The Ultimate Euro 2016 Betting Guide

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THE ULTIMATE EURO 2016 BETTING GUIDE

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EURO 2016

The UEFA European Championships 2016 – more popu- larly known as Euro 2016 – will take place in France and run from June 10 to July 10. The Euros occur every four Third time France will host the Europan Cham- years, and are the world’s second largest international pionship for the 3rd time soccer tournament behind only the FIFA World Cup in terms of size and stature. Spain are the double-defending title-holders, having been crowned champions in 2008 and 2012. 25€ This will be the first time that 24 teams will play in the Cheapest EURO 2016 tickets competition, and the only major omissions from the will cost €25 lineup will be 2004 winners Greece, 1992 champions Denmark and 1988 winners and three-time World Cup runners-up Holland who all failed to qualify. In the bettingexpert Euro 2016 Betting Guide you will find everything you need to make a profit during this year’s 24 TEAMS A new competition format will tournament. see 24 teams

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 EURO 2016 GROUPS...... 4 2 EURO 2016 TOURNAMENT FORMAT...... 6 3 EURO 2016 QUALIFICATION...... 7 4 EURO 2016 SCHEDULE...... 9 5 EURO 2016 PREDICTOR COMPETITION...... 13 6 EURO 2016 FAVOURITES...... 14 7 EURO 2016 GROUP PREDICTIONS...... 17 6.1 GROUP A...... 17 6.2 GROUP B...... 19 6.3 GROUP C...... 21 6.4 GROUP D...... 23 6.5 GROUP E...... 25 6.6 GROUP F...... 27 8 THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP: A BRIEF HISTORY...... 29 9 EURO 2016 ODDS EXPLAINED...... 31 10 EURO 2016 VALUE BETS...... 33 11 EURO 2016 BETTING MARKETS EXPLAINED...... 35 12 EURO 2016 BETTING STRATEGIES...... 38 13 EURO 2016 BOOKMAKERS...... 40 14 EURO 2016 FREE BETS & BOOKMAKER OFFERS...... 42 15 EURO 2016 BETTING TIPS...... 43 SMARTBETS by EURO 2016 1 GROUPS

10 June FRA 21:00 ROU St-Denis A FRANCE SWITZERLAND ROMANIA ALBANIA 11 June ALB 15:00 SUI Lens

15 June ROU 18:00 SUI Paris

France is the first country 15 June FRA 21:00 ALB Marseille to host the euros 3 times (1960,1984 and 2016) 19 June SUI 21:00 FRA Lille

19 June ROU 21:00 ALB Lyon

11 June WAL 18:00 SVK Bordeaux B ENGLAND RUSSIA WALES SLOVAKIA 11 June ENG 21:00 RUS Marseille

15 June RUS 15:00 SVK Lille

Lens England have won the FIFA 16 June ENG 15:00 WAL Fair Play Trophy twice, in 1990 20 June SVK 21:00 ENG St-Etienne and 1998. 20 June RUS 21:00 WAL Toulouse

12 June POL 18:00 NIR Nice C GERMANY POLAND UKRAINE NTHN IRELAND 12 June GER 21:00 UKR Lille

16 June UKR 18:00 NIR Lyon

German Rainer Bonhof has won 16 June GER 21:00 POL St-Denis two euro gold medals in 1972, 1980 but did not play in either 21 June NIR 18:00 GER Paris tournament. 21 June UKR 18:00 POL Marseille

4 EURO 2016 1 GROUPS

12 June TUR 15:00 CRO Paris D SPAIN CROATIA TURKEY CZECH REP 13 June ESP 15:00 CZE Toulouse

17 June CZE 18:00 CRO St-Etienne

17 June ESP 21:00 TUR Nice Spain’s 4-0 win over Italy in 2012 is the largest margin of 21 June CRO 21:00 ESP Bordeaux victory in a EURO Cup final 21 June CZE 21:00 TUR Lens

13 June IRL 18:00 SWE St-Denis E BELGIUM ITALY REP IRELAND SWEDEN 13 June BEL 21:00 ITA Lyon

17 June ITA 15:00 SWE Toulouse

18 June BEL 15:00 IRL Bordeaux Belgium is the highest ranked european team by FIFA on 22 June SWE 21:00 BEL Nice 2nd place after Argentina 22 June ITA 21:00 IRL Lille

14 June AUT 18:00 HUN Bordeaux F PORTUGAL AUSTRIA ICELAND HUNGARY 14 June POR 21:00 ISL St-Etienne

18 June ISL 18:00 HUN Marseille

Portugal is the only team 18 June POR 21:00 AUT Paris to ever lose the final on their home soil (2004) 22 June ISL 18:00 AUT St-Denis

22 June HUN 18:00 POR Lyon

5 EURO 2016 2 TOURNAMENT FORMAT

GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C

FRANCE ENGLAND GERMANY

SWITZERLAND RUSSIA POLAND

ROMANIA WALES UKRAINE

ALBANIA SLOVAKIA NTHN IRELAND

GROUP D GROUP E GROUP F

SPAIN BELGIUM PORTUGAL

CROATIA ITALY AUSTRIA

TURKEY SWEDEN ICELAND

CZECH REPUBLIC REPUBLIC OF IRELAND HUNGARY

Euro 2016 will be the first European Championships to lineup. The winners of Groups A, B, C and D will face 3rd feature 24 teams. The amplified Euro 2016 format divides placed teams, while the winners of Groups E and F will these teams into six Euro 2016 groups featuring four face the runner- up teams from Groups D and E respec- teams each. Albania, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia tively. The runner-up teams from Group B and Group F will and Wales are all competing in their first ever Euros. De- play each other, as will the runner-up teams from Group A fending champions Spain and World Champions Germany and Group C. are competing in their twelfth consecutive European Championships. Above are the Euro 2016 tables - the top The eight winning teams will progress to the quarterfi- teams listed in each group are the seeded teams. nals, and the winners of those matches will meet in the semifinals. The winning two teams from those semifinals The Euro 2016 draw will proceed as follows. The top two will then contest the 15th European Championship final at teams from each group will progress to the knockout the 81,000 capacity Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris stages of the competition, as will the four strongest third- on July 10 at 9 PM (CET). placed teams to complete the 16-team knockout stage

6 EURO 2016 3 QUALIFICATION

The 2016 European Championships qualifiers saw 53 Turkey were judged to be the strongest third placed team, teams split into nine qualifying groups compete for the and also qualified. The eight remaining third-placed teams 23 available places in Euro 2016 (host nation France were then contested the playoffs, with the Ukraine, Sweden , the only team to qualify automatically). The increased the Republic of Ireland and Hungary emerging victorious. number of places available for Euro 2016 – up eight on The biggest surprise of the qualification groups was the Euro 2012 – meant there were more qualifying groups, failure of the Dutch team, who had finished runner-up and gave teams that had historically fallen just short in and in third-place at the past two World Cups, and hadn’t qualifying the chance to make the finals. missed a European Championships since 1984. Scotland were the only team of the British home nations to fail in The winners and runner-ups from each of the Euro 2016 their Euro 2016 qualifying. qualifying groups automatically qualified for France. The group winners were:

WINNERS GROUP RUNNER-UPS

CZECH REPUBLIC ICELAND

BELGIUM WALES

SPAIN SLOVAKIA

GERMANY POLAND

ENGLAND SWITZERLAND

NORTHERN IRELAND ROMANIA

AUSTRIA RUSSIA

ITALY CROATIA

PORTUGAL ALBANIA

7 EURO 2016 TEAM BY TEAM QUALIFICATION RECORDS

NATION QUAL GROUP WINS DRAWS LOSSES GOALS FOR GOALS AGAINST GOAL DIFF

ENGLAND Group E 10 0 0 31 3 28

AUSTRIA Group G 9 1 0 22 5 17

SPAIN Group C 9 0 1 23 3 20

ITALY Group H 7 3 0 16 7 9

BELGIUM Group B 7 2 1 24 5 19

GERMANY Group D 7 1 2 24 9 15

SLOVAKIA Group C 7 1 2 17 8 9

CZECH REP Group A 7 1 2 19 14 5

SWITZERLAND Group E 7 0 3 24 8 16

PORTUGAL Group I 7 0 1 11 5 6

CROATIA Group H 6 3 1 20 5 15

POLAND Group D 6 3 1 33 10 23

NTHN IRELAND Group F 6 3 1 16 8 8

WALES Group B 6 3 1 11 4 7

RUSSIA Group G 6 2 2 21 5 16

ICELAND Group A 6 2 2 17 6 11

UKRAINE Group C 6 1 3 14 4 10

ROMANIA Group F 5 5 0 11 2 9

REP IRELAND Group D 5 3 2 19 7 12

SWEDEN Group G 5 3 2 15 9 6

TURKEY Group A 5 3 2 14 9 5

HUNGARY Group F 4 4 3 11 9 2

ALBANIA Group I 4 2 2 10 5 5

8 EURO 2016 4 SCHEDULE

1 2 LILLE METROPOLE LENS Capacity: 50,186 Capacity: 38,223 1 2

3 3 4 SAINT-DENIS PARIS 4 Capacity: 81,338 Capacity: 48,712

5 5 6 6 LYON SAINT-ETIENNE 7 Capacity: 59,286 Capacity: 41,965 9 8 10

7 8 BORDEAUX TOULOUSE Capacity: 42,115 Capacity: 33,150

9 10 NICE MARSEILLE Capacity: 35,624 Capacity: 67,394

Euro 2016 will be by far the largest European Champion- The demand for UEFA Euro 2016 tickets has been unprec- ships ever staged in terms of the amount of teams taking edented, and the French authorities are expecting record part, games played and cities involved. The Euro 2016 numbers of traveling fans. match schedule will be hectic, with a total of 51 Euro 2016 fixtures to be played in four weeks. At its busiest the Euro 2016 schedule will feature as many as four games per day. 9 GROUP STAGES: (ALL TIMES LISTED ARE CET)

