Author: WhichBookie

At last, the long-delayed Euro2020 tournament is about to start, with the opening fixture of Italy v Turkey taking place in Rome tomorrow evening. Of the 24 participating nations, Scotland is a relative minnow but few would doubt the enormous heart of this small nation at the western edge of Europe. The team qualified after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out against Serbia last November, and Euro2020 is the first major international competition for Scotland since the 1998 World Cup in France.

Scotland’s fixtures in Group D are as follows:

• Monday 14 June Scotland v Czech Republic (2pm kick-off)
• Friday 18 June Scotland v England (8pm kick-off)
• Tuesday 22 June Scotland v Croatia (8pm kick-off)

The England game will take place at Wembley but Scotland will have home advantage in the other two matches which will be played at Hampden Park in Glasgow. The top two teams from each of the six groups will go through to the Round of 16 plus the four best third-placed teams.

There is confidence in Scotland that the national side can progress from the Group Stage to the Round of 16 and that positivity is shared by the self-proclaimed “Special One”, Jose Mourinho, who has said this week “In this moment, Scotland has a nucleus of important players in the Premier League and playing in important clubs in the Premier League. You look to Tierney of Arsenal, Robertson of Liverpool, McTominay of Manchester United – they are a Premier League level team. I think they are better than in the past 20 years. I know there are other good teams in the group, but maybe it can be England first and then Scotland second?”.

Despite Mourinho’s supportive stance, the bookmakers take a very different view of Scotland’s prospects with BetFred offering odds of 11/8 that Scotland will qualify from the Group. These odds are significantly longer than those on offer for England (second favourite, after France, to win the tournament), Croatia and the Czech Republic. And the odds for Scotland to lift the Euro2020 trophy are a whopping 400/1 from some bookmakers.

But the Euro tournament has known upsets in the past. Think back to 2004 when Greece defeated Portugal 1-0 in the final. And in 2016, Iceland – with a population smaller than Bristol – finished second in Group F and then defeated England in the Round of 16. Many pundits do not even place Scotland on their lists of underdogs – Austria, Denmark, Ukraine et al – that may upset the applecart this time round, but the Tartan Army holds a different view.

The squad has a depth in it lacking in the past and, led by 27-year old Andy Robertson (Liverpool’s left back), has delivered solid performances during the build-up to the competition, drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands and beating Luxemburg 1-0 in the past few weeks. Steve Clarke, Scotland manager, believes that Scotland can beat the odds, saying “It’s three tough games against three difficult opponents – but we have to relish that challenge. Experience helps. I’ve banged on a couple of times since getting this job about international experience. Being used to playing international matches and being successful. Not losing is important and the recent run we’ve been on is decent. We want to continue that into the tournament”.

Italy will play Turkey in the first fixture of the delayed Euro2020 tournament this Friday at 9pm (Central European Time).  Despite the challenges of the past year,  UEFA have managed to pull together a unique tournament that will see the 24 participating national teams play 48 matches during the Group and Round of 16 stages prior to the Semi-Finals at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday 6 July and Wednesday 7 July, and the Final, again at Wembley, on Sunday 11 July.  

Matches are being played at stadiums in 11 cities in 11 countries across Europe and, unsurprisingly, the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, has recently commented on the enormous logistical, legal and linguistic challenges this novel format has presented, saying “I would not do it again!”

The Draw for the tournament is as follows:

• Group A (Rome/Baku): Turkey, Italy (hosts), Wales, Switzerland 
• Group B (Copenhagen/St Petersburg): Denmark (hosts), Finland, Belgium, Russia (hosts)
• Group C (Amsterdam/Bucharest): Netherlands (hosts), Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia
• Group D (London/Glasgow): England (hosts), Croatia, Scotland (hosts), Czech Republic
• Group E (Seville/St Petersburg): Spain (hosts), Sweden, Poland, Slovakia
• Group F (Munich/Budapest): Hungary (hosts), Portugal (holders), France, Germany (hosts)

The fixtures for the tournament are set out below:

GROUP STAGE         

Friday 11 June

• Group A: Turkey vs Italy (21:00, Rome)

Saturday 12 June

• Group A: Wales vs Switzerland (15:00, Baku)
• Group B: Denmark vs Finland (18:00, Copenhagen)
• Group B: Belgium vs Russia (21:00, St Petersburg)

