Barcelona versus mid-table La Liga opposition - albeit away from home and without Luis Suarez - you would still have presumed to be a banker for Messi and Co.
Initally, one Betfair customer thought so too. But, perhaps after a rethink - they had just played a tough mid-week Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid - the bettor decided that Barca could be vulnerable against Real Sociedad.
They were correct too. A goal after just five minutes from Mikel Oiarzabal was enough to earn Real Sociedad the three points.
The change of heart turned out to be a profitable one. The Betfair customer had a 22-team accumulator with 16 legs correct. The 17th leg was Real Sociedad vs Barcelona.
He cashed out 15 minutes prior to kick-off for a profit of £53,000. The stake was just £49.50.
A Betfair trader called it the 'mother of all cash outs'.
This is the mother of all Cash Outs with the customer correctly predicting that Barcelona weren't going to do the business against Real Sociedad. The UK customer in his late twenties took a Cash Out value of £53,000 15 minutes before kick-off at the Anoeta Stadium and would have been elated to see Barcelona failing to find the net.
This punter's nerve would have already been put to the test after the 15th leg of his 22 fold accumulator as he watched Man City go 1-0 down against West Brom. Having refused a Cash Out of £25,000 ahead of the late kick off in the Premier League he would have been incredibly relieved to see Pellegrini's men manage to pull it back in the second half.
The entire 22-leg acca would have been worth £1.5 million.
These were his successful selections.
Man City to beat West Brom
Southampton to beat Newcastle
Crystal Palace to beat Norwich
Derby to beat Bolton
QPR to beat Charlton
Middlesbrough to beat Preston
Birmingham to beat Reading
Bristol City to beat Sheff Wed
Rotherham to beat MK Dons
Wigan to beat Coventry
Rochdale to beat Peterborough
Oxford to beat Crawley
Portsmouth to beat Dagenham & Redbridge
Real Madrid to beat Eibar
PSG to beat Guingamp
Atletico Madrid to beat Espanyol
And the rest.
Barcelona to beat Real Sociedad (LOST)
Tottenham to beat Man Utd
Liverpool to beat Stoke
Real Madrid to beat Wolfsburg
Man Utd to beat Aston Villa
Tottenham to beat Stoke