FRIDAY 10 JUNE FRIDAY 17 JUNE

Group A FRA 21:00 ROU St-Denis Group E ITA 15:00 SWE Toulouse

Group D CZE 18:00 CRO St-Etiennne SATURDAY 11 JUNE Group D ESP 21:00 TUR Nice Group A ALB 15:00 SUI Lens

Group B WAL 18:00 SVK Bordeaux SATURDAY 18 JUNE

Group B ENG 21:00 RUS Marseille Group E BEL 15:00 IRL Bordeaux

Group F ISL 18:00 HUN Marseille SUNDAY 12 JUNE Group F POR 21:00 AUT Paris Group D TUR 15:00 CRO Paris

Group C POL 18:00 NIR Nice SUNDAY 19 JUNE

Group C GER 21:00 UKR Lille Group A SUI 21:00 FRA Lille

Group A ROU 21:00 ALB Lyon MONDAY 13 JUNE

Group D ESP 15:00 CZE Toulouse MONDAY 20 JUNE

Group E IRL 18:00 SWE St-Denis Group B SVK 21:00 ENG St-Etienne

Group E BEL 21:00 ITA Lyon Group B RUS 21:00 WAL Tolouse

TUESDAY 14 JUNE TUESDAY 21 JUNE

Group F AUT 18:00 HUN Bordeaux Group C NIR 18:00 GER Paris

Group F POR 21:00 ISL St-Etienne Group C UKR 18:00 POL Marseille

Group D CRO 21:00 ESP Bordeaux WEDNESDAY 15 JUNE Group D CZE 21:00 TUR Lens Group B RUS 15:00 SVK Lille

Group A ROU 18:00 SUI Paris WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE

Group A FRA 21:00 ALB Marseillle Group F HUN 18:00 POR Lyon

Group F ISL 18:00 AUT St-Denis THURSDAY 16 JUNE Group E SWE 21:00 BEL Nice Group B ENG 15:00 WAL Lens Group E ITA 21:00 IRL Lille Group C UKR 18:00 NIR Lyon

Group C GER 21:00 POL St-Denis

10 KNOCKOUT PHASE: ROUND OF 16

SATURDAY 25 JUNE

Match 1 RUNNER-UP A 15:00 RUNNER-UP C St-Etienne

Match 2 WINNER B 18:00 THIRD-PLACE A/C/D Paris

Match 3 WINER D 21:00 THIRD-PLACE B/E/F Lens

SUNDAY 26 JUNE

Match 4 WINNER A 15:00 THIRD-PLACE C/D/E Lyon

Match 5 WINNER C 18:00 THIRD-PLACE A/B/F Lille

Match 6 WINNER F 21:00 RUNNER-UP E Toulouse

MONDAY 27 JUNE

Match 7 WINNER E 15:00 RUNNER-UP D St-Denis

Match 8 RUNNER-UP B 18:00 RUNNER-UP F Nice

QUARTER-FINALS

THURSDAY 30 JUNE

QF1 WINNER MATCH 1 21:00 WINNER MATCH 3 Marseille

FRIDAY 1 JULY

QF2 WINNER MATCH 2 21:00 WINNER MATCH 6 Lille

SATURDAY 2 JULY

QF3 WINNER MATCH 5 21:00 WINNER MATCH 7 Bordeaux

FRIDAY 1 JULY

QF4 WINNER MATCH 4 21:00 WINNER MATCH 8 St-Denis

SEMI-FINALS

WEDNESDAY 6 JULY

SF1 WINNER QF1 21:00 WINNER QF2 Lyon

THURSDAY 7 JULY

SF2 WINNER QF3 21:00 WINNER QF4 Marseille

EURO 2016 FINAL

SUNDAY 10 JULY

Final WINNER SF1 21:00 WINNER SF2 St-Denis

11 EURO 2016 GOOGLE CALENDAR

Never miss a single moment of Euro 2016 with the bettingexpert Euro 2016 Google Calendar. Download the calendar on your desktop, laptop or mobile device now Don’t miss a single and receive alerts whenever a Euro 2016 match is about to begin. moment of Euro 2016 Add our Euro 2016 calendar to your To add our Euro 2016 Calendar to your Google Calendar, Google Calendar follow the instructions detailed below:

1 1. OPEN CALENDAR

2 2. CLICK ON “OTHER CALENDARS” / ADD BY URL Left-hand side, find the “Other calendars” section and click the little arrow to its right. 3. Click on “Add by URL”

3 3. PASTE URL AND HIT ENTER Paste this: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/euro2016%40bettingex- pert.com/ public/basic.ics And hit Enter

Macbook, you can go to the above URL, download the calendar in .ics format, open it and import.

Android: It has no direct way of importing the calendar, but it should be automatically synced with your gmail, so the first step for your computer should have done the trick. You might (based on your settings) have to go to Calendar settings in the Calendar app and manually enable this one.

iPhone users: 1. Go to Settings 2. Scroll down and tap on “Mail, Contacts, Calendars 3. Tap on “Add Account” under the Mail section 4. Tap on “Other” 5. Tap on Add Subscribed Calendar 6. Paste “https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/euro2016%40betting- expert.com/public/basic.ics” 12 EURO 2016 5 PREDICTOR COMPETITION

Bettingexpert is pleased to announce its exciting 2016 Euro Predictor Competition, with an incredible first prize Who will win of €100,000 to the winner. Euro 2016? If you are a knowledgeable fan of international football, and you think you can forecast Euro 2016 results, why not test that knowledge to the limit? We want you to predict the outcome of all six Euro 2016 groups, choosing the teams you think will win, finish runner-up, and in third spot in each individual group. We also want you to select who you believe will be the 4 best 3rd place finishers. Predict & win Here’s where the fun really starts. We are now into the 100.000€ knockout phase of Euro 2016, and you are choosing the outcome of all eight games in the round of 16. Who will eliminate who and progress to the quarterfinals? Add your START predictions and move on to the quarters, and then the semis, and before you know you are predicting the result of the Euro 2016 final.

Playing is easy, with the groups and the games laid out in an easy-to-use format that involves nothing more than the click of a mouse. What could be simpler? Once you have completed the competition, your predictions will be logged, and if the competition goes the way of your predictions, you will win €100,000!

Ready to give it a go?

13 EURO 2016 6 FAVOURITES

The major online bookmakers like bet365, Paddy Power Here are their top-five picks. All odds listed are best odds and William Hill have been hard at work choosing who at time of publication, 3rd June 2016. they believe will be the top Euro 2016 teams, who they think will win Euro 2016 and comprising their Euro 2016 winner odds.

FRANCE

A slightly surprising choice as Euro 2016 favourites, as this relatively young French team have yet to prove that they have what it takes to win a competition of this stature. While maintaining a strong squad, manager Didier Deschamps will be without La Liga trio Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane and Jeremy Mathieu. Paul Pogba and An- toine Griezmann have had outstanding seasons at Juven- tus and Atletico Madrid respectively, and much of France’s success will depend on how much those two have left in the tank. If they are on form, and Manchester United’s Anthony Martial starts scoring, in Euro 2016 France could do very well.

Key Player: Paul Pogba

4.50

14 GERMANY

Many bookmakers have current World Champions Germa- ny as co-favorites with France to win Euro 2016, although the Germans recent form in this competition had been slightly patchy by their high standards. They last won the event in 1996, but failed to exit the group stage in 2000 and 2004. They were runners-up to Spain in 2008 but lost to Italy in the semis in 2012. If anything, the signs are ominous as Germany hadn’t won a World Cup for 14 years before powering to victory in Brazil. Will Joachim Loew’s team be looking to do the same in France?

Let’s face it, if Germany play well, only Spain has more experience at the highest level, and if the likes of Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Thomas Müller, Mario Götze and Mesut Özil can stay injury free, they will have a hell of a shot at winning what would be a record-breaking fourth Euro trophy.

