Four gamblers were counting their winnings today after putting money on Germany to beat Brazil by an outlandish 7-1 scoreline in the World Cup semi-final.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power had to pay out after offering odds of 500-1 for a result which was beyond the wildest dreams of most German fans. One gambler from eastern England won £2,500 after wagering £5.

William Hill, Britain's largest bookmaker, said none of its 120,000 customers who bet on the result had picked 7-1 as the final score .

One student in northern England was however rewarded after staking just 80p on Germany to take a 5-0 halftime lead. He won £240 at odds of 300-1 with William Hill.

Both teams to score is a popular bet and Oscar's late consolation goal for Brazil cost William Hill more than a million pounds, a company spokesman said.

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