Sunday 13 June

• Group D: England vs Croatia (15:00, London)
• Group C: Austria vs North Macedonia (18:00, Bucharest)
• Group C: Netherlands vs Ukraine (21:00, Amsterdam)

Monday 14 July

• Group D: Scotland vs Czech Republic (15:00, Glasgow)
• Group E: Poland vs Slovakia (18:00, St Petersburg)
• Group E: Spain vs Sweden (21:00, Seville)

Tuesday 15 June

• Group F: Hungary vs Portugal (18:00, Budapest)
• Group F: France vs Germany (21:00, Munich)

Wednesday 16 June

• Group B: Finland vs Russia (15:00, St Petersburg)
• Group A: Turkey vs Wales (18:00, Baku)
• Group A: Italy vs Switzerland (21:00, Rome)

Thursday 17 June

• Group C: Ukraine vs North Macedonia (15:00, Bucharest)
• Group B: Denmark vs Belgium (18:00, Copenhagen)
• Group C: Netherlands vs Austria (21:00, Amsterdam)
• Friday 18 June
• Group E: Sweden vs Slovakia (15:00, St Petersburg)
• Group D: Croatia vs Czech Republic (18:00, Glasgow)
• Group D: England vs Scotland (21:00, London)

Saturday 19 June

• Group F: Hungary vs France (15:00, Budapest)
• Group F: Portugal vs Germany (18:00, Munich)
• Group E: Spain vs Poland (21:00, Seville)

Sunday 20 June

• Group A: Italy vs Wales (18:00, Rome)
• Group A: Switzerland vs Turkey (18:00, Baku)

Monday 21 June

• Group C: North Macedonia vs Netherlands (18:00, Amsterdam)
• Group C: Ukraine vs Austria (18:00, Bucharest)
• Group B: Russia vs Denmark (21:00, Copenhagen)
• Group B: Finland vs Belgium (21:00, St Petersburg)

Tuesday 22 June

• Group D: Czech Republic vs England (21:00, London)
• Group D: Croatia vs Scotland (21:00, Glasgow)

Wednesday 23 June

• Group E: Slovakia vs Spain (18:00, Seville)
• Group E: Sweden vs Poland (18:00, St Petersburg)
• Group F: Germany vs Hungary (21:00, Munich)
• Group F: Portugal v France (21:00, Budapest)

The top two in each group plus four best third-placed teams go through.

Rest days on 24 and 25 June

KNOCKOUT PHASE

Round of 16

Saturday 26 June

• 1: 2A vs 2B (18:00, Amsterdam)
• 2: 1A vs 2C (21:00, London)

Sunday 27 June

• 3: 1C vs 3D/E/F (18:00, Budapest)
• 4: 1B vs 3A/D/E/F (21:00, Seville)

Monday 28 June

• 5: 2D vs 2E (18:00, Copenhagen)
• 6: 1F vs 3A/B/C (21:00, Bucharest)

Tuesday 29 June

• 7: 1D vs 2F (18:00, London)
• 8: 1E vs 3A/B/C/D (21:00, Glasgow)

Rest days on 30 June and 1 July

Quarter-finals

Friday 2 July

• QF1: Winner 6 vs Winner 5 (18:00, St Petersburg)
• QF2: Winner 4 vs Winner 2 (21:00, Munich)

Saturday 3 July

• QF3: Winner 3 vs Winner 1 (18:00, Baku)
• QF4: Winner 8 vs Winner 7 (21:00, Rome)

Rest days on 4 and 5 July

Semi-finals

Tuesday 6 July

• SF1: Winner QF2 vs Winner QF1 (21:00, London)

Wednesday 7 July

• SF2: Winner QF4 vs Winner QF3 (21:00, London)

Rest days on 8, 9, 10 July

Final

Sunday 11 July

• Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 (21:00, London)

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France, coached by veteran Didier Deschamps, are strong favourites to win the Henri Delaunay Trophy on 11 June with odds of 26/5 from bookmaker SBK.  Les Bleus are current World Cup holders and seek to repeat the double they achieved two decades ago when they won the World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000.  They are expected to top Group F, possibly the most challenging Group in the Tournament as it includes Germany and Euro2016 champions Portugal.  France are in  terrific form, having topped their Nations League (beating Portugal along the way) and enjoy a world ranking of 2.  Karim Benzema, the Read Madrid forward, has been recalled to the team after a six-year absence, in an effort to boost the tournament goal tally.  Kylian Mbappe, the PSG forward, will also be crucial to the team’s success.  France scored 25 goals from ten qualifying games, far behind world number 1 team, Belgium, with 40 goals and England and Italy, both with 37 goals.  