Key Player: Thomas Müller

5.00

SPAIN

Spain’s shock early exit from the Brazil World Cup took If Spain get off to a good start, find their passing game a lot of the shine off a team who were being called the early and score some goals, they will take some stopping. “Greatest Ever” going into that competition. Now Vincente Del Bosque and his team have the opportunity to prove Key Player: Andrés Iniesta how great they truly are. 6.50 When Spain demolished a strong Italy team 4-0 in the final of Euro 2012 to retain the trophy they won four years earlier, it marked their third straight international tournament win including the 2010 World Cup, an achievement unprecedented in the history of international football. In hindsight, they were due a fall, and their 5-1 hammer- ing by Holland followed by their 2-0 loss to Chile in their opening group games in Brazil 2014 was exactly that.

Since then, Spain’s form has been excellent when it mattered in Euro 2016 qualifiers, going 9-1, and less so in international friendlies, losing to France, Slovakia, Germa- ny and Holland.

The experiment with Brazilian ex-pat Diego Costa up front proved a disaster, with just one goal (against Luxembourg) in ten starts. Spain have more strength in depth throughout their squad than anyone, from keepers Iker Casillas and David De Gea, defenders Juanfran, Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos, midfielders Sergio Busquets, Andrés Ini- esta, Koke, Cesc Fàbregas, Thiago Alcântara and exciting striker 23-year old Alvaro Morata to name just some of the players at Vincente Del Bosque’s disposal. 15 ENGLAND

After the crushing disappointment of England’s group- stage exit from Brazil 2014, who would have believed that manager Roy Hodgson would have a team to get excited about just two years later? However a 100% record in qualifying, a come-from-behind 3-2 away win over World Champions Germany plus a welter of outstanding young talent that has suddenly emerged including Everton’s Ross Barkley, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and Tottenham trio Danny Rose, Harry Kane and Dele Alli has given fans room for optimism, and confident of success in those early Euro 2016 England fixtures.

Add to that the sensational form and fighting spirit of 2016 Premiership Champion’s Leicester City’s pit-bull of a striker Jamie Vardy, and there is a feeling that this team could do some damage in France.

Key Player: Harry Kane

9.50

BELGIUM

Last November Belgium topped the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in their history, and the current world no.2 team certainly have a squad strength-in-depth to rival Germany and Spain. That said, their record at international tournaments remains distinctly average, with their quarterfinal showing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil their finest achievement since losing the 1980 Euro final to West Germany.

They certainly have the players, and manager Marc Wil- mots can choose from a squad that includes such stars as Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois, Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen, Manchester United midfielder Ma- rouane Fellaini, Chelsea attacking midfielder Eden Hazard and Premiership strikers Christian Benteke (Liverpool) and Romelu Lukaku (Everton).

Will Euro 2016 be the tournament where these players gel and bring their nation its first major trophy, or will it be another case of a “Golden Generation” of players under- performing?

Key Player: Eden Hazard

12.0

16 EURO 2016 7 GROUP PREDICTION

6.1 GROUP A

There’s no doubt that France will be pleased with their NATION ODDS TO WIN GROUP ODDS TO QUALIFY opposition in Group A, as the hosts will be favourites to progress as group winners over Switzerland, Romania, FRANCE 1.36 1.03 and Albania. The hosts are the only former European champions in the group, having last won the tournament SWITZERLAND 5.50 1.33 in 2000 on the back of their World Cup success, and were ROMANIA 12.0 1.83 also champions the last time they hosted the tournament back in 1984. ALBANIA 26.0 3.25

The Romanians have never done better than reaching the Last updated June 2nd quarter-finals in 2000, along with group-stage exits in 1984, 1996, and 2008. The Swiss participate for the first time since their group-stage exits as co-hosts in 2008, while the Albanians are making their first appearance at a major tournament.

FRANCE

As hosts, much is expected of France at this year’s tour- to be all but assured in their second group game against nament, and that pressure will be present when they kick Albania, as will the other two teams in the group, meaning off proceedings against Romania at Stade de France. that their clash against Switzerland could be vital.

The hosts actually find themselves in a relatively win- The French have fond recent memories of playing the nable group, and will certainly be favourites against the Swiss after thrashing them 5-2 in the group stages of Romanians. While the French boast some established and the 2014 World Cup. Manager Didier Deschamps will be emerging talent, they will have to maintain their focus as expecting wins over all three Group A opponents, and anything less than a win on opening day will dampen the therefore demanding a top-place finish from a squad nation’s spirits. packed full of talent.

Although Les Bleus should pick up maximum points against the Romanians, they will consider three points 17 ROMANIA

Romania will be up against it as they line up against the game against Switzerland five days later. If they do lose to hosts for the opener. The Romanians might consider France, Tricolorii will have to hope the French win the rest themselves slightly lucky just to be there, as they were of their games as well, allowing them to sneak through in placed in a relatively weak qualifying group, finishing second. second to Northern Ireland. They also lack competitive experience, having failed to qualify for a major tournament To do so, Romania will need a result against Switzerland since exiting this competition at the group stage in 2008. before their final group game against Albania. While their fate may already be decided by that point, their cam- All those factors point to a French win on June 10th, paign could also hinge on three points against the Balkan making it vital that Romania pick up points in their second minnows.

SWITZERLAND

Switzerland will be expecting three points from their first While they would have avoided any real world-class talent game against Albania, but failure to pick up three quick in their first two games, the Swiss will suddenly find points would potentially destroy their chances of making themselves facing a team featuring some of the Europe’s it through to the next round. The Swiss have a squad full finest at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. of capable players from across Europe’s top leagues, and will, on paper at least, be considered favourites to follow The nature of this final tie depends completely on pre- France through to the next round. vious results. Earlier wins for both sides will make it a straight shootout for top spot, but should things fail to go Should they defeat Albania, Switzerland could poten- according to plan this match could become vitally import- tially wrap up qualification in their second game against ant or completely irrelevant. Romania. The Swiss certainly have the talent to pick up all three points against the Romanians and that would ease the pressure heading into their final game of the group against France.

ALBANIA

This is the first time ever that Albania will feature in a experience will be amplified against the French, who will major international tournament, and there is little expec- view this game as a must-win, regardless of their opening tation that they will make it past the group stage. result. The Red and Blacks will get their first taste of the Euro- pean Championship against Switzerland at Stade Bol- Should the expected happen and Albania lose their first laert-Delelis in Lens. They will no doubt enjoy the occa- two matches, their third and final clash against Romania sion, but it would be ruined by a heavy defeat, which they will represent a chance to save face. Even good perfor- will be desperate to avoid. mances in against France and Switzerland may not be enough to avoid defeat, but Romania are a less experi- While the relatively unrecognised Albanian players will enced and technically gifted side, and this will be the one find themselves somewhat out of their depth against a match in which the newcomers realistically fancy their Swiss side full of experienced and quality players, that chances of getting a result.

6.2 GROUP B

Group B sees England pitted against British neighbours NATION ODDS TO WIN GROUP ODDS TO QUALIFY Wales, who are making their first appearance at the competition and have not featured in a major international ENGLAND 1.85 1.11 tournament since the 1958 World Cup. RUSSIA 4.33 1.44 The English, meanwhile, have never made it past the WALES 6.50 1.67 semifinals, with third-place finishes in 1968 and 1996. The two UK rivals will also have to take on 2008 semi-fi- SLOVAKIA 11.00 2.25 nalists Russia and newcomers Slovakia for a place in the knockout rounds. Last updated June 2nd

ENGLAND

Making it past the group stages will be demanded of En- not be eager to drop points in what could be a very tight gland at this year’s competition, and although their group group. doesn’t contain any certified walk-overs, it also doesn’t offer a better candidate to take first spot, meaning that They then conclude against Slovakia, arguably the group’s manager Roy Hodgson will be intent on finishing top. minnows and most beatable team. Should England take their qualification form into the finals they will be favour- The Three Lions kick off their campaign with a potentially ites to progress as group winners, which included a result tricky clash with Russia at Stade Velodrome in Marseille, over the Slovaks. but after enjoying a perfect qualification campaign with 10 wins out of 10, England will fancy themselves to pick up another three points against the Russians.

Then comes the familiar foe in neighbouring Wales, and another match that England will be considered favourites for. The players will all know each other as teammates or opponents from the Premier League, but England will

19 RUSSIA

Russia kick off their campaign with a tricky test against game against Slovakia. Should they lose to England they England, in which a draw might well be seen as a point will hope that the other teams do the same, allowing salvaged rather than two lost. The Russians did enjoy a them the chance to be the best of the rest. decent qualification campaign, losing only to Austria by a single goal in both encounters, and they can hold their Despite boasting few players recognised outside of their own against the English. domestic league, the Russians have plenty of international experience in their ranks, and they will call on that to Regardless of how their encounter with England pans out, help them through the group - and a potentially decisive the Russians will start demanding points in their second final group-stage clash with Wales.

