well supported by Irish football fans. Then of course there is Celtic from the Scottish Premier League, a club probably followed even more widely in Ireland. Some Irish football gambling enthusiasts may therefore have had more than a fleeting eye on this week’s Champions League draw, which for the first time in many years included Celtic. Both Manchester United and Celtic appear to have drawn difficult opponents in Real Madrid and Juventus respectively, but most football pundits give them both more than a fair chance. Having performed so well against Barcelona, Celtic fans will be hoping that they have finally overcome their problems with European football, and are ready to take on any of the big European Clubs. As for Manchester United, their fans are more accustomed to their club reaching this stage of the competition over recent years, but this year’s draw has thrown up the tie of the round and football gambling fans all over the world will be watching their matches against Real Madrid. Clearly the return of Christiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford adds a great deal of spice to what will certainly be the match of the round. Not all sports gambling enthusiasts follow football, but there are many for whom a match between two of the great names in European football will surely tempt them to have a flutter.