Latest Betting Odds

Germany to win (in 90 minutes) – 12/5 (Bet 365)
Spain to win (in 90 minutes) – 13/10 (Bet 365)
Draw (after 90 minutes) – 21/10 (888sport)

To lift the trophy: Germany – 11/8 (VC Bet), Spain 5/4 (Blue Square)
To win in Extra Time: Germany – 11/1 (Paddy Power), Spain 9/1 (totesport)
To win on Penalties: Germany and Spain are both 9/1 with totesport to win on penalties
First Goalscorer Odds: Torres (11/2, 888sport), Klose (7/1, Blue Square), Guiza (7/1 Ladbrokes), Podolski (8/1, William Hill), Ballack (10/1, Ladbrokes), Fabregas (10/1 Bet365)

A £10 bet on Fernando Torres scoring first and Spain winning 2-0 pays £585 with 888sport

A £10 bet on Lukas Podolski scoring first and Germany winning 2-1 pays £1,080 with Blue Square

Sunday’s Euro 2008 final – Germany v Spain – Live on BBC 1, k/o 19:45pm

Three times champions Germany look to continue their impressive form in this competition as they enter their sixth final, but their first in twelve years. Although they started the tournament as favourites, due in part to the relative weakness of Group B, many people believed their workman like team would struggle against more skilled outfits once they reached the knockout stages. Their first real challenge came against a fancied Portuguese team, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been impressive in their first two group games. However, early goals from Bastain Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose gave the Portuguese a shock they could not recover from, despite Nuno Gomes’ reply five minutes from half time.

Germany were never truly stretched, and in the 62nd minute Ballack sealed it with a header from a Schweinsteiger free kick, despite Postiga’s consolation goal three minutes from time. Their semi final win over a depleted Turkey was not as comfortable, as first they had to come from behind, and then score in injury time to seal their place in Vienna. They were big favourites to beat the injury ravaged Turks, but were outplayed in the first half, and were fortunate to be level at half time. Ugar Boral had given Turkey a deserved lead after they dominated the opening twenty minutes, but that lead lasted just five minutes as Schweinsteiger flicked in a cross from Podolski.

In a tight second half Klose looked to have won it for the Germans ten minutes from time as he capitalised on a mistake from Rustu to head Germany into the lead. However the Turks have made scoring late goals their speciality in this tournament, and did it again for the fourth game in a row, thanks to Semih Sentruck, and everyone prepared for extra time. Everyone except Phillip Lahm that is, as his surging run from full back caught the Turks napping, and he lashed home Hitzlsperger‘s pass from six yards to seal Germany’s place in the final.

Spain have been the neutral’s choice due to their open and exciting approach, and are the tournament’s top scorers with 11 goals, one more than the Germans, while David Villa is the top scorer so far with four, three of which came in their opening game, where they swept aside the Russians 4-1. Consecutive 2-1 wins in their final two group games against Sweden and Greece earned them top spot in Group D, and a quarter final clash with the Italians. The two sides took very different approaches to the game, resulting in Spain dominating the 90 minutes as their attacking brand of football was restrained by the Italians typical defensive position.

Spain had the best chances in normal time, coming closest to scoring when Buffon spilled Marco Senna’a shot, only to see it hit the post and come back into his arms. The match inevitably went to penalties and looked set to favour the Italians, as it looked as though they had played for that outcome since the start. History was also not on Spain’s side, as they had previously lost three quarter finals by penalty shot outs, all on the 22nd June. However, this time they held their nerve to win the shoot out 4-2, Casillas saving two kicks to give Fabregas the chance to shoot the Spanish into the final. Their semi final pitted them against their opponents from the first round, a Russian team this time with Andrei Arshavin.

The opening half was tight, with both teams predictably cancelling each other out following their opening group game. The second half saw the attacking Spain of the last three weeks emerge, with Fabregas, who had come on for an injured David Villa, opening the scoring on 50 minutes. Guiza and Silva then put the game beyond the Russians with strikes in the 73rd and 82nd minute respectively, to seal Spain’s first tournament final place since the Euros of 1984.