WALES

Wales have made it this far with a good mentality and a other well from the Premier League and a competent lack of fear for any opponent, and they will certainly be Welsh team won’t be in awe of their opposition. confident in their first game against Slovakia. The Slo- vakians, like the Welsh, are a team with a few individual Finally, the Welsh will wrap up their group campaign talents supplemented by a hard-working, if less techni- against Russia. In a competitive group in which they won’t cally proficient, squad. The clash against Slovakia won’t be be clear favourites for any of the match-ups, the nature of easy, but the Dragons will view it as their best chance to this game will depend on previous results. Regardless of pick up three points. how results go against Slovakia and England, Wales won’t be making the trip just to go through the motions and Being pitted against England made all the headlines for will want a result, whether it be to take them to the next Wales, and they will be hoping to enter the clash on the round or to send them home on a high note. back of a good result against the Slovaks. The Welsh have never beaten their British neighbours, and could be happy to settle for a point, but these two teams will know each

SLOVAKIA

Slovakia are participating in their first European champi- defender Martin Skrtel and Napoli playmaker Marek onship, but bring some World Cup experience with them Hamsik, and hope that their experience can guide them after featuring in South Africa in 2010. They will be hoping past the Welsh and the Russians. to use that experience against first-time competitors Wales, against whom they kick off their campaign. When they eventually do face the English in their final group game at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne, With a clash against England on the horizon, the Slova- Slovakia will be hoping that earlier successes afford them kians will be determined to pick up points ahead of that an achievable objective. Although they won’t be consid- and, if they fail to win against Wales, that will have to ered favourites for any of their matches, Slovakia will not happen in their second game against Russia. The Slovaks want to come up against England needing to go for the will no doubt look to their star players, such as Liverpool win.

6.3 GROUP C

After a quick glance at Group C, it is difficult to look be- round before they have to take on one of the tournament yond reigning world champions Germany as favourites to favourites. finish top. However, it may not be as straightforward as it first seems. That being said, if Ukraine can rumble Germany in the first round of games in the group it will give them a huge The match between Poland and Germany will likely be amount of confidence going forward and throw Group C crucial to determining the winners of the group and the wide open. Poles will take a lot of confidence into the game after beating the Germans in qualifying.

NATION ODDS TO WIN GROUP ODDS TO QUALIFY Ukraine and Northern Ireland are the weakest sides in the group on paper, but Ukraine have the ability to run anyone GERMANY 1.40 1.03 close on their day, they just need to hope they have a couple of those days in the summer. POLAND 6.0 1.36

A big advantage for Northern Ireland has over their rivals UKRAINE 9.50 1.53 in Group C is they play Germany last. Meaning if they NTHN IRELAND 34.0 3.75 can pick up a win against Poland first up, they will have a genuine chance of securing qualification into the next Last updated June 2nd

GERMANY

Both traditionally and based on their strength and form cessor. Thankfully for Germany’s defence, Jérôme Boateng of the current squads in Group C, Germany are considered and Mats Hummels have formed a solid partnership in the comfortable favourites to win the group. middle.

The German were very strong at the 2014 World Cup, Miroslav Klose’s retirement created doubts about a lack of epitomised by their 7-1 thrashing of Brazil, but they did a genuine goal scorer, but Thomas Muller’s exploits in the drop points to both the Republic of Ireland and Poland in Bundesliga this season are easing those concerns some- qualifying, showing they are certainly not invincible. what.

Instrumental captain Philipp Lahm retired after the World Cup success, which has created a bit of a hole at fullback and Bastian Schweinsteiger is yet to convince as his suc- 21 POLAND

Casual football fans may be surprised to learn that Poland bit. Kamil Glik was named in the Serie A 2014/15 team are legitimately considered a strong contender to qualify of the season and is deadly from set pieces, Grzegorz from, and possibly top, Group C. Krychowiak has run the Sevilla midfield for the last two seasons and any extra attention on Lewandowski will The presence of one of the world’s best forwards, Rob- create room young striker Arkadiusz Milik, who netted six ert Lewandowski, leading their attack means the nation goals and provided six assists in qualifying. will always be in with a shout of winning a game. No one scored more times than Lewandowski in qualifying, 13, and he’s given no evidence that his goal scoring form is likely to slow down any time soon.

The temptation is there to suggest Poland are a one-man team, but head coach Adam Nawalka won’t mind that one

UKRAINE

Ukraine have never made it to the European Champion- With Germany seen as comfortable favourites to top the ships through qualifying until this year, with their only group, the Yellow and Blue will consider themselves con- appearance coming as co-hosts of the tournament four tenders for second spot, along with Poland, but putting years ago, and needed to playoff against Slovenia to too much focus on their rivals and overlooking Northern ensure 2016 would be the first time they managed to Ireland would be a big mistake. qualify. Head coach Mykhaylo Fomenko will be pinning much of It means the nation has a lot of catching up to do, but two his, and that of the nation at large, on the shoulders of closely-fought 1-0 defeats to Spain during qualifying did wingers Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka. show they are able to match the big teams on their day. If they fail to step up on the big stage, it is going to be a Ukraine, along with everyone else in Group C, will be look- tough tournament for Ukraine. ing to the game against Northern Ireland as a must-win, but they would do well to not assume it is an easy win.

NORTHERN IRELAND

One feels the Green and White army will have a lot of Many will likely see Northern Ireland as simply making up neutrals on their side in France in the summer and the the numbers, but they will arrive in France full of confi- added support in the stadiums will be a massive boost dence and ready to prove that reputation isn’t everything to a side living a story that could already be considered a when it comes to winning football matches. fairytale. Their success of late has been built on a solid defensive It has been 30 years since Northern Ireland last qualified foundation of Jonny Evans and Gareth McAuley at cen- for a major international tournament and set a record in ter-back, which has been backed up to perfection by or- doing so for the 2016 Euros by being the lowest-seeded ganised and methodical build-up play into attack through team in history to ever top a qualifying group. Steven Davis in the heart of their midfield.

6.4 GROUP D

Group D has the potential to be one of the mostly hotly Spain will be looking for a strong start against the Czech contested groups at the 2016 European Championship in Republic in their first match because any perception of France this summer. vulnerability their rivals might have about them can be quickly eroded by a big win. Spain will be considered favourites as two-time defending champions and have a unique opportunity to become the first team in history to win the competition three times in NATION ODDS TO WIN GROUP ODDS TO QUALIFY a row, but their dominance over the last decade has been slowly eroding in recent years. SPAIN 1.67 1.10

CROATIA 4.50 1.44 They were considered one of the favourites at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil until they were humiliated 5-1 by TURKEY 10.0 2.45 the Netherlands, and dropping points against Slovakia in qualifying only cements the fact that they are far from CZECH REP 11.0 2.45 untouchable in Group D.

The group is more than likely going to go down to the final Last updated June 2nd round of fixtures, with Spain taking on second-favourite Croatia and the Czech Republic facing Turkey in a mouthwatering set of games to decide the two teams going through.

SPAIN

As mentioned, Spain have lost the unbeatable aura that The absence of Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso is signifi- seemed to surround them a few years ago, but they cant, but with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Cesc Fabregas, remain favourites to top Group D and for the tournament Thiago Alcantara and Andres Iniesta all still available to as a whole. head coach Vicente del Bosque, there is still plenty of experience and skill to dominate the midfield. Their strong qualifying campaign, which included nine wins out of 10 games proves, if any proof was needed, Diego Costa’s dip in form for Chelsea this season presents that they are still a significant force to be reckoned with. a problem upfront for Spain and it will be interesting to Failing to make it past the group stage at the World Cup in see who Del Bosque chooses to lead the line. Brazil was an unacceptable performance from one of the best teams on the planet and they will be eager to set the record straight in France. 23 CROATIA

Croatia will be one of the least settled sides entering the while three wins in three games so far suggests it was the 2016 European Championships, which gives them a slight right call, Cacic will have had far less time with his players air of vulnerability despite the presence several world than most coaches in France. class players in Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic of Real Madrid and Mario Mandzukic up Despite the wealth of attacking threat listed above, Croa- front. tia have an obvious weakness at the back. Darijo Srna is a proven leader, but the lack of any genuine pace in defence They were cruising to qualification when they suffered could prove to be a major issue given some of the players an inexplicable drop in form with draws against Italy they are going up against in Group D. and Azerbaijan before losing to Norway. Ante Cacic was subsequently replaced by Niko Kovac as head coach, and

TURKEY

Despite being considered the weakest team in Group D, es from free kicks, but Burak Yilmaz has proven he can be Turkey have the potential to beat any of their rivals, which a clinical finisher on his day - unfortunately consistency is they showed by beating the Czech Republic in qualifying. an issue.

