Euro 2024 kicks off this June and the wealth of young talent on show could make this summer’s tournament the most exciting in years. England fans are pinning their hopes on Jude Bellingham outperforming his peers and delivering a trophy for the Three Lions – but there are plenty more burgeoning superstars to watch out for too.

The Young Player of the Tournament award is open to all players aged 22 and under. That leaves scope for a lot of kids to make their mark on the international stage.

Below, we look at the nine players most likely to be named Young Player of the Tournament, and why they’re worth watching this summer.

Euro 2024: Top Young Players

Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham is already a household name. The Real Madrid star is guaranteed to be in the England XI this summer and at 20 has already become one of the most exciting players in La Liga.

Bellingham is scoring for fun in Spain but it’s his cool head and smart tactical awareness that sets him apart from others his age. England play under an intense amount of scrutiny at major finals and Bellingham is prepared for it.

He’s an exciting, forward-focused player who can also do the defensive duties when required. It’s the likes of Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice who can catapult England to glory.

Jude Bellingham Stats

International caps: 29

Clubs: Birmingham City, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid

Career highlight: Kopa Trophy 2023 winner, Champions League 23/24 winner

Shop window?: Bellingham is not in the shop window. The only way is down once you’re at Real Madrid and the only thing a successful Euro 2024 campaign will earn him is bargaining power for an improved contract at the Bernabeu.

Benjamin Sesko

Slovenia have a real talent in Benjamin Sesko and England will have to be wary of the Slovenia forward in the group stage this summer. Sesko, 20, dazzled in his early years at Red Bull Salzburg before earning a move to RB Leipzig last summer.

Sesko is a deadly finisher and has the strength to handle himself against international-class defenders. You’ll often hear him talked about as Slovenia’s answer to Erling Haaland. While he’s not at that level yet, he will capture the spotlight when Slovenia play.

Benjamin Sesko Stats:

International caps: 28

Clubs: Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig

Career highlight: Scoring five goals in Euro 2024 qualifying to catapult Slovenia to the tournament.

Shop window?: Sesko is already at a big club but there will be Premier League scouts watching. Arsenal and Chelsea are supposedly interested and the 20-year-old is valued at around £50m.

Johan Bakayoko

Johan Bakayoko is flying under the radar heading into Euro 2024. The Belgian has thrived at PSV and has helped them to the Eredivisie title this season. PSV usually sell their top talents once they’ve delivered trophies and Bakayoko has plenty of admirers.

The pacey winger was an unused substitute in the March friendly against England but is steadily picking up caps. At 21 this is his summer to shine and secure a career-defining move to a major club.

He is still on the brink of stardom and will have to fight for a place in the Belgium XI.

Johan Bakayoko Stats

International caps: 10

Clubs: Jong PSV, PSV

Career highlight: Winning the 2023/24 Eredivisie with PSV.

Shop window?: Bakayoko is definitely in the shop window this summer. A good tournament here and he could secure a move to the Premier League or Bundesliga.

Arda Guler

Turkey finally have a replacement for retired regular goalscorer Burak Yilmaz in playmaker Arda Guler, and he could make a major impact at Euro 2024 following an injury-hit first season at Real Madrid. Guler joined Real last year after two seasons in Fenerbahce’s first team.

He has an outstanding turn of pace and great positional awareness for a 19-year-old. Carlo Ancelotti wants him to stay at the Bernabeu despite rumours of a loan move in the summer.

Physically, he looks like a teenager playing men’s football. Yet given time he could become a superstar of the game. Turkey will rely on his talent to unlock Czechia, Georgia and Portugal in the group stage. They could even top Group F.

Arda Guler Stats

International caps: 6

Clubs: Fenerbahce, Real Madrid

Career highlight: Scoring in a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga.

Shop window?: Like Bellingham, Guler isn’t expected to leave Real Madrid on a permanent basis any time soon. He could, though, be a loan target this summer if Ancelotti decides he isn’t quite ready for regular games at the top of La Liga. An impressive Euros would help his cause.

Florian Wirtz

At 20, Florian Wirtz is already a Bundesliga champion and regular starter for Germany. The Germans have played a string of friendlies recently as they didn’t have to qualify for this summer’s Euros, meaning Wirtz has had time to bed into Julian Nagelsmann’s system without much pressure on his shoulders.

At club level he has upped his scoring rate this spring to fire Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title. But it’s his ability to pick the lock and find a team-mate free in the box that has caused heads to turn.

His number of Bundesliga assists pushed into double figures this season and he’s a selfless player when on the ball. Germany haven’t had much international success recently but Wirtz could be the man to change all that.

Florian Wirtz Stats

International caps: 16

Clubs: Bayer Leverkusen

Career highlight: Winning the domestic double with Leverkusen in 2023/24.

Shop window?: Leverkusen have Wirtz on contract until 2027 so suitors will have to pay big money to force him out of the club. A successful summer could raise his transfer value above £80m and mean only the top Spanish sides, PSG, or Premier League clubs could afford him.

Xavi Simons

The Netherlands can usually be relied upon to deliver an exciting young talent at a summer tournament and Xavi Simons is the man this time. The 20-year-old has already done the rounds in Europe. Trained at La Masia, he joined PSG as a youth in 2019 before moving to PSV in 2022. That transfer came with a €6m buy-back clause that PSG triggered a year later.

They immediately farmed him out to RB Leipzig where the Dutch youngster has flourished this season. Three goals in his first four Bundesliga appearances set the pace for an outstanding season.

The playmaker is electric on the ball and can find the target from anywhere in the opponents’ half. He made his Netherlands debut at the 2022 World Cup and is pushing for a place in the XI this summer.

Xavi Simons Stats

International caps: 13

Clubs: PSG, PSV, RB Leipzig

Career highlight: Making his Netherlands and World Cup debut in a last-16 match with USA in 2022.

Shop window?: PSG are aware of Simons’ talent and won’t let him go easily. Another loan move is more likely this summer but he could prove useful if the French club cannot find a suitable alternative to the departing Kylian Mbappe. He isn’t a like-for-like replacement though, so a loan is viable.

Arthur Vermeeren

Another Belgian on our list, 19-year-old Arthur Vermeeren is not guaranteed to make the final squad for Euro 2024. However, his potential is such that we reckon he’s worth including in our list. Vermeeren won the league with Royal Antwerp last season before securing an €18m switch to Atletico Madrid in January this year.

The midfielder is yet to make an impact in Spain but is part of the Belgium set-up. He is a defensive midfielder with the maturity to sit back when required, and then bomb forward. Similar to Declan Rice, it’s his presence that a manager can build a team around.

Vermeeren has competition with Orel Mangala for the anchor role in Belgium’s midfield. Keep his head down, work hard and he could shine this summer.

Arthur Vermeeren Stats

International caps: 3

Clubs: Royal Antwerp, Atletico Madrid

Career highlight: Winning the 2022/23 Belgian Pro League title with Royal Antwerp

Shop window?: Vermeeren has only just joined Atletico Madrid so there is little chance of him making a permanent move elsewhere this year. However, he could be loaned out if Diego Simeone decides he needs more experience before commanding a midfield at the top of La Liga.

Lamine Yamal

At 16, Lamine Yamal is already Barcelona's youngest ever player to start a game and youngest ever goalscorer. The winger possesses the Messi-like ability to evade multiple challenges while slaloming through defenders.

Yamal scored on his Spain debut last autumn and has picked up a handful of goals for Barca too. He’s gone from being a substitute to a regular starter.

Gavi being injured this summer means Spain’s right flank is Yamal’s for keeps. He will help drive the team forward and provide the goal threat that Spain have somehow lacked in recent tournaments.

Lamine Yamal Stats

International caps: 6

Clubs: Barcelona

Career highlight: Scoring on his Spain debut as a 16-year-old against Georgia.

Shop window?: Yamal would be on the scouting list of every top club in the world were he not already at Barcelona. His contract runs to 2026 and he is expected to sign an improved deal once he turns 18 next year. No-one will be able to afford the price Barca would set for such a hot prospect.

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Group A at Euro 2024 promises to be one of the most competitive of this summer's group stage, with three teams all in contention to join hosts Germany in the last-16.

BetMGM's Euro 2024 odds reflect the wide assumption that Germany are favourites to top Group A. What makes this pool so fascinating is there's no guarantee of who will finish second.

Scotland, Switzerland and Hungary will probably be competing for the runners-up spot, while third place may be enough to slip through to the knockout stage.

The latest Euro odds suggest there is just a 1% difference in probability between Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland in finishing in the top two places. Second place is anyone's for the taking.

Here, we look at each Group A squad in detail, the fixtures to come, and offer up some predictions for Euro 2024 betting fans…

Euro 2024 Group A

Germany are the clear favourites in Group A and kick off the tournament against Scotland on 14 June. How far they progress this summer, however, is a lot less certain. Here’s an overview of the Euro 2024 Group A teams.

Germany

There is a surprising amount of pressure on Germany heading into Euro 2024. The national team has endured a relatively disappointing decade since winning the World Cup back in 2014. A Euros semi-final two years later is the best they've managed since. They have exited at the group stage in each of the last two European Championships.

Now, however, the squad has a purpose again. There's a mix of experience in Thomas Muller, Antonio Rudiger and Toni Kroos, and some exciting young talent in Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Wirtz is tipped to be one of the best youngsters at Euro 2024.

The one problem for Germany is they haven't played any competitive fixtures since the 2022 World Cup. Yes, they beat Netherlands and France in the spring, but these were friendlies. It's really hard to know how well Germany will fare. They could stroll to European glory or bomb again in the groups.

Scotland

The odds for Scotland to win Euro 2024 are pretty realistic at 80/1. However, reaching the quarter-finals at 11/4 is not totally out of the question. Scotland enjoyed a stellar qualification campaign to deservedly reach the finals in Germany this summer. Stinging Spain 2-0 at Hampden was the big highlight.

However, Scotland have hit dire form on the eve of the tournament. No wins since beating Cyprus 3-0 in September means confidence is low. They lost 1-0 at home to Northern Ireland in March. Granted, it was a friendly, but if they have any aspirations of escaping this group then it’s the sort of match they need to be winning.

Scotland flopped at Euro 2020 but at least the pressure of playing at home is gone this time. With Scott McTominay driving a midfield that gets most of their goals, anything is possible. However, the lack of a genuine up-front goal threat could haunt them in crunch ties with Switzerland and Hungary.

Hungary

Hungary are in the opposite position to Scotland in terms of form heading into the summer. They sauntered through qualifying, winning their group ahead of Serbia without losing a match. In fact, Hungary are unbeaten since a Nations League loss to Italy in September 2022.

There's a rich seam of experience running through this team, from Freiburg defender Attila Szalai and Leipzig's Willi Orbán, to Split's László Kleinheisler and captain Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool. Hungary could be one of the big stories of the summer.

Their crunch game is against Switzerland in the opening round of matches on 15 June. Win this and they will be on their way to the last-16, bar a slip-up against Scotland. Marco Rossi's side are exciting to watch and defensively sound against nations of similar FIFA ranking. They are, though, third favourites to qualify in the top two at 11/8.

Switzerland

Switzerland once again head into a major tournament as the second favourites of their group. The Swiss are used to having to face one top-ranked side and two lesser-ranked opponents in the groups. They’ve successfully progressed to the knockout stage of each of their last five major tournaments.

And so it’s no surprise the BetMGM odds setters have placed Switzerland at 5/4 to finish in the top two.

However, Euro 2024 may not fall kindly for the Swiss. They have struggled for goals all season and limped to second place in their Euros qualifying group, enduring draws to Israel and Kosovo, and a defeat to Romania. Xherdan Shaqiri's strike was enough to beat Republic of Ireland in a March friendly but it was a tepid performance.

Euro 2024 Group A Fixtures

The crunch game in Group A this summer likely comes in the first round of matches when Hungary face Switzerland. The victor here will likely take second spot and an automatic route to the last-16. Of the three Scotland Euro 2024 fixtures, the most important is on 19 June against Switzerland in Cologne. Get even a point here and they'll go into the final match of the group with a chance to progress.

Match 1

• 14 June – Germany vs Scotland | Fußball Arena München, Munich
• 15 June – Hungary vs Switzerland | Cologne Stadium, Cologne

Match 2

• 19 June – Germany vs Hungary | Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart
• 19 June – Scotland vs Switzerland | Cologne Stadium, Cologne

Match 3

• 23 June – Switzerland vs Germany | Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt
• 23 June – Scotland vs Hungary | Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart

Best Players in Group A to Watch

All eyes will be on Germany in this group and Florian Wirtz is the man to watch. The continent knows about Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Antonio Rudiger. What we're all waiting for is a fresh young face to thrive in this tournament. Forward Wirtz can do just that. He is already a Bundesliga champion with Bayer Leverkusen and is now a regular in the Germany XI.

Hungary's team is stronger than the sum of its parts but there are still some star names among the squad. No bigger is Dominik Szoboszlai, who has begun to start more games for Liverpool and deliver goals. He cost the Reds £60m and this could be a break-out tournament for the national team captain.

Switzerland's squad is studded with stars from Europe's top five divisions, including Manchester City's Manuel Akanji, Newcastle defender Fabian Schär, Leverkusen's Bundesliga winner Granit Xhaka, and playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri. However, 23-year-old Noah Okafor could be the star man here. The Milan forward is a regular in the Swiss XI but not his club side. He has a point to prove this summer.

Finally, the Scotland Euro 2024 squad could rely heavily on the likes of John McGinn, Scott McTominay and Andrew Robertson. Experience is crucial and Scotland’s core group endured a difficult Euros campaign last time out. Lewis Ferguson, the Bologna captain tearing it up in Serie A, misses the tournament through injury. Instead, Billy Gilmour could make an impact in this group following a good season at Brighton.

Euro 2024 Group A Tips

Euro 2024 betting is hotting up as we edge towards the tournament’s kick off, and Group A promises to be fascinating. Germany are hot favourites to win the group but aren’t guaranteed to do so. Scotland are tipped to finish rock bottom but could easily spring a surprise.

Below are three Group A tips for Euro 2024 and the latest odds from BetMGM.

Germany to Beat Scotland Without Conceding

Germany host the first match of the tournament against Scotland on 14 June in Munich. It's going to be a celebration of football for the locals but not so much for the travelling Scots. Germany will want to set a marker here regardless of how far they actually progress in the tournament. Scotland have the opportunity to spring an upset but almost certainly won't.

Their form is woeful and goals are of short supply right now. Boss Steve Clarke could use the match as a test event for Hungary and Switzerland, and see how the defensive and midfield lines cope under constant strain.

It will be a learning experience for the Scots but they won't get anything from this match. Germany, with Muller, Kai Havertz, Ilkay Gundogan and youngster Wirtz, should be too strong over 90 minutes.

Tip: Germany beat Scotland and keep a clean sheet at 5/6

Hungary To Escape Group A

Hungary’s form and their wealth of talent across the team makes them the ideal pick to stroll into the last-16. If we assume they beat Switzerland and Scotland, then Hungary will probably finish second behind the hosts.

This would lead to a showdown with the runner-up in Group B – one of Italy, Croatia, Spain and Albania. That doesn't bode well for Hungary. They're in good form but they haven't beaten any of the top-tier countries since rumbling England and Germany in the autumn of 2022.

The smart money, then, is on Hungary progressing in second place at 5/4 but not reaching the quarter-finals. Making it that far is priced at 5/2, which is too short when you consider the enormity of the task at hand to overcome Italy, Croatia or Spain in the last-16.

Tip: Hungary finish in the top two at 5/4 but don’t get into the quarters

Switzerland Advance Too

It’s perhaps a little hard to totally write off Scotland here but there is a genuine possibility that Clarke’s men head home with zero points this summer. That would open a window for the third-placed team to advance to the knockouts too.

Switzerland, Hungary and Germany could all pick up six points. Or, if the Germans win all their games, then Hungary and Switzerland could both earn four points by drawing against each other and both progress.

This looks the most likely route for the Swiss advance to the last-16. It’s hard to predict who they would then face in the knockouts, but it would be a group winner if they finish third. Whether they advance any further remains to be seen but at 5/2 Switzerland are a good price to make the quarters.

Tip: Switzerland produce a last-16 shock to make the quarters at 5/2

Euro 2024 Group A Top Scorer

Germany are expected to win all three matches in Group A and in doing so will likely deliver the top scorer in the group. That makes sense but actually identifying the man who will grab the goals is the tricky part. It's rare for players to score more than twice in a group stage but Muller, Havertz and Wirtz all have it in them to achieve this.

Germany don't have the all-out goal-getter that England do in Harry Kane. But the sheer number of chances they may create over these three group games should see them thrive. Don't be surprised if Muller and Wirtz challenge for the top scorer position in this group.

Elsewhere, Scotland have a real lack of firepower up front and their goals – if they score any – may come from midfield. The same goes for Switzerland, although Okafor could have a breakout tournament.

Hungary, though, have the outside bet in this race. Freiburg's Roland Sallai is the only true forward in the squad with double figures (12) for his country. Yet both Szoboszlai (12) and Adam Nagy are dangerous. The pair have provided most of Hungary's goals recently and could produce multiple stand-out moments in this group.

Euro 2024 Outside Bet: Group A

The odds suggest Germany will top Group A, followed by Hungary or Switzerland, with Scotland fishing rock bottom. However, punters risk overlooking Clarke’s side, who carry high odds heading into the summer.

Group B at Euro 2024 is looking like the most competitive among the six groups this summer. Bar Albania, it’s very difficult to predict who will finish top of this pool. Spain, Italy and Croatia are all in on the running to win Euro 2024 and all three can feasibly qualify for the knockout stage.

There is a lot of football betting interest around Euro 2024 Group B precisely because it’s such an unpredictable group. The big match – Spain vs Italy – takes place in the second round of games and will be vital to seeing who tops the pool.

Saying that, Croatia cannot be written off here. With Luka Modric still pulling the strings, the 2018 World Cup finalists are many punters’ outside bets for the championship in Germany.

As for Albania, they’ve reached this far after beating Czech Republic into second place in their qualifying group. Granted, they are not expected to pick up any points this summer, but football isn’t immune to shock results.

Group B kicks off with Spain vs Croatia on 15 June in Berlin. Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has plenty of expectations to carry in this tournament and the odds for Spain to win Euro 2024 hint that he could be successful.

Our guide below explores each Group B Euro 2024 team in detail, and offers up a few tips heading into the tournament.

Euro 2024 Group B

As we mentioned above, Group B is the Group of Death at Euro 2024. Unlucky Albania are the minnows swimming in a pool of sharks. But that doesn’t make the betting any easier…

Italy

Italy are defending European champions but have a point to prove this summer after missing out on the last World Cup. They qualified as runners-up to England and it was only their superior head-to-head record over Ukraine that prevented them falling into the playoffs.

There's a risk punters will side with Italy going far at Euro 2024 based on previous results. Yet there's very little indication that Luciano Spalletti's side are on course for a big summer. Their handful of wins this season have all come against inferior nations. Last spring they endured competitive defeats to both England and Spain.

There are a lot of young players in the Italy squad and Spalletti is still trying to find the right set-up. Consistency at major tournaments is key but the Azzurri just don't have it yet.

Saying that, they weren't fancied to impress at Euro 2020 and still rumbled England in the final at Wembley. Perhaps one can never quite write off the two-time European champions.

Spain

Spain are also going through something of a squad transition but after further along the path. Indeed, the likes of Rodri, Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Morata are now the experienced heads in this side. Spain aren't the seamless unit they have been in the past but what they'll benefit from this summer is a genuine mix of youth and experience.

All eyes are on the likes of 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams (21) and Pau Cubarsi (17). The new crop are coming through fast and boss Luis de la Fuente could throw them straight into the action.

Spain are favourites to win Group B. They're the obvious bet when you look at their squad depth, record against other teams in the group, and potential in this tournament.

Croatia

Croatia have a sensational recent record at World Cups but their prowess on the European stage is far less impressive. They haven't made the quarter-finals since 2008 when the tournament featured a reduced 16 nations. Euro 2020 saw them fall at the last-16 on penalties to Spain.

There's a temptation to assume Croatia's recent success in the World Cup and Nations League is down to Luka Modric. At 38 he remains the kingpin in Croatia's midfield and he's showing no signs of slowing down. Yet this team is packed with quality.

Dominik Livakovic is an experienced goalkeeper, playing behind defenders like Domagoj Vida and Borna Sosa. Manchester City's 22-year-old Josko Gvardiol is a major presence in the back line. Mateo Kovacic will likely have 100 caps by the time Euro 2024 starts, while Marcelo Brozovic and Mario Pasalic offer further experience alongside Modric.

The slight concern for Croatia heading into the summer is their lack of forward firepower. Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramaric averages a goal every three games for his country but the goals dry up soon after him.

Albania

Albania lost just one match throughout 2023 as ex-Brazil full-back Sylvinho led the country to only a second European Championships. They deservedly topped a qualifying group consisting of far better resourced teams in Czech Republic and Poland. They beat both nations to nil at home last autumn, before stumbling over the line with draws against Moldova and Faroe Islands.

2024 has been a little trickier for the boss. Sylvinho has overseen friendly losses to Chile and Sweden. Mood is still high in the camp, though, despite the near-impossible group situation that Albania face. They have never beaten Spain or Italy, and are yet to face Croatia.

The squad is dotted with players from the top-five European leagues, with a big focus on Serie A. Nedim Bajrami (Sassuolo), Ylber Ramadani (Lecce) and Kristjan Asllani (Inter) are all regulars in the midfield. Captain Berat Gjimshiti and vice captain Elseid Hysaj also play in Italy and will have the measure of the Azzurri forwards.

Goals could be tricky and Albania will need to rely on impact players to get anything from the group. Armando Broja hasn't exactly set the Premier League alight this season. Instead, Jasir Asani could be Albania's biggest goal threat.

Euro 2024 Group B Fixtures

Of the three Italy Euro 2024 fixtures, the easiest one is first up. Italy take on Albania on 15 June in what should be a routine match. Win that and they are well on course to escape Group B. Spain, meanwhile, face a much trickier start. They kick off their campaign against Croatia in Berlin and five days later must take on the Italians. This difficult double header will test De La Fuente's side. Get through it unscathed and they'll be in a good position to carry form into the rest of the tournament.

The big match is, of course, Spain vs Italy in Gelsenkirchen on the evening of 20 June. Whoever wins this should top Group B and face a third-place finisher in the last-16. Here are the six Euro 2024 Group B games coming up this summer:

Match 1

• 15 June – Spain vs Croatia | Olympiastadion, Berlin
• 15 June – Italy vs Albania | BVB Stadion, Dortmund

Match 2

• 19 June – Croatia vs Albania | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
• 20 June – Spain vs Italy | Schalke Arena, Gelsenkirchen

Match 3

• 24 June – Albania vs Spain | Düsseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf
• 24 June – Croatia vs Italy | Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig

Best Players in Group B to Watch

Group B at Euro 2024 is stocked with talent. All eyes are on Spain's cohort of young stars who could have breakout tournaments this summer. Barcelona duo Yamal and Cubarsi are two teenage sensations pushing for first-team spots. The Euros are also perfectly set up for Williams to shine playing off the experienced centre-forward Morata. The man to watch, though, is Rodri. He anchors this Spain team as he does at Manchester City, and provides the stability required for others to flourish. Much like Sergio Busquets before him, Rodri goes about his business in a no-nonsense-like manner that frustrates opposition sides.

Italy don't have one outstanding player in their ranks but there are a few who could step up and drive the team deep into the tournament. Federico Chiesa isn't a regular goalscorer but has the experience to cause mayhem in the box, while Jorginho will seek to command the midfield. Italy's standout performer could be unearthed at the back. Alessandro Buongiorno and 20-year-old Giorgio Scalvini don't have much experience but can handle the job of operating a three-man defence. Either of these two could become the standout man for the Azzurri.

Modric naturally draws the cameras in this Croatia side but it's Gvardiol, at 22, who could be their key man. The defender should have 30 caps by the start of Euro 2024 and has featured heavily for City since the spring. His presence will be key in Croatia shutting out Italy and Spain.

As for Albania, it's natural to look at Broja – a Chelsea youngster on loan at Fulham – as their man to watch. However, Sokol Cikalleshi is still the man at 33 to lead this team from the front. If he can convert the rare chances Albania get then perhaps they can pinch a point or two in this group.

Euro 2024 Group B Tips

Group B at Euro 2024 is certainly an interesting one. Three teams can viably top the pool and all are priced shorter than 7/1 to make the semis. Here are three Euro 2024 betting tips to consider:

Croatia to finish in the top two

The Euro 2024 Group B odds suggest Spain will top the pile, with Italy second. That's understandable but Croatia cannot be discounted here. They are a fairly solid team unit and have upset the odds on multiple occasions over the past two World Cups. It seems unlikely at 9/2 that Croatia will top this group. That would likely require four points from their games against Spain and Italy. However, finishing in the top two at 8/11 isn't a bad shout.

After all, they've matched up well with Spain in recent years and haven't lost to Italy since 1942. Indeed, it is that record over the Italians that makes their showdown on 24 June, which could decide who progresses. Considering Croatia's squad consistency and Italy still finding themselves, it's fair to claim they deserve to be favourites for that encounter.

Spain to win Euro 2024

Spain's squad is one of the best mixes of experience and youthful excitement of all teams in this tournament. That makes them a real threat if they can maintain their good competitive form, which saw them walk the qualifying campaign. Croatia are a tricky hurdle in their opening match but Spain have developed further since beating Modric and co. on penalties in the Nations League finals last summer. A draw wouldn't suffice because that adds a lot of pressure on the next game, against Italy. However, it wouldn't be a disaster either.

If we assume Spain will beat Albania in their final game then four points from the first two will be enough to qualify, and likely in first position.

From there, they can push out and target the trophy. Spain will be the most-feared team in the tournament if they top such a tricky group. The stars could swiftly align and their odds of 8/1 to win the whole thing will plummet.

Italy to finish bottom

It's a big claim and the odds currently sit at 18/1 but Italy bombing from this group is possible. Albania have a stack of players competing in Serie A and could be tricky opponents in their opening match. The expectation, of course, is that Italy at least reach the quarters. But there are always two or three high-ranking sides that fail in the group stage.

A lack of true firepower and a talented but inexperienced defence could harm Italy. If you're looking for an outside tip then the Azzurri finishing bottom of Group B certainly carries more weight than other outcomes at that price.

