Showcasing the game’s young stars before they become superstar footballers, the U21 Championship features some of the best young talent in the world. Israel hosts the tournament in 2013 with group stage action kicking off June 5th and the final taking place on June 18th.
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The Money-Back Special
Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast single bets on any match in which there more than 3 goals. If the ball is hitting the back of the net in any match in the tournament, players have an excellent chance to get their money back on a losing wager.
Is There A Catch?
No, that is the best part about Paddy Power. They have refunded over €1 million in Money-Back specials, and there are no hidden motives or impossible to hit conditions. If the special hits, punters will receive a max refund of €100 to their PaddyPower.com account.
The promotion applies to all single bets placed just before the kickoff of each match. Extra time and penalty shootouts do not count towards this promotion. Remember, it only applies to First and Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast markets only.
The Field
Each of the 8 teams headed to Israel for this year’s tournament is loaded with young talent. We’ll preview the odds to win the tournament and some of the top players from each squad. The odds below are odds to win the 2013 U21 Championship and are not eligible for the money-back promotion.
Still, this will give bettors a preview of the best teams in the tournament, along with the top playmakers and goalscorers from each team.
Spain 2/1
The Spanish unsurprisingly are the favorites to win the tournament and are loaded with young talent. Spain is especially deep at midfield, featuring young midfielders Thiago and Isco. Thaigo made his debut for Barcelona in 2009 and has 50 caps for the storied club. He has also been linked to a move to Manchester United. Isco scored 12 goals last season for Spanish side Malaga, and is rumored to be heading to Manchester City.
Germany 3/1
German U21 captain Lewis Holtby will be a familiar name for Tottenham supporters. Though the young German has not played his way into the starting lineup, he was impressive in a limited performance when Spurs lost Garth Bale. Patrick Hermann is another top young German footballer looking to make his mark. Signed to a new deal at Monchengladbach, the young winger may be a force in the next generation of German footballers.
Italy 5/1
Italy has some of the most profile players in this tournament. Marco Verratti has drawn comparisons to Andrea Pirlo, a flattering tribute to young midfielder’s talent. He helped French side Paris St.-Germain win the Ligue 1 title in his first season with the club. Lorenzo Insigne is Italy’s top scoring threat at striker. He scored against Sweden to mark Italy’s ticket into the tournament finals.
England 6/1
England has some exciting young players that are no doubt ready to become stars. Willfried Zaha helped Crystal Palace work their way into the Premier League this season while on loan from Manchester United. However, he may miss some of the tournament with a bum ankle.
Thomas Ince not only has a famous bloodline – his father is former England captain Paul Ince – but is talented in his own right. He led Championship side Blackpool in Goals last season and has Liverpool and many other top clubs interested in his services
Best of the Rest
Netherlands 5/1: Kevin Strootman, Luuk De Jong
Russia 14/1: Alan Dzagoev
Israel 20/1: Alon Mizrahi, Arik Benado
Norway 40/1: Harvard Nordveit