England are also tipped to win Euro2020 with best odds of 6/1 from bookie SportNation, making Gareth Southgate’s side second favourites behind France.  The tournament’s year-long delay may favour England, ranked world number 4,  as it has allowed younger players such as Mason Mount, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden to mature.  If England reache the Semi-final and the Final, the home advantage of Wembley Stadium will undoubtedly assist the team (whose best tournament performance to date was reaching the Semi-final back in 1996).  

Belgium are currently a good value bet with odds of 15/2 from UNIBET.  Ranked world number 1 for the past two years,  the national side is brimming with talent and includes stars such as Romelu Lukaku who has scored as many international goals as Lionel Messi, Son Heung-Min and Klylian Mbappe combined.  Coach Roberto Martinez will be delighted that Manchester City star, Kevin De Bruyne, has largely recovered from injury and he is expected to participate in Group B matches, although he may sit out on the first fixture, against Russia, on Saturday 12 June.  The creativity of De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Youri Tielemans give Belgium a huge edge on their rivals.

Other national teams that could be in the mix to win Euro2020 include Germany, with odds of 9/1 from bookie SBK reflecting the team’s slide in form over the past three years.  Spain, Portugal (defending champions) and Italy are also in the mix with similar odds.  

Other than betting on the winner of Euro 2020, the Top Goalscorer market is one of the most popular. The latest domestic season can give us an idea of which players are in form and whether or not they are likely to do well in front of goal for their countries throughout the month-long tournament starting in June.

Below, we’ll be taking a look at some of the potential candidates for the Euro 2020 Top Scorer award and the odds that some of the leading UK bookies are currently offering.

League Form This Season

As mentioned above, by looking at how players have performed in their domestic leagues, we should be able to determine if you have a good chance of performing well at the Euros this year.

Below is a table of the top scorers in the top five domestic football leagues along with how many goals they have scored for their club this season in league matches.

Scroll down to view our thoughts on the bookies’ favourites along with some Euro 2021 Top Scorer Tips for outsider selections.

Player	Club	Euro 2020 Country	Goals	Odds	Bookie
Robert Lewandowski	Bayern München	Poland	40	33/1
Lionel Messi	Barcelona	N/A	30	N/A
Cristiano Ronaldo	Juventus	Portugal	29	12/1
André Silva	Eintracht Frankfurt	Portugal	27	66/1
Kylian Mbappé	PSG	France	26	10/1
Erling Haaland	Borussia Dortmund	N/A	25	N/A
Romelu Lukaku	Inter Milan	Belgium	23	8/1
Gerard Moreno	Villarreal	Spain	23	80/1
Karim Benzema	Real Madrid	France	22	20/1
Harry Kane	Tottenham	England	22	8/1
Luis Muriel	Atalanta	N/A	22	N/A
Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	N/A	22	N/A
Dušan Vlahović	Fiorentina	N/A	21	N/A
Wissam Ben Yedder	Monaco	France	20	50/1
Memphis Depay	Lyon	Netherlands	20	20/1
Wout Weghorst	Wolfsburg	Netherlands	20	N/A
Ciro Immobile	Lazio	Italy	20	25/1
Simy	Crotone	N/A	20	N/A
Luis Suárez	Atletico	N/A	20	N/A

Harry Kane – 8/1

Harry Kane is Englands number 1. He takes England’s penalties, selected free kicks and will be the main target in the box this coming Euros for his side.

Despite Tottenham having a relatively average season, Kane has bagged over a third of the clubs goals, finding the net a total of 22 times. If England progress in the tournament, Kane stands a good chance of adding to his international goal tally and picking up the Euro 2020 Top Scorer award.

One worrying stat about Kane that may make you think twice about placing a wager on him is that despite being Englands 6th all-time leading goalscorer with 34 goals to his name, he hasn’t scored a single goal in the Euros despite featuring in four different tournaments.