Euro 2024 Group B Top Scorer

None of Italy, Spain, Albania or Croatia have that obvious go-to goalscorer who they can rely on during the group stage. This is a group where midfield superiority will likely influence results more than raw firepower. It makes betting on the top scorer in Group B a little difficult.

There are some obvious candidates. Spain's Morata averages almost a goal every other game for his country and should lead the line. Spain's abundance of wide talent means Morata will get chances in the box. Chiesa could enjoy the same service in the Italy set-up but he is more likely to be the provider, not the finisher. Giacomo Raspadori, if selected, could be a reasonable outside shout here. Wilfried Gnonto, if selected, may also find the net more than once in the group.

The Croats also suffer from up-front paucity once you look past Kramaric. However, the 32-year-old is well placed to top score in this group precisely because there are few other big options across the squads.

With that in mind, it's unlikely an Albanian will threaten the top scorer charts in this group. Cikalleshin and Broja boast just 17 international goals between them. If you're scrambling for an outside tip here then Sivasspor striker Rey Manaj – formerly at Watford – could be Albania's best bet.

Euro 2024 Outside Bet: Group B

The one big outside bet in Group B is, of course, backing Albania to sneak into the last-16. Heading into the tournament it seems unlikely that they will finish first or second, while third may be a stretch too far. On top of that, only four of the six third-place finishers progress to the knockouts. Albania will probably need to win at least one match to achieve this.

Where is that win going to come from? Very possibly against Italy in the opening match. They're 8.65 to pinch three points off the Azzurri. A better wager, though, is to back Albania on the Double Chance to win or draw against Italy. That would keep them in the group and with a fighting chance of a decent third-place finish. It's also a viable bet at 3.00 as above when you consider how flighty Italy are right now.

England are favourites to win Euro 2024 this summer and have a relatively straightforward group to escape from. Group C at Euro 2024 consists of Gareth Southgate’s defeated finalists from three years ago, dark horses Denmark, and rank outsiders Serbia and Slovenia.

England head into the tournament as the 2/5 favourites to top Group C. Their odds of finishing in the top two are as slim as 1/5.

Is this confidence justified? The Three Lions have lost some of their sparkle since reaching the Euros final at Wembley in 2021. Yet Denmark are arguably less of a danger than they were when reaching the semi-finals of that tournament.

This could be a routine group for England that doesn’t properly test them, and leaves Southgate’s squad vulnerable to a swift exit in the knockouts. But, with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka spearheading the attack, trophy success this summer cannot be discounted.

This Group C Euro 2024 guide will take you through the best football bets and tips for the summer, and look at the standout players who are worth following.

Euro 2024 Group C

Group C is one of the more predictable groups at Euro 2024 this summer. England and Denmark should stroll into the last-16, while there’s every possibility the third-placed team won’t advance.

England

Let’s start with the tournament favourites. England are 16/5 to win the whole thing and 2/5 to top Group C. They are expected to get off to a winning start against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on 16 June, before their trickiest fixture against Denmark four days later.

England aren’t in great form, though. The surety of their defence that guided the Three Lions through Euro 2020 has evaporated as Southgate’s midfield three pivots from a defensive-minded structure to one that seeks out goals.

Then there is his effort to find continuity in attack, with Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer pushing for supporting roles around Kane. Southgate generally likes a settled XI but doesn’t have one yet.

This could be a strange tournament for England. Win the group and they would place a third-placed side from groups D, E or F. That could mean a last-16 clash with Poland or maybe Ukraine. Leap that hurdle and a showdown with the runners up of Groups A or B await – potentially Switzerland or Italy. However, the likes of Germany and Spain could also lurk here. Reaching the semis could be a big achievement in itself.

Denmark

Denmark are dark horses for the tournament this summer and carry odds of 40/1 to be crowned European champions for a second time. Kasper Hjulmand’s squad retains much of the quality that saw them reach the Euros semis three years ago.

However, Denmark bombed at the 2022 World Cup, losing to France and Australia and scraping a 0-0 draw with Tunisia to exit Qatar bottom of their group. Goals are a big issue. Denmark are on a relatively good run of form but they only managed to stick two past the likes of San Marino and Faroe Islands recently. Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund is expected to lead the line but Jonas Wind and Kasper Dolberg are potentially better options.

Denmark's midfield is also less assured than it once was. Like England, the Danes have lost their protection as Pierre-Emile Højbjerg battles to cover the defence while also dealing with an ever-changing midfield.

Denmark could thrive at the Euros and are 4/1 to top Group C. However, they could prove to be one of the flops of the summer.

Slovenia

Slovenia reached only their second European finals by qualifying second in their group and level on points with table-toppers Denmark. The two sides shared a 1-1 draw in Ljubljana a year ago, before Denmark edged the reverse fixture 2-1.

Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko bagged five goals in qualifying and the 20-year-old has hit a scoring streak for his club this spring. He is the standout name but this squad has plenty of quality throughout too.

Slovenia are the lowest-priced side in Group C to finish in the top two, at 5/2. Yet they've already proven a match for Denmark, drew with Serbia in their last meeting in 2022, and generally enjoy close encounters with England. Bettors looking for an outside wager here could do worse than backing Slovenia to reach the knockouts.

Serbia

At 23/20, Serbia also carry high odds to finish in the top two of Euro 2024 Group C. Their qualifying campaign was relatively straightforward and they finished an expected second behind Hungary. While they lost both games to the Hungarians, it was always assumed that Dragan Stojkovic's side would overcome the likes of Lithuania, Bulgaria and Montenegro to secure safe passage to Germany this summer.

Gauging Serbia's chances at the Euros is a little tricky. Their form across friendlies has been sporadic and they recently lost 4-0 to Russia. They were thrashed 3-0 by Denmark in a 2022 friendly and historic games with Slovenia are usually close.

However, with experienced heads like Aleksandar Mitrovic, Luka Jovic, Dušan Tadic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the squad, there's no denying Serbia don't have talent. The issue is whether they can form a unit – particularly in defence – that is combative enough to keep England and Denmark at bay.

Euro 2024 Group C Fixtures

Match 1

• 16 June – Slovenia vs Denmark | Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart
• 16 June – Serbia vs England | Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen

Match 2

• 20 June – Slovenia vs Serbia | Fußball Arena München, Munich
• 20 June – Denmark vs England | Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt

Match 3

• 25 June – England vs Slovenia | Cologne Stadium, Cologne
• 25 June – Denmark vs Serbia | Fußball Arena München, Munich

Best Players in Group C to Watch

Jude Bellingham is expected to enjoy a core role in England's pursuit of the European Championship this summer. He's made himself undroppable with his form for club side Real Madrid and his country this season. He links up well with centre-forward Harry Kane but also has an understanding of the midfield duties that Gareth Southgate demands. Bellingham can help Declan Rice cover the back four and push forward.

He is the man to watch from England's perspective, while in Denmark all the chatter is about Rasmus Hojlund. The Manchester United striker has had a fairly standard first season at Old Trafford but his goal rate for Denmark is above 60% and improving. Kasper Dolberg and Yussuf Poulsen are also now in their prime, while the young Mohamed Daramy is the latest top talent to break into the team.

English football fans will know all about Aleksandar Mitrovic from his time at Fulham and he averages more than a goal a game for his country. Yet it's Milan's Luka Jovic who could really stand out here. The 26-year-old is a more versatile striker and will likely find pockets of space left by defenders who are too preoccupied with Mitrovic.

The previously mentioned Benjamin Sesko carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, meanwhile, as Slovenia seek to make an impact at this tournament. Sesko will be 21 come the start of Euro 2024 but he has an experienced strike partner in 30-year-old Andraz Sporar alongside him. Like Jovic to Mitrovic, Sesko will likely get opportunities when Sporar drags defenders away from play.

Euro 2024 Group C Tips

Euro 2024 Group C should be relatively straightforward for England but it may become a scramble for second place. Here are three Euro 2024 tips to consider heading into the tournament:

England won’t win all three matches

Let’s start with England. The Three Lions are odds-on favourites to win all three matches in Group C and sail into the last-16. They have escaped the group stage in each of their last four European Championships. However, never in England’s history have they won a Euro group with maximum points.

Collecting seven points is more likely if we assume Southgate begins this tournament in typically conservative fashion. He is always more wary about conceding then scoring, because it’s the defence that usually gets you to the latter stages.

It’s therefore something of an outside tip to say England will earn nine points from Group C. It’s perfectly within the team’s ability to do so but seven points is more likely.

No third-place progress

It seems as though there are two ways Group C at Euro 2024 will go. Either Denmark join England in defeating Serbia and Slovenia, and the pair saunter through. Or, one of the underdogs will claim an against-the-odds win to shake things up.

From a betting perspective, the first instance seems most likely. If Denmark and England both claim wins over the two underdogs, then Serbia and Slovenia will face off for the right to earn three points. Three points might not be enough to escape this group as a best third-placed side.

In fact, a draw between the pair and they will both definitely be eliminated. This is a far greater prospect than Slovenia or Serbia upsetting the two bigger teams in Group C.

Serbia top Group C

If you are determined to find value in the Group C odds and want an outside bet that could come off, then Serbia to win Group C is the best choice. This goes against the logic outlined in our other tips but Serbia have the experience and quality to enjoy a successful summer like Wales did in 2016.

Secure a draw against slow-starters England on 20 June and suddenly the group opens up. It may be the case Serbia head into the last group game against Denmark already on four points and eyeing top spot. At odds of 8/1 this bet carries good value.

Euro 2024 Group C Top Scorer

Whether Serbia, Denmark or Slovenia impress at Euro 2024 remains to be seen. What is almost assured is that Harry Kane will finish top scorer in Group C. England’s captain has a nose for goal like few other footballers on the planet. He has a 2:3 goals-to-game ratio and takes all of England’s spot kicks.

Kane is the man who finishes off moves that Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden start. He’s the end point of Southgate’s attacking set-up. In fact, Kane is the 11/2 pre-tournament second favourite to win the Golden Boot. Only France’s Kylian Mbappe (5/1) is ahead of the Bayern striker in the betting.

Rivals to Kane’s golden boot in Group C come from other seasoned goalscorers. Aleksandar Mitrovic and Luka Jovic are fine finishers who will petrify opposition defenders this summer. Slovenia have the young Benjamin Sesko to look to for goalscoring inspiration.

The big question mark hanging over this market is Denmark. Who from the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Jonas Wind and Kasper Dolberg will get in on the goals? Yussuf Poulsen and Mikkel Damsgaard could also pop up with a goal or two, as could full-back Joakim Mæhle. Christian Eriksen, should he play, will oversee set pieces. It's difficult to pinpoint one player to lead the charts for Denmark here.

Euro 2024 Outside Bet: Group C

If you're determined to seek an outside bet for the first matches of Euro 2024 then backing Serbia to pinch a draw with England on 16 June is not a terrible shout. At 7/2 the draw covers the likelihood that Gareth Southgate's side will start slow and be protective of their goal. Southgate never rushes things.

Serbia will take the draw and won't come hard at England. If we're to see goals they're likely to come from set pieces – and that goes for the Three Lions too. Under 2.5 goals at odds of 23/20 is also a worthwhile wager.

France head into Euro 2024 this summer as the firm favourites to escape Group D but a couple of concerning performances recently means not everyone is convinced Les Bleus can win the whole thing.

Didier Deschamps’ side have fared well at World Cups in recent years but a disastrous Euro 2020 campaign still lingers in the memory. Escaping the group stage is the bare minimum the FFF require yet France might not have it all their own way in Germany.

The Netherlands and Poland pose a threat not only to France’s group dominance but also their aspirations of progressing. Austria, too, will fancy their chances in this group following an impressive set of results over the season.

Group D initially appeared straightforward when the Euro 2024 draw was made. But the odds suggest we could have plenty of competition for the top two spots here.

In this Group D Euro 2024 guide, we’ll take you through a detailed analysis of each competing team, assess the top players to watch, and offer a few football betting tips too.

Euro 2024 Group D

Here’s a look at all four nations competing in Euro 2024 Group D:

France

France are priced at 7/2 to win Euro 2024, narrowly behind favourites England (16/5). Les Bleus have a frighteningly talented squad. The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate and Kingsley Coman are coming into their prime. Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Benjamin Pavard bring experience, while Eduardo Camavinga, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Malo Gusto are part of a fresh crop of exciting youngsters coming through.

France reached the World Cup final 18 months ago and have maintained the pace since then. Their only real blip has been to lose friendlies home and away to Germany. The other slight concern is Deschamps' side don't possess the water-tight defence and midfield that has eased them through previous tournaments.

At 8/15 France are the clear favourites to top Group D, and 1/5 to finish in the top two. Historically, there's always a chance France could implode. Yet this team is relatively free of egos and there's a hunger to recapture European silverware for the first time since 2000.

Netherlands

Netherlands have endured a decade of mediocrity since reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2014. They limped out of Euro 2020 at the last-16 stage with a 2-0 loss to Croatia. The 2022 World Cup saw them make the quarters before exiting on penalties against Argentina.

Expectation isn't high in the KNVB camp heading into this summer and there's a sense that qualifying second to France for Euro 2024 is proof of the Dutch position right now. They are not one of the top picks to win the Euros, despite the desperation from fans across the country to finally deliver a trophy.

Netherlands will be favourites to beat Austria and Poland, and most would expect them to progress to the last-16 with at least six points. Yet Ronald Koeman's side could implode here and buckle under the weight of such expectation.

Poland

Poland are the outsiders at 10/1 to win Group D, which may come as a surprise to bettors. After all, Poland have some supremely talented players in the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zielinski and youngster Nicola Zalewski. There is a lot of international experience in this squad.

The problem they have is goals. Take Lewandowski out of the squad and Zielinski, Kamil Grosicki, Krzysztof Piatek and Karol Swiderski are the only genuine goal threat. It's easy to assume Poland rely too heavily on Lewandowski but they are yet to find a true winning formula without their captain.

Indeed, they aren't guaranteed to score even when the Barcelona man is playing. Lewandowski's powers are waning and that affects the entire team. They are outsiders in a group that, in previous tournaments, would have them as second favourites.

Austria

In previous years Austria would be the rank outsiders to progress out of Group D here but Ralf Rangnick has a golden generation on his hands. Marcel Sabitzer, Christoph Baumgartner, Florian Grillitsch and Xaver Schlager offer creativity and muscle in midfield, while Max Wober and Phillipp Mwene oversee the defensive discipline.

Austria's best attacking option is forward Michael Gregoritsch, who has been Rangnick's go-to choice up front recently. Sasa Kalajdzic and Manprit Sarkaria have had run-outs but can't be relied upon to hold the line. Marko Arnautovic, 35, is coming off the back of a full Serie A season having spent the season on loan at Inter could too make the squad.

The 2-0 friendly victory over Germany last November has sparked hope that Austria could muscle their way out of Group D. They are 5/4 to finish in the top two. France are first up on 17 June, after which the focus will be on scraping at least four points from Poland and Netherlands. This is certainly doable.

Euro 2024 Group D Fixtures

Euro 2024 Group D kicks off on 16 June with Poland taking on Netherlands in Hamburg. While many will assume this is the match to decide second place in the group, this big game comes on 25 June when Austria take on the Dutch.

Match 1

• 16 June – Poland vs Netherlands | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
• 17 June – Austria vs France | Düsseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf

Match 2

• 21 June – Poland vs Austria | Olympiastadion, Berlin
• 21 June – Netherlands vs France | Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig

Match 3

• 25 June – Netherlands vs Austria | Olympiastadion, Berlin
• 25 June – France vs Poland | BVB Stadion, Dortmund

Best Players in Group D to Watch

Group D features some exciting talent and eyes will naturally fall on Kylian Mbappe this summer. The World Cup winner is leaving club side Paris Saint-Germain and seemingly has the world at his feet. Mbappe is the 5/1 favourite to top score at Euro 2024 and lead France to another trophy.

France also have the familiar faces of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann, both of whom can flip games in a single moment of brilliance. However, the big draw in this France side away from Mbappe is Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni, who at 22 has reached new levels with his club. Eighteen months ago he started the World Cup final.

Supporters of Premier League clubs will likely recognise plenty of the Dutch national team this summer. Keep an eye on the defence featuring Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, Manchester City's Nathan Ake, and ex-Manchester United defender Daley Blind. Memphis Depay remains an influential figure in this Dutch XI, while Cody Gakpo and Wout Weghorst give Ronald Koeman plenty of options up front.

As for Austria, Konrad Laimer's influence in the XI is steadily growing and the Bayern Munich midfielder is due a stand-out tournament. It's a shame David Alaba misses the Euros through injury. Instead, keep an eye on 24-year-old Christoph Baumgartner. He's the metronome in this Austrian attack and is strong at feeding others into space.

Robert Lewandowski naturally draws much of the attention in this Poland national side but its Piotr Zielinski and Przemyslaw Frankowski who have been the most consistent performers of late. Their influence in the midfield will be key for Poland this summer.

Euro 2024 Group D Tips

This group could be a real rollercoaster if Austria live up to their potential. Here are three Group D Euro 2024 tips to consider heading into the tournament:

France to claim nine points

France come into the Euros in decent form and keen to make amends for losing the World Cup final 18 months ago. Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann should score easily in this group and keep Les Bleus ahead of the pack. The one concern for France is their defensive set-up and potential vulnerability when facing other top-ranked sides. However, that’s something to worry about in the knockouts.

They have a strong recent record against all three Group D opponents and will be odds-on favourites to win every match. Nine points from three games wouldn’t be a shock.

Austria to finish second

The battle for second place between Netherlands, Poland and Austria could be tight. Austria are certainly the form team and appear to be developing nicely under Ralf Rangnick. The Dutch don’t look overly convincing, while Poland may simply run out of steam.

Austria are 5/4 to finish in the top two, which is a fairly strong price considering their ranking. One would usually favour Netherlands here but it could come down to the final group game to settle things.

By this stage France are likely to have beaten both Austria and Netherlands, and be on their way to topping the group. Poland may even have scared the Dutch in their opening game. This is not an easy group for Ronald Koeman and Austria are primed to take advantage.

BTTS score as France beat Austria

Düsseldorf plays host to Austria vs France on 17 June and Les Bleus are hotly tipped at 4/9 to win. If you’re looking for better odds then consider the fact Austria should fare well in front of goal. Armed with the likes of Christoph Baumgartner, Michael Gregoritsch and Marko Arnautovic, Austria will have a go at France in this opening game.

They may not have enough in the squad to deny France victory but a bet of BTTS and France win is priced at 2/1.

That wager carries a lot of value when you consider BTTS is priced at 4/5. France have the capacity to outscore any team on the planet, let alone Austria.

Euro 2024 Group D Top Scorer

Kylian Mbappe leads the list of Group D top scorer candidates and for good reason. He's scored for fun at PSG this season and has six goals for his country. Mbappe's finishing makes him a scary proposition for any opposing defence to deal with, let alone his speed and ability to weave through challenges.

Mbappe's presence slightly overshadows Antoine Griezmann, who still has also enjoyed a strong domestic campaign. At 33 Griezmann may soon be nudged out of the side, and Randal Kolo Muani is certainly one to watch if the veteran is on the bench. Both could easily get in on the goals.

Poland may go through the group stage with only Robert Lewandowski scoring. However, it's very possible that Krzysztof Piatek steps up once again and delivers the goods. He is a decent outside bet to top score in Group D.

As is Wout Weghorst. Yes, most of the attention in this Dutch side will fall on Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay, but it's Weghorst who can pop up with crucial goals due to his presence in the box.

Austria, meanwhile, had five players score multiple goals during Euro 2024 qualifying. Marcel Sabitzer topped the list with four from 10 games. He could easily grab a few this summer.

Euro 2024 Outside Bet: Group D

If you're looking for an outside bet in Group D at Euro 2024 then Poland beating Netherlands is the go-to pick. The Dutch are 8/11 favourites heading into the game on June 16 but that seems a short price for a side that is still somewhat in transition.

Granted, it's generally accepted that Poland are not the force they once were. Yet they have the squad experience and individual talent to cause an upset in Hamburg.

Poland are worth backing at 7/2 to win. The Double Chance is priced at 21/20 and is a more conservative bet, but still lets you side with the underdog.

Group E at Euro 2024 could slip under the radar this summer as football betting fans and TV viewers focus on more glamorous groups. However, this pool could be the place to unearth a few against-the-odds upsets.

Belgium are the big fish in this pond. They’re third in the FIFA rankings and have lost just twice in their history to all three fellow Group E sides combined. There was a time when Belgium were deemed below the standard of Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia – but that time has long passed.

Belgium once again head into a summer tournament as many people’s outside pick to win the whole thing. Lifting the European Championship trophy may be beyond Domenico Tedesco’s side. Winning the group, though, shouldn’t be a problem.

In this guide we’ll take you through the squads in Euro 2024 Group E and assess the viable bets you could place today.

Euro 2024 Group E

Belgium will dominate Group E but the battle for second place will be fascinating. We could even have a situation where all three remaining teams end up on the same points. Here’s our assessment of each team:

Belgium

Some argue that Belgium's Golden Generation came to an end when Eden Hazard retired. They fail to notice, though, that this squad is stronger than ever. It is led by the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans. There are exciting players like Johan Bakayoko and Charles De Ketelaere pushing into the squad. Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Meunier and Wout Faes provide that defensive solidity.

Belgium have a supremely talented squad that is destined to push deep at the Euros. Don't be surprised to see them make the semi-finals and bounce back from a disappointing 2022 World Cup.

They kick off the Euros against the group's lowest-ranked side Slovakia. That should be a routine win at 4/9 and get the Red Devils up and running for the summer.

Ukraine

The fact Ukraine have a team competing at Euro 2024, when the country is at war with Russia, is remarkable. They beat Iceland in the playoff to make the group stage, having finished third in a qualifying group behind England and Italy. Ukraine only slipped behind the Italians courtesy of a worse head-to-head record.

They've been in good form of late and head into the tournament having matched up to Italy in November. Boss Serhiy Rebrov has tended to rely on home-based players during qualifying but there are some big names dotted around European leagues.

Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mykhailo Mudryk of Chelsea are integral to how Ukraine set up. Young Bournemouth defender Illya Zabarnyi already has over 30 caps for his country at the age of 21. There is a lot of experience in this team and that will help in their first match against Romania – a side that has historically got the edge in this neighbourly rivalry.

Romania

Romania delivered one of the best campaigns in Euro 2024 qualifying when topping a group consisting of Switzerland, Israel, Belarus, Kosovo and Andorra, and hoovering up 22 points. They went undefeated and had to endure a number of tough encounters.

Crucial victories over Switzerland and Israel in November serve as proof that Edward Iordanescu's side can handle big moments. They'll need that experience in Germany this summer, especially in their opening game with Ukraine in Munich.

The core of this team is aged between 25 and 28, and there is plenty of experience across the board. Captain Nicolae Stanciu has almost 70 caps for his country, while fellow midfielders Razvan Marin, Alexandru Cicaldau and the exciting Ianis Hagi are regular members of the XI.

At 28, Bari striker George Puscas – on loan from Genoa this season – could have a standout tournament in Germany. Read more in our ‘Players to Watch’ section below.

Slovakia

Slovakia are the underdogs in Group E but perhaps that's unjustified. Their only defeats in qualifying were to top-seed Portugal and they staved off Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Liechtenstein to make the Euros. They conceded just eight goals in qualifying and never looked in any doubt of reaching Germany.

Why are they 6/4 outsiders to finish in the top two of Group E? It's largely because the focus is on Ukraine and their excellent run of form. Romania are also considered in a better position to gun for a spot in the last-16.

And yet, Slovakia have drawn three of their last four games with Romania, beat Ukraine 4-1 when those sides last met, and have two draws from three encounters with Belgium. Based on past results Slovakia should not be the rank outsiders in Group E that they currently seem to be – and that's good news for football betting fans.

Euro 2024 Group E Fixtures

The Group E fixtures at Euro 2024 favour Ukraine. They don’t have to deal with Belgium until the final match of the group, meaning in theory they can secure progress to the last-16 before relaxing a little against a superior opponent. Not that they are guaranteed to pick up six points against Romania and Slovakia. Here’s how the Group E fixtures look:

Match 1

• 17 June – Romania vs Ukraine | Fußball Arena München, Munich
• 17 June – Belgium vs Slovakia | Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt

Match 2

• 21 June – Slovakia vs Ukraine | Düsseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf
• 22 June – Belgium vs Romania | Cologne Stadium, Cologne

Match 3

• 26 June – Slovakia vs Romania | Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt
• 26 June – Ukraine vs Belgium | Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart

Best Players in Group E to Watch

There's a lot of hidden talent in Group E. Yes, Belgium have the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Leandro Trossard, Ukraine boast Mykhailo Mudryk, and Stanislav Lobotka is central to Slovakia's set-up. But below the headline figures are plenty of names to keep an eye on this summer.

Take Johan Bakayoko, the PSV forward who is very much in the shop window. At 21 he has already delivered silverware for his club and this spring has enjoyed a hot streak in goalscoring form. Manchester City's Jeremy Doku is another 21-year-old who is primed to shine.

Everton left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko is also tipped to have a stand-out summer. The 24-year-old may end up forming a partnership with centre-back Illya Zabarnyi, who at 21 is now a regular in the Bournemouth XI.

Rangers' wantaway midfielder Ianis Hagi is the man to watch in a Romania shirt and will be tasked with building attacks, with the aim of finding George Puscas in the box. This could also be a big tournament for Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin, who cost the Premier League club £25m when arriving from Genoa in January.

As for Slovakia, keep an eye on defender Denis Vavro and his eye for a long-range goal. The F.C. Copenhagen centre-back has excelled in the Champions League this term. Boss Francesco Calzona has called up a lot of forwards in recent months but seems to lean on Robert Bozenik and Robert Mak most. It's Bozenik who could be the gamechanger in crunch ties with Romania and Ukraine.

Euro 2024 Group E Tips

As we mentioned above, Group E is ripe for an upset but there are some dead-certs here too. Below are three Euro 2024 betting tips to consider heading into the tournament:

Belgium to win all three games

Belgium have competed in three World Cups and two European Championships since 2014 and have made it out of the group stage on four occasions. Impressively, they've won all three matches in three of those four successful group campaigns. There's no reason why Belgium cannot yield nine points again and progress to the last-16 as the tournament's in-form side.

The depth of quality at Domenico Tedesco's disposal is frightening. His job is to ensure Belgium play as a cohesive unit. There's a fresh generation pushing to get into the squad and that is driving standards back up following a disappointing 2022 World Cup.

Score early in their opening match with Slovakia and Belgium should settle into this tournament. They are 14/1 to win the Euros but those odds will plummet if they saunter through Group E without dropping a point.

