Euro 2024: England joint favourites with France after favourable draw
Published:
Euro 2024 odds: Group of death opponents Spain and Italy drift
England have been installed as the joint-favourites to win the European Championship after they were handed a favourable draw in Hamburg for next summer’s tournament.
Gareth Southgate’s men were pitted against Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia in Group C and are 7/2 with France to lift the trophy.
We look at the main contenders to lift the trophy in Germany and their Euro 2024 odds.
England
The Three Lions were unbeaten in 2023 and topped their qualifying group but concluded their campaign with lacklustre performances against Malta and North Macedonia.
England reached the last four at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and were runners-up to Italy at the European Championship three years later, so they are understandably one of the favourites for success, especially with the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Declan Rice in their ranks, amongst others.
Group C is complete ✔️
What do you reckon, #ThreeLions fans? pic.twitter.com/BLVZoQvPOs
— England (@England) December 2, 2023
Denmark were England’s opponents in a tense semi-final at Euro 2020, when Kane scored from a penalty rebound after a spot-kick was controversially awarded for a foul on Raheem Sterling in extra time.
But Southgate also well remembers a past encounter with Slovenia. England faced them in his second match in charge as interim manager in October 2016, a qualifier for the 2018 World Cup. England clung on for a point that day in a 0-0 draw, and Southgate saw it as a turning point in his England tenure.
“Slovenia takes me back to one of my first games as manager where but for Joe Hart plucking out one of the best saves I’ve ever seen, I wouldn’t be standing here and I would probably still be a caretaker, but at something else,” he said.
He added: “We feel the squad has been building for a period of time and England are going to be competitive for the foreseeable future as you look at the young players coming through. When we started at St George’s Park it is what we wanted to happen. If you are continually in those latter stages, most teams that win go close and then get there.”
France
The 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up remain the favourites for a third title after finishing top of their qualifying group unbeaten with seven wins from eight games.
Les Bleus beat the Netherlands home and away and will face the Dutch again next summer, along with Austria and one from either Wales, Finland, Poland and Estonia, who will compete in the play-offs in March.
France last won the European Championship at the start of the century and were runners-up in 2016 when they were heavy favourites to beat Portugal in the final, but lost in extra time.
Didier Deschamps has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann just two of his attacking options which also include Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud and Randal Kolo Muani, but they are strong in midfield and defence too.
Germany
The Euro 2024 hosts remain 13/2 for a record-breaking fourth trophy having been handed a favourable draw.
Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland will be their Group A opponents, but their build-up has been hampered by a managerial change and some embarrassing defeats.
All set for EURO 2024! 🤩#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/QXnMaOBeBZ
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) December 2, 2023
Germany failed to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for a second successive time and lost four of their next six friendlies, including a humiliating 4-1 defeat by Japan which resulted in the dismissal of Hansi Flick a day later.
Rudi Voller took temporary charge for a 2-1 friendly win against France and Julian Nagelsmann’s appointment as head coach in September sparked a recovery of sorts, engineering a 3-1 win against the USA followed by a 2-2 draw with Mexico, but they slipped back to their old ways with defeats by Turkey and Austria.
Nagelsmann said he could play Kai Havertz at left-back at Euro 2024 having scored in that position against the Turks, but with just two wins in their last 10 games, six of which were defeats, this is perhaps not the time for such experiments.
Spain
The three-time champions have drifted slightly from 7/1 having been drawn in the group of death with defending champions Italy, 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia and European debutants Albania.
A shock 2-0 defeat by Scotland on matchday two meant Spain were in danger of missing out on top spot in Group A, but six successive victories saw them finish four points clear of Steve Clarke’s side.
However, the three-time champions suffered a huge blow during their 3-1 victory over Georgia in their final qualifier during which Gavi tore his anterior cruciate ligament and requires surgery which leaves him in danger of missing the European Championship.
Spain won the third edition of the Nations League in June six months after being knocked out of the last 16 of the World Cup by Morocco in a penalty shoot-out, but hopes are growing they could be contenders in Germany.
Portugal
The 2016 champions have been trimmed from 9/1 in the Euro 2024 outright odds after being paired with Turkey, Czech Republic and one from either Greece, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan or Georgia.
Portugal were the only team to finish with a 100% record from qualifying and were the top scorers of all the nations with 36 goals from 10 games, but just as encouraging was the fact Roberto Martinez’s side conceded just twice, so they seem to be getting it right at both ends of the pitch.
Only Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku found the net more times in qualifying than the 10 scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.
Strong in all areas, Portugal should be a major threat in Germany.
Belgium
Belgium finished top of their group unbeaten with six wins from eight games in qualifying which concluded with a 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan against whom Lukaku scored four first-half goals inside 20 minutes.
The Red Devils remain 14/1 to win the tournament where they will face Slovakia, Romania and either Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine or Iceland from the play-offs.
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is still out, but should be fit for the tournament barring any fresh injuries.
Belgium failed to reach the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, but will be hopeful of going deep into the tournament, although most pundits think we have seen the best of this golden generation.
Italy
The European champions have paid the price for failing to make it to the last two World Cups and finishing runners-up to England in qualifying with a tough group-stage draw comprising Spain, Croatia and Albania.
The Azzurri lost both matches against England and almost made a hash of making it to Euro 2024, but stumbled over the line with a goalless draw against Ukraine, who were unlucky not be awarded a stoppage-time penalty when Mykhailo Mudryk went down under a challenge from Bryan Cristante.
Manager Roberto Mancini resigned during their qualifying campaign to take over the Saudi Arabia national team and was replaced by Luciano Spalletti, who will be without banned midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Italy were 14/1 before the draw was made in Hamburg, but have since drifted after they landed in the group of death.
Netherlands
The Dutch remain 16/1 despite being drawn with France once again, but having won all six matches against Austria this century they will fancy their chances of finishing second in Group D from which they are 2/9 to qualify.
Ronald Koeman’s side were involved in a ding-dong battle with Greece for the runners-up spot behind France and a crucial stoppage-time victory in Athens paved the way for the 1-0 victory over Ireland which sealed their place at the Euros.
Netherlands have not reached the quarter-finals since 2008 and could struggle to make an impact, having twice lost to France in qualifying.
Best of the rest
Scotland remain 80/1 despite being paired with Germany, Hungary and Switzerland. The Scots will face the hosts in the opening game of the tournament but head coach Steve Clarke is not reading too much into their troubles.
He said: “When Germany get to the finals of a major tournament they are always on it. I don’t think it will be a poor Germany team, I think it will be a very, very good Germany side.”
World Cup semi-finalists Croatia have the toughest group of all, but remain 25/1 to win the tournament, the same price as England’s opponents Denmark who struggled to qualify but ended up top of the group by virtue of a better head-to-head record than Slovenia.
Austria, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey are all available at 50/1. Wales’ hopes of qualifying rest solely on the play-offs and they are 200/1 to win the European Championship.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