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Germany v Spain Euro 2008 Final Betting

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Germany
2. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Spain
3. Euro 2008: Sunday’s results and betting news for Monday’s games

In this article, we take a look at the likely winners of each group with two games remaining in the group phase of Euro 2008. Don’t forget there’s still time to get £200 of Free Bets on Euro 2008

Group A Winner Betting

Portugal looked very strong against Turkey on Euro 2008′s opening day, and they should glide past Switzerland to qualify from Group A – They face the Czech Republic tonight in a match that could decide who will win Group A, and Portugal are currently the favourites (8/15, Bet 365). The fact that the Czech Republic stuttered against Switzerland in the opening game has lengthened their odds, and the Czech Republic are currently 2/1 (Sporting Bet) to win Group A. Switzerland and Turkey are out at 22/1 and 28/1 respectively.

Group B Winner Betting

There isn’t too much of a market for those looking to bet on the winner of Group B, and that’s because there’s realistically only one likely winner. Germany are currently 1/3 on (888sport) to win Group B after just one game, and you really can’t argue with those odds after the way they took Poland apart so clinically whilst Croatia somehow limped to a 1-0 win against co-hosts Austria. Croatia to win Group B pays 11/4 (VC Bet), whilst Poland and Austria are available at 33/1 and 80/1 respectively.

Group C Winner Betting

And so to the so-called “Group of Death”, and Holland effectively booked their place in the Quarter Finals with a convincing, nay emphatic victory over Italy on Monday night whilst France could only manage a dull goal-less game against Romania. That is refelected in the odds for Holland to win Group C being just 1/2 on (888sport), whilst France are available at 4/1 (VC Bet). It may be better to go for the odds on Italy to qualify (11/8, skybet) ahead of France given Les Blues’ terrible perfomance, as their 9/1 odds accurately reflect their chances of topping Holland at the Group stage.

Group D Winner Betting

Tuesday’s Group D Results:
Spain 4-1 Russia
Greece 0-2 Sweden

A £10 bet on Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score the first goal and Sweden to win 2-0 would have returned £900 with 888sport, and the big man finally delivered after going 14 international games without a goal, he managed to break down a negative, downright ugly Greece team with a superb powerful drive from just outside the area. It was nothing less than the Swedes deserved for their performance in comparison to the spoiling tactics of the Greeks, who were content to play out a 0-0 draw by passing it between their full-backs for minutes on end without making a single attempt to move play into the Swedish half of the field – And this was in the first half! As a result of last night’s match, Sweden are 7/2 to win Group D (VC Bet) whilst Greece’s tactics have seen them plummet to 25/1 outsiders.

In the other game in Group D, Spain ran out comfortable winners over Russia, and whilst all eyes were on Fernando Torres, the Liverpool hitman turned provider, leaving the star of this particular show as David Villa who managed to score a hatrick, as well as set up the fourth Spanish Goal, showing the Spaniards mean business, and should be taken very seriously indeed (and adding about £10m onto his price tag too!). After such a rampant display, they have been installed as favourites, and the odds for Spain to win Group D are just 2/7 (888sport).

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2008 Group Betting – Bet on the Group winners

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008: Holland breeze through, plus previews of Group D games
2. Euro 2008: Sunday’s results and betting news for Monday’s games
3. Who’s going to win Euro 2008?

All signs pointed to an easy France victory against a poor Romania side – Indeed the best available odds for France to win were just 5/6 prior to kickoff. However Romania set their stall out early on – After just five minutes, they had all 11 men behind the ball in their own penalty area – They clearly set out to stop France creating anything, and they succeeded, as the two teams played out one of the worst games of football ever witnessed at a major tournament in a real “bore-draw” 0-0 game. Les Blues will have to pull their socks up now with wins against Italy and Holland if they are to progress to the knock-out stages.

By contrast, the Holland v Italy game showcased everything that is great about the game – end to end flowing, attacking, passing football from both sides, and although Holland rolled out 3-0 winners, the game was a lot closer than that – Ruud van Nistelrooy’s opener looked about 5 yards offside, and their second came just 30 seconds after Van Bronckhorst had cleared off the line to deny an Italian equaliser. Holland were the 2/1 underdogs to win this tie, but no-one will underestimate them after this performance – Their odds of winning the tournament have plummeted from 16/1 at the start of the tournament to just 5/1 (888sport) after last nights showcase.

Results:
Romania 0-0 France
Holland 3-0 Italy

A £10 bet on Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring the first goal would have returned £80 with 888sport

Tuesday’s Group D Previews

Spain v Russia – 17:00 kickoff, live on BBC1
Every man and his dog seems to be tipping Spain to win Euro 2008, mainly on the basis that they have always underachieved at major tournaments, and the fact that they have the brilliance of Liverpool’s Fernando Torres up front. They are currently 5/1 to win the tournament (888sport), and they should safely progress through the group stages without too many frights.