Romania to beat Ukraine

Romania proved they can deliver in big games when beating Israel and Switzerland in November to secure safe passage to Euro 2024. They are certainly a match for Ukraine and at 12/5 are a great price to claim victory on June 17.

The likes of Ianis Hagi, George Puscas, Denis Alibec and Dennis Man have all been getting goals of late. It's this reliable core of players that boss Edward Iordănescu can lean on when required. Playmakers Valentin Mihaila and Nicolae Stanciu both scored three in qualifying.

Ukraine, meanwhile, are far from watertight at the back. Yes they have talent in Vitaliy Mykolenko and Illya Zabarnyi, but they are not the complete unit just yet. This leaves them vulnerable not just here but across their three group games.

Romelu Lukaku to win the Golden Boot

At 31, Romelu Lukaku is still at the peak of his powers and arrives in Germany having almost single-handedly kept Roma within touching distance of the top five in Serie A. His goals have dried up slightly since a blistering start to the 2023/24 season saw him score 23 times in 27 appearances for club and country.

Still, Lukaku is the target man in this Belgium side and can run riot on his day. He scored 14 goals in qualifying, including four in the 5-0 thumping of Azerbaijan back in November.

Betting on the Euro 2024 Golden Boot requires you to consider not only the player, but also their team. Will they reach deep enough into the tournament to score enough goals? For Lukaku and Belgium, the answer is 'probably'. So, at 16/1, Lukaku is a great price to top score at Euro 2024.

Euro 2024 Group E Top Scorer

Talking of top goal scorers, Romelu Lukaku naturally leads the list in Group E too. However, it's possible another player can outscore him in the group, while he goes on to win the Golden Boot. Kevin De Bruyne is the natural alternative here if we are to focus on Belgians, while Leandro Trossard has returned to goalscoring form at Arsenal lately.

Ukraine might struggle for goals and a lot of pressure is on Club Brugge's Roman Yaremchuk to perform. He hasn't exactly shone while on loan at Valencia this season, although he did find the net in March's 2-1 playoff victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina.

All eyes will be on George Puscas and Denis Alibec in this Romania team but punters could look at someone like Dennis Man or Ianis Hagi to deliver the goods in Group E. There's certainly no shortage of talent along the Romanian midfield.

Robert Mak, meanwhile, could be the man for Slovakia. He's fourth on the country's all-time list of goalscorers and has shone when playing for Sydney FC this season.

Euro 2024 Outside Bet: Group E

If you're set on finding an outside bet in Group E this summer then look at Slovakia.

Slovakia to finish second

Slovakia are in good form, have a decent defence and plenty of forward options. The odds suggest they have less than a 10% chance of tipping Group E. However, that probability rockets to 40% on them finishing in the top two.

Slovakia can get Belgium out of the way first and then concentrate on Ukraine. This will be a more even contest than the odds suggest and could even flip in Slovakia's favour if Ukraine suffer defeat to Romania on June 17.

Win that, or even draw, and Slovakia will arguably save the easiest tie to last when they come up against Romania. A win here could see them progress in second place on just four points. It's certainly doable, especially when you look at how close they came to toppling Portugal on two occasions during qualifying.

Euro 2024 Group F is an enticing prospect for football betting fans this summer, as Czech Republic and Turkey compete against each other to finish second behind Portugal.

That’s what the Euro 2024 odds suggest will happen. Cristiano Ronaldo and co. look dead-certs to top the group, while Georgia are on course to lose all three matches.

The big conundrum in this group is who will finish second and earn an automatic route into the last-16? Turkey are priced narrowly ahead of Czech to pinch second spot, yet there’s a very real possibility that third place will guarantee safe passage into the knockouts too.

This Group F Euro 2024 guide will take you through the fixtures, big stars, and key bets to look out for this summer. Get analysis on each team and check out the youngsters who could shine on the big stage.

Euro 2024 Group F

Group F at Euro 2024 features one of the favourites to win the trophy, two outsiders, and the only nation this summer making its European Championship debut.

Portugal

Portugal won the Euros back in 2016 in what some believed would be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final European Championships. Fast-forward eight years and the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid sensation is still going strong at 39.

He played throughout Portugal's Euro 2024 qualification campaign, scoring 10 goals. Portugal won all 10 of their matches, with Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Joao Cancelo, Goncalo Ramos and Bernardo Silva helping them set an average of 3.6 goals per game.

Portugal are dangerous. Look beyond veterans Ronaldo (39), Pepe (41) and Rui Patrício (36) and the majority of this team is peaking between 25 and 29. Young blood in the form of Nuno Mendes (21), Antonio Silva (20) and Joao Neves (19) is also coming through. Head coach Roberto Martinez has one of the best squads to play with this summer. No wonder they are 21/50 to win Group F and 15/2 to win the whole thing.

Czech Republic

Czech Republic enjoyed a steady Euro 2024 qualification campaign and, bar a 3-0 loss at Albania, came through without any trouble. The biggest issue for head coach Ivan Hasek is figuring out their forward line. Midfielders Tomas Soucek and Václav Cerny top scored for the Czechs in qualifying with just three goals each. Another non-striker – Ladislav Krejcí – bagged two. The likes of Jan Kuchta and Tomas Chory managed just one goal over the 10 games.

Hasek sorely missed forward Patrik Schick, who didn't feature in the qualifying campaign through injury. Schick returned to play a bit-part role in Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga title triumph this season and should be fairly fresh heading into the Euros.

Schick's Leverkusen teammate Adam Hlozek is certainly one to watch here. At 21, he already has more than 30 caps for his country but only two goals. This could be a breakthrough tournament for the ex-Sparta Prague playmaker.

Czech are 11/2 outsiders to top Group F but well priced at 11/10 to finish in the top two.

Turkey

Turkey beat off Croatia to top their Euro 2024 table in qualifying and also claimed four points off Wales. They are perennial dark horses at major tournaments, with tipsters banking on Turkey to one-day come good. However, they have bombed at the group stage in each of the last two European Championships and there's no guarantee they won't do the same here.

The good thing is boss Vincenzo Montella has an exciting and experienced team to lean on this summer. Captain Hakan Çalhanoglu is one of the oldest in the squad at 30 and posts more than 80 caps. There are also a string of players in their mid-20s who have plenty of international experience: Merih Demiral, Ozan Kabak, Kaan Ayhan and Enes Unal to name but a few.

Then there is the young cohort coming through. Juventus teenager Kenan Yildiz looks the real deal, as does Real Madrid's Arda Guler. Forwards Yunus Akgün and Baris Alper Yilmaz (both 23) are also pushing for more game time.

Turkey are 4/1 to win Group F, which may be beyond them at this stage. If Montella can strike the right balance in his side then they could go far.

Georgia

Georgia earned their right to compete at Euro 2024 after battling through a playoff, which they reached via the Nations League route. They beat Luxembourg 4-2 before edging Greece on penalties in the playoff final. Their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign wasn't great. They finished eighth, above only rock-bottom Cyprus, in a group consisting of Spain, Scotland and Norway. However, they drew with both Scotland and Norway at home and it’s this ability to frustrate opponents that could come in handy this summer.

Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ajax forward Georges Mikautadze were the standout men in qualifying. Combined they have 24 goals for their country and more than 50 caps. They are both young, exciting prospects who could end up in the shop window this summer.

Saying that, much of Georgia boss Willy Sagnol's focus in Germany will be around Georgia's defensive shape. Guram Kashia (36) and Solomon Kvirkvelia (32) and Otar Kakabadze (28) are experienced international defenders but even they may struggle against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrik Schick and Barıs Alper Yilmaz.

At 14/1 Georgia are not going to top Group F. It's highly unlikely they will finish in the top two, at 5/2. Instead, a sure-fire bet looks like the 1/2 price on Georgia finishing bottom.

Euro 2024 Group F Fixtures

Group F at Euro 2024 climaxes with the big clash between Turkey and Czech Republic on 26 June in Hamburg. By this point Portugal should be safely through and the battle for second place will be on. Here are the Group E fixtures:

Match 1

• 18 June – Turkey vs Georgia | BVB Stadion, Dortmund
• 18 June – Portugal vs Czech Republic | Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig

Match 2

• 22 June – Georgia vs Czech Republic | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
• 22 June – Turkey vs Portugal | BVB Stadion, Dortmund

Match 3

• 26 June – Georgia vs Portugal | Schalke Arena, Gelsenkirchen
• 26 June – Czech Republic vs Turkey | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg

Best Players in Group F to Watch

Portugal have enough talent to fill an entire XI of 'best players' at Euro 2024 this summer. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the go-to man in attack and now boasts over 200 international appearances for his country. But it's the influx of players in their early 20s that really makes this team exciting. PSG's Nuno Mendes (21) could have a career-defining summer at left-back, while Benfica midfielder João Neves (19) only made his international debut this season.

At 24, Barcelona's Joao Felix is also one of the key members of this Portugal side. The likes of Ronaldo and Pepe can guide this team but its success rests on younger talents.

The Czechs could set out with two up front, meaning the focus will be on two of Patrik Schick, Adam Hlozek, Mojmir Chytil, Tomas Chory and perhaps also Jan Kuchta. Boss Ivan Hašek has plenty of options but needs to settle on a partnership.

These championships, meanwhile, could be the stage for Arda Guler to truly shine. He's been picking up starts at Real Madrid in the second half of this season and has had no trouble finding the net. Keep an eye on the ex-Fenerbahce gem as he could be a star of this tournament, let alone Group F.

As for Georgia, keep an eye on winger Zuriko Davitashvili. The Bordeaux man is a regular in the XI and can come inside to play behind the main striker. His capacity to retain possession in the opposition third will be key if Georgia are to pose a threat in this group.

Euro 2024 Group F Tips

If you’re looking to bet on Group F at Euro 2024 but don’t know where to begin then check out these three top tips:

Portugal to win all three games

Let’s start with a simple one. Portugal are one of the favourites to win Euro 2024 and look very well positioned to steamroller this group. They are as short as 1/2 to beat Czech Republic in their opening match on 18 June and push ahead from there.

Portugal’s mix of experience and young talent makes them a real threat. Realistically they shouldn’t have a problem overcoming the Czechs or Turkey, while Roberto Martinez can rotate and rest players in the final group game against Georgia.

Portugal are 4/9 to top Group F. It seems a sensible option considering the depth of quality across the squad.

Turkey and Czech Republic both progress

Group F should deliver three teams into the knockout stage. Remember, four of the six third-placed teams earn safe passage to the last-16. If we assume Portugal win all three of their matches, and Turkey and Czech both beat Georgia, then that final match on 26 June in Hamburg will be a shootout for second place.

Draw that game and both sides could progress on four points each. A draw would not be a surprising result. Turkey and Czech Republic are well matched. They have experience running through their squads and forwards who are dangerous on their day.

The last match round in Group F is also the last of the entire group stage. That means Turkey and Czech will know if a draw will suffice for both to progress. While both will gun for the win, they may well settle for a draw.

Georgia to fail to score

Ukraine in 2016 are the only team to have crashed out of a European Championships without scoring a single goal since Denmark suffered the same fate back in 2000. Even the worst teams at the Euros usually score at least once. In Euro 2020 three managed a solitary goal: Scotland, Turkey and Finland.

Georgia could join Ukraine and Denmark in suffering the ignominy of drawing blanks in all three of their group matches. After all, they struggled in qualifying and only reached this stage via the Nations League route. They scored in home and away defeats to Spain this season but a major championship is a different stage altogether.

Their best chance of claiming even a point is probably against Turkey on 18 June, where the Double Chance is set at 1/1. Yet even here there's no guarantee of Georgia scoring. The smarter bet in terms of value is to back them not to score in all three matches. They are 5/4 to draw a blank against Turkey.

Euro 2024 Group F Top Scorer

Now, we've just explained the logic behind betting on Georgia to score zero goals this summer, so it may sound a little odd for us to tip Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to top score in Group F. Well, the Napoli star isn't actually our No.1 tip but if you are looking for an outsider and think Georgia will cause an upset in Germany then Kvaratskhelia is your man.

Of course, most eyes will fall on Cristiano Ronaldo to top score in Group F. However, he scored just once at the last World Cup. Portugal have plenty of other options in attack too and focus may instead shift to Bruno Fernandes or Goncalo Ramos here.

The Czechs might end up relying on Patrik Schick for goals but captain Tomas Soucek knows where the net is and could pop up with a couple in this group stage. The same goes for Turkey's Hakan Calhanoglu, although Arda Guler is the youngster everyone is talking about.

Euro 2024 Outside Bet: Group F

If you’re looking for an outside bet then Turkey could be the real deal this summer. They have a well balanced team – much like Portugal, in fact – and there are some exciting prospects who could shine in Germany.

Turkey ease into the tournament against Georgia before attention turns to Portugal. Diogo Jota and co. beat them 3-1 at the World Cup 18 months ago but this Turkey team is in a far better state now. They are a good outside bet at 4/1 to top Group F and secure a last-16 clash against a third-placed team from groups A, B or C. The could be Scotland or maybe Slovenia – two teams Turkey would fancy their chances against.

The Turks are 5/2 to reach the quarter-finals, which isn't a bad shout.

The 2024 European Championships are upon us and it is time for a festival of football featuring the best the continent has to offer.

Defending champions Italy will be striving to make it back-to-back titles. Meanwhile losing finalists from 2020 England are searching for their first major tournament success since the 1966 World Cup.

A revitalised Germany are the hosts, though, and will be targeting victory in this competition for a record fourth time.

Here, we break down all you need to know ahead of the European Championships including the key dates, stadiums, groups, where to watch and more.

When does the 2024 European Championships start?

The 2024 European Championships get underway on Friday 14th June, with a Group A match between host nation Germany and Scotland at the Munich Football Arena (20:00 kick-off UK time).

It kick-starts an exciting month of football with the best European talent battling it out to become champions.

Where is the 2024 European Championships taking place?

The tournament will be played out at venues across Germany. It is the third occasion the country has hosted a major tournament, after the 1988 European Championships in West Germany and the 2006 World Cup.

Eight stadiums have been selected as host venues. They are as follows:

• Olympiastadion, Berlin
• Leipzig Arena, Leipzig
• Munich Football Arena, Munich
• Cologne Stadium, Cologne
• Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf
• Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen
• Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
• Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt

What is the format of the 2024 European Championships?

The 2024 European Championships consists of 24 teams split into six groups of four. The top two from each group will automatically qualify for the knockout stages, joined by the four best third-place finishers.

The fixtures for the first knockout round are determined based on finishing positions in the groups, with the group winners avoiding each other in the round of 16. The third-placed teams that do qualify will be guaranteed to meet a group winner in the next round.

The knockout stages are made up of a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, which is to be played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. There is no third-place play-off at this year’s tournament which has been the case at every European Championships since 1984 in France.

The group stage matches award three points for a win and one for a draw, with goal difference deciding who finishes higher should teams be level on points. Should a knockout stage game end level, extra time of two 15-minute halves will be played with a penalty shootout to follow if scores are still tied. Zidane or Platini? Casillas or Buffon? Check out the BetMGM Ultimate European Championships XI here

2024 European Championships Groups in full

Six sections of four teams make up the 2024 European Championships group stage. Here’s how they line up:

• Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
• Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
• Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
• Group D: Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France
• Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
• Group F: Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czech Republic

England 2024 European Championships fixtures

England have been drawn in Group C alongside Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia. The Three Lions are 2/5 favourites to win their group and their full opening-stage schedule is as follows:

• Serbia vs England: 16th June (20:00, BBC)
• Denmark vs England: 20th June (17:00, BBC)
• England vs Slovenia: 25th June (20:00, ITV)

Scotland 2024 European Championships fixtures

Scotland have been drawn in Group A alongside Germany, Hungary and Switzerland. They are 8/1 to top the section and their full group stage fixture list is as follows:

• Germany vs Scotland: 14th June (20:00, ITV)
• Scotland vs Switzerland: 19th June (20:00, BBC)
• Scotland vs Hungary: 23rd June (20:00, BBC)

When is the 2024 European Championships final?

The final will be played on 14th July at the Olympiastadion in Berlin (20:00 UK time).

The stadium has held the showpiece match of a major tournament before, with the final of the 2006 World Cup taking place at the capital venue. The game ended in a 1-1 draw between Italy and France, with Marco Materazzi cancelling out an early penalty from Zinedine Zidane, playing in his last professional game.

The game remained level throughout the remainder of the 90 minutes, and through extra time, with the Italians prevailing 5-3 on penalties to win the World Cup for the fourth time.

Who are the 2024 European Championships favourites?

The outright betting is led by England. Gareth Southgate’s men travel to Germany as 3/1 favourites and hope to go one step further than 2020, where they were runners-up to Italy.

England have never won this competition but one country that has done, on more than one occasion, are second favourites France. Les Bleus can be backed at 4/1 while hosts Germany are available at 11/2. Meanwhile, 2016 winners Portugal are 8/1, with Italy 14/1 for back-to-back titles.

Steve Clarke’s Scotland are priced at 80/1 with BetMGM, while Albania, Slovenia and tournament debutant Georgia are the rank outsiders at 500/1.

BetMGM has a host of pre-tournament markets to choose from and be sure to keep an eye on the specials throughout the tournament as well as individual match offers, player award betting and more.

Where to watch the 2024 European Championships

Here are the dates of the group stage matches in full along with UK broadcasting information, which on many days sees three games broadcast in one day:

• 14th June: 20:00 Germany vs Scotland (ITV)
• 15th June: 14:00 Hungary vs Switzerland (ITV); 17:00 Spain vs Croatia (ITV); 20:00 Italy vs Albania (BBC)
• 16th June: 14:00 Poland vs Netherlands (BBC); 17:00 Slovenia vs Denmark (ITV); 20:00 Serbia vs England (BBC)
• 17th June: 14:00 Romania vs Ukraine (BBC) 17:00 Belgium vs Slovakia (ITV); 20:00 Austria vs France (ITV)
• 18th June: 17:00 Turkey vs Georgia (BBC); 20:00 Portugal vs Czech Republic (BBC)
• 19th June: 14:00 Croatia vs Albania (ITV); 17:00 Germany vs Hungary (BBC); 20:00 Scotland vs Switzerland (BBC)
• 20th June: 14:00 Slovenia vs Serbia (ITV); 17:00 Denmark vs England (BBC); 20:00 Spain vs Italy (ITV)
• 21st June: 14:00 Slovakia vs Ukraine (BBC); 17:00 Poland vs Austria (ITV); 20:00 Netherlands vs France (BBC)
• 22nd June: 14:00 Georgia vs Czech Republic (BBC); 17:00 Turkey vs Portugal (ITV); 20:00 Belgium vs Romania (ITV)
• 23rd June: 20:00 Scotland vs Hungary (BBC); Switzerland vs Germany (BBC)
• 24th June: 20:00 Albania vs Spain (BBC); Croatia vs Italy (BBC)
• 25th June: 17:00 France vs Poland (BBC); Netherlands vs Austria (BBC); 20:00 Denmark vs Serbia (ITV); England vs Slovenia (ITV)
• 26th June: 17:00 Slovakia vs Romania (BBC); Ukraine vs Belgium (BBC); 20:00 Czech Republic vs Turkey (ITV); Georgia vs Portugal (ITV)

Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change

Van Basten, Platini, Ronaldo, Maldini… the illustrious list of names who have shone on the European Championship stage simply rolls off the tongue.

But who represents the cream of the crop? Whose marauding wing play or midfield majesty sets them apart from the rest? Whose aptitude for the big moments makes them undroppable despite the scores of sublime players to choose from?

BetMGM is undertaking that very task as, ahead of the 2024 tournament, we try to construct the best XI from across European Championship history.

That’s right, we have gone over each previous tournament to create a mega team that could give even the mighty Manchester City a game.

Our Ultimate European Championships XI lines up in a 4-3-3 formation. Read our selections below.

GK: Iker Casillas

Nation: Spain Best finish: Winner (2008, 2012) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2008, 2012)

While Spain was a team brimming with magicians, they have their athletic and dependable number one to thank for their incredible success in 2008. He saved two penalties in the quarter-final against Italy and kept clean sheets in the quarter-final (0-0 vs Italy), semi-final (3-0 vs Russia) and final (1-0 vs Germany).

In 2012, Casillas went even further, ensuring he reached 509 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal – breaking a record previously held by Italy legend Dino Zoff (494 minutes). He gets the nod between the sticks with two appearances in the team of the tournament in his pocket as well as two winner’s medals.

A special shoutout here for Gianluigi Buffon – a veteran of European Championships, having travelled to four tournaments – as well as the great Russian Lev Yashin. Both have a viable case for inclusion.

RB: Lilian Thuram

Nation: France Best finish: Winner (2000) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2000)

Known as ‘The Philosopher’ by some, no outfield player has amassed more caps for France (142) than pacey and cultured defender Thuram, who gives our Ultimate XI some defensive balance.

Yes, he gave away a penalty in the 2000 final but it mattered not when striker David Trezeguet scored the only tournament-winning Golden Goal in history.

With his stellar consistency at club level for the likes of Juventus and Barcelona as well as his trophy-laden international career, Thuram is often referred to as one of the best right-backs in history.

Even legendary German Phillip Lahm would be the backup option here.

RCB: Fabio Cannavaro

Nation: Italy Best finish: Runner-up (2000) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2000)

Nicknamed ‘Il Muro di Berlino’ (The Berlin Wall) by Italian fans in the aftermath of Italy’s famous 2006 World Cup win, he was also outstanding in the Azzurri’s run to the final of the 2000 European Championships.

Despite his small stature (5ft 9in), he was magnificent in the air and could read the game better than anyone. Conceding just twice en route to the showpiece alongside the likes of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta, Cannavaro was named in the team of the tournament just a few years after being named best player at the Under-21 European Championships.

LCB: Franz Beckenbauer

Nation: Germany Best finish: Winner (1972) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (1972, 1976)

A titan of the backline and a pioneer in terms of how modern-day coaches approach defending, Beckenbauer captained his team to European Championship glory in 1972 with a 3-0 victory over the Soviet Union in the final.

In 1976, he again led his team to the final but this time succumbed to a penalty shootout defeat against Czechoslovakia.

Nicknamed ‘der Kaiser’, he was twice voted European Player of the Year and was renowned for his ability to start attacks from the back. It is an approach most coaches agree is critical to building sustained dominance and pressure.

His compatriot, 1996 Player of the Tournament Matthias Sammer, can feel unlucky to miss out but there is no replacing the two-time-team-of-the-tournament Kaiser.

LB: Jordi Alba

Nation: Spain Best finish: Winner (2012) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2012)

The combative left-back remains one of the most successful and effective defenders of his generation.

A pioneering and buccaneering attacking prong on the left-hand side, Alba even managed to score a memorable goal in the 4-0 thrashing of Italy in the 2012 final before making the team of the tournament.

Starting the move in his own half, Alba passed it into Xavi in midfield before making a scorching run to receive the return pass by the opposing penalty area. Producing a perfect touch in greeting a perfect pass, he burst past the blue wall and flashed a finish past the legendary Buffon in goal.

CM: Andres Iniesta

Nation: Spain Best finish: Winner (2008, 2012) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2008, 2012); Player of the Tournament (2012)

A living legend, Iniesta is sometimes referred to as ‘El Ilusionista’ because of his ability to see passes others cannot.

Flair, composure, quick feet and incisive passing, the midfielder was a key part of possibly the greatest international team the world has ever seen.

He played every game in the 2008 European Championships and was unsurprisingly named in the team of the tournament. Four years later he was arguably even more effective and was named Player of the Tournament.

It was Iniesta’s enterprising run and clever inside pass to Alba which set up Xabi Alonso for the first of his two goals in the 2-0 quarter-final victory over France. It was emblematic of what he offers his teams: guile, skill, precision.

Pep Guardiola once mused that it was Iniesta who opened his eyes “to the importance of an inside forward or midfielder being able to dribble”. His impact on the game is far-reaching and he deserves to make this squad despite stellar competition from the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Ruud Gullit.

CM: Xavi

Nation: Spain Best finish: Winner (2008, 2012) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2008, 2012); Player of the Tournament (2008)

‘La Computadora’ walks into any team in any era.

Xavi had his head on a swivel at all times and knew his next pass before the player who passed him the ball had even received it. Like his partner in crime Iniesta, he was an ever-present in Spain’s two European Championship victories in 2008 and 2012.

His dominance in a game is perhaps best summed up by his performance in a 4-0 victory over Ireland in the group stage at Euro 2012, where Xavi left his indelible mark on the match with 136 attempted passes (127 completed, 94% success rate) – the most ever in a European Championship.

A passing carousel and a legendary playmaker, many credit him as the major contributor to the Spanish era of dominance.

CM: Zinedine Zidane

Nation: France Best finish: Winner (2000) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2000, 2004); Player of the Tournament (2000)

In many ways, the 2000 European Championships solidified Zidane as the leading midfield talent of his era.

‘Zizou’ was named Player of the Tournament after a memorable series of displays, which included two goals and an assist as well as two man-of-the-match awards.

The Frenchman believes he was at his best in this tournament while many observers maintain only Diego Maradona (in the 1986 World Cup) has dominated a major international competition like Zidane did in 2000.

So much so, in fact, that he even edges out compatriot Michel Platini, who scored nine goals when captaining France to 1984 European Championship glory amid a phenomenal run of three consecutive Ballons d’Or.

Where to watch the games, key dates, England & Scotland fixture lists… find out all you need to know about the 2024 European Championships here

LW: Thierry Henry

Nation: France Best finish: Winner (2000) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2000)

Graceful, powerful, elegant, skilful… there aren’t enough superlatives in the football dictionary to sum up Henry in full flow.

After finishing the 1998 World Cup tournament as a world champion and his team’s top scorer, he carried on his international form in 2000, scoring another three goals and earning a joint-record three man-of-the-match awards.

In total, he has six goals at the European Championships (across 2000, 2004 and 2008) with only Platini and Antoine Griezmann scoring more for France.

ST: Marco van Basten

Nation: Netherlands Best finish: Winner (1988) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (1988, 1992); Player of the Tournament (1988); Top Scorer (1988)

When one attempts to name the greatest-ever goal scored at the European Championships, all roads lead to Van Basten’s wonder strike against the Soviet Union in the 1988 final.

A first-time volley at the far side of the penalty area, close to the byline, arrowed over goalkeeper Rinat Dasayev into the net, it was a spectacular strike that is still replayed over and over again and helped the Netherlands to their first international trophy.

