Spain and Portugal go through; Ella closes on Richard in the market

The last two R32 ties of Wednesday sent two more through. Ella’s Spain demolished Tega’s Austria 3-0 - emphatic, and it all but ends Tega’s hopes - and Sophie’s Portugal edged her own Croatia 2-1 in an all-their-own tie, so Sophie was always advancing one of them.

That bunches the chase behind Pete: Henry and Sophie now share third on 53, Ella 52 and Emily 50 - four players inside three points. The full table: Richard 71, Pete 56, then Henry 53, Sophie 53, Ella 52, Emily 50, Nichola 42 and Tega 39.

Live as this goes out, Richard’s Switzerland and Sophie’s Algeria are goalless. Today closes out the Round of 32 with a busy day for Sophie: her Algeria (in play), her Cape Verde against Richard’s Argentina, and her Australia against Ella’s Egypt.

Odds watch

The market has its tightest top yet. Ella’s Spain hammering Austria sent Spain to the head of the title board (~25%), and it pulled Ella almost level with Richard in the sweepstake betting - Richard ~3.86 (26%), Ella ~4.01 (25%) - with Nichola’s France (~5.19) completing a still-tight leading trio (Spain 25% / Argentina 22% / France 19%). Sophie was the day’s biggest riser (+2.7pp to ~16.9), Portugal through and three more of her teams out today. At the foot, Tega drifts to a near-hopeless ~111 - Austria gone, and only Morocco left to carry her.