Good day everyone,
I hope you are all well and had an excellent weekend, welcome to CryptoGod-1’s blog on all things sports. Today I will be doing a post on the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 finals to be held in Germany, which kicks off on Friday the 14th of June 2024. The competition will see 24 nations from Europe battle it out to be crowned the best in the continent. The competition kicks off on the 14th of June 2024 when hosts Germany face Scotland.
Groups
Each group will contain 4 nations who play each other once. At the end of the the 3 games the teams are ranked and the top two in each group progress to the next round. From the six groups, the 4 placed ranked 3rd placed teams will also progress.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Pre Tournament Analysis
This tournament will see some fascinating sides facing off against each other, with top nations such as Spain and Italy in the same group, just like France and the Netherlands are. Who progresses will have a major impact on their routes to the final, while the four best third placed teams will also make it into the round of sixteen.
Bookies odds have shown that England are the pre tournament favourites, and their starting eleven would suggest they have one of the best teams in the competition. France will put their faith in new Real Madrid signing Mbappé, while Germany have home advantage and should not be discounted. The Netherlands are in a strong position to add to their 1988 Euro title, while Portugal have great strength in depth. Reigning champions Italy should not be written off either and are showing strong sides of defensive solidity. Finally Spain will have plenty of optimism following their victory in last summers Nations League finals.
Paddy Power Odds for Outright Winner of EURO 2024
Below I will outline the top ten nations (according to betting odds) in terms of their chances of lifting the trophy at this years tournament.
England
England flew through qualifying but they have only managed one win from their last five games, and some big names were omitted from the final 26 man squad. If they can keep players fit then their attack is one of the best around, but defence is where the weakness lies. Kane, Bellingham, Saka, and Foden will have to drag their team through but should have more than enough ability between them to find the goals. Stones will be the key man at the back, and where Alexander-Arnold starts could be a determining factor given he has been handed the number 8 shirt and will likely feature in midfield.
From their group Denmark are likely to cause the most problems, but their opening game against Serbia will likely give a strong indication of how England will fare at this tournament. Beaten in the final in the last EUROS, Southgate will hope to finally lead this England to victory in a competition they are hot favourites for.
France
Deschamps' side have been unpredictible in recent games, only managing two wins from their last five following an impressive qualifying campaign. World Cup winners in 2018 and having appeared in 3 of the last four finals at tournaments they have appeared in, write France off at your own peril. Their squad has plenty of experience but Mbappé, Griezmann, and Saliba will be considered the key players. Settling on which defensive pairing to go with Saliba, one of Konate or Upamecano, along with ensuring the old legs in midfield are protected will be imperative to making the most of their attacking talent.
Within France's group it is clear the Netherlands will be the toughest opponent, but Poland and Austria are capable of causing upsets. With the big tie against the Netherlands coming in their second game, getting off to a winning start against Austria could be the beginning of a memorable tournament for the French.
Germany
Nagelsmann has breathed new life into this German side since taking over from Hansi Flick in September. They did not take part in qualifying as the host nation, but managed back-to-back wins over France and Netherlands in March this year. Winning the tournament on home soil would be immense for the Germans, and they will need Kroos and Havertz to bring their club form to the international stage if they are to stand a chance. Young Florian Wirtz is also coming off the back of an amazing season with Leverkusen, while Musiala will cause plenty of attacking threat. Their defence is just as strong, boasting Neuer between the sticks and Rudiger, Tah, and Kimmich at the back.
Their opening game against Scotland will set the tone for their tournament, and a big win would have the fans dreaming of being the first host nation in 40 years to life the trophy on home soil. Hungary and Switzerland should also give the Germans a couple of tough games, but all in all they should comfortably win their group and be fresh for the challenges of the knockout rounds.
Portugal
Portugal managed to score 36 goals and only conceded twice as they won all their qualifying games. They have lost to Slovenia and Croatia in friendlies since, but have one of the best squads around in all departments. Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to add to his 2016 EURO win and with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Jota, and Leao their attack is extremely dangerous. Cancelo, Dias, Ignacio, and Dalot will form a solid defence ahead of Costa in goal. Their midfield also boasts the wanted man in Palhinha and they show little weakness in all departments on the field.
Facing the Czech Republic in their opening game, Martinez' side will look to set a marker before facing Turkey and Georgia. They are clear favourites for their group, and if they can rack up early wins the Portuguese have a good chance of having a fresh squad once the round of sixteen begins. Ronaldo may not be the central figure of the team anymore, but his experience and desire to win may just rub off on his teammates to help get them over the line similar to 2016.
Spain
The Spanish brought in Luis de la Fuente after the World Cup in Qatar and he led them to success in last summers Nations League Finals. Their disappointment at the World Cup is long behind them and they will hope the in-form Pedri can make up for the loss of his talented teammate Gavi due to an ACL injury. Rodri will be dominant in midfield along with Fabian Ruiz, but their attack is somewhat lacking. Yamal is young and still learning the trade, while Morata or Joselu are decent upfront but not the potent attack Spain has boasted in the past. Their defence is also not looking as strong on paper, but they are more than capable of causing an upset with Laporte and Le Normand at the back and Simon in goal.
First up is Croatia, who Spain beat on penalties in last summers Nations League Final will give them a chance to really test themselves here. With Italy, who they overcame in last summers Nations League Semi Final in their second game, the Spanish cannot afford to slip up in their group of death. Their young players will be really tested here and it should create an amazing atmosphere with their final game against Albania potentially being crucial to qualifying for the last sixteen.