They face Guus Hiddinck’s Russia side in Innsbruck, and the Spaniards lineup will be one of the least experienced in recent history with Luis Aragones preferring youth to experience and blood a new wave of stars – Whether they will need to count on that experience later on in the tournament remains to be seen – who was it that said “You won’t win anything with kids”? If the bookmakers are to be believed (and they’re very rarely wrong!), then this should be a walk in the park for Spain, with odds of just 8/11 from William Hill for Spain to beat Russia.

Match Odds:
Spain to win: 8/11 (William Hill)
Draw: 13/5 (Bet365)
Russia to win: 4/1 (Blue Square)

First Goalscorer:
Torres: 9/2 (Ladbrokes)
Villa: 11/2 (Bet 365)
Guiza: 7/1 (Ladbrokes)
Garcia: 8/1 (888sport)
Pavlyuchenko 9/1 (VC Bet)
Sychev: 11/1 (Bluesquare)

A £10 bet on Fernando Torres to score first and Spain to win 3-0 would return £750 with 888sport

Greece v Sweden- 19:45 kickoff, live on ITV1
Current holders Greece begin the defence of their title with everyone once again underestimating them (You can currently get 50/1 on Greece to win Euro 2008 with VC Bet), and if they can recreate the team spirit that led them to victory in Portugal in 2004, then they could go all the way again. Although they will have to navigate their way out of a tricky group, you must remember that in 2004 they managed to defeat Portugal (twice!), France and the Czech Republic, with their only defeat coming at the hands of fellow Group D hopefuls Russia.

Sweden coach Lars Lagerback has adopted a very different approach to Luis Aragones, opting for experience in excess, with the oldest squad at Euro 2008, personified by 36 year old Henrick Larsson, who is looking to bag goals in his thrid consecutive European tournament. By contrast, his striking partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic is just looking to score – He’s currently without a goal in 14 consecutive internationals.

Match Odds:
Greece to win: 21/10 (Bet 365)
Draw: 2/1 (888sport)
Sweden to win: 8/5 (totesport)

First Goalscorer:
Ibrahimovic: 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
Larsson: 6/1 (Stan James)
Allback: 7/1 (sportingbet)
Gekas: 15/2 (Blue Square)
Rosenberg: 8/1 (skybet)
Charisteas: 9/1 (888sport)

A £10 bet on Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score the first goal and Sweden to win 2-0 would return £900 with 888sport

Tomorrow’s Matches

Wednesday 9th June – Group A
Czech Republic v Portugal
Switzerland v Turkey

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2008: Holland breeze through, plus previews of Group D games

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008 Group Betting – Bet on the Group winners
2. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Holland (Netherlands)
3. Euro 2008: Sunday’s results and betting news for Monday’s games

Sunday’s Results

Day Two of Euro 2008, and it was off to Group B, where co-hosts Austria faced Slaven Bilic’s Croatia, whilst Germany squared off against Poland in the evening game. Austria couldn’t have got off to a worse start falling behind to a Luka Modric penalty after just four minutes which proved to be the decisive goal, as a nervy Croatia held on for the victory against an Austrian side that looked a constant threat.

Germany’s victory over Poland was slightly more comprehensive, as Polish-born Lukas Podolski scored a brace as the Germans ran riot over the Polish defence – The only suprise was that they only managed the two goals, as it could quite easily have been four or five – A combination of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from Artur Boruc kept the scoreline respectable.

Results:
Austria 0-1 Croatia
Germany 2-0 Poland

A £10 Double on Croatia and Germany winning their matches would have returned £27.00 with Blue Square

Monday’s Previews

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Romania v France – 17:00 kickoff, live on BBC1
France have been robbed of several key players through injury, although they remain strong favourites to win this match. Les Blues could be without Patrick Viera, Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery for their opening match of Euro 2008. They will be keen to make a good start against a poor Romanian side to set them on their way to a tounament they will feel is theirs to win.