The key for Turkey is undoutedly their midfield where they Turkey are without a doubt one of those teams that boast an extraordinary amount of talent in holding mid- should not be overlooked or underestimated, as they fielder Selcuk Inan, Barcelona’s Arda Turan and set piece proved the last time they qualified for the Euros in 2008 maestro Hakan Calhanoglu. and went on a run all the way to the semi-finals They are also currently on an 11-game unbeaten run that There is a bit of a question mark about where their goals includes an impressive and emphatic 3-0 win over the will come from, unless Calhanoglu is given enough chanc- Netherlands in qualifying.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic are often underrated because of the no mean feat considering Turkey and the Netherlands lack of any superstar names among their current squad, were among the teams they were competing with and the but head coach Pavel Vrba has created a truly threaten- presence of veteran goalkeeper Petr Czech will always be ing team with a well-organised defence that transitions a source of inspiration for the side. seemlessly into an effective counter- attack. The on-going injury troubles to Thomas Rosicky are a The lack of significant goal threat is a bit of a theme in major concern for Vrba as he would undoubtedly be a Group D and is a similar concern for Vrba with David Lafa- real asset for the Czech Republic, who will also be relying ta starting seven of the Czech Republic’s qualifying games on Borek Dockal and Ladislav Krejci to run things from and only contributing one goal. midfield.

Despite that, they did finish top of their qualifying group,

6.5 GROUP E

While there are certainly a number of strong groups in finishing top of Group E. But it won’t be plain sailing for UEFA Euro 2016, the general consensus is that Group E any of the teams in the group as all four sides would be will prove to be the ‘group of death‘ requires another. capable of beating any of their group opponents on their day. Boasting the current top ranked European side in the FIFA rankings in Belgium, Group E is also home to Italy, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland. It’s fair to say that Belgium NATION ODDS TO WIN GROUP ODDS TO QUALIFY are group favourites, but the gap in quality between the four teams in the group is arguably minimal. BELGIUM 2.20 1.22

However, fans and pundits alike will get a clearer picture ITALY 2.75 1.35 of what to expect following the first round of fixtures, SWEDEN 7.0 1.80 with Belgium taking on Italy in a mouthwatering clash in Lyon, while the Republic of Ireland will lock horns with REP IRELAND 13.0 2.38 Sweden at Stade de France in Saint- Denis. Last updated June 2nd If Belgium can lay down a marker in the opening game by recording a convincing win against the four-time World Cup winners, they would make a compelling case for

BELGIUM

Of all the teams in Group E, Belgium boast the more rec- However, due to the competitive nature of the group, ognised stars. Belgium could well progress to the knockout rounds as group leaders with as little as six points (two wins and The Red Devils’ opening fixture, against Italy at Stade des one defeat), while one win and two draws may also prove Lumières in Lyon, will arguably be their most important to be enough to secure their passage through to the next group fixture as it will play a huge role in setting the tone phase of the competition. for the rest of the group campaign. In terms of key players, Belgium are blessed in almost Their second group fixture against the Republic of Ireland every department. The likes of Thibaut Courtois, Eden in Bordeaux could be just as important if they fail to re- Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will be cru- cord a positive result against the Italians on Matchday 1. If cial to their hopes of a successful tournament. Marc Wilmots’ men can record back-to-back wins in their opening fixtures there would be no reason not to expect them to finish top of their group.

25 ITALY

As runners-up in the 2012 edition of the competition, Italy should have too much in their locker for Sweden on Italy should not be underestimated by their opponents. Matchday 2, while a win against the Republic of Ireland Under the stewardship of Antonio Conte, the Azzurri will in their final group clash is arguably their most ‘winnable’ be aiming to go one better this time around by adding to fixture. their 1968 title. Veteran campaigners Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini However, much of their hopes hinge on a positive result and Andrea Barzagli will have key roles to play. The hall- against the Belgians in their opening fixture. A defeat to mark of the great Italian sides has been a miserly defence the much-fancied Red Devils would leave them facing an and they will need to replicate that solidity if they are uphill battle in their remaining fixtures. Italy’s opponents to stand a chance of progressing as runners-up behind would be wise not to underestimate them, as the team in group favourites Belgium. blue and white have an uncanny knack of producing the goods in major tournaments.

SWEDEN

Under the stewardship of Erik Hamrén, Sweden managed Sweden will be looking to pick up points wherever they to book their place at the finals of the competition after can, starting with the opening- day clash against the Re- seeing off the challenge of bitter rivals Denmark in the public of Ireland, who will also see this fixture as their best qualification play-offs. opportunity to claim a three-point haul.

Having just about squeaked through, the Blue-Yellow They face Italy in their second group fixture, in Toulouse, are arguably the weakest team in the group, although before locking horns with the much-fancied Belgium on they are captained by none other than the prolific Zlatan Matchday 3. They desperately need to collect as many Ibrahimovic. points as possible from their opening two fixtures as the Red Devils would be clear favourites to record a victory. If there’s one player who could single-handedly drag his side over the finishing line it’s Ibrahimovic, but it’s debat- able what kind of a lasting impression he can make as he enters the twilight of a hugely successful career.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

The Republic of Ireland are somewhat of a dark horse Green to collect maximum points in their first fixture, with heading into Euro 2016, having initially been tipped to a clash against Belgium laying in wait on Matchday 2. miss out on qualification. Every single point will be crucial in what promises to be a tightly contested Group E, and the Republic of Ireland Martin O’Neill’s side showed they are not to be underes- could potentially keep their hopes alive until their last timated, however, after recording a victory over Germany group fixture against Italy. and a two-legged triumph against Bosnia in 2015. Still, they have never managed to progress past the group Veteran Robbie Keane will be aiming to sign off on a high stage at the European Championship, finishing bottom of note in what could very well be his last international tour- their group in the 2012 edition of the tournament. nament, along with experienced defender John O’Shea. The likes of Aiden McGeady, James McCarthy, Wes Hoola- Their first fixture sees them lock horns with Sweden han and Jonathan Walters will also have key roles to play. in Saint-Denis, a match they have a realistic chance of winning. As such, it will be vitally important for the Boys in 26

6.6 GROUP F

Based on individual squad strength, it would be fair to ex- who lock horns with Iceland in Saint-Étienne in their first pect the Group F campaign to be a race between Portugal match of the tournament. If they fail to pick up maximum and Austria for pole position. points on the opening day, they face a real uphill battle when they take on Portugal in their second group match Hungary are making their first appearance at the Europe- in Paris. an tournament since their fourth- place finish at the 1972 edition in Belgium, and they will presumably be battling it out with fellow minnows Iceland for third place, which NATION ODDS TO WIN GROUP ODDS TO QUALIFY could see them secure a place in the knockout phase, depending on results in the other groups. PORTUGAL 2.0 1.22

With this in mind, the battle for top spot could well be AUTRIA 3.25 1.60 decided on Matchday 2, when Portugal square off against ICELAND 7.50 1.73 Austria at Parc des Princes in Paris. Whoever wins that clash will presumably be in control of the group, although HUNGARY 15.0 2.38 the two aforementioned teams would be wise not to underestimate their less-fancied opponents. Last updated June 2nd

Austria will have to pick up three points in their opening-day clash with Hungary to keep pace with Portugal,

PORTUGAL

Arguably the strongest team in Group F, Portugal boast in Lyon would be a necessity to ensure their place in the a squad filled with top quality players. Led by talisman- knockout rounds. ic forward Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal will be aiming to claim top spot in one of the tournament’s least competi- Having finished as runners-up in the 2004 edition on tive groups. home spoil, Portugal will undoubtedly be targeting another place in the 2016 final. A win in their opening fixture, against Iceland at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint- Étienne, will be the minimum Experienced defenders Bruno Alves, Pepe and Jose Fonte requirement for coach Fernando Santos and his side. If will be key players in defence, while midfielders Nani, they win their opener, as expected, A Selecção das Quinas William Carvalho and Joao Moutinho will be tasked with will be able to drop points against Austria without facing providing the ammunition for Ronaldo. any real threat of an early elimination.

However, if they were to taste defeat at the hands of Austria, a win in their final group game, against Hungary 27 AUSTRIA

While Austria are not considered favourites to progress as their second group match, against Portugal at Parc des Group F leaders, it would not be unreasonable to expect Princes, that could well prove to be crucial to their hopes them to finish in the top two. of progressing to the knockout rounds.

Despite a lack of pedigree in the European Championship The likes of David Alaba, Christian Fuchs, Marko Arnau- - this will be only their second- ever appearance at the tovic and Marc Janko will have to be at their best if the tournament - Marcel Koller’s men boast a team packed Austrians are to stand any chance of claiming the scalp of with players plying their trade in some of Europe’s most Group F favourites Portugal. With a draw the most likely competitive leagues. result when these two side meet, the results in their other two fixtures will be just as important. They start their campaign against neighbours Hungary at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, and take on Iceland in the final group game - both winnable fixtures. However, it is

ICELAND

Iceland are undoubtedly one of the tournaments min- They face Hungary in their second group match before nows, having qualified for the first time in their history taking on the might of Austria in their final fixture, a match - with a population of just 330,000, this is certainly a that could well prove pivotal to their hopes of clinching a momentous achievement. historic place in the knockout rounds. However, due to a lack of squad depth and quality in several areas, Iceland However, it is for exactly this reason that Iceland have will presumably see their hopes quashed after their open- been tipped to finish at the bottom of Group F, although ing two fixtures. they will be aiming to progress as one of the competition’s third- placed teams. Despite the talents of playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson and forward Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, the Cods could find themselves struggling to pick up any points from their three group fixtures, starting with the clash against Portugal in their opening fixture.

