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Yesterday’s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester was the biggest indication that football-centred nature is in fact healing and seeing crowds return to stadia was one of the biggest heartwarming moments I’ve experienced in a long time.
And the best part of that is the pay-off from missing out on a summer of football in 2020 is coming thick and fast as the rescheduled 2020 European Championships are now just four weeks away. Not only is exciting building for the football, but there’s countless opportunities to fill your boots with the Euros as we’ve got tonnes of outright markets available to you to have a punt on.
A fortnight ago, I brought you through the most likely winners before tackling top goalscorers last Sunday. Today? Group winners. Let’s get to it!
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Best Bet: Belgium
Yes, please. I had a look at Italy for this too, but the price difference between themselves and Belgium is odd. Yes, perhaps you can argue that the Belgians face more teams that will directly challenge them, but that also means they’ll take points off each other.
I genuinely think six points will win this group, and Kevin De Bruyne and Co know in the back of their heads that if they do actually get into trouble, they’ve got their easiest fixture last of all – against Finland.
We’re all aware of Russia’s prowess after the last World Cup – but there’s two things to take from that. One being that they’re playing sides with towering centre halves that won’t be bullied by Artem Dzyuba again – and Aleksandr Golovin won’t be fuelled by Russian pride because of playing on home turf, so you’d imagine he might actually have to slow down at some point this time around.
Dark Horse: Sweden
Now, bear with me. We all know how it goes for Spain in major tournaments. Either they win the thing, or their manager resigns in disgrace the day beforehand and they’re slapped.
If we’re banking on the latter, then ideally you want the side playing Spain in the opening game and that so happens to be Sweden. Now while we can’t look too much into their World Cup qualifying wins over Kosovo and Georgia – at least they were to-nil, we know they’re not complacent.
Sweden and Spain were in the same qualifying group for this too, by the way. The played out a 1-1 draw in Solna that required a 92nd-minute goal from Rodrigo to share the spoils for the favourites. Just keep them onside.
Avoid: Germany
How are Germany favourites to win this group when they’re placed alongside the current world champions, who have the best squad, terrific momentum and the best player in the world coming into this tournament?
Germany, for their troubles, lost to North Macedonia. And while that clash of the titans’ rematch isn’t until October, so we won’t know if North Macedonia can hold the form of their walk in the park against the boringly-labelled ‘efficient’ German side, they’re hardly the pick in a group that features the French.
And that’s not even factoring in the European Championship holders. Yes, the last tournament was now so long ago that Cristiano Ronaldo was still doing his paper round, but the point remains. The worst value, by any distance, among the possible group winners.
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