Thw two sides have met ten times before, with France winning six to the Romanian’s three. The last time they met was in a friendly match in 2002, which France won 2-1. Romania have never beaten France in a competitve match. This should be a fairly one-sided affair, but for those looking to bet on Romania v France, here are the odds:

Match Odds:
Romania to win: 9/2 (VC Bet)
Draw: 12/5 (888sport)
France to win: 5/6 (Ladbrokes)

First Goalscorer:
Benzema: 6/1 (Bet365)
Henry: 6/1 (William Hill)
Anelka: 7/1 (totesport)
Mutu: 8/1 (skybet)
Ribery: 9/1 (888sport)
Gomis: 10/1 (Ladbrokes)

A £10 bet on Thierry Henry scoring first and France to win 1-0 would return £330 with 888sport

Holland v Italy – 19:45 kickoff, live on ITV1
1988 European Championship winner Marco van Basten leads the Netherlands into this Group C match against 2006 World Cup Winners Italy without Arjen Robben, who limped out of training with a groin strain. Having already lost Ryan Babel to injury, it’s a massive blow for the Dutch. They are boosted by the news that Robin van Persie returned to training on Saturday, but he may not be risked this soon into the tournament. With such worries, van Basten may have hoped for an easier opening match than the world champions, but in the so-called “Group of Death”, there are no easy games.

In the previous 15 meetings of these two sides, Italy have won seven, whilst Holland were victorious in just two matches. The last time they met in a competitive match was back in Euro 2000, when they drew 0-0, which resulted in a penalty-shoot-out, which Italy won 3-1. The Netherlands have a fantastic record in the European Championships, having reached the semi-final stage in four of the last five finals, winning more games than any other team. Italy by contrast have exited at the group stages in two out of the last three championships, despite only ever losing one match in the group phase. Looking at the Holland v Italy betting, Itlay are clear favourites, although there is value to be had from the draw as both sides will be content to avoid defeat in their opening match, knowing that could effectively mean the end of their tournament.

Match Odds:
Holland to win: 12/5 (VC Bet)
Draw: 2/1 (888sport)
Italy to win: 6/4 (6/4 (Ladbrokes)

First Goalscorer:
Toni: 11/2 (bet365)
Ruud van Nistelrooy: 7/1 (William Hill)
Del Piero: 8/1 (Ladbrokes)
Di Natale: 7/1 (Blue Square)
van Persie: 8/1 (William Hill)
Juntelaar: 8/1 (888sport)

A £10 bet on Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring first and Holland to win 1-0 would return £560 with 888sport

Tomorrow’s Matches

Tuesday 10th June – Group D
Spain v Russia
Greece v Sweden

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2008: Sunday’s results and betting news for Monday’s games

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008: Holland breeze through, plus previews of Group D games
2. Euro 2008: Saturday’s results and previews of Sunday’s matches
3. Euro 2008 Group Betting – Bet on the Group winners

Saturday’s Results

The opening games of Euro 2008 kicked off with Group A matches for co-hosts Switzerland against the Czech Republic and Portugal facing Turkey. Despite dominating large portions of the match and looking threatening going forward, the Swiss went down to a single goal scored by Czech substitute Vaclav Sverkos. Portugal v Turkey was an interesting game for the neutral, with both teams favouring counter-attacking football. Defender Pepe (a 40/1 shot for first goalscorer) got the Portuguese in front, and finally with the Turks pressing for the equaliser at the end of the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo started a breakaway move that led to Raul Meireles slotting home a second to put the tie out of doubt.

Results:
Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic
Portugal 2-0 Turkey
A £10 Double on Czech Republic and Portugal winning their matches would have returned £45.30 with Blue Square

Sunday’s Previews

Austria v Croatia – 17:00 kickoff, live on BBC1
The co-hosts kick off their Group B campaign in Vienna with a tough test against a strong Croatian side that England fans know all too well. Austria have never qualified for the European Championships before, and so this will be their debut match too. Croatia have failed to impress at the last two European Championships, having failed to win in their last five – The last victory they had was at England 96, when they reached the quarter finals. Head Coach Slavan Bilic played in all Croatia’s matches that year.