HUNGARY

As somewhat of unknown quantity, Hungary head into fixture, making their Matchday 2 clash with Iceland a the finals of Euro 2016 as Group F’s dark horse. Having must-win. If they do manage to see off the challenge of last appeared at the European Championship in 1972, the Iceland, a point against either Austria or Portugal could be side’s qualification is certainly a massive achievement, es- enough to see them through to the knockout stages. pecially considering the fact that roughly half of the squad is comprised of local-based players. Experienced striker Tamás Priskin is expected to lead the line for the Hungarians, while Peter Gulacsi and Gabor They do have several players currently plying their trade Kiraly will battle it out for a place between the sticks. in Germany and England, although 28-yer-old skipper Balázs Dzsudzsák is on the books of Turkish giants Bur- Veteran midfielder Zoltán Gera could also be a key figure saspor. for Bernd Storck’s side, provided he is able to avoid any injury problems. Based on squad strength, however, Hungary are not expected to get the better of Austria in their opening-day 28 THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP: 8 A BRIEF HISTORY

Ironically it was France that hosted the first ever UEFA In 1968 Italy hosted and won the tournament, a precur- European Championships back in 1960. Then teams sor to their 1970 World Cup campaign in Mexico where competed in a 17-country qualifying competition, with they were good enough to reach the final, only to be the actual finals featuring just four teams. In the final the hammered 4-1 by an even better Brazilian side featuring Soviet Union defeated Yugoslavia 2-1 in a match between Tostao, Jairzinho, Rivelino and Pele. two nations that no longer exist. By 1964 when Spain were the host nation, the qualifying tournament had been expanded to 29 nations, but the four-team format for the actual finals persisted. Spain defeated defending champions the Soviet Union 2-1 in the final.

MULLER, BECKENBAUER AND THE MIGHTY WEST GERMANS

In 1972 the Euros were won by another of the truly great national title as hosts in 1984, a tournament famous for sides in international football history, the West German Michelle Platinini – who was a far better player than he team that featured legends like Gerd Muller, Franz Beck- was a UEFA president – scoring nine goals in five games. enbauer, Sepp Maier and Paul Breitner, members of the In 1988 the great Dutch team that featured the AC Milan Bayern Munich side that would win the European Cup for trio of Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten three-straight years in the mid-70s, and who would help won what remains Holland’s only international title when West Germany win the World Cup in 1974. The 1976 Eu- they defeated the Soviet Union 2-0 in West Germany. ros in Yugoslavia saw one of the greatest upsets in soccer history, when Czechoslovakia defeated West Germany in a penalty shootout, and Czech player Antonin Panenka scored a never before seen chipped penalty, hence the term to “do a Penenka.”

In 1980 the Italians hosted the first tournament to feature eight teams, with West Germany reaching their third-straight final, and winning their second trophy after defeating Belgium 2-1. France won their first major inter-

29 DENMARK SHOCK THE WORLD

The 1992 competition saw arguably the greatest story in Euro 96 was the first time the competition featured 16 European Championship history unfold. After one of the teams, and the first international tournament to be held pre-tournament favorites Yugoslavia was disqualified fol- in England since the 1966 World Cup, and there was great lowing the outbreak of civil war in their country, Denmark, anticipation that the host nation might once again emerge who had finished runner-up to Yugoslavia in qualification victorious. England would eventually be eliminated in the were invited to take their place in the competition. The semifinals on penalties by Germany, who would go on to Danes, playing without any pressure or fear, performed defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the final. superbly, eliminating defending champion Holland in the semifinals, and then beating World Champions Germany 2-0 in the final.

FRANCE AND SPAIN EMERGE AS FORCES

In 1998, France emerged as a genuine power in inter- Cesc Fabregas, Carles Puyol and Iker Casillas would defeat national football when they won the World Cup with a Germany in the finals of Euro 2008, beat Holland to win team of all-stars including Youri Djorkaeff, David Treze- their first ever World Cup in 2010, and then defend their guet, Fabien Barthez, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira and European Championship empathically in 2012, hammer- the incomparable Zinedine Zidane, and that team would ing Italy 4-0 in the most one-sided final ever. go on to win the 2000 Euros, defeating Italy 2-1. In the 2004 Euros, 150/1 outsiders Greece “did a Denmark” and Can Spain do the unthinkable and win a third-straight knocked out defending champions France before beating Euro championship? Will the hosts France emerge victo- host nation Portugal 1-0 in the final. rious? Will World Champions Germany be too strong, or could a talented young England team surprise everyone? Spain had long been considered soccer’s greatest under- All will be revealed in one month of exciting international achievers. The nation that contained arguably the two football at Euro 2016, beginning on June 10. greatest club sides in the world in Real Madrid and Barce- lona historically suffered from a Castilian- Catalan divide in the international dressing room. That finally changed under the leadership of veteran coach Luis Aragones, who finally got Spain to play as a unit, and the results were spectacular.

Playing their unique, high-possession “Tiki-Taka” style of football to great effect, the Spain team that featured such stars as Xavi, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Fernando Torres,

30 EURO 2016 9 ODDS EXPLAINED

Euro 2016 betting odds can appear daunting at first American odds. They are all presented in different ways glance, with many numbers surrounded by decimals, but all mean the exact same thing, the amount of return plus and minus signs and fractions. However, what those after putting money down on Euro 2016’s betting odds. numbers and symbols represent are not as confusing as Here we will discuss the most popular odds formats in you may think and more importantly, they play a crucial Europe, those being decimal odds and fractional odds. role in determining any potential winnings.

There are three key but different styles of odds on offer in the general market: decimal odds, fractional odds and

DECIMAL ODDS

Starting with decimal odds, these are simply inverted So at odds of 4.50, bookmakers believe there is roughly probabilities, which is why it is so easy to calculate with a 22.2% chance that France will win Euro 2016. Under- them. Hence why they have become the more popular standing betting odds and their implied probabilities is tool in modern betting. Like all odds formats, decimal crucial when it comes to the task of identifying betting odds reflect the likelihood of an event occurring. This value, a topic we will discuss later in this Euro 2016 bet- likelihood is often referred to as the ‘implied probability’. ting guide. To calculate the implied probability reflect in decimal odds, we simply use the following calculation: Implied probability = 1/4.50

So for example, at the time of writing, the pre-tournament odds for France to win Euro 2016 are 4.50. With Implied probability = 0.222 bookmakers offering these odds, what is the probability that France will win Euro 2016?

Implied probability = 1/decimal odds

31 FRACTIONAL ODDS

The second type of odds are fractional, which are mainly So as we can see, odds of 7/2 translates to a 22.2% used in UK betting. Fractional odds display your net profit chance of France winning Euro 2016, just as we saw with rather than your total return of bet, which is why your decimal odds of 4.50. Again, it must be stressed, knowl- stake unit (1) is factored below the fraction line. Let’s edge of how to calculate the implied probability of a given consider our example again, France to win Euro 2016. The set of odds will enable you to identify and current best odds at the time of writing for France to win spot market value. the tournament at 7/2. This means that for every £2 that you bet, you will make £7 profit should France win Euro For more advice on football betting odds and what they 2016. mean, please read these articles:

And just like decimal odds, fractional odds can be con- How To Bet On Football: A Beginners Guide verted into their implied probabilities, this time using this How To Convert Odds To Probability simple formula: Betting Odds Explained denominator / Implied probability = (denominator + numerator)

So let’s look again at France. They are 7/2 to win the tournament. Based on these odds, what is the likelihood that France will indeed win Euro 2016?

Implied probability = 2/(2+7)

Implied probability = 2/9

Implied probability = 0.222

CALCULATING YOUR PROFIT

Calculating how much money you will win from a given Now let’s consider fractional odds. So let’s use our Bel- Euro 2016 bet is simple. Let’s look at decimal odds first. gium example again. The decimal odds of 2.50 are the same as fractional odds 6/4. So let’s say we placed a £10 bet on Belgium to defeat Italy in their opening Euro 2016 match at odds of 2.50. How Your profit = (Stake x numerator) / denominator much will we win if Belgium wins the match?

(£10 * 6) / 4 Your profit = (Stake * Odds) - Stake Your profit =

£60 / 4 Your profit = (£10 * 2.50 ) - £10 Your profit =

£15 Your profit = £25 - £10 Your profit =

Your profit = £15 So given the fractional odds of 6/4, we will make a profit of £15 if Belgium wins the match.