He was named player of the tournament in 1988, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer, while he added a second team of the tournament nod in 1992 ensuring he beats out stellar competition from Alan Shearer, David Villa and Dennis Bergkamp here.

RW: Cristiano Ronaldo

Nation: Portugal Best finish: Winner (2016) Key stat: Team of the Tournament (2004, 2012, 2016); Top Scorer (2020)

We could not leave out one of the best players of all time. A phenomenon in all senses of the word, Ronaldo has been consistency personified on the international stage.

No player has more international goals (128) or more international appearances (206). Within those eye-watering figures he has also scored more goals than any other player in European Championships history (14).

Add in his stellar 2016 tournament as he led an unfancied Portugal to victory and the three-time team of the tournament pick simply has to make the cut.

Disagree with some of our Ultimate Euros XI selections? Let us know on X, Facebook or Instagram

Alternative All-time Euros XIs

It’s a game of opinions. That’s why we’ve put together some alternative teams that could push our Ultimate XI all the way. What do you think? Let us know via our social media channels.

5-3-2: Gianluigi Buffon (ITA); Philipp Lahm (GER), Pepe (POR), Matthias Sammer (GER), Alessandro Nesta (ITA), Bixente Lizarazu (FRA); Steven Gerrard (ENG), Andrea Pirlo (ITA), Michel Platini (FRA); Fernando Torres (ESP), Jurgen Klinsmann (GER).

4-4-2: Lev Yashin (USSR); Gianluca Zambrotta (ITA), John Terry (ENG), Giorgio Chiellini (ITA), Paolo Maldini (ITA); Luis Figo (POR), Didier Deschamps (FRA), Ruud Guulit (NED), Karel Poborsky (CZE); Dennis Bergkamp (NED), Antoine Griezmann (FRA).

3-4-3: Peter Schmeichel (DNK); Ronald Koeman (NED), Carles Puyol (ESP), Leonardo Bonucci (ITA); David Beckham (ENG), Lothar Matthaus (GER), Frank Rijkaard (NED), Pavel Nedved (CZE); Andrey Arshavin (RUS), Alan Shearer (ENG), David Villa (ESP).

Remember to check out the BetMGM European Championships Hub for the latest odds, specials, profiles, blogs and more

Euro 2024 is here and Scotland head to Germany full of hope and optimism. Here, we take a look at their expectations, fixtures and how to watch, run through the predicted starting line-up and check out some of the odds concerning the Scots for the tournament.

Scotland European Championship Odds and Expectations

Scotland are making their second consecutive appearance in the European Championships and will be looking to improve on their group stage exit in the 2020 competition.

The Scots have, in fact, yet to progress into the knockout stages of any major tournament. Germany could be their time to shine.

Many, though, will be predicting another group stage elimination, an unwanted feat they have routinely achieved at all of their previous major tournament appearances. They are 11/10 ‘favourites’ to finish bottom of Group A and Evens to be eliminated at the group stage.

For those showing a bit more belief in what has been an impressive Scotland side of late, round of 16 and quarter-finals exits are 7/4 and 9/2 respectively.

Where to watch the games, key dates, England & Scotland fixture lists… find out all you need to know about the 2024 European Championships here

It may be wishful thinking for a nation that has never been past a group stage but the Dark Blues are 16/1 to be semi-finalists and 28/1 for a runners-up spot.

If you are feeling even more optimistic, BetMGM is offering a massive 100/1 for Scotland to win the whole tournament.

Players to Watch

A number of players have been instrumental in helping Steve Clarke’s side qualify for the finals. Let’s take a look at four who could hold the key to the Tartan Army’s ecstasy or agony in Germany.

Scott McTominay

Scotland’s top scorer during qualifying and the top scorer in the group, McTominay’s brace against Spain back in March led his country to a famous 2-0 victory.

His seven goals were instrumental to the team making it to the final tournament – only Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane scored more than the midfielder during qualifying – and he will be key once again to any success in the final tournament.

The 2023-24 campaign saw McTominay reach 10 goals for Manchester United for the first time and ended with an FA Cup triumph over rivals Manchester City at Wembley. McTominay remains one of the first names on the teamsheet for Clarke and a strong tournament from the midfielder is vital to progression for Scotland.

Lawrence Shankland

Shankland has had to be patient for his chance at a major tournament and may be one to benefit from the injuries Clarke has had to contend with in his squad.

The Hearts striker notched 24 league goals in 2023-24 – equalling his tally for the previous season and attracting the attention of clubs south of the border in the process.

After missing out on Euro 2020, the former Dundee United and Aberdeen man could be set to play a major role in Scotland’s latest attempt to make it past the group stage of a major tournament.

Che Adams may well get the starting nod but an injury to target man Lyndon Dykes has opened the door further for Shankland, who grabbed a crucial last-gasp equaliser against Georgia in qualifying.

Internationally-proven he is not but in form he certainly is. If Scotland need a goal then who better to grab it than the PFA and SFWA Scottish Footballer of the Year?

John McGinn

A vital cog in the Scotland midfield, McGinn played a pivotal role in ensuring his country would appear at back-to-back European Championships.

His three goals in qualifying helped secure a second-placed finish and automatic qualification while he has 18 goals overall for his country since his debut back in 2016.

McGinn has been just as instrumental for his club side as he has for Scotland. Helping Aston Villa from the Championship to the Champions League, McGinn is the captain of the side that has returned to Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in four decades.

A tenacious midfielder adept in both attack and defence, the former Hibernian midfielder has another chance to shine on the biggest stage.

Kieran Tierney

His well-documented injury troubles have hampered his appearances in club football over the past couple of seasons but Tierney is an automatic starter for Scotland when fit.

Having spent the last campaign on loan at Real Sociedad, he impressed with his performances either side of injuries and seems to be back up to full fitness ahead of the 2024 finals.

Tierney is, lest we forget, one of the main reasons Scotland deploy the 3-4-2-1 formation they do, with his performances from left centre-back often dictating play. Without him, the squad struggles in this formation, so the Tartan Army will be hoping he is back to his best in Germany.

Scotland Group A Opponents in Focus

Scotland will face host nation Germany in Group A, as well as Switzerland and Hungary. Here’s a closer look at the teams Scotland will have to overcome to progress:

Germany

Hosts Germany are targeting a win on home soil that would see them clinch their fourth European Championships. Following a disappointing tournament in the last Euros, Julian Nagelsmann will be trying to bring the glory days back to a nation that last won this competition in 1996.

Legendary midfielder Toni Kroos is playing in his final major tournament and will be aiming to add one final trophy to his already burgeoning trophy cabinet. Fresh from Champions League glory with club side Real Madrid, Kroos is 16/1 with BetMGM to end his career with the Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament award.

With victories over France and the Netherlands already this year, Germany go into the championships looking more like the great Die Mannschaft sides of old, rather than the team that has suffered group stage exits in two of their last three major tournaments.

Skippered by Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan and with a squad that is now underpinned by a clutch of Bayer Leverkusen stars fresh from their unbeaten Bundesliga-winning season, Germany are huge 3/10 favourites to win Group A and will present a massive task for Scotland on the opening night.

Hungary

Group G toppers in qualifying, Hungary throw up an interesting test for Scotland.

An impressive campaign saw the Hungarians go uneaten in their group and concede just seven goals – their 14-game unbeaten run ending with a friendly defeat to the Republic of Ireland in preparation for the championships.

After defeating the likes of Serbia and Montenegro en route to the tournament, Marco Rossi’s men will certainly be hoping to better their group stage exit from the last Euros.

Key players including Liverpool’s Dominik Szboszlai and Freiburg’s Roland Sollai will determine if they can do that, while they will be looking to Ferencvaros marksman Barnabas Varga for the goals.

Between the sticks the decision has reportedly been made – just not yet revealed.

Both RB Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi and Ferencvaros' Denes Dibusz were given a half apiece in the friendly in Dublin with Rossi stating he has “already decided who will be the number one goalkeeper at the European Championships but everyone will see who I will put in goal in the first group match”.

Hungary are 8/1 to spring a surprise and win Group A.

Switzerland

The Swiss arrive at the Championships off the back of a runners-up finish in Group I of qualification. At Euro 2020, Switzerland shocked France in the round of 16 by beating them on penalties en route to a quarter-final defeat to Spain.

Talismanic midfielder and captain, Granit Xhaka, has enjoyed an unforgettable season in domestic football with Bayer Leverkusen. An unbeaten league campaign saw them clinch the Bundesliga for the first time, as well as the DFB-Pokal.

The former Arsenal player averaged almost seven recoveries per 90 minutes this season and his relentless style will be key to Swiss progression from what is an evenly matched group.

In addition to Xhaka, manager Murat Yakin will be looking to ex-Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji. Forward Breel Embolo, branded “indispensable” by Yakin, will have to be fit and firing after recent injury troubles though.

Probable Scotland Starting Line-up

After several injuries leading up to the tournament, including striker Dykes having to withdraw from the squad, it’s fair to say Clarke hasn’t had it easy of late. Even highly-rated Liverpool youngster Ben Doak has been forced to pull out, adding to the growing list of setbacks for the Scots.

One to benefit from this could be Shankland — something which may be a blessing in disguise for Scotland. Shankland scored 24 goals in the Scottish Premiership last season, six clear of nearest challenger Matt O’Riley of Celtic.

Southampton forward Adams will be challenging for the starting berth — and may even be the favourite to win it — but an in-form Shankland provides a nice headache for Clarke amid the injury struggles.

Norwich City goalkeeper Angus Gunn will get the nod between the sticks with Zander Clark likely to be number two. In defence, Grant Hanley appears to have recovered from his own injury troubles along with captain and talisman Andy Robertson. Rangers centre-back John Souttar, though, continues to have concerns and missed the 2-0 friendly win over Gibraltar.

It is highly likely that the 3-4-2-1 formation that has brought Steve Clarke so much success will be deployed in Germany, especially with the instrumental Tierney fit again.

Clarke’s men kick off the tournament against the hosts on Friday 14th June — below is the team likely to get the European Championships underway for Scotland.

Scotland Probable XI (3-4-2-1): Angus Gunn; Ryan Porteous, Jack Hendry, Kieran Tierney; Anthony Ralston, Billy Gilmour, Callum McGregor, Andy Robertson; John McGinn, Scott McTominay; Che Adams

Scotland Euro 2024 Squad in Full

Clarke has named his 26-man squad for Euro 2024. The squad is in full here:

Goalkeepers: Zander Clark (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Norwich), Liam Kelly (Motherwell)

Defenders: Liam Cooper (Leeds United), Grant Hanley (Norwich), Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq), Scott McKenna (FC Copenhagen), Ross McCrorie (Bristol City), Ryan Porteous (Watford), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Greg Taylor (Celtic), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Billy Gilmour (Brighton), Ryan Jack (Rangers), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Manchester United)

Forwards: Ché Adams (Southampton), Tommy Conway (Bristol City), James Forrest (Celtic), Lewis Morgan (NY Red Bulls), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts)

Scotland Euro 2024 Fixtures

Scotland’s Group A schedule and where to watch is as follows:

• Germany vs Scotland: 14th June (ITV, 20:00)
• Scotland vs Switzerland: 19th June (BBC, 20:00)
• Scotland vs Hungary: 23rd June (BBC, 20:00)

Odds and player information correct at time of publication but subject to change

Another summer, another four weeks of unbridled excitement, untenable expectations and, potentially, crushing disappointment. England fans know the drill. But is this the year it changes?

Below, we examine their chances, break down the fixtures and where you can watch them, lay out the probable starting XI and pick some attractive odds for England bettors hoping to make the most of cheering on the Three Lions.

England Euro 2024 Odds and Expectations

A best-ever showing at the Euros in 2021 — coupled with a blossoming of forward talent in Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka, to name a few — means expectations are sky-high for these perennial underachievers.

However, they haven’t had the best build-up. A pre-tournament friendly defeat to Iceland means England have won just once in their previous five matches.

Despite the run of disappointing results, there’s a feeling England will step it up in the tournament. They are 7/2 favourites to win it all with BetMGM and odds-on at 2/5 to finish top of the group.

For the naysayers, doom-mongers and pessimists, England are a good price to not advance to the knockout stage at all. They are, for instance, a massive 25/1 to finish bottom of the group in what would be a shock of France 2002 proportions.

Visit the BetMGM Euro 2024 Hub for the latest odds, specials, profiles, blogs & more

For those who reckon it will be another ‘almost’ summer, the Three Lions are 5/1 to repeat their best-ever European Championships showing from 2021 and finish runners-up.

Most fans agree that a run to the final four represents the minimum expectation for this crop of England players — an elimination at that stage is 10/3 with BetMGM.

Players to Watch

We know England have a wealth of attacking talents but there is a perceived weakness at the back. We have earmarked some key defensive players alongside the leading light on who the hopes of success may rest.

Jordan Pickford

This man is like marmite. Some love him, some seem to hate him but, when he plays for England, he always seems to butter the bread.

A reliable shot-stopper and a prolific penalty-saver for the Three Lions, Pickford has 29 clean sheets in 61 caps. That’s some way off Peter Shilton’s national record of 66 shutouts but there is no reason to think he won’t remain a permanent fixture over the coming years.

At Euro 2020 he kept five clean sheets with a save percentage of 88.9% and has a direct range of passing that suits England’s fast and incisive attacking play.

He will need to be at the top of his game if the Three Lions are to navigate the latter stages of the tournament — but he often is with the national side.

John Stones

Pep Guardiola once exclaimed that Stones has “big balls”, referring to the defender’s composure and ability to beat the press.

That bravery will be needed in spades should the Three Lions make a deep run. While he and Kyle Walker make up an experienced and treble-winning right side of the defence, the likely pairing of Marc Guéhi and Kieran Trippier on the left doesn’t inspire quite as much confidence.

Stones is in the top 2% of centre-backs for progressive passes received and the top five for progressive carries across the 2023-24 season. He will have to lead from the back with the same conviction and temperament to help give England the control they need.

Jude Bellingham

The final England player to watch is the young man with the world at his feet.

Bellingham, the Champions League-winning wonderkid, is in the running to win the Ballon d’Or and would surely put himself at the front of the pack if he helps his country to a Euro 2024 triumph.

He registered 25 goals and assists in his debut season in La Liga, where he often operated as a false nine. For England, he is expected to drop deeper, potentially in a midfield three with Rice and either Kobbie Mainoo, Conor Gallagher or Phil Foden.

Still, don’t be surprised if you see Bellingham arriving into the area — a la Frank Lampard — to apply his deft finishing touch.

Declan Rice

A driving force behind the Gunners’ best points return in a season (89) since the Invincibles year in 2003-04 (90), Rice has taken to life at the Emirates like a duck to water since his £90 million move from West Ham to Arsenal.

Despite his defensive prowess — his strength and power makes him ideal as one of the expected double pivots for Southgate — he managed to register 15 goals and assists in the Premier League last season, trebling his previous best record at the Hammers.

Rice, Harry Kane and Bellingham are viewed as the main players if England are to go well at Euro 2024. Can he help lead his team to international glory?

England Group C Opponents in Focus

England have a relatively straightforward group but, as they say, there is no easy game in international football and complacency is a killer. Let’s take a closer look at the teams they will be going up against.

Slovenia

Slovenia are in their first European Championship tournament since 2000. Previously competing as part of Yugoslavia until 1992, they made their first finals at the turn of the millennium but couldn’t find a win.

More than 20 years later, they have made their return after winning seven of their 10 games in qualifying to finish second behind Denmark, who they also face in Group C this summer.

Benjamin Sesko is the nation’s great hope. The RB Leipzig forward has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United this summer after a breakthrough Bundesliga campaign in which he scored 14 goals in 17 starts as RB Leipzig finished fourth to return to the Champions League.

In goal, they have the ever-dependable Jan Oblak, who captains the team and is widely considered one of the best stoppers in the world.

Given their impressive qualifying campaign and four third-place teams making it to the knockout rounds, 5/2 for Slovenia to qualify from section could represent some value.

Denmark

The Danes are definitely the chief threat to England’s hopes of topping the group. England’s semi-final opponents from Euro 2020 will be out for vengeance after a painful defeat to the Three Lions as a result of a somewhat controversial extra-time penalty (Harry Kane missed the spot kick but tapped in the rebound).

They topped the group in qualifying by virtue of having a better head-to-head record than Slovenia. It’s the 10th appearance at the tournament for the 1992 champions and they have some interesting players — not least Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund.

Pacey, powerful and with an eye for a goal, Højlund had an injury-ridden first season in the Premier League but still impressed supporters enough to get fans excited with 12 goals and assists in 25 starts for the Red Devils.

If you fancy Højlund to have a prolific tournament, you can back him at 40/1 to finish Euro 2024 as top goalscorer.

Serbia

Serbia overcame an admittedly gentle qualifying group, finishing runners-up behind Hungary and ahead of Montenegro, but they have some formidable players nonetheless.

Dusan Tadic and Dusan Vlahovic are two recognisable names. The former was a fixture of some great Ajax teams of recent years, while great hopes remain around Juventus striker Vlahovic, who scored the winning goal for the Old Lady in his team’s Coppa Italia final win over Atalanta.

With Vlahovic, you can expect to face some shots on goal. He averaged almost four shots per 90 minutes in Serie A in the season just finished, the second-most in the division (minimum 900 minutes played).

He could be the key if Serbia are to advance. You can back them at odds of 23/20 to qualify.

Probable England Starting Line-up

Gareth Southgate made some big calls in the build up to the tournament such as omitting Jack Grealish and James Maddison, while also leaving a struggling Harry Maguire at home to recuperate.

There are lots of question marks around defence. Who will partner Stones at centre-back? Can Luke Shaw play a meaningful part after missing most of the campaign through injury? Does the right-footed Kieran Trippier imbalance the left side when deputising for Shaw at left-back?

Then there is the midfield conundrum. How do you get the best out of Foden? Is it Gallagher or Mainoo who partners Rice in midfield?

We think it’s likely Southgate will go for the 4-3-3 formation, with Rice lining up alongside the assured and composed Mainoo. Foden was subpar when used in the central position behind the striker in the pre-season friendly against Iceland and as such he is likely to be used out wide, with Saka occupying the right side and the main man, talisman and captain, Kane, up front.

England Euro 2024 Squad in Full

Southgate has named his final 26-man squad for Euro 2024. The squad is in full here:

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

England Euro 2024 Fixtures

England’s Group C schedule and where to watch is as follows:

• England vs Serbia: 16th June (BBC, 20:00)
• England vs Denmark: 20th June (BBC, 17:00)
• England vs Slovenia: 25th June (ITV, 20:00)

Odds and player information correct at time of publication but subject to change

Firstly, I’m delighted to be working with BetMGM. They are a really exciting and forward-thinking brand and I’m really looking forward to being involved with them as they progress. I feel like I’ve joined at a great time with so much brilliant sport on the horizon, starting with the Euros over the next month or so.

I’ll be sharing my views with BetMGM’s followers throughout the tournament and it promises to be a brilliant few weeks with so many sides, including England, having a great chance of winning it.

Working at the Euros is a Dream

I’m very lucky to be working with ITV at Euro 2024 this year – it really is my dream job. It wasn’t that long ago I was working at Euro 2016 for a company whose job it was to interview the fans because we didn’t have the rights to show the matches.

We didn’t have any pitchside access or anything like that, so it’s mad to think that I’m now presenting a European Championships for ITV. It’s a bit of a pinch-yourself moment but I’m incredibly excited and can’t wait to get going.

Southgate’s Squad Choices Not Expected

There’s no doubt this is one of the most talented England squads we’ve ever had and they have a real chance in the Euros. I was very excited and confident about our chances before Gareth Southgate made his squad choices, which I must admit weren’t what I was expecting.

I think the Harry Maguire omission is less surprising given his injury troubles but I was pretty shocked he didn’t pick James Maddison and Jack Grealish. I think I’d feel more confident with those players in the squad, even if they hadn’t been playing, just because they are the types of players you want in an England squad.

I’ve read that other teams are happy that Maddison and Grealish aren’t in the squad, so if the other sides are saying that then it does seem a real shame they haven’t been included. This is still an incredibly talented group, though, and one we need to get behind.

Three Lions Can Win It

I honestly do think Southgate’s side can win it. There is enough quality in the group and it’s just about harnessing that and believing in each other.

Germany would be the ones I’m most worried about given they’re playing on home soil. I remember when England hosted the Euros a few years ago, the whole country really got behind the team and it was almost like having a 12th man. I think they’ll really thrive off that and it makes them very dangerous.

France are clearly very strong but I just keep coming back to England – everything points to us going really, really deep this year.

Visit the BetMGM Euro 2024 Hub for the latest odds, specials, profiles, blogs & more

I think in previous tournaments there was that sense of trepidation about certain things but I really don’t think there is this time round. The disappointment of those near misses does count for something and motivation and a chance to prove people wrong goes an awfully long way, especially in those close matches at the business end.

It might come across that we’re being a bit arrogant but England need to back themselves. Every other country will be doing it and we should be no different.

I expect us to get to the final and I’m backing us to bring it home. Something feels different this time.

Bellingham the Definition of Old Head on Young Shoulders

We all know about Jude Bellingham’s quality on the pitch and of course he’s going to be crucial to how England do in Germany.

Having interviewed him a few times, what has struck me is how eloquent he is for someone who is only 20.

When you ask him a question, he really considers it before coming back with a response. He might only be 20 but everything just comes so naturally to him and nothing seems to phase him – it’s almost like he’s been here and done it all before.

He’s a really impressive individual and I can’t wait to see him lead England this summer.

Stage Set for Yamal to Show the World What He’s About

I always get asked for a player who is going to light up a major tournament and I fully expect Kylian Mbappe to put on a show again.

However, the one player I can’t wait to see is Spain’s Lamine Yamal. From what I’ve seen of him, he looks very special and I really hope he shows that over the next month or so.

There’s always one young star who makes a name for themselves at these tournaments and I expect it to be him. I think he’s that good and it’s quite remarkable he’s only 16.

After months of build-up and excitement, Euro 2024 finally gets underway on Friday as hosts Germany take on Scotland in Munich.

The two nations have been placed in Group A alongside Hungary and Switzerland, and Germany will certainly expect to sit at the top of the pile once the group stage is over.

As hosts, Germany did not have to qualify for this summer's tournament, but they have tried to prepare themselves with some competitive friendlies since the turn of the year.

Scotland finished second in Group A in qualifying behind Spain, and while they earned plaudits for beating La Roja 2-0, they have struggled since they confirmed their spot in Germany. Their dip in form started with a 3-2 defeat to England last September before they were then beaten 2-0 by Spain and 4-1 by France.

The Scots then failed to beat Georgia and Norway in their final qualifiers, settling for 2-2 and 3-3 draws.

Since March, they have lost 4-0 to the Netherlands and 1-0 to Northern Ireland, and while they are unbeaten in two, they are heading to Germany in relatively poor form.

As Germany v Scotland is the opening match of Euro 2024, there is only one match scheduled on Friday, so we have put together a bet builder for day 1 of the tournament.

Day 1 Bet Builder - 13/4

• Germany to win
• Both teams to score - No
• Kai Havertz to score anytime

Tip1 - Germany to win

Germany have a point to prove this summer, after some frustrating results at major tournaments in recent years.

DFB-Team were eliminated at the last-16 stage at Euro 2020, while they failed to progress from the group stages at the last two World Cups.

This summer, ambitious coach Julian Nagelsmann will be trying to guide them to glory, and they look good value in the outright market.

While Scotland impressed in qualifying, they have won one of their previous nine matches - that 2-0 victory coming against Gibraltar - which does little to suggest that Scotland have recovered from their recent slump.

Germany have grown in confidence as the year has gone on, as they started the year with two wins in March over France and the Netherlands.

Earlier this month, they drew 0-0 with Ukraine before they then beat Greece 2-1.

While Scotland are struggling of late, Germany's confidence is growing, and with the home crowd cheering them on, they should pick up three points on Friday.

Tip 2 - Both teams to score - No

Scotland lost striker Lyndon Dykes earlier this month to injury, and boss Steve Clarke will need to readjust his tactics in order to get the best out of his team.

While Dykes is not known for his goalscoring, he is a mainstay in the team when fit, and there's a lack of goals from elsewhere in the Scotland squad.

Midfielder Scott McTominay scored seven in qualifying, while Aston Villa's John McGinn grabbed three, but the rest of the squad offered very little in that department.

Clarke is also expected to put several men behind the ball, meaning their best chance to score will come on the counter-attack.

Germany kept clean sheets against France and Ukraine, and with Scotland's forward line lacking firepower, they should improve that record this week, especially with Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rudiger and Toni Kroos at the spin of their team.

Tip 3 - Kai Havertz to score anytime

Nagelsmann has already put his faith in Arsenal forward Havertz, declaring that the Gunners frontman will start as Germany's main striker.

Even though he is considered a midfielder by trade, Havertz has scored five goals in his last seven appearances for club and country.

As a false nine, he should find enough space away from Scotland's back three, and he should benefit from the service of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala.

In Germany's recent win over Greece, Havertz did himself no harm going into the tournament. He registered a few shots on target and found the back of the net, which will have done him the world of good ahead of Friday's opener.

Visit the BetMGM Euro 2024 Hub for the latest odds, specials, profiles, blogs & more

International tournaments are where footballers become household names.

At Euro 2016, 25-year-old Antonie Griezmann catapulted himself to stardom with six goals and finished as the tournament’s top scorer. In 2020, Manuel Locatelli assumed the mantle of Italy’s midfield maestro and was instrumental in the Azzurri’s European Championships success, earning a move to Juventus in the process.

It is also the place where legacies are secured: Zinedine Zidane followed up his 1998 World Cup-winning performance with a Player of the Tournament nod at Euro 2000, as did Andres Iniesta.

Who will be next to write their name in lights on the biggest stage in European football? Here, BetMGM takes you through five names to watch throughout Euro 2024 this summer.

Xavi Simons

Nation (caps): Netherlands (13)

Club: RB Leipzig (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)

Position: Midfielder

Key stat: Most assists (11) in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig this season

Netherlands midfield creativity took a huge hit when Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong and Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners were ruled out of the tournament with injuries – yet 21-year-old Simons could be set to thrive in their absence.

The former Barcelona youth player first burst onto the scene in the 2022-23 season at PSV Eindhoven, leading the Dutch side to a domestic cup win and finishing the Eredivisie season as joint-top scorer with 19 goals.

At 20 years old and 37 days, he was the youngest player to end the campaign a leading scorer in the Dutch top flight since Ronaldo in 1994-95.