Croatia are strong going forward, particularly across the middle of the park, although they do have some defensive frailties which Austria will be hoping to capitalise on. I think Croatia should have too much firepower for the Austrians though, and think they will sneak a victory. Here are the odds for those looking to bet on Austria v Croatia:

Match Odds:
Austria to win: 47/10 (VC Bet)
Draw: 23/10 (888sport)
Croatia to win: 5/6 (Ladbrokes and William Hill)

First Goalscorer:
Petric: 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
Budan: 7/1 (Blue Square)
Klasnic: 7/1 (888sport)
Kalinic: 9/1 (888sport)
Linz: 9/1 (Blue Square)

Germany v Poland – 19:45 kickoff, live on BBC1
Germany Head coach Joachim Loew will leave it late to decide who partners Mario Gomez up front as the Germans face Poland in the evening game of Group B in Klagenfurt. Miroslav Klose looks favourite to lead the attack, with Lukas Podolski dropping back to the left-side of midfield. Amazingly, Germany have not won a game in the European championships since they won Euro 96. It looks likely that they will get it against a poor Polish side, who have been kicked whilst they are down, losing Celtic keeper Tomasz Kusczak to a back injury on Friday whilst Jakub Blaszczykowski pulled a hamstring.

The two teams have met 15 times previously, with Germany winning 11 and Poland winning none. The last time they met was at the world cup in Germany in 2006, which Germany won 1-0 thanks to a late, late goal from Oliver Neuville. All signs point to a comfortable victory for the Germans, but how often have we seen teams struggle to find their top form in the opening matches? And is it worth betting on Germany v Poland?

Match Odds:
Germany to win: 8/15 (Bet 365)
Draw: 31/10 (VC Bet)
Poland to win: 13/2 (888sport)

First Goalscorer:
Klose: 5/1 (Ladbrokes)
Gomez: 11/2 (888sport)
Podolski: 13/2 (Bet365)
Kuranyi: 7/1 (Ladbrokes)
Ballack: 8/1 (William Hill)
Neuville: 7/1 (Blue Square)
Smolarek: 11/1 (skybet)

A £10 bet on both Croatia and Germany to win their matches would return £27 with Blue Square

Tomorrow’s Matches

Monday 9th June – Group C
Romania v France
Holland v Italy

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2008: Saturday’s results and previews of Sunday’s matches

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008: Holland breeze through, plus previews of Group D games
2. Euro 2008: Sunday’s results and betting news for Monday’s games
3. Euro 2008 Group Betting – Bet on the Group winners

Don’t forget to check out the bookies special offers before betting on this match, including free bet offers from Blue Square, bet365 and VC Bet.

Portugal v Turkey match odds

Portugal to win – 4/5 (skybet)
Draw – 5/2 (Blue Square)
Turkey to win – 9/2 (Bet 365)

As you can see from the odds, there’s only one way this match is going according to the form book, the bookies and the history books. But since when has form, history and odds got anything to do with it – Remember Greece in Euro 2004? Portugal sure do!

Both these teams will be eager to kick off their Euro 2008 campaigns with a good results, as no-one want sto be playing catch-up in the group stages, but I can honestly only see this match going one way – and that’s a comfortable win for Portugal.

Team News

New Chelsea recruit Jose Bosingwa should be named in the Portugal squad to face Turkey after overcoming a muscle strain to be able to take part. Everyones favourite winker, Real-Madird bound Cristiano Ronaldo trained with an ice-pack on his ankle earlier this week (mind games?) , but should be fit to play a full part in what should be a stroll in the park. Turkey’s only major doubt is Bayen Munich midfielder Hamit Altintop., who has a muscle strain.

With the evening kickoff, Turkey and Portugal do not have to contend with any heat issues, although they will have aclimatised to the conditions at their training camps already.

First Goalscorer Odds

I would say “no prizes for guessing who leads the first goalscorer odds”, but there is a prize – 5/1 from Blue Sqaure on soon-to-be-former-Manchester-United player Cristiano Ronaldo grabbing the first goal of the game, which given the season he’s had, and the quality of the opposition is a massive invite. Other contenders include Nuno Gomes, Postiga, Nihat and Almeida, all at 8/1 with Ladbrokes. For those looking for juicier odds, how about Roberto Carvalho (33/1, Bet365) or Pepe (40/1, Ladbrokes)?

Blue Square are offering 15/2 that there will be no goalscorer, but I feel that would be a very unlikely result.

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Portugal v Turkey Betting news

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Turkey
2. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Portugal
3. Switzerland v Czech Republic Betting news

Don’t forget that a number of bookmakers have rolled out some special offers for Euro 2008, including Blue Square’s Million Pound promotion (All you have to do is predict the scores of the matches, and you could win £1,000,000), and Bet365′s huge £200 Free Bet promotion. Expect more special offers as the tournament progresses too.