Romelu Lukaku – 8/1

Along with Kane, bookies have priced Lukaku at 8/1 to find the net more than any other player at Euro 2020. He’s scored 23 league goals for Serie A side Inter Milan this season and is Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer with 59 goals in 91 games.

Belgium are a very attacking side and many fancy them to do well at this years tournament. The fact that Belgium have so many players that are capable of scoring at international level may be a negative but he shouldn’t be ruled out.

Kylian Mbappé – 10/1

At just 21 years old, Kylian Mbappé is one of football’s most exciting prospects and has already scored 16 goals for his country at senior level. He heads into the tournament in great form also having found the net 26 times for PSG in Ligue 1 and could be a star performer at Euro 2020.

Cristiano Ronaldo 12/1

There’s not much to say about Cristiano Ronaldo that you won’t already know. He’s one of the most talented footballers ever to walk on a pitch and shows no signs of slowing down at the age of 36.

As always, Ronaldo has been in great form again this season in Serie A where he has bagged a total of 29 goals – 40% of all league goals scored by Juventus this season!

One disadvantage of backing Ronaldo to be the Top Goalscorer at Euro 2020 is that he plays for Portugal who are far from a bad side but are unlikely to match up to the likes of France, Belgium and England this year. However, they are the current Euro Champions so what do we know!

Ronaldo has scored a total of 103 goals for his country and one thing that may spur him on is that he is only six goals away from equaling the most international goals scored by any player – A record currently held by former Iranian striker, Ali Daei who picked up an impressive 109 goals for Iran throughout this career.

Euro 2020 Top Scorer Outsiders

Some of the odds available on other players who are set to feature at Euro 2020 are very tempting and you may be able to find value in some of them. However, there are a few factors to consider before deciding on your selection.

Do they play for a country that is expected to progress?

If the player plays for a country that is expected to reach the later stages of the competition then it means that they will receive more minutes on the pitch and have more time to score goals.

If you look at top scorers of previous Euro competitions, you’ll find that the majority of them played for countries that were expected to and did well that year.

• Euro 2016: Antoine Griezmann (France) – 6 Goals
• Euro 2012: Fernando Torres (Spain) – 3 Goals
• Euro 2008: David Villa (Spain) – 4 Goals
• Euro 2004: Milan Baroš (Czech Republic) – 5 Goals
• Euro 2002: Savo Milosevic (Yugoslavia) / Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands) – 5 Goals
• Euro 1996: Alan Shearer (England) – 5 Goals

Robert Lewandowski scored a hugely impressive 40 goals this season for his club Bayern München but is considered a 33/1 outsider to find the net the most times in Euro 2020. This isn’t the bookies questioning his ability but just that he plays for Poland who are unlikely to reach the final stages of the tournament.

Will they start games?

It’s fine to say that a player has the talent to score goals at this level or that they have scored XX goals this season for their club, but if there are other players ahead of them in the pickings for the starting eleven, they’re unlikely to get the chance to showcase their talent and score goals.

Top Outsider: Antoine Griezmann – 20/1

Griezmann has struggled for form since his move to Barcelona and has even been given a place on the bench in recent weeks. However, his place in France’s Euro 2020 squad is safe and should he start and find the form early on in the tournament, he could be a nice outside bet for the Euro 2020 top scorer given that France are one of the bookies favourites for the tournament.

You can back Antoine Griezmann to be the top scorer at Euro 2020 @ 20/1 with several bookmakers such as Bet365, Betfair and Boylesports.

 

As Euro 2020 fast approaches, we take a look at the six individual groups and a key match for each that you don’t want to miss.

Group F features the likes of Germany, France and Portugal which should produce some thrilling encounters in the group stage of the tournament and with Finland and North Macedonia making their Euro debuts, levels of passion and excitement amongst players and fans is set to be high.

Group A

Euro 2020 Group A
Turkey	Italy	Wales	Switzerland

Turkey v Italy – 11th June 21:00

Turkey v Italy
Turkey	7/1
Draw	3/1
Italy	13/25

Turkey v Italy is the opening game of Euro 2020 and will be watched by millions around the world. The opening ceremony will precede the game and with the Stadio Olimpico being at a minimum 25% capacity, there should be in excess of 20,000 fans to create the atmosphere the first game of the tournament deserves.

