Pundits have been quick to latch onto the fact that fewer goals are being scored in open play situations – certainly in the English Premier League – than in recent memory.
Various factors are in play, from less chaotic, more compact tactical systems to a shift towards set piece creation – they are very much en vogue in 2025/26.
Maybe, then, there are fewer opportunities for goals-based punters to thrive – game states and conservative mindsets promoting a downturn in both teams to score and over 2.5 goals success.
Mind you, there’s still plenty of happy tales to be told… including that of one punter over the weekend who bashed William Hill with a £20 nine-fold that yielded a return of a handsome £33,303.
And goals were at the very height of the winning betslip…
European Adventure
| Home | Score | Away | Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris FC | 0-5 | Lens | Over 2.5 Goals |
| Marseille | 2-2 | Strasbourg | BTTS |
| Lille | 1-1 | Brest | BTTS |
| Real Madrid | 4-1 | Real Sociedad | BTTS |
| Sevilla | 1-1 | Alaves | BTTS |
| Stuttgart | 3-1 | Köln | Stuttgart Win & BTTS |
| Dynamo Dresden | 1-2 | SV Elversberg | Elversberg Win & BTTS |
| Trabzonspor | 2-3 | Fenerbahçe | Fenerbahçe Win & BTTS |
| Ajax | 4-1 | Fortuna Sittard | Ajax Win & BTTS |
We love posting big winners on these pages… and normally they feature English Premier League games at their core.
But this William Hill punter went off piste, if you’ll ignore the zeitgeisty Winter Olympics pun, by embarking on a true European tour.
Games from Germany, France, Spain, Turkey and the Netherlands formed their nine-fold, with a variety of match result, both teams to score and over 2.5 selections all landing.
Let’s kick off our look back at the action with the sole over 2.5 goals pick: Paris FC vs Lens in France’s Ligue 1.
Lens went off as the marginal favourites with the bookmakers… and why not, given that they continue to lead PSG at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
Whether our punter was expecting them to give Paris FC, very much in relegation jeopardy, a good hiding only they know, but their pick certainly looked in great shape as Lens romped into a 2-0 half-time lead.
The hosts were only able to put up marginal resistance in the second period, as Florian Thauvin’s penalty put Lens 3-0 up and franked the over 2.5 goal selection. Rayan Fofana then netted a late brace to cap a 5-0 thrashing for the visitors.
Goal Machines
It was raining goals elsewhere too as our punter tucked into a quartet of BTTS picks.
Real Madrid have been in imperious form in La Liga this term, and their contest with Real Sociedad was an incredibly one-sided – albeit chaotic – affair.
Both teams to score had landed after just 21 minutes in a game that saw three penalties netted – Vinicius Jr with two of those. Real Madrid ultimately ran out 4-1 winners.
When Sevilla’s Juanlu Sanchez was sent off after just 16 minutes against Alaves, our punter may have been fearing the worst for their BTTS selection.
But Antonio Martinez cancelled out Djibril Sow’s opener on the hour mark, so it was a comfortable enough win in the end.
Back in France, Marseille and Strasbourg played out a 2-2 humdinger… although BTTS didn’t land until the 73rd minute, when Sebastian Nanasis netted to reduce Strasbourg’s arrears. They went on to equalise in the 97th minute, no less, from the penalty spot.
And the fourth and final BTTS pick came home in Lille vs Brest… although this time it was a 71st minute goal that sealed the deal.
Dutch Delight
The remaining four picks were match result and both teams to score doubles.
Stuttgart obliged in the German Bundesliga against FC Koln, although our punter’s blood pressure might have been rising slightly as the game ticked into the 84th minute at 1-1.
However, Stuttgart – their pick to win the game – would find the time to score twice more, with Deniz Undav completing a 3-1 win in injury time.
Staying in Germany but shifting to the second tier, Elversberg were odds-against on their travels against Dynamo Dresden. But our punter was bullish about their chances, and despite going a goal down after 12 minutes, the away side roared back to complete a 2-1 turnaround.
Five goals were blitzed in the space of 48 minutes in the game between Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig. Happily for our punter, it was Fenerbahce who notched three of them – former Aston Villa loanee Marco Asensio netting what would ultimately be the winner.
Which finally takes us to the Netherlands, where Ajax – far from being the force they once were – entertained Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie.
On this occasion, Ajax resembled something like their powerhouse past, rollicking into a 3-0 lead after just 24 minutes.
An own goal on the stroke of half-time got Fortuna somewhat back into the contest, but a further strike from Mika Godts capped a fine 4-1 win for the Amsterdam outfit.
And our punter – £20 in, £33,303 out – was left to reflect on a rather tremendous weekend’s action!