Switzerland v Czech Republic Match Odds

Switzerland to win – 7/4 (Blue Square)
Draw – 15/8 (Ladbrokes)
Czech Republic to win – 9/5 (VC Bet)

That’s a fairly even split, but even factoring in the “home” element, you have to say that this is a poor Switzerland side, that has lost their last four friendlies, whilst the Czechs are a formidable opponent, and you can’t see Chelsea stopper Petr Cech being troubled too often – Indeed the Czech Republic only conded five goals in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Therefore, I feel that there’s great value to be had in backing the Czech Republic to win this match, and 9/5 is a great price – three weeks ago you would have struggled to find odds over the Evens barrier for a Czech win.

Team News

Patrick Mueller is a doubt for Switzerland, whilst they welcome back Tranquillo Barnetta from ankle problems – He may not start in this match, but should be fit for the majority of the group stage. The Czech Republic will be without Pospech with a virus, whilst team captain Tomas Ujfalusi is struggling with an addominal injury. They also welcome back defender Marek Jankulovski from knee worries.

These two teams have met 30 times before, with the Czech Republic winning just over half the matches (16) whilst there have been 6 drawn matches. The Swiss have won just 8, although 6 of them were on home soil – perhaps the “home effect” could have a bearing after all? The referee for Switzerland v czech Republic will be Roberto Rosetti from Italy.

First Goalscorer Betting

Czech Rupublic striker Milan Baros is the favourite to score first in this match, with some temption 7/1 odds to be had (Ladbrokes). 7/1 is also on offer for Frei (Blue Square) and Koller (Ladbrokes). VC Bet will give you 8/1 that there will be no goalscorers at all (remember own goals do not count for first goalscorer bets), whilst Bet 365 will give you 15/2 on Streller and 17/2 on Derdiyok, Fenin, Sverkos or Vlcek. Those looking for an outside bet for the first goalscorer could do worse than look at Senderos at 33/1 (888sport, William Hill and others).

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Switzerland v Czech Republic Betting news

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Czech Republic
2. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Switzerland
3. England v Switzerland betting preview

The tournament that all of England has been waiting for with gritted teeth (Thanks once again Steve McClaren for saving us the agony of another Quarter Final exit on penalties) kicks off on Saturday, and having already previewed each team’s individual strengths and weaknesses, we now look at who the likely winners are going to be – And it’s a case of the usual suspects, but there are more than a few dark horses (with tempting odds) circling with intent – Let’s not forget Euro 2004 was won by 100/1 “nobodies” Greece – Surely it can’t happen again…

Group Winners

Group A
Portugal were finalists in Euro 2004, a tournament they should have won, and finished fourth at the 2006 World Cup. With retirements and loss of form, they are not team they were. Nevertheless, confidence in the Portuguese camp remains high. Coach Scolari said, “I think we can reach the final, even though that will involve beating some very difficult opponents.” They are taken to win Group A, at the main expense of the Czech Republic.

Betting
11/8 Portugal (888sport)

11/4 Czech Republic (Paddy Power)

18/5 Switzerland (totesport)

7/1 Turkey (Paddy Power)

Group B
Following an unexpected third place in the 2006 World Cup, German expectations are high. They dropped only four points before confirming qualification with three games to go, before losing 3-0 at home to the Czech Republic. The well-marshalled squad have been bolstered by the emergence of some promising youngsters.

Croatia finished top of a tough qualifying group, beating England twice. They were only beaten when qualification was assured. Germany are taken to win Group B from Croatia.

Betting
4/6 Germany (William Hill)

13/5 Croatia (Paddy Power)

8/1 Poland (skybet)

16/1 Austria (totesport)

Group C
2006 World Cup winners Italy took just one point from first two qualifying games, then won nine of the remaining 10 and finished three points ahead of France. France’s record in the qualifying competition, losing twice to Scotland in finishing second to Italy, suggests all is not well.

Holland were largely unimpressive in qualification, finishing behind Romania. However, some of the players from successive European under-21 tournament victories have been successfully integrated into the senior side, which looks ready to take advantage of any slip-ups from the Italians or French. The Dutch are taken to “steal” the group from their more fancied rivals.

Betting
7/4 Italy (Paddy Power)

2/1 France (Paddy Power)

11/4 Holland (bet365)

10/1 Romania (William Hill)

Group D
Spain managed just three points from their opening three qualifying games, including a 3-2 defeat in Belfast, but still topped the group by two points. Spain are basking in a truly talented generation of players, like Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres, and should take Group D with a minimum of fuss.