Italy have the home advantage in this match with it taking place in Rome and are the bookies favourites for the win. Turkey have lost every opening match in each European Championships tournament they’ve featured in and have also failed to beat Italy in their last ten meetings with them which adds to confidence in a win for Italy.

Group B

Euro 2020 Group B
Denmark	Finland	Belgium	Russia

Denmark v Finland – 12th June 18:00

Denmark vs Finland
Denmark	1/2
Draw	10/3
Finland	6/1

Denmark v Finland may not be a match that you’d rush to turn on the TV for but it shouldn’t be missed this time around. For Finland, Euro 2020 will be their first-ever major tournament in their 110-year history! They secured their place in this year’s tournament with a 3-0 win against Liechtenstein to finish runners up in their group behind Italy. Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki will feature for Finland and will hope to make an impact for his country who have played over 750 international fixtures to get to this point. They’re up against a Denmark side who they have met 60 times previously which may go to their advantage.

Group C

Euro 2020 Group C
Netherlands	Ukraine	Austria	North Macedonia

Austria v North Macedonia – 13th June 18:00

Austria vs North Macedonia
Austria	8/15
Draw	13/4
North Macedonia	6/1

Another match for the history books is Austria v North Macedonia in Group C. Similar to Finland, North Macedonia have never qualified for the Euros and will hope to make an impact in their opening match. It’s set to be a passionate performance for North Macedonia who will look to their 37-year-old captain and all-time top scorer, Goran Pandev for goals.

Group D

Euro 2020 Group D
England	Croatia	Scotland	Czech Republic

England  v Scotland – 18th June 21:00

England v Scotland
England	1/3
Draw	4/1
Scotland	9/1

England play Scotland in their second match of Euro 2020 and it is the fixture the nation will be looking forward to the most. The encounter between these two sides in Euro 1996 was an epic one with Paul Gascoigne scoring one of the most memorable England goals of all time. Scotland haven’t featured at the European Championships since that tournament and will be looking for revenge against their rivals. If they can secure an unlikely three points, it would give them much more hope in progressing past the group stages of the tournament – A task that they have failed to do in 11 attempts.

Group E

Euro 2020 Group E
Spain	Sweden	Poland	Slovakia

Spain v Poland – 19th June 21:00

Spain v Poland
Spain	1/2
Draw	39/11
Poland	6/1

Spain will be hosting Poland in Seville on 19th June in what could be a potentially tight match. Spain are the clear favourites but Poland will be looking towards Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski for hope as the 32-year-old features in his third Euros. Poland’s key man has bagged an impressive 47 goals in 39 matches this season for his Bundesliga club and if he’s able to bring with him his club form to Euro 2020, Poland could be in with a chance of progressing past the group stage. They’ll find it tough against a Spain side who have beaten them 4-2 and 3-0 in their only two meetings but with Lewandowski on the pitch, a surprise result is not out of the question.

Group F

Euro 2020 Group F
Hungary	Portugal	France	Germany

Portugal v France – 23rd June 21:00

Portugal v France
Portugal	58/19
Draw	9/4
France	6/5

In a repeat of the Euro 2016 final, Portugal meet France on 23rd June in one of the biggest clashes of the group stage fixtures. It’s the toughest of all six groups and so picking up points in this match is vital for both teams. Despite Portugal netting an extra-time winner against France five years ago to win the tournament, they’ll find it tough this time around against the World Cup holders. However, with Cristiano Ronaldo featuring, Portugal will still be seen as a threat.

After a frustrating season of football which saw matches being played in empty stadiums and last years tournament postponed, Euro 2020 is finally here and will run from Friday 11th June – Saturday 12th July with fixtures being held all around Europe.

As the tournament is only weeks away, we’ll be taking a look at some of the ante-post markets that are available as well as other popular Euro 2020 betting markets that you may wish to consider throughout the tournament. The advantage of ante-post markets is that you are often able to get much bigger odds than if you wait until closer to the tournament time to place your bets. However, the disadvantage of ante-post bets is that things can change from the time you place your bet to the time Euro 2020 actually gets underway. For example, you may place an ante-post bet on Harry Kane to be the Euro 2020 Top Scorer but if he gets injured before the tournament, your bet would lose before it has even had a chance to get going.

Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular ante-post betting markets for Euro 2020 along with the odds currently available with the top UK bookies. Be sure to take a look at our betting offers page for the latest Euro 2020 offers.