So if Belgium wins, we will make a profit of £15 from our £10 bet. 32 EURO 2016 10 VALUE BETS

You may often hear the word ’value’ being used in sports Bookmaker B is offering 2.10 odds, so: betting. For example, ’There is no value in odds for Ger- many to win Euro 2016’, or ‘I think there is a bit of value Value = (2.10 * 0.50) - 1 with Belgium’. Value situations occur when the bookmakers offer odds which are less probable that the actual outcome of an event. Value = 1.05 - 1

Value = (Decimal Odds * Your Assessed Probability) -1 Value = +0.05

This is the preferred bet for us as the value is above 0. For example, at time of writing England are best odds of 2.10 to beat Russia in their opening Euro 2016 match. In this instance, let’s say we believe their is a 50% chance England win this match. From here it is important to study the market to find the best odds. If Bookmaker A is offering odds of 1.90 for England to win, while Bookmaker B are offering 2.10, which of these odds are the best for us? Well, take a look at the calculation below.

Bookmaker A is offering 1.90 odds, so:

Value = (1.90 * 0.50) - 1

Value = 0.95 - 1

Value = -0.05

These odds represent less than true value. This is not a suitable bet. Whenever the value is less than 0, there is no betting value.

It may take some time for the intuition to develop for So the odds being offered suggest the chance of England spotting value in the betting market. It may even seem winning to be 47.62%. But in this example, we suggested counter-intuitive at first to place money on a team with the probability of England winning at 50%. This is what longer odds who are expected by the bookmakers to lose, makes this a value bet, because the chances of England however, this is a key part of success in sports betting. winning are greater than the probability reflected in the odds on offer. An example of this is very likely to be seen in the upcom- ing European Championship. With the addition of smaller For more information on betting value and tennis staking nations, it is more probable that disproportionate match strategies, read the following articles. ups may occur. It is in these key ties where the potential for value betting could arise. For example, in Group How To Bet On Football: A Beginners Guide F, Hungary have been drawn alongside Portugal, with What Is Value Betting? Cristiano Ronaldo’s side favourites for that clash. How- How To Find Value Bets ever, despite there being a strong likelihood in Portugal winning, their opponents have nothing to lose, displayed Calculating The Perfect Bet Stake astute defensive performances in qualifying and have How To Manage Your Betting Bankroll developed superb team spirit ahead of the tournament. We have seen time and again teams produce remarkable upsets, such as Leicester City’s 5000/1 Premier League title success this season.

Working out the implied probability (the chance of an event occurring) can be calculated using a mathematical equation: 1 / decimal odds.

So if we use our England example from earlier regarding them beating Russia, the implied probability for the odds of 2.10, is:

Implied Probability = 1 / 2.10 Implied Probability = 47.62%

34 EURO 2016 11 BETTING MARKETS EXPLAINED

There are several betting markets on offer at this year’s tournament, and the most popular options available will be discussed and explained below.

TOURNAMENT WINNER TO QUALIFY FOR KNOCKOUT STAGE

A straightforward bet, typically placed before the compe- The two top teams from each group will be joined in the tition start or perhaps during. This outright bet is for the next round by four of the best-ranked third placed teams outcome of the entire tournament, rather than an individ- at Euro 2016. A bet on a team to qualify for the knockout ual match. These often have much higher returns due to stage is an outright bet. There are huge numbers of book- the unpredictable nature of knock-out competitions and makers who will take provide euro 2016 odds to qualify. predicting future events. For example, should a punter bet £100 on Wales to earn For example, should a punter bet £100 on France to win enough points to seal their place in the next stage of the Euro 2016 at odds of 5.00 and they do win the Champion- competition at odds of 1.50 and they do so, the better will ship, the better will receive £500 total return, for a profit receive £150 total return, for a profit of £50. of £400.

TOP GOALSCORER GROUP WINNER BETTING This is another self-explanatory outright bet, again usually Another outright bet, this again is usually placed before placed before the event starts in order to achieve the best the start of the competition due to odds wavering and odds. The Euro 2016 top goalscorer odds differ for each shortening as matches are concluded throughout the bookmaker and is decided by which player scores the group stage. This bet is placed on a specific team to finish most goals during the tournament. in top spot during the initial stage of the tournament. For example, should a punter examine the Euro 2016 top For example, should a punter bet £100 on England to goalscorer odds and place £100 on Harry Kane to finish finish at the top of Group B at odds of 1.90 and they win top of the pile at odds of 17.00 and he scores the most the group, the better will receive £190 total return, for a goals at the tournament, the better will receive £1,700 profit of £90. total return, for a profit of £1,600.

35 1X2 MATCH BETTING ASIAN HANDICAP +/-0.25

This is by far the most common wager in football. In order A similar type of handicap to the one previously men- to get a return on any bet placed, the correct outcome of a tioned but a touch more dynamic. In this situation, a match must be correctly chosen. Bettors have the option draw is again eliminated as a betting option. One team to bet on either Team A to win, Team B to win or for the is handed a quarter-goal before kick-off, with a punter match to end in a draw. either winning, winning half, losing or losing half their bet. The favourite is marked by the minus sign preceding the For example, should a punter bet £100 on Germany to team’s name. beat Poland in their match against one another, and the 2014 World Cup winners succeed at odds of 1.67, the bet- For example, if a punter bets £100 on favourites Spain to ter will receive a total return of £167, for a profit of £67. beat Czech Republic at 1.35 in an AH -0.25, Spain must win the match to win the coupon. A Spain win would see a return of £135 total return. If a draw occurs, only half the stake is lost (£50) with the other half returned. Should Czech Republic win the bet is lost. ASIAN HANDICAP BETTING

A handicap in sports betting means to give one side an advantage over the other before the start of the event, to which is applied to the full-time result. It is typical to ASIAN HANDICAP +/-0.5 either back the favourite or the underdog when using this method. In Asian handicap (AH) betting, a draw is no In this option, the underdog side are handed a half-goal longer available as a result. There a couple of different before kick-off. There is no draw option available and variants to this bet, which we will run through. there are no returns should the match end level.

For example, if a punter bet £100 on England to beat Wales at 1.83 in an AH -0.5, England must win the match to win the coupon. An England win would see a return of ASIAN HANDICAP +0 £183 total return, for a profit of £83 . If Wales win or a draw occurs, the bet is lost. However if you had bet £100 In this instance, no advantage is given to either side but a on Wales +0.5 at odds of 2.10, and the match finished in a draw is eliminated as an option for a result. As an exam- Wales win or a draw, you would receive a return of £210, ple, if a bet was placed on England to win at AH +0 with for a profit of £110. odds of 1.40 against Russia, England must win the match for the coupon to be won. If a draw occurs, the stake is returned. If Russia win, the bet is lost. If England win, the punter would receive £140 due to the outcome of 100 x 1.40, for a profit of £40.

36 OVER/UNDER GOAL TOTALS BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE

This bet is based on the number of total goals scored in a This bet is a good option if you feel there is a good chance specific match. The bet will be placed on whether the total that both teams on show will be able to find the back of number of goals scored is over or under a specific number. the net against their opponent. Whether there are defen- There are several variants of options available - usually sive frailties or prolific attackers on show, it is one of the up to over 5.5 goals - with 2.5 goals the more commonly more common bets when it comes to the football market. used condition to mark a low or high scoring match. The both teams to score (BTTS) option can also be com- For example, in France’s Euro 2016 group stage match bined with a match winner result or can be designated to against Romania, if you think there will be plenty of goals either a first or second half display. scored, a punter could bet on total goals scored to be over 2.5. This bet can also be designated for half-time scores. For example, if a punter bet £100 on BTTS in the Turkey vs Croatia match at odds of 2.08 and it did happen, the better would receive £208 total return, for a profit of £108.

CORRECT SCORE

As simple as the bet suggests, the aim of this bet is to correctly predict the correct scoreline in a specific match. This can also be selected for half-time scores and anytime scorelines.

For example, if a punter bet £100 on France to beat Romania 2-0 at odds of 6.00 and the match ended with that scoreline, the better would receive £600, for a profit of £500.

FIRST/ANYTIME GOALSCORER

This bet is for those tempted by the scorers market for individual matches during the tournament. There are several different options available, such as the first goal scorer in a match, a player to score at any time during the fixture and the last player to score a goal in the tie.

The most prolific, in form and attacking players are typically gifted with the shortest odds in this scenario.

For example, if a punter bet £100 on Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo to score first against Iceland at odds of 3.50 and the Real Madrid attacker netted the game’s opening goal, the better would receive £350, for a profit of £250.

For Anytime goalscorer bets, the odds are commonly weaker than first or last goalscorer due to there being less specificity.

37 EURO 2016 12 BETTING STRATEGIES

The aim of betting is to turn a profit, but let’s not forget that enjoyment is a huge part of the process. When the fun stops, that is when poor decisions will begin to creep in to the betting process. Below we have listed a number of basic betting strategies, Euro 2016 betting tips and pointers ahead of kick off.

