Why spain will win... [Engineering Football]

Predicting football results is a rapidly growing area of academic interest. Economists use models to assess the efficiency of betting markets, operational researchers use models to experiment with the various effects of tournament design, and statisticians showcase their proficiency with advanced statistical techniques by modelling the intricacies of football data. It is not, of course, just academics who are mining the archives of football scores. Bookmakers live and breathe football prediction models as do the more committed flutterers. Mistakes cost money and jobs, whilst finding a small advantage can carry great rewards.