Italy
Winners in EURO 2020, Italy followed that up by missing out on the World Cup in 2022. They are far from favourites going into this tournament, but it was the same last time out as they proved the surprise package. Spalletti took over and while they struggled their way through qualifying, losing to England twice, tournaments are very different. Donnarumma and Bastoni are the key bastions at the back, with Barella and Jorginho providing the attacking threat from midfield. A lack of a traditional number 9 could hamper their chances, with Scamacca likely to be their central attacker but Chiesa could be in line for a big tournament and help drag his team through.
Given they are in the group of death, facing Albania in their opening game could hand the Italians a huge advantage. They follow that up with a game against Spain and then against Croatia. With so much experience from the last squad gone such as Bonucci and Chiellini, so a lot will depend on how their current crop step up on the big stage.
Netherlands
The Dutch lost twice against France is qualifying but steamrolled past their other opponents. They have not progressed past the quarter finals in the Euros since 2004 and a lot has been made of injuries to their squad. Key midfielders De Jong and Koopmeiners are struggling to be fit due to injury, but with van Dijk, Ake, and van de Ven their defence looks extremely solid. Koeman will hope youngster Xavi Simmons can continue his impressive form as they lack the attacking threat of other sides, but with Gakpo, Malen, Depay, and Weghorst the main attacking options it seems like a lot could be required of this side to find their way through.
With Poland in their opening game the Dutch will need to secure a good result before they come up against France. Austria in their final game means they will have plenty of chances to get through the group, but it wont be easy and an over reliance on scoring from set pieces could be their undoing.
Belgium
The Belgians are running out of time for their so-called golden generation to claim a major international trophy, and their group should see them easily qualify for the last sixteen. Vertonghen, Lukaku, and De Bruyne are the main stalwarts left from their previous crop of superstars and they will be supported by Tielemans, Doku, and Trossard. With manager Tedesco already announcing Casteels will be number one ahead of Courtois, there are already signs of potential turmoil within the camp. A lot of hope will rest on Lukaku, who was top scorer with 14 goals in qualifying, linking up with De Bruyne and Doku to cause havoc to their oppositions.
Their opening game against Romania should be straightforward, although they will have to be aware of Ukraines attacking threat in their second game, With Slovakia in their final game the Belgians should be comfortably qualified and capable of resting some players ahead of their last sixteen game. While there are less expectations on this squad than previous ones, the Belgians have often been hot or cold at tournaments and it should be interesting to see how they fare at this one.
Croatia
The Croatians have often proved the surprise package at tournaments over the last decade, finishing runner up in last summers Nation League final while they finished third at the World Cup in 2022. Spain eliminated them in the round of sixteen at the previous Euros, and they will face off in the group of death this time around. Key player Modric will hope to end his international career with a win, and Dalic's squad will hope to outdo their best ever result of reaching the Quarter Finals. Gvardiol is the stand out man in defence, with Sucic and Kramaric capable of providing the attacking threat.
Their first game will see Croatia face off against Spain, before they meet Albania. Their final game, against Italy, will take place while Spain have the easier game against Albania, meaning their could be everything to play for in that encounter. It will be a difficult tournament no matter what for the Croatians and they will need to be at their best in every game, but one can never rule them out when it comes to international competitions.
Denmark
The Danes were surprise winners in Euro 1992 and will fancy their chances of progressing out of the group stages at this years tournament. They were eliminated in the Semi Finals in Euro 2020 and nobody should take them lightly given the talent in their squad. Højlund will lead the line after scoring seven goals in qualifying, while Eriksen continues to be the nations primary creative player. Nørgaard and Hojbjerg will look to provide a solid platform in midfield while the defence of Christensen, Vestergaard, and Andersen ahead of Schmeichel in goal could help the Danes provide a shock at this tournament.
Their opening game against Slovenia will be crucial as they will be up against it in their next game against England. If the Danes can cause an upset against the English then their final game against Serbia could be much simpler to navigate. They are far from favourites, but they will be more than capable of giving a strong account of themselves.
Predictions:
Below is how I feel the six groups will finish, with the top two teams from each group guaranteed a place in the round of sixteen.
Group Stage
Group Stage 3rd Place Teams
Of the 3rd placed teams in the six groups, I am predicting it will be Italy, Scotland, Poland, and the Czech Republic who make it into the next round.
Round of 16
If my predictions on the group stages are correct then the round of sixteen should end up as follows:
Quarter Finals
With the predicted outcomes from the group stage and round of 16, the tournament would be left with a final eight comprising of the following fixtures:
Germany - Spain
Portugal - Netherlands
Belgium - France
Croatia - England
Semi Finals
My predicted final four to progress from the Quarter Finals into the Semi Finals will be as follows:
Germany - Portugal
France - England
Final
This is my predicted final, with hosts Germany facing off against the favourites England, who lost in the final of Euro 2020 against Italy.
Germany - England
Winner
I have a feeling England will fall just short once again, with my predicted winner of Euro 2024 being:
Germany
There you have it, my analysis and predictions for Euro 2024 are in. It should be a fascinating tournament and while my predictions are far from certain, I have a feeling we will finally see a host nation winner of the competition for the first time in 40 years.
Have a great day.
Peace. CryptoGod-1.
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