Euro 2020 Winner

Betting on the winner of Euro 2020 is the most popular betting market with punters looking to have a flutter on their team going all the way. Whether you’re looking to back the favourites or have a small play on an outsider with big odds, you can do so pre-tournament.

The odds for the outright winner market of Euro 2020 are unlikely to fluctuate as much as other markets and so there isn’t as much of an advantage placing your winner bets just a couple of weeks in advance. However, there is also less risk as although key players can get injured which may impact the likelihood of the team winning, they can be replaced by other squad members which will mean that your bet will always run.

The bookies Euro 2020 Winner ante-post odds have England as favourites to win the tournament. Southgate has an exciting variety of players to choose from and with Germany being less of a dominant force these days, competition could be seen as less than in previous years. However, there are still a handful of teams that are likely to cause potential problems for the Three Lions with the France and Belgium squads featuring several world-class players who have the ability to score goals.

Below are ante post odds for the Euro 2020 Winner market. Click on a bookies logo to be taken to their site.

Euro 2020 Winner Odds
England 11/2	France 6/1	Belgium 6/1	Germany 8/1	Spain 9/1
Portugal 17/2	Italy 12/1	Netherlands 12/1	Denmark 30/1	Croatia 40/1

Euro 2020 Top Goalscorer

One betting market that you may be able to get more value from when betting ante-post is the Top Goalscorer market. However, as the tournament start date draws closer, there is less chance of players getting injured and so the odds a week or so before the tournament begins will likely be close to what is offered when it gets underway. However, many managers, including Gareth Southgate, are yet to name their squads for Euro 2020 which means that there may be value in backing an attacking player who is not certain to be named in the squad as if they are, their odds with the bookies will surely shorten.

England’s Phil Foden is set to be named in Southgate’s squad and is a tempting 100/1 to bag the most goals at this year’s Euros. He may not be an obvious choice but if he gets a start and puts in a good performance, he could feature heavily throughout the tournament and we’ve seen what he’s capable of in front of goal for Manchester City. Similarly, Everton’s Calvert Lewin is likely to make the cut but could only be a stand-in for Harry Kane. However, should Kane get an injury pre-tournament or in the first game, the Everton forward could get his chance and can be backed at 150/1. Lastly, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho has shown that he is eager in front of goal when he has been given minutes on the pitch by Southgate. If he features heavily during the tournament, he could be an outside shout at odds of 100/1.

The odds on the Euro 2020 Top Scorer will fluctuate both when the squads are announced and throughout the tournament and so with a little bit of research, it is possible to find value in this market when betting ante-post. Southgate is set to name his 26-man squad on 25th May.

Below is a selection of ante-post odds for Euro 2020 Top Scorer options.

Euro 2020 Top Scorer Odds
Harry Kane 7/1	Romelu Lukaku 8/1	Kylian Mbappe 10/1	Cristiano Ronaldo 10/1	Antoine Griezmann 20/1
Memphis Depay 20/1	Ciro Immobile 25/1	Alvaro Morata 25/1	Timo Werner 25/1	Raheem Sterling 28/1
England Outsiders
Phil Foden 100/1	Dominic Calvert Lewin 10/1	Jadon Sancho 10/1	Marcus Rashford 40/1	Mason Mount 100/1

Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament

The Euro Player of the Tournament has been awarded to a player in each UEFA European Championship tournament since 1966. Winners were announced in tournaments prior to 1996 but these were unofficial honours. The Player of the Tournament is determined by an individual UEFA panel and so can sometimes be left open to opinion and controversy.

All six winners of this award have played for one of the two teams who reached the final in the year of their award so this should help you determine the best player to select. If you can predict which team(s) will reach the final, then you should have a much better chance of correctly selecting the Player of the Tournament. This is generally because players who reach the final have more pitch time to make an impression, score goals and attain merit towards the award.

Based on the above, it’s no surprise to see the favourites for the Euro 2020 Player of the Year feature in the top teams that are predicted to do well at the tournament.

Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament Odds
Kevin De Bruyne 9/1	Kylian Mbappe 9/1	Harry Kane 14/1	Antoine Griezmann 20/1	Cristiano Ronaldo 25/1

To Reach The Final

‘To Reach The Final’ of Euro 2020 is an interesting betting market and one that is often overlooked for the more popular ‘Winner’ market. Take England for example who are 5/1 to win the tournament but 11/4 to reach the final. If they did reach the final, unless they met one of the underdogs, it’s hard to see the value in backing them for the win pre-tournament. For example, if you placed £10 on England to win Euro 2020 pre-tournament, your returns would be £60. If you placed £10 on them to reach the final of Euro 2020, your returns would be £37.50. That means that the odds on England to win the final would only have to be above 3/5 (1.60) for it to be the better option.

If you are considering placing a bet on the winner of Euro 2020, it may be worth comparing the odds against your team to simply reach the final.

Euro 2020 To Reach The Final Odds
England 11/4	France 3/1	Belgium 3/1	Germany 7/2	Spain 7/2
Portugal 4/1	Italy 5/1	Netherlands 11/2	Croatia 14/1	Denmark 14/1

After a disappointing start to the season, with the team only 11th in the Premier League table back in November, Manchester City’s resurgence in form has swept away all opposition.  In April, the team lifted the Carabao Cup for the fourth consecutive year after beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.  Last night, City won the third Premier League title of manager Pep Guardiola’s five-year reign after Manchester United’s defeat to Leicester City left them ten points behind City with three games left to play.  

50-year old Guardiola, who has won 31 trophies during his managerial career, has acknowledged that the restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic have been extremely challenging, saying “This has been a season and a Premier League title like no other.  This was the hardest one”.  Now the Catalan’s attention turns to the Champions League final on 29 May when City will play Chelsea in the hope of landing a treble for the second time in five years.

Perhaps it is no surprise then that Manchester City are favourites to win the Premier League next season, with best odds of 4/5 from UK bookmaker BetVictor.  The club has all the aces in the pack just now: a squad of immense talent with a relentless drive for success, Guardiola – considered the best manager in Europe – together with director of football, Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, both of whom Guardiola worked with previously in Barcelona.  The appointment of Juanma Lillo as assistant manager last June has also proved a factor in the exceptional progress made this year.  The club has been owned by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi since 2008 and over £850 million has been invested in the club under the clear-headed leadership of club chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak.  

Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has talked about City’s performance this season, saying “If you want to take up the challenge with them we need to strengthen our squad.  Second is not a position we want to be in but we pushed them until the last 10 or 12 days of the season.”  

But at the moment, pundits reckon City’s main rival next season will not be runners-up Manchester United but Chelsea.  The two teams are due to play the Champions League final later this month and, based on recent form, Guardiola and his players will have a great deal of respect for their opponents.  As recently as last week Chelsea defeated City 2-1 in a Premier League encounter and this follows on from Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley last month.  

New Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, has been instrumental in Chelsea’s renaissance.  When the German moved from Paris Saint-Germain to replace Frank Lampard in January, the team was languishing at mid-table but now they have now sprung forward to reach the FA Cup Final (to be played this Saturday against Leicester City), the Champions League final and they heading for a top-4 finish in the League.  Chelsea legend, Michael Essien, reckons the Blues will win the Premier League next season and says ‘They’re my first choice for the title, then it’s obviously going to be Man United, Liverpool and Man City who will be right up there with them.  With the players Thomas Tuchel has got at his disposal, I think he’s got all the tools needed to challenge for the title next season”.  Bookie 10Bet offers odds of 11/2 that Chelsea will win the Premier League next time round with the odds of a Liverpool win a little more distant at best odds of 13/2 from Skybet and 8/1 for Manchester United from the same bookie.   The unprecedented level of injuries suffered by Liverpool players, including Jordan Henderson and Virgil Van Dyck, have had a serious effect on the team’s performance and the current odds may be considered good value, assuming key players return to the pitch by August.  

Pep Guardiola is ready to embrace the challenge from his Premier League rivals next season, having agreed with Al Mubarak to extend his contract to summer 2023.  In the meantime, there is the small matter of the Champions League final to win.  And the opportunity to share the Premier League win with up to 10,000 fans when Manchester City play their final home game of the season, against Everton, on 23 May.  The trophy will be presented to the champions and, this year, captain Fernadinho will share the honour of lifting the trophy with Sergio Aguero, who is leaving after ten years at City,  to acknowledge the Argentinian’s immense contribution to the club.