Simons continued his impressive form during the 2023-24 campaign while on loan at RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain. Playing as the German club’s primary number 10, the Dutch midfielder notched a team-leading 11 assists.

Notably, he also led Leipzig in yellow cards (11) and was the only player in Marco Rose’s side to be sent off in the Bundesliga. The generous 17/1 on Simons to be the most booked Dutch player at Euro 2024 could represent good value this summer.

Over and above his disciplinary record, Simons is a prospect of the highest calibre. After scoring his first international goal for the Netherlands during their final warm-up match against Iceland

Scoring his first international goal for the Netherlands in their final warm-up game against Iceland could be a sign of things to come for this talented youngster and, at 11/1 to be the Young Player of the Tournament, he’s a player to keep your eye on throughout Euro 2024.

Theo Hernandez

Nation (caps): France (26)

Club: AC Milan

Position: Defender

Key stat: Only French player to play every minute of Euro 2024 qualifying

France have a litany of star names at their disposal.

Kylian Mbappe might be the best individual player in world football and William Saliba has been making headlines ever since becoming a starting centre-back for Arsenal – but left-back Theo Hernandez could be the real x-factor for Didier Deschamps's men as they try to win the Euros for the first time since 2000.

While defending should be his main priority it’s going forward that Hernandez excels for his club. The Frenchman registered nine goal contributions for AC Milan in Serie A this season, the most outside of the team’s starting front three (Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud).

Visit the BetMGM Euro 2024 Hub for the latest odds, specials, profiles, blogs & more

The 26-year-old has an impressive offensive output at international level with two goals and eight assists across his 27 international appearances. Notably, he finished the 2022 World Cup with three goal contributions in six matches as France made it all the way to the final. He is an intriguing 22/1 to finish France’s top provider at Euro 2024.

Attacking attributes aside, Hernandez also masterfully contributed to the national side’s defensive solidity throughout the qualifying campaign. France surrendered just three goals across their eight qualifiers – second-fewest overall behind Portugal – and Hernandez was the only player to play every minute for Les Bleus.

Discipline, it must be said, remains a question mark for Hernandez with 11 yellow cards and a red in 32 Serie A games this season. As such, he is currently 8/1 to be the most-carded French player at Euro 2024.

Jude Bellingham

Nation (caps): England (29)

Club: Real Madrid

Position: Midfielder

Key stat: First English player to score 10 Champions League goals before turning 21

The 2023-24 campaign was Bellingham’s.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a remarkable maiden season in Spain after signing for Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund and will hope to continue his trophy-laden year when he returns to Germany with his England team-mates this summer.

Bellingham has fond memories of his time in Western Europe. Across his three seasons in the Bundesliga the former Birmingham midfielder amassed 12 goals and 15 assists while lifting the German Cup and being named the league’s player of the year.

He has only got better since. In his inaugural season at the Santiago Bernabeu under Carlo Ancelotti, Bellingham netted 19 goals in the league and 23 in all competitions as the Madridistas celebrated a 15th European Cup win.

That Midas touch in front of goal sees him installed as fifth-favourite to win the Euro 2024 Golden Boot at 20/1 despite the fact he is expected to play a deeper midfield role for England than for Real.

Simply put a good summer for Bellingham likely means a good summer for England, which explains why he is on the BetMGM Players to Watch shortlist and why we have him 7/4 second favourite to win Young Player of the Tournament as well as 8/1 second favourite for Player of the Tournament.

Toni Kroos

Nation (caps): Germany (109)

Club: Real Madrid

Position: Midfielder

Key stat: Euro 2024 marks Kroos’s final games as a professional

From Real Madrid’s newest midfield megastar to their outgoing one – the legendary Toni Kroos takes to the pitch for the final time as a professional at this summer’s tournament.

Despite his impending retirement Germany’s new number 44 – a shirt number chosen to honour his grandfather – still seems to be playing at the peak of his powers. In La Liga this season, Kroos registered the most progressive passes per 90 minutes (52.31) and the most successful passes per 90 overall (87.10) while contributing 10 assists across all competitions in Real’s double-winning campaign.

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann is markedly blessed with midfield talent – but it is likely this will help Kroos rather than hinder him in his bid for the perfect footballing send-off.

Alongside the 34-year-old will be Florian Wirtz (20) and Jamal Musiala (21). Both will likely play more advanced roles – allowing Kroos to sit deeper and dictate play – and are among the favourites to be named young player of the tournament.

Kroos isn’t quite in the age range for that award but he could be a dark horse for the overall Player of the Tournament trophy at 16/1.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder has been player of the match in his last three appearances for Die Mannschaft; if the Germans have an extended run at the Euros, Kroos will likely be the one orchestrating it.

For Kroos to write his own storybook ending Germany would probably need to with a record-setting fourth European Championship – they are 11/2 with BetMGM to do just that this summer.

Lamine Yamal

Nation (caps): Spain (6)

Club: Barcelona

Position: Winger

Key stat: Youngest player to reach 50 appearances for Barcelona

At 16 years old, most teenagers are finishing high school or looking ahead to college. Not Lamine Yamal.

Instead, Yamal was busy becoming the youngest player to make 50 appearances for Barcelona, the youngest to start a La Liga game, the youngest to assist a La Liga goal and the youngest to start in the Champions League.

The winger is not just breaking records domestically. He became the youngest player to represent Spain when he played against Georgia in a Euro 2024 qualifier, even scoring on his debut as La Roja destroyed their opponents 7-1. Naturally, that added ‘youngest player to score for Spain’ to his list of accolades too.

Zidane or Platini? Casillas or Buffon? Check out the BetMGM Ultimate European Championships XI here

Arguably his most mesmerising performance so far in his fledgling career came in the 3-3 draw against Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu in March. Yamal had a part to play in all three of Spain’s goals that night, receiving a standing ovation and outperforming his young counterparts – and Real Madrid rivals – in Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr.

There is likely a lorryload of records ready to be broken by Yamal at this summer’s European Championships but unsurprisingly he is considered among the favourites to follow compatriot Pedri’s success and win the European Championships Young Player of the Tournament Award at 8/1.

Given his performances on both the domestic and international levels at such a tender age, the Euro 2024 stage looks tailor-made for Lamine Yamal.

Odds and player information correct at time of publication but subject to change

It’s here. After weeks of build up, anticipation and talk the opening round of Euro 2024 fixtures take place — and we are providing you the chance to win a £1 million jackpot for the occasion.

Defending champions Italy get their campaign underway against Albania. It is a game they should win — but could it be a banana skin?

Defeated Euro 2020 finalists and penalty shootout heartache specialists England face Serbia in their own opener. Can they banish their rotten pre-tournament friendly result against Iceland to a distant memory?

Elsewhere, big-hitters such as Portugal, Spain and Croatia are also in action across our six-game Euro 2024 Golden Goals Matchday 1 fixture list.

Remember, all you have to do is pick six correct scorelines from our selection of games and you could win the jackpot. Go closer than your fellow players and there’s a share of our £5,000 prizepool up for grabs too. Find out more about Golden Goals here.

Let’s take a closer look at those six fixtures…

Spain vs Croatia

Group B. Saturday 15th June (17:00). Olympiastadion, Berlin.

Three-time champions Spain are aiming to become the tournament’s most prolific winners come 14th July — they begin their campaign against 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia in Berlin.

This will be a tough test for both teams and a win is likely vital, especially when Italy and Albania lie in wait respectively. As a section, it is arguably this tournament’s ‘group of death’.

Spain have enjoyed a gentle but fruitful build-up to the tournament, scoring 10 goals in two friendlies (5-0 vs Andorra and 5-1 vs Northern Ireland). In qualifying, a solitary 2-0 defeat to Scotland was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record in Group A. They scored 25 goals — only Portugal (36) and France (29, which includes a 14-0 win over Gibraltar) managed more.

Much of the focus will fall on Spain’s young guns. Barcelona’s 21-year-old Pedri and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal are generating lots of excitement from supporters.

The former has struggled with injury this season but bagged his first international goals with a brace against Northern Ireland while Yamal is precocious almost beyond words.

He is the youngest goalscorer in the history of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup but the records don’t stop there. Yamal is also the youngest player ever to represent, score and provide an assist for Spain; he will play a real role at this tournament and could even be worth a look in the anytime goalscorer market for this one at 3/1.

Croatia finished behind Turkey in qualifying with losses to Turkey and Wales looking like their participation in this tournament might be under serious threat at one point. But they recovered well and have since enjoyed some encouraging results, not least a 2-1 victory over one of the tournament favourites, Portugal, in a friendly.

With the experience of Luka Modric and the abilities of Manchester City duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic in their ranks, Croatia do have some top-level talent.

But it’s difficult to see how they have the tools to guard against a fluid and dangerous Spain side. La Roja will roar out of the blocks here.

Prediction: Spain 3-1 Croatia

Italy vs Albania

Group B. Saturday 15th June (20:00). BVB Stadion, Dortmund.

Italy are trying to become the first nation to win back-to-back European Championships since Spain (2008 and 2012) and begin the defence of their crown against Albania in Dortmund.

On paper, it’s the perfect opener for the Italians with difficult tests in Spain and Croatia still to come but Sylvinho’s side should not be underestimated. They enter the European Championships after the best qualifying performance in their nation’s history – suffering only one defeat and finishing top of a group containing the Czech Republic and Poland.

The Red and Blacks had a modest offensive output in qualifying, scoring the fewest goals of any nation that won their group (12 in 8 matches). Both Jasir Asani and Nedim Bajrami shared the title of top goalscorer for the Albanians in qualifying with three goals apiece. Both found the net in warm-up games against Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan.

Armando Broja’s return should give Albania more attacking impetus but they begin their campaign against arguably the toughest defence in the entire tournament. The Italians built their 2020 success on a solid defensive foundation and it doesn’t look like their mindset has changed, albeit the new man at the helm favours a more intense pressing game than Roberto Mancini.

Indeed, Luciano Spalletti’s men have kept four clean sheets in their previous five international outings and have conceded more than one goal in a European Championship game just once since the opening match of the 2008 tournament.

There are question marks regarding Italy’s attacking integrity – with midfielder Davide Frattesi the Azzurri’s top scorer in qualifying with three – but they will have enough to get past Albania in this one.

Keep an eye on Nicolo Barella, the Inter midfielder was the team’s top assister and chance creator in qualifying, who could have an important part to play throughout the tournament.

Prediction: Italy 2-0 Albania

Poland vs Netherlands

Group D. Sunday 16th June (14:00). Volksparkstadion, Hamburg.

These two have been drawn into an open group alongside France and Austria. With World Cup finalists Les Bleus up next for the Netherlands, three points against Poland to start the competition could be vital for them.

Poland will be no pushovers, though, and have players that on their day are capable of causing any side problems. Talismanic frontman Robert Lewandowski needs no introduction and has added incentive given this is likely his last European Championships with his country.

They have, it must be said, generally disappointed on the big stage. Poland have made it out of the groups just once, in 2016, and given they garnered just three wins in their qualification campaign it is a fair assessment to state they are not at the top of their game right now.

Quarter-finalists at the 2022 World Cup, the Netherlands have enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent years and failed to even qualify for both Euro 2016 and the World Cup in 2018. Qualification was straightforward this time, though, even though the Oranje faced France in that group too.

Their only two defeats came against Les Bleus; that won’t fill the Dutch fans with confidence, particularly thinking back to the 4-0 reverse in Paris.

Ronald Koeman’s men will need their key players to be right at it from the off in Germany, with the likes of Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo likely to be crucial. The leadership of skipper Virgil van Dijk is going to be required if the Netherlands are to have a long run in this tournament, as questions remain about the mentality of the squad in major tournaments. They look solid defensively with just two goals conceded in their last seven international outings, so they will have enough to get past Poland ahead of that crunch game against old rivals France.

Watch out for Depay, who needs just six goals to edge ahead of Robin van Persie as his country’s record goalscorer.

Prediction: Poland 1-3 Netherlands

Serbia vs England

Group C. Sunday 16th June (20:00). Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen.

Gareth Southgate’s men are the current favourites to win Group C and indeed the entire tournament. Their first challenge on the road to Euro 2024 glory is Serbia – a team they should comfortably overcome.

There will be those who look at the 1-0 loss to Iceland ahead of the competition as an omen but the Three Lions have not lost an opening tie at the European Championships since 2004. Even then, that was a 2-1 defeat to France with two goals from Zinedine Zidane in the 91st and 93rd minute.

England are expected to take the lion’s share of possession during this game and the addition of key players in key positions is likely to cause the sort of onslaught that opens teams up, making them very vulnerable to the likes of Harry Kane and co.

No European player has scored more goals over the previous three major tournaments than the England skipper (12 goals), an impressive stat matched only by France’s Kylian Mbappe.

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The combination of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, in particular, could be key in unlocking this Serbia defence. Their link-up play in some of the pre-tournament friendlies was worth the price of admission in itself, while they both topped 20 goals in all competitions this term.

Experience in this competition could also play a factor. This is a Serbia team celebrating their first European Championships in 24 years, one of the longest absences of any team competing.

If Serbia’s results at the last major tournament are anything to go by (two losses and one draw in their group) then England will live up to the expectation of millions and move on to the next game with a nation's worth of momentum.

Prediction: Serbia 0-2 England

Austria vs France

Group D. Monday 17th June (20:00). Düsseldorf Arena.

One of the favourites for the tournament, France are looking to get their campaign off to a roaring start with a win over Austria — but this might not be as straightforward as it appears on paper.

Back in 2022, Austria managed to secure a surprise point against France in a Nations League clash, with West Brom’s Andreas Weimann giving the hosts the lead before Kylian Mbappe cancelled out the strike late on.

Ralf Rangnick’s charges have won six of their previous seven matches, including an impressive 2-0 victory over Euro 2020 hosts Germany in November last year and a 6-1 thrashing of Turkey back in March.

France, of course, should still win this regardless.

In Mbappe, they arguably have the world’s best player in their ranks while you can add the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele in the stardust stakes.

But recent results are a concern. They couldn’t find a way past Canada in the final warm-up friendly before the tournament and have actually just two wins from their previous five (3-0 vs Luxembourg and 3-2 vs Chile).

It’ll be a slow start for Les Bleus.

Prediction: Austria 1-1 France

Portugal vs Czech Republic

Group F. Tuesday 18th June (20:00). Leipzig Stadium.

Roberto Martinez is back in the dugout for a major international competition after presiding over Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ – a group which peaked with a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

Despite his overall underwhelming time with Belgium, the former Wigan Athletic boss has got a tune out of the Portuguese so far in his tenure.

Portugal were the only nation to achieve a perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying, winning all 10 games while amassing more goals than any other team (36). That is not a massive surprise considering the litany of attacking talent at Martinez’s disposal.

Rafael Leao, Joao Felix, Goncalo Ramos and Diogo Jota could all have a place in the starting lineup, while Cristiano Ronaldo returns for his sixth European Championships appearance. The veteran forward could add to his unmatched legacy at the tournament in which he holds the record amount of games (25), goals (14) and assists (six).

It is worth noting A Selecao also had the most prudent backline during qualifying with only two goals conceded across the 10 matches.

Can the Czech Republic overcome what appears to be one of the most well-balanced teams in the tournament? It will be a difficult task for recently-appointed manager Ivan Hasek, who replaced Jaroslav Silhavy after the Czechs qualified.

Since Hasek’s appointment the team haven’t lost a game, with impressive wins over Norway and Armenia followed by victories over Malta and Macedonia to warm up for the tournament.

The Czechs also have an ace in the hole in the form of Patrik Schick. The double-winning invincible from Bayer Leverkusen was the joint-top scorer at Euro 2020 with five goals – he will be out to produce a similar output in a finely balanced Group F.

They might well score but do the Czechs possess enough to spring an opening-game upset? Not for us. Portugal will get the job done here.

Prediction: Portugal 3-1 Czech Republic

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Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes Kylian Mbappe needs to excel if his nation are to win Euro 2024.

Speaking exclusively to BetMGM, the 2000 European Championship winner said: “ Mbappe has to have a good tournament for France to have a good tournament - that’s how important he is. If you want to win big tournaments, your best players have to perform and Mbappe is the one they can’t afford to go missing.

“If he isn’t performing, it filters down to his teammates and confidence will suffer. Didier Deschamps has created a team that means Mbappe can be as influential as possible so in order for it to work, he needs to be on top-form - it’s as simple as that.”

Mbappe has all the tools to be a French great

Petit discussed Mbappe further and having played with some of the greats of the French game, he believes the 25-year-old has all the attributes required to be talked alongside them.

“We’re very lucky in France to have had some world class players and Kylian has all the tools to be one of them, if not better,” he said. “You have just to look at those goals he scored against Argentina and Croatia in recent major tournaments for evidence of that. He was a ghost on the pitch for much of those matches, but he decided it was his time to show the world what he is capable of.

“I wouldn’t want to compare him to the likes of Zinedine Zidane because they are very different players but also Mbappe hasn’t got to the level of admiration that Zidane had, particularly in France. That’s why winning this Euros is so important for him because those world class players deliver when it really matters, and in doing that, they win those big trophies.”

Real Madrid a different challenge to PSG

Mbappe recently announced he will join Real Madrid next season, and Petit has warned his fellow Frenchman that it will be a whole new challenge to the one he experienced at PSG.

“Make no mistake, Real Madrid is a whole new challenge. They are the biggest club in the world and the pressure that comes with that is enormous. He will know that, though, and I expect he’ll thrive for it.

When you’re the top man at PSG, there isn’t that pressure, but at Madrid it only takes one below-par performance and they turn on you.

“The move to Real Madrid will be really good for him, though, and I’m happy the whole media circus is over. I don’t think PSG treated him very well and that can’t be very good for him. It was a bad image and I think a fresh start is what was required.”

France the side to beat at Euro 2024

Finally, the 66-cap France international discussed his nation’s chances at Euro 2024 and feels they are very much the side to beat.

Petit said: “We know that we’re the team to beat. France have done very well in recent major tournaments and based on that I think they’re the right favourites.

“There certainly is the quality in the squad as well as the experience of playing in these big games, it’s just a matter of going out and executing it. I actually think winning a Euros is harder to do than a World Cup because it’s a more competitive tournament with so many countries capable of winning it.

“That defeat against Switzerland in the last Euros was a shambles and the way they went out wasn’t good enough for a team with so many good players. They need to bounce back in this tournament to prove it to themselves but also to the French fans they can do it when it really matters.”

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The first full day of Euro 2024 action sees the second game from Group A and all four Group B teams take to the field.

The defending champions Italy get their campaign underway by facing Albania, who have reached the finals for just the second time in their history, while Croatia and Spain battle it out in what should be an intriguing affair.

The first game of the day sees Hungary, who had a solid campaign at Euro 2020, begin against Switzerland.

Euro 2024 - Day 2 Betting Tips

• Hungary to beat Switzerland @ 12/5
• Spain to beat Croatia @ 10/11
• Under 2.5 goals in Italy v Albania @ 49/50

Tip 1 — Hungary to beat Switzerland @ 5/2

Hungary are one of a number of sides who have benefitted from the introduction of the UEFA Nations League, producing some of their biggest results in that tournament.

The Magyars beat Germany away from home in the most recent edition of that competition and also got the better of England home and away, finishing second in a difficult group that also contained Italy.

They topped their qualifying section unbeaten ahead of Serbia and are likely to prove a stern challenge to all of their Group A opponents.

They begin against Switzerland, who finished five points behind Romania in qualifying and were sent packing 6-1 by Portugal in the last World Cup.

The Swiss produced one of the biggest results in their nation’s history when knocking France out of this competition three years ago but this is a squad that is not getting any younger.

They only have two wins from their last eight outings and have been held to stalemates by Kosovo and Belarus recently.

That level of form may not cut it against a Hungary side that have won four of their last five and have only suffered one defeat in their last 16 games.

Side with the Magyars to spring somewhat of a surprise with a win.

Tip 2 — Spain to beat Croatia @ 19/20

Group B looks, on paper, to be the toughest section of Euro 2024 and Spain and Croatia both have a tough start as they face each other in the opener.

Spain got the better of these two teams on penalties in the recent Nations League finals after a 0-0 draw and they look to have improved since then.

La Roja have won eight of their 10 games since that clash and have put seven past Georgia and six past Cyprus recently.

There was no shame in drawing 3-3 in a recent friendly with Brazil and their youth may tell against a Croatia side still containing the core that took them to the 2018 World Cup final.

Zlatko Dalic’s men have overperformed beyond all recognition given the resources at their disposal, but their chance to win a major tournament may well have passed.

The likes of Luka Modric, Domagoj Vida and Ivan Persic remain but this may be a tournament too far for them.

Spain have a wealth of young talent, namely Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Nico Williams, and that could prove the difference between these two teams in what should nevertheless be a competitive group stage clash.

Tip 3 — Under 2.5 goals in Italy v Albania @ 4/5

Italy arrive in Germany to defend their Euros crown to little fanfare, with few giving the Azzurri a realistic chance of becoming just the second team ever to win back-to-back titles in this competition.

They finished well behind England in qualifying and level on points with Ukraine, they have also struggled to establish their best side, especially in forward areas.

Luciano Spalletti’s men have only scored five times in their last five games and could be frustrated once more by an Albanian side who were solid in qualifying.

The Red and Blacks finished ahead of Poland and the Czech Republic, conceding just four times in eight games, and they could keep this one close.

Under 2.5 goals has landed in four of Italy’s last five games and is the pick again here.

There's another busy day on the cards on Sunday at Euro 2024, with a further three games on the schedule, including England's opening encounter with Serbia.

The first game of the day comes from Group D, as Poland face the Netherlands at 2pm in Hamburg.

In Group C, Slovenia will do battle with Denmark at 5pm in Stuttgart, before Serbia and England collide in Gelsenkirchen.

Euro 2024 - Day 3 Betting Tips

• Netherlands to beat Poland @ 4/7
• Both teams to score - Slovenia v Denmark @ 21/20
• England to win and both teams to score @ 5/2

Tip 1 - The Netherlands to beat Poland @ 4/7

Group D is arguably the toughest of the lot at Euro 2024, with France, the Netherlands, Austria and Poland all grouped together.

The Netherlands will view their opening game as a must-win encounter, especially with harder games to come later in the month.

Ronald Koeman's side finished second in qualifying behind France, and while they lost both games to Les Bleus, they have been pretty consistent in recent months.

Only France and Germany have got the better of them in their last ten matches, while they have won the other eight encounters.

They beat Canada and Iceland 4-0 in their final two warm-up matches, and they will expect to beat Poland in Hamburg.

Michal Probierz's side are unbeaten in eight games, but they only qualified for Euro 2024 through the playoffs.

Poland rely heavily on the quality of striker Robert Lewandowski, but the Barcelona frontman will miss the game due to a thigh injury. The Poles only scored 10 goals in eight qualifiers, and they will struggle to trouble the Netherlands without their star man.

Tip 2 - Both teams to score - Slovenia v Denmark @ 21/20

Slovenia and Denmark's Group C encounter will take place at the Stuttgart Arena, and those in attendance should be in for an entertaining afternoon.

These two teams may be sick of the sight of each other, having played each other twice in qualifying.

Denmark and Slovenia finished on 22 points apiece, but Denmark finished top of Group H due to their superior head-to-head record.

It was difficult to split them in qualifying, and that should be a similar case on Sunday. Denmark have won five of their last six games with Slovenia, while both teams have netted in the previous three meetings between the pair.

Slovenia have lost one of their previous ten in all competitions, while Denmark's record is slightly better, with one defeat in 12, so both teams should be able to find the net with ease.

Tip 3 - England to win and both teams to score @ 5/2

The Three Lions have a point to prove this weekend, having lost 1-0 to Iceland in their final friendly before heading to Germany.

Gareth Southgate has already hinted that his future may lie elsewhere if England do not go all the way, so a strong start is imperative this week.

While England topped their group in qualifying, Serbia finished second to Hungary in Group G, but they scored 15 times in eight qualifiers.

Both teams found the net in Serbia's last six qualifiers, while England have conceded in four of their previous five matches. Southgate has already lost a few defenders to injury, so while they should overpower Serbia, they will do well to keep the ball out of their net.

England will look to lay down a marker in their opening game, and they will take on a team that have crumbled on the big stage before.

Serbia conceded eight in three games at the 2022 World Cup, so Southgate's side should be able to recover from that shaky display against Iceland.

One of the big favourites for Euro 2024 glory will join the action on day four of the tournament when France face Austria.

Kylian Mbappe has already made the headlines this summer for his move to Real Madrid, so will the French icon play a leading role in Les Bleus' quest for a third European Championship?

Before that Group D fixture rounds off Monday’s medley of matches, Romania take on Ukraine and Belgium face Slovakia in Group E.

Serhiy Rebrov’s side can be one of the stories of the tournament and are favoured to beat the unheralded Romanians in Munich.

Belgium are even more strongly fancied to get off to a flyer, but Slovakia will have other ideas as they enter their third consecutive Euro finals.

TIP 1 - ROMANIA VS UKRAINE UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 4/6

Romania are 3/1 underdogs to take all three points from their match against Ukraine, who are Evens to get their campaign off to a winning start.

Few fans in Bucharest really expect Edi Iordanescu’s side to pull off a shock or progress further than the group stage.

That is in contrast to Ukraine, where there is real belief that a team featuring a clutch of Premier League and La Liga stars can challenge Europe’s elite.

Rebrov’s team were the comeback kings of qualifying, battling back from a goal down to win three of their last four competitive games, including both of their play-off matches against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland.

Conceding the opener to Romania could prove more problematic for them as the Tricolorii shipped only four goals during an unbeaten qualifying run that saw them keep five clean sheets.

Ukraine are more pragmatic now than when they were under Andriy Schevchenko’s leadership at the last Euros and are happy to play a more patient style when the situation demands it.

Five of their eight qualifiers produced fewer than three goals, the same ratio of Romania’s Group I games, so this contest looks likely to be low-scoring.

TIP 2 - BELGIUM 3 SLOVAKIA 0 CORRECT SCORE @ 9/1

Belgium begin this tournament with lower expectations from outside the camp of them being serious title contenders, which is probably because of their disastrous World Cup campaign in 2022.

Roberto Martinez’s squad appeared to divide along language lines two years ago but the players reported to be at the heart of that schism have now gone and a new harmony has been found.

The Red Devils’ recent results bear that out with Belgium bringing a 15-game unbeaten run into the tournament following their last defeat to Morocco in Qatar.

Unlike in previous tournaments, playmaker Kevin De Bruyne arrives without too many miles on his clock.

