Pundits betting on Slovakia cashed in, while the Kiwis drew level with Paraguay. And those were only some of the highlights in what has been described as an absolute shocker for the Italians. Granted the Slovakians outperformed their opponents with a scintillating display of football that had everyone riveted to their seats. The strikes that sunk Italy were thumped in by Robert Vittek (2 goals) and Kamil Kopunek.

In other news, the New Zealanders played a good game against Paraguay but both teams’ defences were too strong. The resulting 0 – 0 score line was a fitting end to a tightly contested match. Paraguay joined Slovakia at the top of Group F and both advance to the final 16. The Japanese stunned critics and swept aside a lacklustre Danish side with a 3 - 1 decimation. The Asian tigers certainly looked the part and betting pundits made a pretty penny on their surprising performance.

A big day awaits players and punters alike

As far as big games go, the contest between Brazil and Portugal is going to have hundreds of millions of football fans tuning in at 16h00 South Africa time. William Hill Sports is offering punters some fantastic odds and live-betting options. The real-time sports wagering at WH offers players a chance to cash in while the action’s hot. As William Hill puts it – ‘can Portugal silence the samba fans?’ – that certainly remains to be seen. Two teams competing in their last outing include North Korea and the Ivory Coast. The North Koreans will be reeling from their 7-0 drubbing by Portugal – but will they come back fighting?

In other news, the evening will be dominated by two exciting matches. Spain will be squaring off against Chile for a berth in the final 16. Spanish hopes rest on multiple outcomes, given their poor initial showing against Switzerland. The Swiss for their part will be tackling a hungry Honduras side intent on sealing a win. Signs are good for Spain and Chile to advance to the next round.

William Hill Sports’ ball-by-ball action

Will Hill Sports is offering players a generous sign-up bonus with £30 in free bets using the WORLD30 promo code. Top-tier sportsbetting action is offered with Anytime Goalscorer and Handicap Betting. There are hot match markets and scorer markets to assist punters in making specific bets.