European Championship: Group E Preview

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.