The Manchester City star should be fresh after being carefully managed by his club in the wake of a long-term injury and should have too much intelligence and spark for Slovakia in Frankfurt.

The Slovaks have been one of the main beneficiaries of the tournament’s expansion to 24 teams and are about to embark on their third finals in a row.

They won seven of their 10 games in qualifying, but were comfortably second-best to Portugal, who beat them twice.

Although Francesco Calzona’s side lost by a single goal to the Portuguese on both occasions, they could easily have shipped seven or eight goals in a 3-2 loss in Porto last year, when the hosts recorded a massive xG figure of 7.28.

Scoring goals will be their biggest problem in Germany as hard work and organisation can only cover for a lack of quality in the attacking areas for so long.

A big win for Belgium could be on the cards in Monday’s middle match with a 3-0 final scoreline worthy of support in correct-score betting.

The Red Devils recorded a 3-0 win over Luxembourg in their last friendly and kicked off their Euro 2020 campaign in similar fashion against Russia.

TIP 3 - KYLIAN MBAPPE TO SCORE FOR FRANCE VS AUSTRIA @ 10/13

Some pundits have looked at Kylian Mbappe’s end-of-season form and wondered if he will have as much influence on this tournament as someone of his elevated standing in world football should.

The 25-year-old was left out of the Paris Saint-Germain side on occasions amid one or two injury niggles and didn't finish the season well.

He and PSG were found wanting in Champions League semi-finals against Dortmund before he failed to illuminate the French Cup final.

All that came against the backdrop of his departure from the French club, but he may well have been saving himself for this tournament.

PSG coach Luis Enrique was preparing for life without Mbappe, but Didier Deschamps has built the whole French national team around him and they will supply him with the service he thrives on against avant-garde Austria.

Ralf Rangnick’s side will pose problems for France with their gegenpressing and brave passages of possession in front of their own penalty box, so the anticipated French victory parade may not be a given.

But with 47 international strikes in 79 games for his country, and 11 in 11 starts since his hat-trick against Argentina in the World Cup final, Mbappe remains a great beat to score in any match.

A first-time qualifier and a recent winner get their group-stage campaigns underway on day five of Euro 2024 with Georgia taking on Turkey and Czech Republic renewing acquaintances with Portugal.

The Black Sea neighbours face off in Dortmund in a game neither dare lose given the greater experience and profile of the other two Group F teams.

Portugal, the champions in 2016, and Czech Republic, the winners back in 1976 as the unified Czechoslovakia nation, have brought squads at different ends of the age spectrum to Germany.

Many of Roberto Martinez’s squad were around eight years ago and they are still set up to supply 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo with goalscoring chances.

The Czech Republic, on the other hand, came into this tournament with the youngest average squad age at 25.3 years old.

TIP 1 - OVER 2.5 GOALS IN TURKEY V GEORGIA @ 23/20

Vincenzo Montella has brought fresh hope to Turkish football after guiding them to the top of a qualifying group that featured 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia and Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales.

Turkey’s attacking prowess is clear from the fact that they found the back of the net in seven out of eight qualifiers while they also kept three clean sheets on the road to Germany.

The Crescent-Stars boast a talented group of attackers, led by Galatasaray's Baris Alper Yilmaz, and a wealth of creative midfield options such as Hakan Calhanoglu, Orkun Kokcu, and the gifted teenager Arder Guler.

If Montella unleashes their attacking potential, Turkey could surprise many at Euro 2024 but defensive vulnerabilities remain an issue that arose again in the chastening 6-1 friendly defeat to Austria in March.

Georgia will be desperate to leave a lasting impression during their first major finals appearance, and coach Willy Sagnol could also let the handbrake off here.

The lowest-ranked team in the tournament, Georgia have two genuine world-class talents at opposite ends of the pitch: Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who played a pivotal role in the penalty shoot-out win over Greece, and Napoli’s former Scudetto-winning forward Kvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Both teams will be aware of the importance of making a strong start and with their strengths lying in the attacking areas, the stage could be set for a few goals. Turkey has seen at least three goals in seven of their last nine matches, while four of Georgia's last seven internationals have gone over the 2.5-goal mark, suggesting an entertaining and high-scoring encounter.

TIP 2 - GEORGES MIKAUTADZE TO SCORE @ 23/5

One of the keys to Georgian success will be converting any opportunities that they create in Germany.

And they now have a centre-forward that looks capable of doing that with French-born Georges Mikautadze enjoying a prolific spell in Ligue 1 last term.

The Ajax striker was sent on loan to Metz after struggling in Amsterdam, but came good in the second half of the campaign with 11 goals in 12 games.

He grabbed his 10th international goal in Georgia’s 3-1 warm-up win over Montenegro earlier this month and already seems to have shaped an understanding with Kvaratskhelia, who slipped him in for the chance which he dinked over the goalkeeper.

TIP 3 - PORTUGAL TO LEAD AT HALF-TIME @ 1/1

Portugal powered through qualifying with a perfect record of 10 wins from 10 games and they will be expected to begin the finals with three points against Czech Republic.

Martinez’s men put the Republic of Ireland to the sword in their latest friendly game, taking the lead after 18 minutes.

They made a habit of getting their noses in front before the break in qualifying too with Portugal ahead by half-time in eight of their 10 fixtures.

With the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto and Bernardo Silva providing the creative spark, there is little wonder Portugal are fancied to make a big splash in the tournament.

They look too incisive for Ivan Hasek’s side to stop with the Czech Republic probably better suited to competing against physical sides than the technicians they will be up against in Leipzig on Tuesday.

Hasek’s team took four points from a well-organised Poland side in qualifying, but fared less well against the nimble, unpredictable Albanians and that will be a concern going into a tough Group F that will see them come up against Georgia, Turkey and Portugal.

Germany made a big first impression, Spain looked like the Spain of old, Belgium lost their opening game... Euro 2024 may only have just begun but already the second set of group games could be make or break for a raft of nations.

That includes Scotland, who have a tough hill to climb after a 5-1 opening-game humbling. They face a Switzerland side that ran like clockwork in their 3-1 win against Hungary.

All eyes will also be on England this Thursday as they prepare to face arguably their toughest opponent in Group C: Denmark. Despite winning the opening game against Serbia 1-0, Gareth Southgate’s men left a lot to be desired. Was it first game nerves or will the Danes shock the system in Frankfurt?

Elsewhere, Spain go from one main event clash to another when they play reigning European Champions Italy. Who stands tall at the end of the 90 will almost certainly go on to win the group.

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There are some fantastic games lined up but let’s start with Germany vs Hungary in Group A…

Germany vs Hungary

Group A. Wednesday 19th June (17:00). Stuttgart Arena.

The hosts could not have asked for a better start to their Euro 2024 campaign. Germany dispatched a lacklustre Scottish outfit 5-1 in Munich, registering the biggest win by a host nation in their opening game of a European Championships.

Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz were at the heart of it all. Bayer Leverkusen’s number 10 got the party started when he found the net after 10 minutes of action, becoming Germany’s youngest scorer at the European Championships and the youngest player to score the opening goal at the tournament in the process.

Who’s the second youngest German player to score at the Euros? That would be Musiala, who added to the scoring just nine minutes after his 21-year-old counterpart. It was the first time that two players 21 or younger found the net in the same game of a European Championships.

As much as we could continue to eulogise about the German’s performance on Friday night, they were unable to keep a clean sheet against Steve Clarke’s 10 men despite the opposition failing to register a shot on target. Antonio Rudiger’s 87th-minute own goal was the only blemish on a five-star curtain-raiser for the three-time champions of Europe.

While Germany were the epitome of consistency in their first outing, Hungary had a more polarising approach. They were dismal in the opening 45 minutes against Switzerland, allowing tournament debutant Kwadwo Duah and Bologna’s Michael Aebischer to race the Swiss into a two-goal advantage.

There was some fightback from the Hungarians through prolific forward Kevin Varga in the 66th minute – scoring his seventh goal in only his ninth start in all competitions. Varga’s header came courtesy of a sublime cross from the youngest captain in European Championship history, Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool midfielder Szoboszlai now has 10 goal involvements in his last 15 international appearances for Hungary but they will need him at his peak to get a result against the Germans on Wednesday.

The hosts blew us away with their attacking output against Scotland and they are in line to do the same against Hungary.

Prediction: Germany 3-1 Hungary

Scotland vs Switzerland

Group A. Wednesday 19th June (20:00). Cologne Stadium.

Steve Clarke’s side knew they were going to have a tough opening game when they drew the hosts in Munich but nobody could have prepared the Tartan Army for the despondent performance which followed.

Scotland’s 5-1 defeat was the largest in the opening game of a Euros and the heaviest defeat by their national team at a major international tournament since 1954 (7-0 against Uruguay).

As disappointing as the Scots were in the opening 20 minutes, they were given a monumental task when Ryan Porteous was sent off on the stroke of half-time for his careless challenge on Ilkay Gundogan.

The Watford defender's dismissal was the first at an opening game of the Euros since 2012 when both Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Wojciech Szczesny were sent for early showers. However, his lack of discipline should not be a surprise as he collected 14 yellow cards in 37 games for Watford last campaign.

Tactical breakdown, key players to watch & more… check out our in-depth Scotland team guide here

Being a man down meant Scotland couldn’t muster anything offensively. They did not register a single shot on target in 90 minutes, the first time they’ve failed to do so at a major tournament since 1992, and as such offered a measly 0.02 xG.

Question marks were raised about Switzerland’s attacking output before their Euro 2024 campaign commenced on Saturday. Breel Embolo was nursing his way back from a litany of injuries and has not featured prominently, so Murat Yakin lent on Ludogorets forward Kwadwo Duah.

It was a decision that turned out to be inspired. Duah carried on his impeccable form from his domestic campaign in Bulgaria where he scored 13 goals in 24 league appearances by being on the end of a 22-pass move by the Swiss to give them a 1-0 lead after 12 minutes. The pass-heavy passage of play was the longest sequence leading to a goal at the European Championship on record (since 1980).

The Swiss could effectively secure qualification into the next round with a win over Scotland in Cologne and – with the mood in Clarke’s squad likely at an all-time low – they are capable of picking up another three points to set up a juicy final group stage game against the Germans.

Prediction: Scotland 1-2 Switzerland

Denmark vs England

Group C. Thursday 20th June (17:00). Frankfurt Arena.

England began their group stage campaign with a win… but it was hardly convincing from the Three Lions.

When Jude Bellingham smashed home a header in the 13th minute, becoming just the second player to score at a World Cup and Euros before turning 21, it looked like Gareth Southgate’s side were set for a convincing victory on Matchday 1.

However, the trend that has dogged England under Southgate reared its ugly head once again – they sat back and did not offer much in terms of offensive output when they got the lead. Indeed, Harry Kane and company ended the game having generated just 0.52 xG.

For context, the combined xG in that game (Serbia garnered a measly 0.18) was lower than any Premier League game this season and only three of the Championship’s 557 games had fewer. One of the victims of England’s stifled attack was Phil Foden. The Manchester City man ended the game with 0 accurate crosses, 0 successful dribbles and 0 shots.

Lack of attacking impetus aside, the Three Lions put in another valiant defensive effort, securing a fifth consecutive clean sheet in European Championship group games, the longest run in the tournament's history. Sunday evening’s win also extended Southgate’s impressive run of victories in opening games of major tournaments, with the manager having won all four since his tenure began.

All eyes were on Christian Eriksen in Stuttgart on Sunday. A whole 1,100 days after he collapsed on the pitch in 2020, he returned to the European Championship stage with a mesmerising display of creativity.

Alongside his goal, the Manchester United midfielder recorded a further four shots and created seven chances for his compatriots, making him the first player to register five or more shots and create five or more chances since the beginning of Euro 2020.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side appeared to lack such attacking vigour in the second half, allowing Slovenia to gather a foothold in the game and eventually tie things up in the 77th minute through Erik Janza.

Overall, this game seems finely balanced but does not lend itself to goals. Three of the last four encounters between the teams have ended with under 1.5 goals and England are likely to continue their trend of rigid defensive performances.

The upshot? Another win for the Three Lions.

Prediction: Denmark 0-2 England

Spain vs Italy

Group B. Thursday 20th June (20:00) Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen

One team had it easy and one team made hard work of it in their opening fixtures but a win for both sets each up for progression from a tough-looking Group B.

Spain were electric against Croatia, opening up a 3-0 lead at half-time thanks to goals from Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz and Daniel Carvajal. The final goal was set up by 16-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal, who now has seven goal contributions (two goals and five assists) in his eight senior caps.

There is no doubt that the hype is justified. Yamal is a serious talent and one who could be about to make the Euros his own.

Spain conceded a late penalty to Croatia, which was subsequently missed, and could count themselves fortunate offender Rodri did not face further sanction.

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But it was the only blemish on what was otherwise a flawless performance – and indeed one that might have opened some eyes as to Spain’s chances of lifting the trophy this year.

Italy, meanwhile, suffered the ignominy of conceding the quickest goal of any European Championship against Albania. A throw-in from Italian full-back Federico Dimarco went straight to Nedim Bajrami, who lashed in from close range.

The Azzurri came from behind to win 2-1 but were clinging on at the back end of the game – a massive save from keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma prevented Albania from landing a devastating draw.

Judging by the performances of each team in their respective openers, it’s difficult to see how this one doesn’t go to Spain.

Prediction: Spain 2-1 Italy

Netherlands vs France

Group D. Friday 21st June (20:00). Leipzig Stadium.

The Oranje left it late to get over the line against an unfancied Polish side in their opener. A winner from super-sub Wout Weghorst, who scored within moments of coming on, was enough to seal the three points for Ronald Koeman’s side.

Cody Gakpo had earlier grabbed a deflected equaliser after Adam Buksa opened the scoring with a well-placed header from a corner.

Weghorst showed his team-mates how to do it. When he entered the action, the Netherlands had managed 20 shots on goal but only three found the target. They will need to work on their ruthlessness, despite showing some intriguing patterns of play at times.

France, meanwhile, were made to work exceptionally hard against a well-drilled Austria side and have the battle scars to prove it. Kylian Mbappe was confirmed to have a broken nose after competing in an aerial duel, while Antoine Griezmann suffered a nasty gash to the head in a collision with an advertising hoarding.

It wasn’t just Mbappe’s nose that suffered a blow – his pride would have been badly dented after he missed a gilt-edged chance in the second half too. Running through on goal, he contrived to bend the ball around the post when it looked easier to score.

His record at the Euros continues to boggle somewhat. He has racked up 18 shots in five appearances with an xG of 2.5 but is yet to find the net.

If – and it is an if – he recovers in time for the Netherlands game it is surely only a matter of time before the World Cup Golden Boot winner finds his scoring boots at the European Championships. Remember, though, even without Mbappe this French side is formidable.

Prediction: Netherlands 1-2 France

Belgium vs Romania

Group E. Saturday 22nd June (17:00). Cologne Stadium.

Who had Belgium to lose to Slovakia and Romania to beat Ukraine on their Euro 2024 bingo card? Not many it seems.

The Red Devils were the favourites to go through to the last 16 at the start of the tournament but VAR – and the grit shown by the Slovakians – has turned Group E completely on its head as we approach the second set of group games and Belgium vs Romania in Cologne.

While Romania’s efforts against Ukraine were surprising, it’s difficult to see them pulling off an even greater heist against the Belgians. Roberto Martinez’s men have already been burned once, another loss could mean a very early exit from the tournament which would go down as one of the biggest shocks of the summer by far.

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The more likely outcome is Belgium righting the wrongs of the last game and finishing the chances they are given. Belgium generated 1.91 xG overall in game one, mostly thanks to the efforts of Romelu Lukaku. Romania could earn a spot in the next round depending on results elsewhere, so there will be added motivation for the prolific striker to do what he does best.

Belgium are the masters of their own fate and their previous experience in getting out of the group stages could play a factor here. Their chances get even better when you learn Romania has never won more than one game at the European Championships; their only win prior to Euro 2024 came against England in 2000.

There is a decent chance they go on to set a new personal best – just not against what will be a fired-up Belgium side whose tournament could rest on this one game.

Prediction: Belgium 3-1 Romania

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Action from Group A and B takes centre stage at Euro 2024 on Wednesday with three games to look forward to from across Germany.

Hamburg is set to be the first port of call, with Croatia and Albania going head-to-head as both sides go in search of their first points of the competition.

Next it’s off to Stuttgart where tournament hosts Germany will have the backing of the home crowd when they face Hungary.

To complete another intriguing trio of matches from Euro 2024, Scotland take on Switzerland knowing that defeat would likely see them miss out on the knockout stages of a major tournament once again.

TIP 1 - CROATIA TO WIN TO NIL @ 11/10

Croatia did not look like their usual selves when they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Spain.

Trailing by three goals at half-time, Croatia improved in the second half and it’s remarkable they did not get on the scoresheet in Berlin, especially after missing a penalty and having the follow-up goal ruled out by VAR.

The Croats know they have plenty to work on but they don’t have to look too far back for some more encouraging defensive performances.

Croatia kept four clean sheets in their six games prior to their Euro 2024 opener and they should be capable of keeping Albania off the scoresheet on Wednesday at Volksparkstadion.

Albania gave Italy a scare in their opening Group B game when scoring after just 23 seconds of the contest from a poorly-taken Azzurri throw-in.

Italy showed their class to take back control in the early stages and even took the lead by the 16th minute thanks to goals from Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella.

Albania gave a good account of themselves against the reigning European champions but it’s hard to see them having enough quality across the park to overcome the Croats.

If Croatia can rediscover their defensive form from just before the Euros, they should be able to win to nil in Hamburg.

TIP 2 - FLORIAN WIRTZ FIRST GOALSCORER @ 21/4

One of the rising stars of German football, Florian Wirtz seems to be a player with the world at his feet at present.

Fresh from an unprecedented season at Bayer Leverkusen, with the club winning their maiden Bundesliga title and going unbeaten in the process, Wirtz has taken his great form into this major international tournament.

The 21-year-old bagged the opening goal of Euro 2024, as Germany wiped the floor with a Scotland side who looked out of their depth from the first whistle.

Wirtz has seemed to have made a habit of bagging early goals at international level.

Scoring in the 10th minute against the Scots, Wirtz also scored in the first minute of their 2-0 win over France in March this year.

Wirtz looks capable of bagging the first goal in Wednesday’s game, against a Hungarian side who were largely disappointing in their opening game against Switzerland.

Expected to give the Swiss a good game, the Hungarians went down 3-1 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.

Hungary have been a thorn in Germany’s side in recent years, winning their last meeting and drawing the previous two encounters against Die Mannschaft.

Germany have a chance for revenge in Stuttgart and it’s worth considering Wirtz to bag the opener.

TIP 3 - SWITZERLAND TO WIN AND BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 3/1

Scotland’s Euro 2024 campaign was filled with optimism before a ball was kicked in Munich, with some 200,000 Scots believed to have travelled to Bavaria for the tournament opener.

Just a few minutes into the game against Germany and many will have realised it was going to be a long night at the Allianz Arena for manager Steve Clarke and his side.

A 5-1 shellacking was what Scotland got in the end and a substantial dose of reality for a nation hoping to reach the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time in their history.

That is still a possibility but the task is likely to be made even more difficult after their clash with Switzerland on Wednesday.

The Swiss looked impressive and made a resilient Hungarian side look pretty average themselves at the weekend.

Scotland have the likes of John McGinn and Scott McTominay who are capable of bagging a goal from midfield against the Swiss.

However, with Kwadwo Duah leading the line, Grant Xhaka in midfield, Manuel Akanji in defence and keeper Yann Sommer between the sticks, Switzerland have a strong spine of a team that can and should overcome the Scots.

Day Seven in Germany sees England return to action, as they look to seal their place in the European Championship quarter finals.

Following their hard-fought victory over Serbia, Gareth Southgate’s men are out to make it two wins out two, when they face Denmark in Frankfurt (17:00).

The game of the day takes place on Thursday evening, when two title contenders meet in Group B as Spain and Italy go toe-to-toe.

Meanwhile, the other two nations in England’s group will meet in the day’s opening match, as Slovenia and Serbia clash at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Tip 1 - Harry Kane First Goal Scorer @ 18/5

Some England fans who turned on their television late and missed the kick off on Sunday night would have been forgiven for thinking Harry Kane had been left out.

The Three Lions skipper touched the ball just twice in the first 45 minutes of the win over Serbia, in what was almost certainly his quietest outing for his country.

Kane was bypassed by quite a bit of England’s play, as runners from midfield – particularly Jude Bellingham - looked more threatening in the first half.

Even in a quiet display, the Bayern Munich ace still came close to getting on the scoresheet, when seeing his point-blank header pushed against the bar by Serbia keeper Predrag Rajkovic.

With how important he is to the England team, it is highly unlikely Kane will have as little impact against Denmark – who he scored the winner against in the Euro 2020 semi-final.

The captain, who was Europe’s top scorer with 44 goals last season, will no doubt be desperate to get off the mark for this tournament as soon as possible.

It looks likely that Southgate will make a change at left-back, with Luke Shaw said to be close to fitness. If the Manchester United man replaces the right-footed Keiran Trippier, Kane can expect more delivery into the box.

Tip 2 – Slovenia v Serbia - Over 2.5 Goals @ Evens

Both Slovenia and Serbia showed enough in their opening Group C games to suggest either could still qualify for the knockout stages.

Slovenia are in a better situation after coming from behind to earn a point against Denmark, to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches.

Matjaz Kek’s men have a big threat going forward, having scored nine goals in their last six internationals and having found the net in each of their last 13 matches.

Serbia need to bounce back from their defeat to England, where they looked much more threatening in the second half in Gelsenkirchen.

Dragan Stojkovic’s men have bagged seven times in their last six games and have scored six goals in their last two meetings with Slovenia.

Former Premier League forward Aleksandar Mitrovic grabbed five goals in qualifying and found the net 28 times in 28 games for Al Hilal last season.

Tip 3 – Spain v Italy – Draw @ 12/5

Arguably the biggest game of the tournament so far takes place in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday night, when Spain and Italy collide.

Both teams won their opening games and remain amongst the top seven in the betting to win the tournament.

Spain were particularly impressive in their 3-0 success over Croatia, with La Roja having what looks like an ideal mix of youth and experience.

Lamine Yamal became the youngest ever person to play in a European Championship match, who started at the age of 16 years and 338 days.

At the other end of the scale, Alvaro Morata scored another international goal – his 36th for his country - at the age 31.

Italy started the defence of their title with a comeback win over Albania, but this will be a much tougher test for Luciano Spalletti’s men.

Spain have won the last two meetings 2-1 with both of those fixtures coming in the Nations League in 2023 and 2021.

Their last competitive clash came at the 2020 Euros, when they drew 1-1 in the semi-finals before Italy went on to win a penalty shoot-out.

Day eight in Germany sees the Netherlands and France lock horns in Group D, as both sides look to build from opening victories over Poland and Austria, respectively.

Les Bleus are sweating over the fitness of Kylian Mbappe, who broke his nose in the first group game, and his potential absence would be a huge boost to Oranje's chances of success.

Poland and Austria go in search of their first wins at 17:00, while the 14:00 game will see Slovakia face Ukraine in Group E.

Tip 1 - Slovakia v Ukraine - Slovakia to win @ 11/4

Slovakia caused a huge upset when beating Belgium 1-0 in their Group E opener and that has given the Falcons a good platform to build from, with victory against Ukraine guaranteeing them a place in the next round.

That is a huge incentive for Francesco Calzona's side, who failed to get out of the group three years ago, and they head into Friday's contest on a three-game winning streak.

What has been notable about those three wins is the defensive performances, with clean sheets kept in all of them, and another strong rearguard display can see them past Ukraine.

The Blue and Yellow were disappointing in their 3-0 defeat to Romania, a second loss in their last three matches, and they are in big danger of exiting the tournament early if they don't respond quickly.

But there are too many question marks over Serhiy Rebrov's side and Slovakia look capable of claiming the win that will book their place in the last-16 stage.

Tip 2 - Poland v Austria - Jakub Kiwior to score @ 29/1

This is a difficult one to call in Group D, as Poland battled hard against the Netherlands in their opener only to suffer late heartache in the 2-1 defeat and Austria put in a great deal of effort in the 1-0 loss to France.

Those results put a lot of pressure on this fixture and it would be no surprise to see a tight encounter between the pair, who know another mistake will put them closer to an early exit.

With little to separate the two nations, it is hard to pick a winner and the focus, therefore, is on the anytime goalscorer market and Polish defender Jakub Kiwior is one to look out for.

The Arsenal defender was part of a back-three against the Dutch but that didn't stop him from getting forward and he managed two shots on target, both coming inside the area.

Kiwior was twice denied by good stops from Bart Verbruggen and, on another day, it could have been a different story for the Poland star.

With the 6ft 2in 24-year-old also posing a threat at set-pieces, he provides value to get on the scoresheet.

Tip 3 - Netherlands v France - Netherlands to win @ 5/2

The final match of the day at 20:00 is the standout contest and it promises to be a cracker between the Netherlands and France, two attacking teams that play free-flowing football.

Les Bleus overcame Austria 1-0 in their opener, a solid enough start, but the big blow was the broken nose suffered by Mbappe and his participation here is in serious jeopardy.

Mbappe has been chief tormentor in the last two meetings against the Dutch, scoring braces in both matches, so his possible absence will be welcomed by the Netherlands.

While France have plenty of talent in their squad, not having the Paris Saint-Germain ace could have a huge impact and, for that reason, the Netherlands are fancied to get the win.

It was not a vintage display from Oranje against Poland, as they had to come from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1, but they showed great desire to keep pressing and the pressure eventually told.

There is plenty of pace in this Dutch team with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay and Xavi Simons, while there is quality on the bench in the shape of Wout Weghorst, Jeremie Frimpong and Donyell Malen.

It won't be an easy task for Ronald Koeman's troops but this looks to be as good a chance as ever to get the better of France, who will be hoping for positive news regarding Mbappe's fitness for the rest of the tournament.

Euro 2024 continues on Saturday as matchday two comes to an end with fixtures in Group E and Group F.

The action begins in Hamburg as Georgia and Czech Republic, both in desperate need of a result after losing their curtain-raisers, face off, before the two favourites in Group F lock horns at the BvB Stadion in Dortmund for Turkey vs Portugal.

Finally, Group E’s second round of fixtures is completed as Belgium look to bounce back from a shock opening defeat when they face Romania in Cologne.

