Euro 2024 Winner Tips
Germany to Win
Portugal to Win
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Germany
In the last six instalments of this tournament, the home nation has made the final, a trend that favours the Germans at this summer’s Euros.
Germany have been in a transitional period since their early exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Some senior players have moved on from the international scene which has given younger stars the chance to prove themselves for the new manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Like his players, the ex-Bayern boss has a lot to do to prove that he is one of the best coaches in the business. After his harsh sacking from the Bavarian giants, Nagelsmann took over the national team in 2023. He had success in his previous jobs in Hoffenheim (Qualified for UCL) and RB Leipzig (UCL semi-final), but he has yet to really prove he belongs at the top of the game.
Nagelsmann plays a 4-2-3-1 formation which seems to fit the outfit of players that are available to him. With the likes of Niclas Fullkrug, Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz, Antonio Rudiger and Jamal Musiala all having good seasons, Nagelsmann has plenty to chose from for his starting XI.
In terms of strengths, the Germans have a solid centre-half paring of Real Madrid’s Rudiger and the Bayer Leverkusen skipper Jonathan Tah, with Champions League finalist Nico Schlotterbeck as cover. Another strength of this German side is the depth of world-class attacking players at their disposal.
Whether it be the Bayern superstar Musiala, Arsenal’s Havertz, Leverkusen’s Wirtz or Dortmund’s big No. 9 Fullkrug, Germany have an abundance of options. With the likes of Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry who will also play a big part in their Euro 2024 campaign, this German side is well-equipped to win this tournament on paper.
Although there are many strong points for the home nation, there are some worrying weaknesses that if exploited can be the downfall of this team. The age profile of central midfield players is a real concern.
READ MORE: Euro 2024 Wallchart | Euro 2024 Sweepstake Kit | Germany Euro 2024 squad preview | Euro 2024 Group A Betting Tips | Euro 2024 Group A Fixtures |
International tournaments are relentless on the bodies of the players. I don’t think that relying heavily on the likes of Toni Kroos (34), Ikay Gundogan (33), Joshua Kimmich (29) and Pascal Gross (32) will be more beneficial than problematic. All of these players are top quality who have played on the biggest stage and performed, but I think to win a tournament like the Euros you need young players with plenty of legs alongside those older and more technical players.
Nagelsmann must use some of his younger midfield players such as Aleksandar Pavlovic (20) and Musiala (21) to insert some energy and pace into central midfield.
In terms of the draw, Germany have ended on the more favourable side. Although their group might be tricky, they should top it. If this happens they can avoid both France and England in the knockout stages of the tournament. The route to the final might contain clashes with the Spanish and the Portuguese but I can see Germany beating both.
In terms of recent form, the Germans have pulled out some good results by beating both the French (0-2) and the Dutch (2-1), yet they have also had some poor results like their losses to Austria (2-0) and Turkey (2-3) in late 2023.
After taking all those points into account I firmly believe that at the prices, Germany is the NAP for me to win Euro 2024.
Portugal
At the time of writing Portugal are 7/1 to win the Euros Outright (5th in the market) and are my 2nd tip to win the Euros.
Portugal are in flying form after going through qualifying unbeaten and only conceding twice. The last three winners of the Euros (Spain 2012, Portugal 2016 and Italy 2020) all went unbeaten in the qualification before going on to win the tournament in the summer.
Their manager, Roberto Martinez, is in his second international managerial job after his stint as the Belgian manager from 2016 to late 2022. His leading accomplishment with their “Golden Generation” was only a third-place medal at the 2018 World Cup. Some would say that he severely underachieved with the team that he had but I can see why he would feel that this assumption is harsh on him.
Read More: Euro 2024 Wallchart | Euro 2024 Sweepstake Kit | Portugal Euro 2024 squad preview | Euro 2024 Group F Betting Tips | Euro 2024 Group F Fixtures |
He has played around with formations, mostly when it comes to either playing a back three or back four but I believe that in this tournament will we see Portugal go for the latter with Goncalo Ignacio or Antonio Silva playing alongside Ruben Dias.
In terms of what this squad’s main strengths are, the main one is most definitely their squad depth. Out of the 24 teams going to the Euros, Portugal have the best set of attackers by a long way with a list of over five high-quality attacking players, and it’s the same in the midfield with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Joao Palhinha.
The defence has seemed to tighten up the past few months and what was a weakness for this side has now become a strength. With Pepe now 41 years young, this squad needed a young centre half that can fill the gap beside Dias.
Goncalo Ignacio has become a revelation at centre half for Sporting Lisbon, and can replace the veteran sh*thouse in the starting line-up.
The biggest weakness I feel this team has is Cristiano Ronaldo. Once the messiah of this international side, he’s become somewhat of a problem in recent years due to his ego and belief that he should start every game for his country and be the main threat going forward.
In the 2022 World Cup, it was well documented how Ronaldo was causing problems in the dressing room. Another weakness could be that very same squad depth I’ve outlined as a positive above.
Now, here me out. It seems to be a problem for a lot of “Golden Generations” where the manager tries to fit in players instead of picking the correct team and system.
But if Martinez can find that balance with the team and deal with the Ronaldo drama and media coverage, I believe Portugal can definitely go to Germany and win their second European Championship.
Euro 2024 Betting Tips
Germany to Win
Portugal to Win
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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