Xabi Alonso made his debut as Chelsea manager on July 28 in Sydney with a 6-4 victory against Western Sydney Wanderers in a pre-season friendly. Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick in roughly ten minutes during the match. This ten-goal result far exceeded betting market expectations, which typically predict 3.5 to 4.5 total goals for pre-season friendlies. Prediction market protocols like Polymarket and Azuro have seen volumes surge thanks to such sporting events, though regulatory risks remain across multiple jurisdictions including Australia. Alonso’s four-year contract provides markets with long-term visibility on the impact of the former Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich midfielder.
Source: Read the original article