DO YOUR RESEARCH COMPARE THE ODDS

An excellent method to predicting the outcome of a There are numerous betting companies available all certain event is through experience and knowledge. The around the globe offering slightly different odds for every more exposure to a sport, the teams, the players and the match and specific event to unfold. It does not take much opponent will only improve the chances of success when effort to compare the odds available across each book- placing money on a situation, so remember to follow and maker to ensure you are maximizing your profit return. read Euro 2016 tips. Do not be tempted to place large sums of cash on obscure divisions or sports because ulti- For example, Republic of Ireland can be met at odds of mately you will be caught out. 101.0 to win the tournament with one booker, but another company are tipping Martin O’Neill’s side at 251.0. The bookmakers’ are knowledgeable and often price There is money to be made in betting just by doing some matches with enticing odds in full consciousness that a background checks across the relevant parties. team’s star player is unavailable or they have just sold their only senior goalkeeper. Unless you are a keen follow- er of foreign competition, it is best to avoid divisions that you have less contact with.

Research the bets you are making. When was the last time Portugal scored in the second half? What are Hun- gary’s Euro 2016 odds to qualify? Is Leonardo Bonucci available for Italy’s opening clash? How many goals did Joe Hart concede in qualifying for England? Is Iceland’s Gylfi Sigurdsson in the starting XI for Iceland? It is vital to understand the background to each fixture in order to turn a profit and not get caught out.

38 LONG SHOT BETTING LIVE BETTING

Upsets in football happen every year, in every tournament There are a wealth of betting markets available to punters and in every country in the world, that’s a fact. However, throughout the summer’s tournament in France. Ahead of when a team is tipped at 51.0 to win, there is a very real the competition, the most common bets placed are likely reason behind these odds: they are highly unlikely to do to be outright betting on team to win, top goal scorer, and so. At that price, the bookmakers are offering £50 for stage of elimination. However, it is important to remem- every £1 placed on the bet, which is a significant return. ber that betting does not stop when the game kicks off.

Long odds are bets equal to or greater than 4.00, for In-play betting has become a huge feature in football example, Germany to win Euro 2016 with Spain’s Diego over recent years, with the advancement of live football Costa finishing as top goalscorer. Mathematically, this statistics aiding this increase. Using facts from ongoing would gives the punter 25 percent or less chance of win- Euro 2016 fixtures, it is possible to judge which team is ning their coupon. in the ascendancy and therefore acts as guidance to in which direction a goal, corner kick or free kick is likely to Consider that when taking on these bets and be aware take place. that the match outcome is expected to be unfavourable. It can take patience and strong nerve to continue to place Goal markets, such as Mario Gotze to score the last goal money on long odds. Multiple losses can be disheartening of the game, or time specific bets, for instance England to for any better but the potential for returns is much higher score in the final 10 minutes, are commonly activated by than standard bets. betters. Additionally, the in-play betting may also allow for the ‘cash out’ feature to be facilitated. This tool puts you in control of your bet and allows you to payout at any stage before the conclusion of the event bet on. The amount figure will fluctuate throughout the contest as the odds of your bet increase or decrease.

39 EURO 2016 13 BOOKMAKERS

Selecting which bookmaker to use for Euro 2016 may is only able to back an event from occurring, for example, seem like a difficult decision. With so many options backing Harry Kane to finish as Euro 2016 top goalscorer. available across a broad spectrum of markets, it is tricky to know which betting company best suits your style of Meanwhile at betting exchanges, the bettor is given the betting and desires for the tournament. It is important to option to also lay bets against an outcome. A lay bet note there are two types of betting agency - a bookmaker will be successful if an event bet on does not occur. For and a betting exchange. example, to lay a bet on France not to win Euro 2016, the punter will win their coupon if any other team wins the Bookmakers offer odds for matches, fixtures and out- tournament and lose if they lift the trophy. comes and the punter bets against the agency, while for exchanges, the odds of an event are determined by other There are several important attributes to examine before users within the market and the punter bets against the selecting a betting company to use. Bettingexpert have a fellow betters. reliable, well-sourced bookmaker review online and can be found at bettingexpert bookmaker reviews. We will For betting beginners, it is advised that traditional betting now discuss five things to take into account before mak- agencies - such as bet365 and William Hill - are used to ing that decision: place bets instead of exchanges - like Betfair and Match- book - due to the simpler system and format. Meanwhile professional bookmakers - such as Pinnacle and SBObet - are preferred by professional bettors looking for low margins on traditional betting markets.

The key difference between these two betting styles is the ability to lay bets. For traditional agencies, the punter

REPUTATION

Ensure the bookmaker you have selected is a trustworthy company with positive reviews. There are hundreds of betting companies available online or on the high street. If you feel uneasy or unsure about the legality of a website or the odds you are being offered, be sure to delve deeper and do research into the company. If odds appear too good to be true, do your background checks before providing your bank details to an unregulated party.

EURO 2016 MARKETS ON OFFER EURO 2016 ODDS

Make a list of markets you will be facilitating during As previously mentioned, there will be varying odds the summer’s tournament and ensure the bookmaker across the bookmakers at Euro 2016. While the betting you select to bet with can provide you with that option. odds will differ only slightly in pricing and be largely All companies will provide punters with the traditional around the same mark up, your stake figure can alter the betting options such as euro 2016 winner odds and top returns considerably, so it is important to examine the goalscorer prices but not all offer the same detailed bets. markets to ensure you maximise your profit by selecting the correct company place with. For example, if you think there will be a first time winner of the Championship, only a select few bookmakers Use a Euro 2016 odds comparison site to see the dif- provide this service. Be sure to check ahead of schedule ference in pricing across the board for exact events. to make sure you do not miss out on potential bets. Most This simple process will enable you to narrow down the companies with a contact number may be able to offer bookmakers you feel offer the best odds for you before you odds and process your bet over the phone if the spe- examining their suitability. cific option is not available online.

CASH OUT FEATURE WELCOME BONUS Introduced only in recent years, several bookmakers offer As a beginner to football betting, there will be a vast array a cash out feature which enables you to end your bet at of offers available ahead of registering your membership any stage of the event before its conclusion. The payout to a bookmakers. Betting companies will tempt sign-ups feature can only be used while in-play and is available with exclusive first-time offers to lure punters to their online for any live bet with this tool highlighted. company. This feature is an added bonus to traditional betting slips For example, a bookmaker will repay you for signing up and allows punters to remove cash from the event before with bonuses of up to £200. There are also losing-bet re- full-time. During this process, the profit amount will alter turns, matched bets, risk-free betting and other cash-in- as the Euro 2016 odds to win increase or decrease. Cash- centive welcome bonuses. Compare the offers available ing out is particularly useful for accumulator bets and late and analyse what works best for you before making the in-game action. plunge by using a Euro 2016 odds comparison website.

41 EURO 2016 14 FREE BETS & BOOKMAKER OFFERS

Ahead of this summer’s action, the most common form of There are other free bet welcome offers available, such as registration welcome bonuses for bookmakers are Euro deposit bonuses which match the initial sum you depos- 2016 free bets. Punters are given an incentive to sign up it, refunded losing bets as free bets and enhanced odds for the companies with a free bet offer, for a matched bet repaid in Euro 2016 free bets. of a certain figure. There are many types of offers in football betting, includ- For example, Bookmaker A may offer ‘Bet £10 Get £30’. ing Euro 2016 outright odds on the winner, all available This means if the punter signs up to Bookmaker A and online via bettingexpert free bets page. We will now they bet £10 on a certain event, they will receive £30 in discuss three of these below: free bets. It is important to note that only winnings off a free bet are placed in the betting account.

PRICE BOOST BET INSURANCE

A price boost promotion is usually introduced ahead of Betting insurance is available in different scenarios and a major tournament, like Euro 2016, to interest a large markets and provides added value to your bets, allowing proportion of new betters. The offers can be posed for you to push coupons further than normal. Available for individual matches or longer term betting, such as tipping accumulators, often for coupons typically with four teams the Euro 2016 winner. or more on one slip, the bookmaker will return your stake in free bets should you be let down by one team. These bets are known as price boosts because the bookmakers will offer enhanced odds on several markets com- Similarly, in the goalscoring market, bets can be returned pared to the rest of the betting prices available elsewhere. as free bets if the player selected to score first actually scores second or later on in the match. This can also be For example, Bookmaker A may offer Spain’s Euro 2016 seen in BTTS bets on selections of four fixtures or more. odds to win at odds of 17.0 during a price boost, where Should one fixture let you down, your money bet will be other betting companies are providing odds of 11.0 or refunded. 12.0.

MONEY BACK

These promotional bets are typically introduced for major sporting events - like an international football competition - and offer to refund stakes as a free bet if the event advertised does not happen.

Again, this is a tool used to entice punters to part with their cash. Typically only pre-match single bets will qualify for this offer but be sure to check the terms if it is not openly advertised. 42 EURO 2016 15 BETTING TIPS

The tipsters of bettingexpert’s betting community will be providing expert insight and recommendations throughout the tournament and it could not be easier to find the best Euro 2016 tips. You can keep on top of all the latest match advice and tips at bettingexpert Euro 2016 tips.

To find the best tipsters on site, you can customise your search based on ranking. Each of bettingexpert’s tipster’s are positioned in order of total profit made. To do so is a simple process. Using the dropdown menubar, click sort by ranking and a list of the site’s most yielding tipsters will be displayed in order. This is the best way to browse the Euro 2016 betting tips.