Tip 1 - Georgia vs Czech Republic - Both teams to score @ 5/6

Georgia played a crucial part in one of the games of Euro 2024 so far as they were beaten by Turkey and they could be set to entertain again as they go up against a Czech Republic side also denied a crucial result in their opener.

The European Championship debutants were adventurous going forward as they chased an equaliser, hitting the woodwork twice among a few other glorious chances for the underdogs.

They have now scored in nine of their last 10 games, including in both meetings with Spain in this period. With the Czechs conceding in each of their last five games, the underdogs are expected to get on the scoresheet again.

However, Georgia were left exposed at the back multiple times against Turkey and their opponents on Saturday have scored in each of their last eight games.

Both sides desperately need a win after losing their opener, so back an open game in Hamburg.

Tip 2 - Turkey vs Portugal - Bruno Fernandes to give more assists than Hakan Calhanoglu @ 15/4

Portugal were reliant on a last-gasp winner in their opener against Czech Republic and, while midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes did not make a concrete impact on the scoreline, the Manchester United man was unfortunate not to start Euro 2024 with an assist.

He created two chances and generated 0.46 expected assists, while Turkish playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu could only manage 0.13 expected assists in their 3-1 win over Georgia.

A Selecao are justified favourites for this tie after winning 14 of their last 16 matches and that already tips the balance in Fernandes’ favour, and that is not even counting the huge disparity between their actual goal contributions for their respective clubs and countries.

Fernandes topped the assist charts in Euro 2024 qualifying as he laid on eight goals for his team-mates, chipping in with another five goals to further cement his importance in Roberto Martinez’s side.

He followed that with an excellent end to the season with an underperforming Manchester United, laying on four assists in his final six games of the season before providing yet another assist for Portugal in their final warm-up friendly against Republic of Ireland.

Calhanoglu, in contrast, did not register any assists in Euro 2024 qualifying or in two warm-up friendlies, with his last assist for Inter Milan coming all the way back in December, with that being his third and final of the season.

Tip 3 - Belgium vs Romania - Romelu Lukaku to score @ 19/20

It is telling of Belgium’s dominance that the three highest-rated players in The Red Devils’ Euro 2024 opener against Slovakia were the Slovakia left-back, goalkeeper and centre-back, and despite their shock 1-0 defeat they should feel confident when they come up against Romania on Saturday.

Romelu Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer and twice had the ball in the net against Slovakia, only for VAR to intervene and rule out both attempts.

He had three shots and generated 0.88 expected goals on target, while he also found the net twice in Belgium’s warm-up friendly against Luxembourg.

The former Manchester United forward was the top scorer in Euro 2024 qualifying with 14 goals and he can rediscover his scoring touch against Romania.

While Spain are safely through after two wins from two games, Group B is still set for a nervy finish on Monday night. While there are just two Euro 2024 matches on Monday, both have plenty riding on them and tension should be high.

Albania will be hoping to catch out a weakened Spanish side as they chase a surprise place in the last 16 while Croatia and Italy are essentially playing off for a place in the next round in Leipzig with the World Cup semi-finalists in must-win territory.

Ahead of Group B’s tense finale, we have picked out the best bets for the games, which both kick off at 20:00.

Tip 1 - Albania vs Spain - Both teams to score @ 10/11

Albania have provided some great entertainment at this tournament and that should continue in their clash with Spain. Sylvinho’s side have opened the scoring against both Italy and Croatia and would love to do that again in this must-win game for them.

Albania’s late equaliser against Croatia has them in contention to make the last 16 with a win over Spain. While that is a huge task, Albania have been more competitive than many expected so far and they’re facing a Spain side who have nothing to play for having already secured first place in the group.

Spain will be without key man Rodri through suspension and they may well choose to rest other stars ahead of their first knockout clash. Given that Albania have nothing to lose, they are likely to go for it and that should result in another open game.

Goals look to be on the cards given that Albania have conceded twice in both of their games. With the shield usually provided by Rodri missing, the Spanish defence could be exposed and an Albania side desperate to progress can at least get a goal.

Tip 2 - Croatia vs Italy - Under 1.5 goals @ 49/20

While Albania’s push for the last 16 should open up their clash in Dusseldorf, things are likely to be closer when Croatia meet Italy. The Italians need a point from this clash to progress, while Croatia have to win to avoid elimination.

Croatia’s need to push forward isn’t likely to translate into goals, given how blunt they look up front. Finishing has long been Croatia’s problem at major tournaments and they look really poor in the final third.

Italy may have been hoping for an attacking spark from new boss Luciano Spalletti, but that didn’t materialise against Spain. The Italians looked blunt in that clash, while they essentially shut down after responding to Albania’s stunning strike in their opener.

Despite Spalletti’s usual approach, Italy have not looked adventurous and they should be capable of holding a blunt Croatian side at bay, so under 1.5 goals makes plenty of appeal. The clash in Leipzig should be a tense affair, so going against goals looks like the best way to approach the contest.

Tip 3 - Croatia vs Italy - 0-0 Draw @ 9/1

Even if Albania manage a surprise win over Spain, Italy hold a head-to-head advantage over them thanks to their 2-1 victory. That means a single point from their final game would take Italy into the last 16 as the second-placed side in Group B.

A defeat to Croatia would bump Italy down to third at least, while Albania could leapfrog them with a win. That makes Monday’s clash more of a must-not-lose encounter for Italy, which could see some of their traditional defensive inclinations taking over.

The clash with Spain was a backs-to-the-wall job for Italy and now they meet another side who like to dominate the ball. However, the Italians should be reasonably confident that they can hold Croatia at bay, given the misfiring start this ageing squad has had to the tournament.

Croatia failed to score against Spain and they took 74 minutes to net against Albania, with their second goal being a calamitous own goal.

Italy’s 1-0 loss to Spain came through an own goal too, so it’s easy to see both sides failing to score, especially as that suits the Italians’ prospects of progressing to the next round.

The last three meetings between these sides have finished 1-1, but goals are likely to be even harder to come by in Leipzig. As a result, a 0-0 draw appeals in the correct-score betting. With just a single own goal scored in Italy’s last 164 minutes of action backing the defences to come out on top is attractive.

We look set for some dramatic matches at Euro 2024 on Tuesday, as Groups C and D come to their conclusions, with all four games having something riding on them.

First off, the Group D leaders Netherlands take on an Austrian side that needs a positive result to make the knockout rounds. France will be looking to beat the already eliminated Poland and leapfrog the Dutch.

Later on, England will be hoping to improve upon their unimpressive performances when they meet Slovenia. All four teams in Group C still have a chance of automatic qualification, with Denmark facing Serbia.

Tip 1 - Netherlands vs Austria - Baumgartner to score @ 27/5

Netherlands were denied a possible victory against France when a goal from Xavi Simons was disallowed, but a 0-0 draw was a result that they would probably have taken before the game.

It leaves the Dutch top of Group D, though they will be mindful that they can still finish as low as third. Austria have three points on the board after their 3-1 victory against Poland and another win would see them qualify automatically.

Ralf Rangnick’s side have been one of the most impressive teams at this tournament. This promises to be another tough game for the Netherlands, who could have been defeated in their last outing, had the French not been so wasteful in front of goal.

Christoph Baumgartner was particularly good against Poland, scoring Austria’s second goal. The RB Leipzig forward has scored five goals from six appearances for his country in 2024 and could add to his tally.

Tip 2 - France vs Poland - France to win half-time/full-time @ 10/11

With Netherlands involved in what should be a competitive game with Austria, the French have to be favoured to make the last-16 by winning Group D. They face a Poland team that have lost both of their group games and cannot make the knockout stages.

The game against the Dutch was the second 0-0 draw from France in their last three games. In both instances, Kylian Mbappe did not start and Didier Deschamps will be keen to play his star attacker, despite the fact that he suffered a broken nose that he suffered against Austria and sat out the clash against Netherlands.

France looked toothless without Mbappe against the Dutch and spurned the sort of chances that the 25-year-old would have surely converted. Yet even if he is not fit to play, we have to imagine that his teammates will have too much for the Poles.

Poland have nothing to play for. They have conceded in the first-half in each of their two group games, which gives France an opportunity to make a quick start and win this comfortably.

Tip 3 - England vs Slovenia - Kane to score @ 49/50

England are top of Group C and remain unbeaten, but the nature of their performances has been far from impressive. Gareth Southgate will surely make changes, with the left flank and midfield being particular areas of concern.

They need a win to be assured that they remain top of the group. With just seven shots on target across two games and having had less possession than Denmark, it will need to be a very different performance for any victory to be comfortable.

Slovenia have enjoyed 1-1 draws against Serbia and Denmark, giving themselves a chance of making the last-16. Yet history does not favour them, with England winning five and drawing one of their six past encounters.

Harry Kane came in for particular criticism after the Denmark game, in which he was substituted after scoring. The Three Lions’ record goalscorer will be keen to show his worth in this crucial game.

Tip 4 - Denmark vs Serbia - ‘No’ in goal in both halves @ 5/4

Both Denmark and Serbia are still looking for their first wins in Group D. If England can beat Slovenia, then the Danes will only need a draw to qualify automatically, but they will not want to leave that to chance.

Whether they have the cutting edge to win games at this tournament is up for debate. Denmark dominated Slovenia and had 16 shots at goal, but only converted once. As impressively as they performed against England, they still struggled to create clear chances.

Serbia are bottom of the group and need a win. Despite the desire for three points, it is hard to see them going for broke and it seems likelier that this will be a cautious, nervous affair, where both teams are primarily scared of losing.

With the Serbs having only scored once in this tournament so far and both managers having utilised defensive formations, this could be a low scoring match

The group stages of Euro 2024 come to a conclusion on Wednesday, as the final four matches decide the last few teams that will make the knockout stages of the tournament.

First up is Group E which could not be any tighter, as Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine all go into their crucial concluding games tied on three points apiece.

Then later on in the evening Group F comes to a close, with Turkey, Czech Republic and Georgia all looking to join the table toppers Portugal in the last-16 of the competition.

Tip 1 - Slovakia vs Romania - Romania draw no bet @ 21/20

Slovakia had a place in the knockout stages within their grasp when 1-0 up against Ukraine, only to eventually lose 2-1. Now their manager Francesco Calzona must rally his troops again, with his side currently third in the group table.

Romania followed their 3-0 win over Ukraine with a 2-0 defeat to Belgium. They lost to the superior side, but created chances to equalise when only a goal down, so should come into this game with some confidence.

Only Belgium and the in-form South American side Colombia have beaten Romania in their last 17 games and Edward Iordanescu’s side have kept 10 clean sheets during that period. Though a draw would see them through, the Romanians have the quality to win this one.

With the draw being rated as the likeliest result, there is a big price available for Romania. While it is tempting to simply back them to win, playing cautiously is the safer move in these circumstances.

Tip 2 - Ukraine vs Belgium - Belgium to score in both halves @ 6/4

Belgium looked back to their best against Romania, which could be bad news for a Ukrainian side that have already stared elimination in the face, only to find a way to salvage some hope.

Having lost their opening game 3-0, Ukraine looked doomed at 1-0 down against Slovakia, but second-half goals from Mykola Shaparenko and Roman Yaremchuk secured victory.

Yet though Ukraine’s second performance was much better, it was not convincing, with Slovakia having more possession and shots. If that is the case against Belgium, they will surely be punished, with Kevin De Bruyne having run the show against Romania.

Romelu Lukaku’s wait for a Euro 2024 goal goes on, but he too looked much sharper in his second appearance at this tournament and Belgium look set to have too much for the Ukrainians.

Tip 3 - Czech Republic vs Turkey - Over 2.5 goals @ 22/25

Turkey are currently second in Group F off the back of having made a winning start in this tournament against Georgia. Yet they were well beaten by Portugal, who highlighted their weaknesses.

Already up against a superior team, the Turks showed a flair for self-sabotage in the 3-0 defeat, with a mix up between Samet Akaydin and his goalkeeper, resulting in an own goal, which effectively ended the match as a contest.

Considering that Turkey allowed Georgia plenty of chances in their opening match, it does not seem like Vincenzo Montella’s team are in any way equipped to play for a draw. Their most talented players are attackers, with Arda Guler set to return for this match.

The Czech Republic also presented Georgia with lots of opportunities and could have lost their match in the dying seconds, but were spared by the minnows’ wayward finishing. With the Czechs needing a win, goals seem guaranteed.

Tip 4 - Georgia vs Portugal - Portugal to win half-time/full-time @ 49/50

Georgia’s first major international tournament has been a success whatever happens in this match, which is probably for the best considering the task that they have ahead of them.

Willy Sagnol’s team realistically need a win to progress to the knockout stages and though miracles happen, it is hard to see them beating the talented Portuguese, even if their manager Roberto Martinez rotates as heavily as expected.

With Portugal having already won Group F, this looks like a great opportunity to give game time to the squad as a whole. Those players will be eager to show why they should be trusted with more minutes in the tournament, so should not lack motivation.

Portugal looked a much better side in the 4-3-3 formation that Martinez fielded in the win against Turkey. With so much attacking quality in their squad, even the second-string should comfortably claim victory.

The Euro 2024 bracket has been set as the surviving 16 teams from the group stage plot their paths to the final in Berlin on July 14.

The round of 16 will feature some mouthwatering ties as holders Italy take on Belgium, hosts Germany face Denmark and World Cup finalists France tackle Belgium.

Spain were the only nation to win all three of their group games and their reward for that is a clash with first-time qualifiers Georgia.

Slovenia, meanwhile, scraped through with only three points and landed a tough-looking assignment against Portugal.

England return to Gelsenkirchen for a match against Slovakia while Austria will tackle Turkey and Romania will battle the Netherlands for a quarter-final berth.

TIP 1 - SWITZERLAND TO QUALIFY @ 6/5

Switzerland remain unbeaten after a strong group-stage showing during which they impressed against Hungary and did what was necessary to get through against Scotland and Germany.

Nati were minutes away from topping Group A and throwing Germany’s plans into chaos, but Murat Yakin’s men should not feel hard done by after being paired with a beatable Italy side in the round of 16.

That 1-1 draw with the hosts showcased many of the qualities that could take them deeper into the tournament.

They have defensive solidity from a backline full of experienced players like Yann Sommer, and Manuel Akanji plus the redoubtable Granit Xhaka holding things together in midfield.

And their forward line is firing on all cylinders too with key players like Remo Freuler, who has provided two assists, hitting form and Breel Embolo back from injury and among the goals again.

Italy have been inconsistent and managed to seal second place behind Spain in Group B thanks only to a last-gasp equaliser against Croatia.

The Azzurri’s reliance on dramatic moments and set pieces only serves to highlight their offensive problems while the loss of key central defender Ricardo Calafiori to suspension will hurt their prospects of success against the Swiss.

This looks like being a tough test for the defending champions and a potential banana skin that they may ultimately slip on.

TIP 2 - OVER 7.5 CORNERS FOR SPAIN @ 13/10

Spain and Georgia will meet for the third time in less than a year after two lopsided victories for Luis da la Fuentes’ side in qualifying.

La Roja rattled seven goals past Willy Sagnol’s side in Tbilisi with the first two on the night coming from crosses.

And when they met in Valladolid two months later it was clear that Spain’s tactic was to get balls into Georgia’s box from out wide again.

All three goals in a 3-1 win were finished by headers after crosses, although the final one was off the head of a Georgian defender.

It seems fair to say that Georgia’s opponents have watched the footage of those games and heavily weighted their game plans at Euro 2024 towards exploiting a perceived weakness.

During the group stage, no team faced more crosses than Georgia or conceded more corners than them with their opponents averaging nine corners per game.

Spain racked up a total of 16 corners across their three group games, but tallied 15 in those two qualifiers against Georgia so there ought to be solid chances of them grabbing eight or more in Cologne on Sunday.

TIP 3 - KYLIAN MBAPPE TO SCORE @ 9/5

French icon Kylian Mbappe has been hogging the headlines again and not all for the right reasons at Euro 2024.

The Real Madrid striker broke his nose in France’s scratchy 1-0 win over Austria and missed the goalless game with Netherlands.

And all the while, he was trying to ignore the fact that he had yet to score in the finals of a European Championship.

But Mbappe’s Euros drought was finally ended in the 56th minute of France’s 1-1 draw with Poland when he scored with what was his 23rd shot in the competition.

It was a confidently struck penalty to give him his 13th goal at major tournaments for France, equalling Just Fontaine's record, with only Michel Platini (14) scoring more for Les Bleus.

Mbappe can draw level with the Euro 1984-winning French skipper in Monday’s matchup with Belgium, who have looked vulnerable at the back in this tournament.

Although they have conceded only once, the Red Devils have faced 37 shots, which is 60 percent more than France have had to deal with and Mbappe is just the sort of player to punish any slackness in this matchup.

TIP 4 - NETHERLANDS -1.5 ASIAN HANDICAP @ 5/4

The Netherlands looked distinctly uncomfortable during the first half of their 3-2 group-stage defeat to Austria in Berlin, but Romania are the polar opposites of Ralf Rangnick’s side.

While Austria deploy an aggressive press, Romania fall back and try to deny their opponents space behind their backline and it is easy to see from the Netherlands’ results which method they prefer to play against.

Ronald Koeman’s side lost 2-1 to a high-pressing Germany in March, having recently beaten two opponents that sat off them, Scotland and Iceland, 4-0.

The Scots did well in that game until their performance fell apart in the final 20 minutes, but the Netherlands are known for coming good as the minutes tick by.

Ten of their last 12 international goals, including three of four at Euro 2024, have come after half-time and it would be no surprise to see them slice through Romania’s defence in the late stages.

Tricolorii, who have exceeded expectations to reach the knockout phase, should have been trounced by Belgium in their second group game.

The Red Devils, who had 20 shots and nine on target, squandered a series of opportunities but still won by two goals and that should be the minimum target for a Dutch team desperate to get back to winning ways.

After an edge-of-your-seat, exciting, thrill-a-minute ride in Groups A, B, D, E and F – and the natural passing of time in Group C – we have our round of 16 contenders.

Can England finally click into gear and breeze past Slovakia on the ‘good side’ of the draw? Will Spain retain their status as the tournament’s most exciting team to watch? Can everyone’s favourite underdogs Austria add more bite to their bark?

We have picked out some more Euro 2024 predictions ahead of the first knockout round and, remember, you can win up to £1 million by predicting six correct scores with BetMGM Golden Goals.

If nobody manages all six, those who get the most correct will win a share of our £5,000 prizepool. Find out more about Golden Goals here.

ENGLAND VS SLOVAKIA

Sunday 30th June (17:00). Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen.

Where do we begin?

The Three Lions look solid at the back, conceding just one goal and 26 shots across their three matches in the group stage, but going forward there is an issue. A massive one.

Slow, lethargic, bereft of ideas, uninspired… the list goes on. This is not the swashbuckling football England fans had hoped to see from this group of very talented players.

They managed just 29 shots on goal throughout the group phase – ranking 20th out of 24 teams for this metric. With just 53 touches in the opposition box it is England’s second-worst performance ever at a Euros since this statistic was tracked. In 2012 they managed just 41 but in a considerably tougher group (France, Sweden and Ukraine).

In last-16 opponents Slovakia the Three Lions are facing experience: no XI had an older average age than Francesco Calzona’s men across the first three games (30 years and 218 days).

It cannot continue to be this bland. We are going with a 3-0 win for Gareth Southgate’s charges as they kick-start their summer a couple of weeks later than planned.

Prediction: England 3-0 Slovakia

SPAIN VS GEORGIA

Sunday 30th June (20:00). Cologne Stadium.

Nobody saw that Group F finale coming.

Georgia’s shock defeat of Portugal not only earned them a historic spot in the next round it also, reportedly, secured them a payday from ebullient billionaire and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili in the process.

But with Spain next up you sense the paydays, and the party, will stop for the Georgians despite the form of current competition top scorer Georges Mikautadze.

The three-time champions are purring at the moment. They were the only team to maintain a 100% record in the group stages while, in Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, they possess two of Europe’s brightest prospects on the flanks.

Confidence is flowing through the team, they have won all six competitive meetings against Georgia by an aggregate score of 19-3 and the last time La Roja triumphed in all three group games, in 2008, they lifted the title.

The quarter-finals beckon.

Prediction: Spain 3-1 Georgia

FRANCE VS BELGIUM

Monday 1st July (17:00). Dusseldorf Arena.

It just isn’t clicking for Les Bleus at the moment.

They are creating chances – unlike their foes across the channel – but with their two goals across three matches coming from an own goal and a penalty, they need to be much more ruthless. Indeed, they managed an eye-boggling 47 non-penalty attempts without reward.

It was a lacklustre performance in ending as runners-up in Group D and it sees them in the toughest half of the draw; Belgium are first off the taxi rank to face them.

The Red Devils have hardly had it plain sailing themselves – they were deeply unimpressive in two of the three group games but, with experienced talents like Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne on the teamsheet, there is always a chance they outperform any opponent.

Their record against France at major tournaments is not good, though. Belgium have lost all four of their major tournament match-ups against Les Bleus – conceding 13 goals and scoring just three – while they have failed to beat them in any competitive match at all since 1981.

It will be another last-eight appearance for Didier Deschamps’ men as a result.

Prediction: France 2-1 Belgium

Tiredness? 😴
Wrong position? 🤔
England's style of play? 👀

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙅𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙝𝙖𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩?#EURO2024 #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/PuvnmiNP9l

— BetMGM UK (@BetMGMUK) June 26, 2024

PORTUGAL VS SLOVENIA

Monday 1st July (20:00). Frankfurt Arena.

There is absolutely no way this Portugal team will lose to these outsiders.

At least that’s what most football fans would have asserted confidently on Wednesday when Cristiano Ronaldo and co. faced Georgia in their final group game.

But this time we mean it: there is no way this Portugal team will lose to these outsiders.

Slovenia have some interesting players, for sure, but they have drawn their way to this point so far. Against England they posed very little threat moving forward despite defending resolutely.

Unfortunately for them they face one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time in Ronaldo and an attractive supporting cast brimming with inventiveness, flicks and tricks.

Note also that Portugal have not lost consecutive competitive matches since Euro 2008 – that streak won’t end here.

Prediction: Portugal 4-0 Slovenia

ROMANIA VS NETHERLANDS

Tuesday 2nd July (17:00). Munich Football Arena.

The Netherlands come into this one aiming to avoid the ignominy of becoming only the second team after Yugoslavia to suffer four consecutive European Championship knockout defeats (2004 semi-finals vs Portugal, 2008 quarter-finals vs Russia, 2020 last 16 vs Czech Republic).

The Oranje endured a mixed group stage. A comeback victory over Poland was followed by a resolute draw with France but a 3-2 defeat to Austria in the finale spawned a lot of anger among the fanbase.

That result meant they finished third in Group D but nevertheless they managed to land a favourable tie against Romania in the round of 16.

Excluding play-offs, only Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes (seven) assisted more goals in Euro 2024 qualifying than the Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries (five), with the Dutchman averaging an assist every 101 minutes during the campaign.

We expect Romania – who allowed the second-most shots of all teams who qualified for the round of 16 with 46 – to struggle to match the marauding Dumfries, Memphis Depay, Xavi Simmons and Cody Gakpo.

As such, it’s the Netherlands who will take their place in the last-eight draw.

Prediction: Romania 1-3 Netherlands

AUSTRIA VS TURKEY

Tuesday 2nd July (20:00). Leipzig Stadium.

Aside from Spain, there is a legitimate argument to be made that Austria have been the best team in this tournament.

It seems like everyone had Ralf Rangnicks’s side as the underdogs (which is usually a curse, just ask the Turkey squad from the 2022 World Cup, Serbia from this tournament or Ivory Coast from almost any World Cup).

There were good reasons for the tag. Since Rangnick’s first game in charge in June 2022 only three European nations – Portugal (73%), Spain (67%) and the Netherlands (64%) – have a higher win percentage than Austria (60%) after 15 wins in 25 matches under him.

The Austrians were excellent, too, against the Netherlands in their 3-2 Group E finale victory but they will surely be wary of a Turkey team that packs a punch. Only Portugal (5.8) and Spain (5.4) recorded a higher non-penalty expected goals value in the group stages than Turkey (5.2).

It will be close – and high-scoring – but this one will go to Austria.

Prediction: Austria 3-2 Turkey

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Injury-time scissor kicks, penalty saves, waterworks and possibly the greatest Gordon Banks impersonation in football history – the Euro 2024 last 16 did not disappoint.

Sure, a little more fluidity might have been expected from England against Slovakia. They had all the balance of a one-legged stall and did not manage a shot on target until Jude Bellingham did another Jude Bellingham thing in the 95th minute to level the scores.

But the Three Lions are through. They now face Switzerland after they overcame an abject Italian side in impressive style a day prior.

Spain came from behind against Georgia to win 4-1 and set up a last-eight tie against hosts Germany thanks to the performance of some precocious young talents. France, meanwhile, are yet to score from open play but still find themselves in the quarters.

Didier Deschamps’ men take on Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, who went through a rollercoaster of emotions during his team’s penalty shootout triumph over Slovenia.

Elsewhere, the Netherlands put in a polished performance in a 3-0 win over Romania and will face Turkey, who beat Austria 2-1 in arguably the game of the tournament so far.

For this round of Golden Goals we have also shot across the pond to the Copa America – also entering its quarter-finals stage – and added two games into the mix in Venezuela vs Canada and Uruguay vs Brazil.

Remember: you can win up to £1 million by predicting six correct scores with BetMGM Golden Goals. If nobody manages all six, those who get the most correct will win a share of our £5,000 prizepool. Find out more about Golden Goals here.

Let’s take a closer look at all six Golden Goals quarter-final matches…

SPAIN VS GERMANY

Friday 5th July (17:00) Stuttgart Arena.

Are Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal the world’s newest superstars?

The former scored a wonder goal – sitting one defender down and finishing high past the excellent Giorgi Mamardashvili to put his team 3-1 up – while the latter is the first teenager to register two assists at a European Championship since 2004 when a certain Ronaldo was lighting up the stage.

Indeed, the whole Spain team have an undoubted swagger about them at the moment – Germany pose a different challenge though. They are the hosts, have played some tasty stuff at times themselves and, in Jamal Musiala, they have their own generational talent.

The last time these two met was at the World Cup in 2022. Both Alvaro Morata and Niclas Fullkrug scored in that game and both have been in the goals in this tournament, too. Can either find the net here?

This one truly is a tough call. Germany have not beaten Spain competitively since Euro 1988 but, with home advantage, they could exorcise that particular demon in Stuttgart. It won’t be in 90 minutes though.