Betting
5/6 Spain (Stan James)

9/2 Russia (Paddy Power)

5/1 Sweden (William Hill)

11/2 Greece (Paddy Power)

Overall Winners

Once again, the Spanish have qualified for a major tournament, playing some exciting football and have some exceptional talent in their squad, including Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres. It was a comfortable qualification for the Spaniards, winning nine of their final ten matches to qualify. While they failed to make it out of the group stages in 2004, they have every chance of topping Group D this time around, especially with favourable opponents in Sweden, Greece and Russia. However, at a best-priced 11/2 with Paddy Power, they are underpriced on recent achievements. Germany are well-fancied, although quite whether they should be as low as 4/1 (William Hill) favourites is another matter.

World Cup winners Italy can’t afford their customary slow start if they are to win the European Championships for only the second time. Roberto Donadoni’s men might look big at 7/1 (Paddy Power) to emulate their success of two years ago, but face France (17/2 Paddy Power) and Holland (14/1 Paddy Power) in Group C. There’s also been plenty of money for Portugal (15/2 sportingbet), for whom Cristiano Ronaldo is obviously the key player, and Croatia (14/1 Paddy Power), who were so successful when dismantling England at Wembley.

Betting
4/1 Germany (William Hill), 11/2 Spain, 7/1 Italy (both Paddy Power), 15/2 Portugal (sportingbet) 17/2 France, 14/1 Holland, Croatia (all Paddy Power) 20/1 Czech Republic (William Hill), 28/1 Russia (Stan James), 33/1 Switzerland (Paddy Power), 40/1 Greece, 50/1 Romania (both skybet), Sweden (Paddy Power), 66/1 Poland (William Hill), Turkey, 150/1 Austria (both Paddy Power).

Top Goalscorer – “Golden Boot”

Betting
9/1 Fernando Torres, 10/1 Cristiano Ronaldo (both Ladbrokes), Miroslav Klose (William Hill), 16/1 Luca Toni (Paddy Power), 18/1 Mario Gomez (Ladbrokes), David Villa, 20/1 Ruud van Nistelrooy, 22/1 Thierry Henry, 28/1 Luks Podolski (all Paddy Power), 33/1 Michael Ballack, Mladen Petric, Karim Benzema (all William Hill), 40/1 Filippo Inzaghi (Stan James), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (William Hill), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Paddy Power), 50/1 Alexander Frei (William Hill), Robin van Persie (Paddy Power), Jan Koller, Pavel Pogrebnyak, Nuno Gomes, Kevin Kuranyi (all William Hill), Alberto Gilardino (Stan James), 66/1 BAR. Each-way terms are generally ¼ the odds a place 1, 2, 3, 4.

In Euro 2000 and 2004, twelve of the thirteen players that finished in the top 4 goalscorers were members of teams that reached the quarter-finals. Statistics from these tournaments indicate that three goals might well be enough to guarantee a place return, while five goals of more gives a player a definite chance of collecting the “Golden Boot.” Patrick Kluivert won with five in Euro 2000, playing for a Dutch side that reached the semi-finals, while Milan Baros won with the same number in 2004, as a member of the Czech Republic side that reached the same stage of the competition.

In seeking a potential “Golden Boot” winner it is essential to select from a team which is fairly certain to reach the quarter-finals. Examination of the groups suggests that Portugal, Spain, Germany and Holland are fair bets to progress from their respective groups. Having derived a shortlist of likely qualifiers the next step is to narrow down the players in those teams to the potential high scorers. Obvious selections, given their scoring records this season are Spain’s Fernando Torres and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, but this is reflected by the odds on offer.

Those seeking better value may do worse than consider Germany’s Kevin Kuranyi (50/1 with William Hill). The Germans should progress to the semi-finals and Schalke 04 striker Kuranyi may start alongside Klose. Even if only making substitute appearances, the price represents excellent each-way value. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Holland also appeals at 40/1 with Paddy Power. Huntelaar has all the attributes to play a starring role at Euro 2008 and if the inconsistent Dutch team click then he could score the goals that will lead them to glory.

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Who’s going to win Euro 2008?

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008: Saturday’s results and previews of Sunday’s matches
2. Euro 2008 Group Betting – Bet on the Group winners
3. Euro 2008: Holland breeze through, plus previews of Group D games

It is always worth registering with a number of online bookmakers if only to take advantage of their free bet offers and get better value for your pound. The other reason is that each bookmaker have special offers from time to time on various events.

