It’s Not Coming Home
England are the current favourites to win the Euros at 11/4, which is probably a little short. Of course I want them to win, but my head is saying that they might come up short.
They’ve got the players, and they also have the experience of getting to the latter stages of tournaments, but my biggest concern is, can they get over the line?
Despite doing wonders with England, I just think Gareth Southgate is still tactically naive when it comes to the big decisions in the big games. If England are in a similar situation to when they trailed France 2-1 at the World Cup in the quarterfinals, is he prepared to make the right changes at the right time? I can just see England falling short again in a similar scenario, and therefore I have to take them on.
Frigid France
France probably should be favourites. They won the World Cup in 2018, got to the final of the World Cup in 2022, and probably have the best player in the world with Kylian Mbappe. They just seem to have the know-how to get the job done in major tournaments.
That said, they did get beaten at the last Euros on penalties to Switzerland. Also, their recent form has been a bit up and down. They drew to Greece and have lost to Germany in the last twelve months, so they’re not invincible. I think Les Bleues have a good chance, but I’m happy to leave them at 4/1.
A Learning Curve For Germany
The host nation, Germany, is currently priced up at 11/2 to win. They’ve been a team that’s been in transition for the last few years and haven’t lived up to their mighty reputation in recent tournaments.
Looking at their current squad, they’ve got a mixture of youth and experience, but they don’t appear to have a settled team. I can see them getting out of the group, but not getting much further than that. Euro 2024 will be a learning curve for them to go on and perform at future tournaments.
Spanish Struggles
Spain is another team that has their backers for the Euros. They might have a squad that has some exciting young talent, but I just think they don’t have the mentality to get far into the knockout rounds. For example, at the last World Cup, they got knocked out in the last 16 by Morocco. Also, Spain lacks a proper goal scorer, which you need in major tournaments. I think they won’t get further than the quarters.
The Dark Horses
The team that represents the best value to me is Portugal at 8/1. They’ve got a very strong squad with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Diaz,. Furthermore they recently had a manager change with Roberto Martinez, who failed to get a golden generation of Belgian players over the line in major tournaments. However, I think he is still a good manager, and he can do well with Portugal.
They look to have been drawn into an easy group with the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Georgia. If they win their group, they could avoid France or England and have a nice route to the final. I think they are the dark horses of Euro 2024.
Courageous Croatia
There is always one team that surprises a few people along the way and I think it could be Croatia. People always seem to write them off, probably because they think their star player, Luca Modric, is getting on.
Despite this, they have still managed to get to the latter stages of tournaments, and in 2022, they got to the semifinals of the World Cup and went on to win the third-place playoff. Furthermore, their manager, Zlato Dakic, is still in charge, and he’s been there with them since they reached the final of the World Cup in 2018. Just that experience means he knows what it takes in tournament football.
Also, if it goes to penalties, that won’t phase them. They have an excellent record in penalty shootouts, having never lost one at the World Cup in their four attempts. Moreover, a lot of their players in the squad have experienced shootouts with them, which could be invaluable.
For Euro 2024, Croatia has been drawn into the so-called “Group Of Death” with Spain, Italy, and Albania. However, I think they’re more than capable of beating any of those teams. It might be a stretch for them to win it at 40/1, but they are 2/1 to reach the quarterfinals and 13/2 to get to the semifinals. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went far into the tournament.
Euro 2024 Tips
Portugal To Win The Euros (8/1)
Croatia To Reach Quarter-Finals (2/1)
Croatia To Reach Semi-Finals (13/2)