Prediction: Spain 1-1 Germany

PORTUGAL VS FRANCE

Friday 5th July (20:00) Volksparkstadion, Hamburg.

So Slovenia are just a really tough team to break down then. Or, maybe, Portugal followed England in not finding the net against them because there is a whopping great tactical elephant in the dressing room.

He’s chiselled. He’s the most successful goalscorer in men’s international football history. He’s been one of the best players in the world for nigh-on two decades… but one does wonder how Portugal would perform without 39-year-old Ronaldo as their focal point in attack.

While his world-class moments do crop up now and then, they are getting fewer by the match. For example, he has scored just one of 60 direct free-kick attempts at major tournaments.

France find themselves in the quarter-finals 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙏 scoring a single goal from open play. 😅

Kylian who? 👀 #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/cG0mKgejgp

— BetMGM UK (@BetMGMUK) July 2, 2024

It would help if he didn’t miss penalties when called upon, too. Jan Oblak’s extra-time spot-kick save prompted an emotional outburst by Ronaldo, who claimed afterwards he was “at rock bottom”.

On reputation alone this quarter-final tie should be getting the juices flowing – but France are hardly setting the world alight. They are yet to score a goal from open play, with three strikes coming from two own goals and one Kylian Mbappe penalty.

However, Les Bleus know how to get the job done. Indeed, they have lost only one of their last 15 European Championship matches (won eight and drawn six).

Add to that the knowledge that Portugal have won just one of the last 14 head-to-head contests between the sides stretching back to the mid-1970s and this meeting of pre-tournament favourites vs pre-tournament dark horses will end in a narrow French victory.

Prediction: Portugal 1-2 France

VENEZUELA VS CANADA

Saturday 6th July (02:00). AT&T Stadium, Texas.

In a group that included Ecuador, Mexico and Jamaica, Venezuela emerged having won all three games while scoring six times and conceding just once.

Defensively, La Vinotinto are incredibly difficult to break down and have conceded just 16 goals in their last 24 matches across all competitions.

They will rely on that solid spine to help them through again as the team look to emulate their best-ever fourth-placed showing in this tournament, back in 2011.

Canada, by contrast, are into the Copa America quarter-finals for the first time.

To make it they overcame two-time Copa America champions Chile and Peru in Group A, with a nail-biting 0-0 tie with the former enough to get them over the line behind Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

While, in Alphonso Davies, Canada possess arguably the most talented player between both teams and Lille striker Jonathan David continues to impress up front, we reckon Venezuela and their three-time 2024 Copa America player-of-the-match winner Salomon Rondon will have a bit too much know-how, experience and depth.

They will take their place in the last four.

Prediction: Venezuela 2-0 Canada

ENGLAND VS SWITZERLAND

Saturday 6th July (17:00). Düsseldorf Arena.

It is difficult to know what to say about this England team – and their manager.

The performances they are putting in are among the poorest of any recent England team at any international tournament. In the dying embers of the dramatic win over Slovakia, there were comparisons with the 2016 debacle against Iceland, where the Three Lions were humiliatingly eliminated in a 2-1 defeat.

But you could argue that the collective performance in that tournament was better – or at least more forward-thinking. In the four games they played in 2016, they averaged more than 20 shots per game. In this tournament, after the same number of matches, they have barely topped 11.

They are playing a right-back at left-back, a number 10 at left wing and have even experimented with a right-back in central midfield. There is, it seems, an imbalance and the lack of goalscoring threat is concerning.

What is more, they will have to do it all without Marc Guehi – arguably the player of the tournament so far for the Three Lions – after he picked up a yellow card against Slovakia.

The England head coach has won 𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀 knockout games at major tournaments than 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙔 other manager since 1966 combined...

𝙎𝙤, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠? 👇 #ThreeLions #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/zdYjdeRFsH

— BetMGM UK (@BetMGMUK) July 2, 2024

Switzerland were impressive against Italy and have looked good all tournament, bar a poor second-half showing against Hungary.

There are goals across the team – each of the seven Switzerland strikes in the Euros have come from different players – and they play with a slick and quick tempo.

But can England finally click and cut through Switzerland where they failed to do so against Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia and Slovakia? There were moments against Slovakia; brief, fleeting glimpses of what could be.

This could be the moment Gareth Southgate turns it all around.

Prediction: England 3-1 Switzerland

NETHERLANDS VS TURKEY

Saturday 6th July (20:00). Olympiastadion Berlin.

The Netherlands have had a stop-start Euros so far but the 3-0 win over Romania was the clearest sign yet that things are starting to fall into place.

Much of the success for the Oranje is down to the form of Cody Gakpo. The Liverpool forward has scored six goals across the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024 – only Mbappe has managed more with nine. Gakpo made the BetMGM team of the last 16 as a result.

Turkey go into the game off the back of one of the most thrilling games of the Euros so far. The 2-1 triumph over Austria was brimming with drama but the moment of the match was reserved for goalkeeper Mert Gunok, who flew across his goal to keep out Christoph Baumgartner's header in the final seconds. It has, understandably, been compared to the famous Gordon Banks save from Pele at the 1970 World Cup.

We can expect more action here if the last two matches between these two are anything to go by. We have seen a combined 13 goals (6.5 per game), with Turkey winning 4-2 in March 2021 and the Netherlands winning 6-1 in September 2021, both in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

All four Turkey matches in the Euros have featured at least one concession on their part and at least three goals in total – the only nation still in the competition to meet that particular criteria.

We will, then, go for a high-scoring Netherlands win here.

Prediction: Netherlands 3-2 Turkey

URUGUAY VS BRAZIL

Sunday 7th July (02:00). Allegiant Stadium, Nevada.

So Brazil are through to the next round – but at what cost? Real Madrid forward and Ballon d’Or frontrunner Vinicius Junior is suspended after picking up a yellow card just six minutes into the 1-1 draw with Colombia that sealed the Selecao’s second-place fate in the group stages.

It was one of 17 fouls and four yellow cards in the first half of that match alone. On the other side of the disciplinary scale, Uruguay picked up their only two bookings of the tournament in their victory over the USA.

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It is not just that their respect for the rules is near-flawless – Uruguay’s backline have conceded just one goal in three games so far and scored nine in the group stages. In short, they look threatening up front and formidable at the back.

Brazil, second and winners in the last two Copas, are struggling to impress at all with just five goals to their name for the loss of two.

This has ‘upset’ written all over it – and would mark the first time since the early 1980s that Uruguay have beaten Brazil in back-to-back competitive meetings. Prediction: Brazil 1-2 Uruguay

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We’re down to the last eight sides at Euro 2024. England take on Switzerland and the Netherlands face Turkey in Saturday's quarter-finals at Euro 2024 and there should be plenty of drama before the semi-finals line-up is completed.

The Three Lions needed a stunning 95th-minute equaliser from Jude Bellingham to avoid a humiliating last-16 exit against Slovakia and they must raise their game against the Swiss.

Murat Yakin's men eased past defending champions Italy in their first knockout tie, while the Dutch were impressive 3-0 winners over Romania in the round of 16.

The Oranje are hot favourites to beat Turkey in the last of the quarter-finals but Vincenzo Montella's men should not be taken lightly after knocking out in-form Austria.

England vs Switzerland

Switzerland to win @ 3/1

England arrived at Euro 2024 with great expectations but they have stumbled through to the quarter-finals and look vulnerable favourites against Switzerland.

There is no doubt that the Three Lions have some hugely talented individuals but there was little cohesion about their attacking play as they beat Serbia 1-0, drew 1-1 with Denmark and were held to a goalless stalemate by Slovenia in three Group C matches.

Worse was to follow in the last 16 when England failed to muster a shot on target against Slovakia until Bellingham's injury-time overhead kick made it 1-1.

Harry Kane's winner in the first minute of extra time was their only other effort on target and Southgate, preparing for his 100th game in charge, is still searching for the right balance to the side.

Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher and Kobbie Mainoo have all been tried in central midfield while Luke Shaw, the only natural left-back in the squad, has not played since February.

Switzerland, in contrast, look a well-drilled and confident unit under Yakin and they were excellent in their 2-0 victory over Euro 2020 winners Italy.

The Swiss were seconds away from topping Group A before conceding an injury-time equaliser against tournament hosts Germany and their vibrant young attackers make them an attractive bet to beat England in 90 minutes.

Holland vs Turkey

Turkey or draw double chance @ 27/20

Dutch forward Malen scored twice in the final 10 minutes to put a gloss on the scoreline in their 3-0 last-16 win over Romania and the Oranje should expect a tough quarter-final against Turkey.

The Netherlands needed a late winner in their opening group game against Poland and had a Xavi Simons strike harshly chalked off by VAR in a 0-0 draw with France on matchday two.

Les Bleus, missing the injured Kylian Mbappe, spurned some great chances in that stalemate and the Dutch defence was exposed as they lost 3-2 to Austria in their final group fixture.

That result meant the Austrians topped the group, but their run was ended by Turkey, who sealed a dramatic 2-1 win on Tuesday.

Centre-back Merih Demiral scored both goals for the Turks, who produced a terrific team performance to overcome the absences of suspended skipper Calhanoglu and defender Akaydin.

Turkey have won three of their first four games at the tournament and only Germany and Spain have scored more goals than their tally of seven.

Real Madrid youngster Arda Guler is living up to the hype and the Turkey or draw selection in the double-chance market is a tempting price at Berlin's Olympiastadion, where the majority of the crowd will be cheering on Montella's men.

Spain vs Germany

Both teams to score @ 8/11

After a series of disappointing tournaments where they looked blunt in the final third, Spain have been fantastic going forward at Euro 2024. They’ve scored in every game so far, netting nine goals across their four matches.

Meanwhile, hosts Germany went into the tournament with real fears about their lack of a top-class finisher, but they’ve thrilled going forward. The Germans have scored 10 times so far, with Bayern Munich winger Jamal Musiala in the mix for the Golden Boot.

While this clash is expected to be tight, it’s hard to see either side failing to break through going forward given their performances so far. Considering the talent both teams have in the final third- on the flanks in particular - back both teams to score.

Germany to win on penalties @ 9/1

While both sides are impressive up front, it is hard to split them coming into this clash. They’ve arguably been the top-two performers across the matches to date. Neither side have lost so far, while they’ve both fought back in games when they were trailing.

Given how equally matched they are, a draw could well be on the cards here. At this point in the competition, the margin between teams gets a lot thinner, so we should expect to see plenty of cagey games.

One key issue for Spain is penalty shootouts, they’ve got one of the worst records in international football when it comes to deciding games on spot-kicks. The Spanish have exited each of their last three major tournaments on penalties, so taking this to go the distance and for the Germans to come out on top really stands out at 9/1.

Portugal vs France

Half-time result - Draw @ 19/20

In contrast to the first game, this is a clash between two sides who give next to nothing away, but that has tended to come at the expense of their own attacking flair. The French have long been too conservative for the talent they have, but it has proven successful at this level.

So far, France have conceded once through four games, while none of their players have yet scored from open play. The French have seen their last three matches at this tournament finish goalless at the break, while the same has happened in two of Portugal’s first four contests.

These two should play out a very tense affair, given how France tend to set up. Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez does tailor his tactics to the opposition, so this should be an uneventful clash early on. As a result, a first-half draw stands out in a game which is heavily backed to be low on goals.

An own goal to be scored @ 7/1

Own goals have been a feature of this tournament, with nine scored already. The previous Euros had 11 own goals in total, while there were just nine scored between the 1976 finals through to the 2016 edition.

With own goals on the rise, expect the tally to match or even top the 11 scored three years ago. That total could be boosted in this game, as these two sides have been real beneficiaries of opposition mistakes to date.

Both Portugal and France have had two own goals in their favour already, making up close to half the total tally at the tournament. For France, that accounts for all but one of the goals they’ve scored at Euro 2024. It may well be down to more than simply luck, as the way they build up in attacking areas can leave opponents in a compromising position.

France have seen five own goals scored in their favour in European Championship history, the most of any nation. Given how frequently they go in their favour, we could see another one in Friday night’s clash. With own goals seemingly on the rise, the 7/1 price on offer for another in this clash does hold some appeal.

Get all of our odds and specials for Euro 2024 in our dedicated European Championship hub.

Spain and France go head-to-head in another heavyweight Euro 2024 showdown with a place in the final at stake.

La Roja have been the best side in the tournament so far and knocked out hosts Germany 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals, while France, who were well fancied before the action got underway this summer, have made it to the semis despite failing to display their best form.

With a host of world stars in both squads this Munich clash is expected to be tight but Spain can edge through at the expense of Les Bleus, who have struggled to find much rhythm yet at the Euros.

Team news

Spain will be forced into making at least three changes for the semi-final clash.

Defenders Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal are both suspended, so Nacho and Jesus Navas are expected to come into the line-up, while Pedri's knee injury means he will play no part with Dani Olmo tipped to start in midfield.

Adrien Rabiot is available for France again after serving his one-match ban, but Eduardo Camavinga, who deputised against Portugal last time, could well keep his place.

Elsewhere, Didier Deschamps is believed to be considering dropping Antoine Griezmann for Ousmane Dembele, while striker Kylian Mbappe will continue to wear a mask to protect his injured nose.

Tip 1 - Spain to win (Full Time) @ 9/5

Spain have caught the eye from the off in Germany and, out of the four semi-finalists, have been the most consistent and well balanced side.

La Roja began the tournament with a statement 3-0 success over Croatia in Group B and then edged out Italy 1-0 to secure their place in the knockout stage.

A much-changed side maintained their 100% record with a 1-0 win over Albania before a 4-1 last-16 success over Georgia, when they showed plenty of character to come from 1-0 down, underlined their credentials as potential overall winners of Euro 2024.

Their narrow victory over the hosts on Friday came in extra-time thanks to Mikel Merino’s late winner so Luis de la Fuente’s men, who are the only nation to have won all five games so far, should have plenty of confidence going into the last-four showdown with France.

Les Bleus have not been anywhere near as free-flowing but are one game away from the final despite the fact no player in a France shirt has scored from open play. Instead, Deschamps’ men have progressed due to an Mbappe penalty, two own goals and a victory over Portugal in the last eight on spot-kicks following a goalless draw after 120 minutes.

Mbappe looks to have been hampered by the broken nose he suffered in the opening group game against Austria, with the Real Madrid forward having been forced to wear a mask since. The 25-year-old has often got into good positions but his finishing has been wayward with just eight of his 20 attempts being on target.

Meanwhile, Griezmann, Dembele and Randal Kolo Muani are among the French stars yet to perform to anywhere near their best levels in Germany.

Up against opponents with real momentum, who are the joint top-scorers with 11 goals and also have only conceded twice, France’s somewhat fortunate run to the latter stages could be set to come to an end.

Tip 2 - Dani Olmo to score or give an assist @ 23/10

Olmo dazzled when coming off the bench early on for the injured Pedri against Germany, scoring the opener and then providing the cross for Merino to head home the dramatic winner with penalties looming.

The RB Leipzig man also scored in the last-16 clash against Georgia and has had 14 attempts, five of which have been on target, in the tournament so far.

Olmo looks a good selection in the goal or assist market at 23/10 as he appears to be in the mood to make a positive impact in the final third as he looks to help Spain go all the way in the competition.

A place in the Euro 2024 final is up for grabs for both the Netherlands and England when they go head-to-head in Dortmund on Wednesday.

The Dutch have reached the final four of a major tournament for the first time since finishing third at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and they are now hoping to emulate their heroics from 1988 when they were famously crowned kings of Europe in Germany.

England, meanwhile, suffered heartbreak at Euro 2020 when they lost on home soil at Wembley in a penalty shootout against Italy in the final. The Three Lions will be eager to put those dark memories behind them and claim victory to secure their chance at redemption in Berlin.

Team news

There are no injury concerns for Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman but he has several difficult selection decisions to make for Wednesday’s clash.

Burnley striker Wout Weghorst is clamouring for a starting spot after impressing off the bench so far in the tournament but it looks highly unlikely either Memphis Depay or Cody Gakpo will be dropped.

Micky van de Ven and Joey Veerman are among the others also hoping to be promoted to the starting line-up after strong recent cameos from the bench.

England manager Gareth Southgate has been boosted by the return to full fitness of left-back Luke Shaw. The Manchester United man picked up his first minutes from the bench against Switzerland and he may be fit enough to start in Dortmund.

Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi is also available for selection after serving a one-match ban. He looks set to come back into the side in place of Ezri Konsa, who deputised admirably last time out.

Tip 1 – England to win @ 17/10

Both the Netherlands and England have begun to show signs of their quality in the knockout stages and, in what should be a tight but entertaining affair, it could be the Three Lions that come through to get another chance of continental glory.

England were flat for large parts in the early stages as they finished top of Group C with just one win and five points and they only just avoided a shock exit at the hands of Slovakia in the round of 16 thanks to Jude Bellingham’s 95th-minute equaliser. However, despite needing penalties to progress to the semi-finals, the Three Lions were notably better against an impressive Switzerland side and Gareth Southgate’s squad look to be finally finding some form in Germany.

The Dutch qualified for the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed sides after finishing behind Austria and France and looked to have returned to their best with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Romania.

However, they had to come from behind against an exciting Turkey side and could easily have fallen at the quarter-final stage had the Crescent Stars taken their chances.

With a spot in the final on the line, England are tipped to rise to the occasion and reach another European Championship final, seeing off the Dutch in what is the first meeting between the two nations in a major tournament since the Three Lions’ famous 4-1 win over the Netherlands in Euro 96.

Tip 2 – Over 2.5 goals @ 8/5

With plenty of attacking quality on show, there should be chances at both ends on Wednesday evening.

The Oranje have one of the joint-top goalscorers in the tournament in the form of Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, who has netted three times so far, to rely on while Donyell Malen (two), Wout Weghorst and Memphis Depay have all also found the back of the net in Germany this summer.

Only Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who have both scored twice, and Bukayo Saka have found the net for England in Euro 2024 so far but the likes of Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze and Cole Palmer are all able to cause opposition defences issues.

Each of the Netherlands’ last three games at the Euros have featured over 2.5 goals while four of the last five meetings between the two sides have contained at least three goals, too, so more of the same could well be on the cards in Dortmund.

Sunday will see England get the opportunity to make amends for their penalty shootout defeat to Italy three years ago as they take on Spain in the Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

The Three Lions have rarely dazzled in Germany, unlike La Roja who have won all six games by playing some scintillating football. Yet England have shown great resilience and passion to score some late goals, including a 91st-minute winner in Wednesday’s semi-final against the Netherlands to seal their spot in the showpiece.

England were favourites going into the tournament but Spain – who negotiated a much tougher route to the final by beating Italy, Croatia, Germany and France – are favoured to lift the trophy this weekend.

Team news

Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand were suspended for Spain’s semi-final win over France but both should come back into the defence for Sunday’s match.

Pedri is still out, however, meaning Golden Boot-chasing Dani Olmo will get the chance to start in midfield once more.

England have no suspension or injury worries, meaning Gareth Southgate could name an unchanged starting side from the one which beat the Netherlands.

The Three Lions’ only natural left-back, Luke Shaw, played the entire second half against the Dutch and many fans will be hoping to see him start in the final ahead of Kieran Trippier.

Tip 1 - Both teams to score @ 49/50

No side at Euro 2024 has scored more goals than Spain (13) and they are good value for that tally given that they are well ahead in the expected goals chart too.

La Roja have racked up 11.2 expected goals, one clear of second-best Germany, highlighting just how effective their attacking play has been.

Luis de la Fuente made a bold call to stray from Spain’s traditional possession-based approach in favour of a more dynamic style, with his formation including two natural wingers, something which has rarely been seen in the national side.

Lamine Yamal, scorer of arguably the goal of the tournament against France, and Nico Williams have excelled out wide while the runs of Fabian Ruiz and Olmo have provided a constant threat from midfield.

Spain are an excellent attacking side and it is difficult to envisage England, who have kept only two clean sheets in their six Euro 2024 matches, keeping them at bay on Sunday.

However, the Three Lions have looked far more cohesive in attack since Southgate’s decision to switch to a fluid 3-4-3 formation, and their passing patterns in forward areas on Wednesday caused plenty of issues for the Dutch.

With Harry Kane starting and dangerous attackers Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins waiting in the wings, England have the striking options to hurt Spain and that is without mentioning Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham, all of whom can contribute in attack.

Both teams to score has been a winning bet in all six of the pair's combined knockout matches as well as in the last three meetings between the finalists.

Take both teams to find the net in the German capital this weekend.

Tip 2 - Jude Bellingham to score @ 23/4

Many England fans were expecting Bellingham to light up Euro 2024 after his 23-goal debut season with Real Madrid.

While that has not quite been the case, he has still enjoyed a solid tournament and has given the Three Lions a moment they will remember for a long time, especially if Southgate’s men go on to lift the trophy.

With an embarrassing round-of-16 exit on the cards as England trailed Slovakia 1-0 heading into stoppage time, Bellingham stepped up with a stunning overhead kick to force extra time, highlighting his proficiency for leaving his mark on the biggest stage.

The Madrid midfielder netted an El Clasico brace earlier this term to land a 2-1 win over Barcelona and then scored the winner in the reverse fixture with Los Blancos’ bitter rivals, showing how little he feels pressure.

Bellingham scored the winning goal in England’s opener against Serbia with a superb header, with his height and late arrivals into the box a tactic Southgate may look to exploit against Spain.

All three goals La Roja have conceded at Euro 2024 have come via crosses. The first was an own goal, the second came from a knockdown and the most recent was a terrific Randal Kolo Muani header, so Bellingham looks a big price to net in Berlin on Sunday.

It may not have come home but the football on show at Euro 2024 still produced plenty of entertainment during the month-long football fiesta.

Aptly, it was topped off by Spain making it a perfect seven wins from seven with a victory over England in the Berlin final.

Now BetMGM has compiled a team of the tournament according to advanced statistical data exclusively in conjunction with renowned football publication FourFourTwo.

How many of Spain’s victorious unit make it into our best XI? Did any Englishman earn a spot after several underwhelming team displays en route to the final? Which of the tournament overachievers are represented in the team? Read on to find out.

Please note: a brief summary of the advanced metrics used to calculate the team can be found at the bottom of this article

GK: Jan Oblak (Slovenia)

Slovenia’s shot-stopper was the standout goalkeeper of the tournament, keeping two clean sheets during his side’s four games.

Obalk made 14 saves in total, with the most impressive being his stunning diving stop from Cristiano Ronaldo’s late penalty in their round of 16 clash against Portugal.

RB: Jules Kounde (France)

While France failed to hit their best attacking form throughout the tournament, they were rock solid defensively and kept four clean sheets en route to the semi-finals.

Barcelona defender Kounde particularly impressed, ending Euro 2024 with a pass completion rate of 88% and making 41 ball recoveries during France’s six games.

CB: Manuel Akanji (Switzerland)

Despite missing a crucial penalty during the shootout against England, the Manchester City centre-back was imperious in Switzerland’s journey to the quarter-finals.

His build-out play from the back was as composed as ever, with a pass completion rate of 94%, while he also averaged 7.4 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.

CB: Marc Guehi (England)

After Harry Maguire was ruled out of Euro 2024 through injury, Guehi stepped up to the role and delivered six impeccable performances as England suffered tournament heartbreak once again in Berlin.

England’s centre-back won 13 aerial duels, more than any other England player during the tournament, and ended the competition with a pass completion rate of 94%. The Crystal Palace skipper will be hoping for an equally impressive campaign at the 2026 World Cup, with England 7/1 to win their first major tournament since 1966.

LB: Marc Cucurella (Spain)

After a difficult season with Chelsea, the Spanish left-back returned to his best form throughout the summer as Spain won a record fourth European Championship.

Cucurella was a constant threat down the left flank, evidenced by his pinpoint cross for Mikel Oyarzabal’s winner late on in the final against England. He was equally impressive defensively, averaging 1.15 tackles and 4.86 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.

CM: Dani Olmo (Spain)

Despite not initially being named in Spain’s starting XI, Olmo certainly made his mark on the tournament and in the knockout stages in particular.

His stunning winner during Spain’s semi-final against France earned his team a spot in the final as Luis de la Fuente’s men became the first side to win all seven matches at a European Championship. With three goals and two assists in six appearances, the attacking midfielder also took home a share of the Golden Boot.

CM: Rodri (Spain)

Olmo is joined in midfield by his Spanish team-mate, Rodri. The Manchester City midfielder continues to underline his importance to every team he plays for, having lost just once in 90 minutes in the past 12 months.

The midfield maestro completed an astonishing 411 out of the 439 passes he attempted as his performances earned him the Player of the Tournament Award.

CM: Xavi Simons (Netherlands)

The Dutch youngster shone throughout the tournament as the Netherlands cruelly missed out on a place in a final after Ollie Watkins’ late winner in the semi-final. Simons was a creative threat throughout the Euros, providing two assists for his team-mates.

His stunning strike from outside of the box opened the scoring in the semi-final and Dutch fans will be hoping the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder can continue to improve ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

RW: Lamine Yamal (Spain)

The Barcelona winger was one of the stories of the tournament as his performances throughout showed maturity beyond his years. Despite entering Euro 2024 as a 16-year-old, Yamal was one of the best attacking players on display, providing four assists in seven games as Spain came out victorious.

His stunning curling strike into the top corner against France was one of the goals of the tournament and he broke records along the way, becoming the first player to score or assist in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of a single European Championship.

ST: Kai Havertz (Germany)

Tournament hosts Germany suffered heartbreak during their quarter-final exit against eventual winners Spain. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz was at the heart of their attacking play, scoring two goals and registering one assist during his five appearances.

LW: Nico Williams (Spain)

Williams was as impressive down the left-hand side as Yamal was down the right as the two Spanish youngsters tormented full-backs throughout the tournament.

He scored two goals, including the opener in the final with a composed finish into the bottom corner, and provided one assist. Spain fans will be hoping their two young wingers can lead the nation to World Cup glory in two years, with Spain 7/1 to win the 2026 World Cup.

_The team is based on the following metrics: xG: Expected goals. A metric used to measure the quality of a shot based on variables such as shot angle, distance, type of assist and type of shot

G: Goals. The number of actual goals scored

xT: Expected threat. A metric used to measure ball progression, in particular the impact of a player’s dribbles and carries in taking a team into ‘dangerous' areas

**xD:**Expected defence. Used to measure how much ’threat’ a player prevented with their defensive actions

xA: Expected assists. Used to measure the pass before the shot where the pass is assigned xG value of that shot. Takes into account various factors such as type and length of pass as well as its end-point