This is where the spotlight for this post lies. There are a number of bookmakers who have special offers for the Euro 20008 tournament:

Paddy Power Euro 2008 Specials

Paddy Power have a money back special running throughout all the group matches. For those matches that you place a bet with them on, Paddy Power will refund your losing bet if a player is shown a red card during the match. The refund will be given on all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on that match.

Conditions:

Victor Chandler Euro 2008 Specials

VC Bet (Victor Chandler) have on offer a promotion they call ‘Money for Nothing’. Basically if you place a Correct Score, First Goalscorer or Double Result (HT/FT) on any EURO 2008 match and the score finishes 0-0, then VC Bet will refund your bet, with a free bet to the same price. Terms include: Max refund £100 (€120) per offer per person per match. Applies to singles only. Does not apply to in-running bets. Free bets credited within 48 hours.

Betdaq Euro 2008 Specials

Betdaq are a betting exchange, who are offering new customers a special free bet for the Euro 2008 matches. All new customers who quote promotional code EURO2008AF on sign up, will receive a free matched bet of £25. All you need to do is sign up with that code, and add £25 to your account, and then place a bet with that £25 in order to get your free £25 from Betdaq.

To find out more about Betdaq, read our BetDaq review.

To find out more about Betting on Exchanges read our guide ‘An Introduction to Sports Spread Betting’

More Euro 2008 Bookmaker offers will be added as we find them.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2008: The Bookies give you more

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Portugal
2. Who’s going to win Euro 2008?
3. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Turkey

FOOTBALL – Euro 2008 Team Preview – SPAIN

6/1 with skybet to win Euro 2008.
Evs with 888sport to win Qualifying Group D (includes Greece, Sweden and Russia).

Latest Euro 2008 Betting Odds:

Euro 2008 Winner
Euro 2008 Top Goalscorer
Euro 2008 Match Betting

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Past Championships

The Spanish national side seems cursed at World Cups and European Championships, more often than not starting amongst the pre-tournament favourites, and then struggling to qualify or capitulating at the quarter-final stage. They seem to prove the point that a squad full of talented players does not necessarily equate to a talented team. It has been over forty years since Spain achieved a major championship (Euro ’64).

1960 – Quarter-final

1964 – Champions

1968 – Quarter-final

1972 – Did not qualify

1976 – Quarter-final

1980 – Round 1

1984 – Runners-Up

1988 – Round 1

1992 – Did not qualify

1996 – Quarter-final

2000 – Quarter-final

2004 – Round 1

Qualification

Spain left it late for qualification out of a potentially tricky Group F especially after successive defeats away to Northern Ireland and Sweden in 2006. It looked like Spain could actually miss out on its first big event since 1992. However, they made up for the lost ground, gaining 22 out of 24 possible points from the next eight games in Group F, finishing top of the group ahead of Sweden.

Coach

A title winning player and coach with Atletico Madrid, Luis Aragones is probably more famous (or infamous) these days for his racial slur in 2004 aimed at Thierry Henry in a conversation with then Arsenal striker Jose Reyes. His coaching career at Atletico started spectacularly with an Intercontinental Cup, Spanish Cup and a League title in his first three seasons. Since that time he coached Atletico in three other spells, leading them to two more Cups. He also won the 1988 Cup with Barcelona and came tantalizingly close to snatching the 1996 League title with Valencia. A tough uncompromising character, Aragones is definitely his own man when it comes to difficult decisions such as omitting the out of form Raul Gonzalez from the Spanish squad.

Key Players

Arsenal playmaker Cesc Fabregas may not be hitting the same heights he did at the start of the Premier League season but the already vastly experienced youngster (still only 21) is still a sure bet to be one of the top midfield performers in Austria and Switzerland. He has scored 26 goals in 198 appearances for Arsenal, including 13 goals this season. Liverpool’s big money signing Fernando Torres has his highest ever goal tally in a season already secured (33) and can now start to plan ahead to finally overcoming the “underachievers” tag that hangs around the Spanish national team’s neck. The Anfield favourite could fit the description of the key player, but it is not clear whether he will be the starter in Aragones’ single striker formation, a sure indication of the firepower Spain possess.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Euro 2008 Team Preview: Spain

Related posts:

1. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Sweden
2. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Turkey
3. Euro 2008 Team Preview: Greece