Can Albania Surprise? EURO 2024 Group B Predictions | Albania, Croatia, Italy, Spain (June 15 – 24)
As the infamous ‘Group of Death,’ Group B in UEFA Euro 2024 promises to be an intriguing encounter. Spain and Italy are the big guns as the two previous winners of the competition, while recent quarter-finalist Croatia are the dark horses in the ranks. Even though Albania do not seem to pose a big threat on paper, they can alter the course of the group with their games.
UEFA Euro 2024 Group B Betting Guide
The group B action kicks off at the Euro 2024 on June 15. Group B will be decided by the time the final game kicks off on June 24. The games will be held across six cities in Germany.
ℹ️ Tournament: | UEFA Euro Championship 2024, Group B |
⚽️ Venues: | Venues in Venues in Berlin, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Leipzig |
🗓️ Dates: | 15 June – 24 June 2024 |
Group B Euro 2024 Betting Odds
These are the Euro 2024 group B betting odds for the group winner:
Bookies see a clear favorite for the top spot in Group B in the face of Spain, but Italy and Croatia can have their chances to surprise the favorites. Both Albania’s odds of winning the group or qualifying from it are pretty slim.
Spain National Football Team
Spain might come into the Euro 2024 as a team with an illustrious record in this competition. However, the current outfit is nowhere as strong as the teams of 2008 and 2012. In fact, it is not even on par with the team that reached the semifinals of Euro 2022. Still, they are the strongest team in this group, and Spain managed to win seven out of the eight qualifiers with only five goals conceded in the process. Spain’s momentum has been disrupted by the loss to Colombia and a draw with Brazil back in March.
The presence of a world-class midfielder in Rodri is complemented very well by a strong defense. Those who bet on Spain have seen La Roja score over 2.5 goals in three of the last four matches. Alvaro Morata is quite clinical with his finishing skills and he will be another key player for Spain in their quest to win the group stage.
Italy National Football Team
The Euro 2024 group B predictions expect a decent tournament from Italy, even if they are unlikely to be in the run for winning the competition. Italy finished second in the qualifiers group with a significant six-point difference to leaders England. This group B betting preview expects Italy to have a strong start with a game against Albania – the group’s weakest team – kicking them off into the competition.
The injuries to Destiny Udogie and Domenico Berardi are big downsides for coach Luciano Spalletti. The coach does not have the same level of offensive players as he would have liked. However, Italy had a decent run-up to the tournament, with only one loss (at the hands of England) in the last nine games.
Croatia National Football Team
Those who have bet on Croatia in the last major tournaments have been rewarded generously, thanks to the team functioning exceptionally well against all odds. Generational talents like Luka Modric have kept Croatia on the boil in the tournaments. Remarkably, the team has failed to get past the group stages of the European Championships only once in the last four editions. Croatia, though, have had a mediocre run in the qualification stages, and the team had to settle for just six wins from the last 10 qualifiers.
Croatia still have many players who would make it to the list of expert picks for making an impact but they also have aging legs. Modric still demands a lot of respect from the opposition but the 38-year-old’s legs may not have much energy left. Ivan Perisic is also an aging star with the 35-year-old managing only one goal in 12 appearances during the 2023-24 season.
Albania National Football Team
Albania are favorites in the betting specials as a team unlikely to make it out of group B. It is a difficult task for Albania to expect anything out of this European Championship. It is only the second time the nation has qualified for the European Championships, and it has been their first since 2016. It is difficult to make a bet on Albania to have a big impact on the tournament. The team has managed only one win from the last five games – even if the fortunes could change in the friendlies against Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan.
The biggest strength for Albania will be the defensive organization. However, a lack of goals is likely to let the team down. Jasir Asani and Nedim Bajrami will be the players to watch out for.
Group B Schedule & Group Stage Predictions
Matchup | Date | Venue | Predicted Winner |
---|---|---|---|
Spain vs Croatia | June 15 | Olympiastadion, Berlin | Spain |
Italy vs Albania | June 15 | BVB Stadion Dortmund, Dortmund | Italy |
Croatia vs Albania | June 19 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg | Draw |
Spain vs Italy | June 20 | Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen | Draw |
Albania vs Spain | June 24 | Düsseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf | Spain |
Croatia vs Italy | June 24 | Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig | Draw |
All the chances that Spain will confirm their odds and claim a top spot in this quartet, but Italy and Croatia will surely be against such an outcome. Albania can dream about a few points, but we don’t see them grabbing even a single draw.
Euro 2024 Group B Predictions
Group B Winner – Spain @ 1.95 (19/20)
2 (67%)
(33%) 1
Spain are not far away from being considered one of the outright winners to bet on group B with the top EURO 2024 betting sites. Luis de la Fuente’s team had lapses in concentration that led to the recent poor results against Colombia and Brazil. Against the rest of the Group B teams, Spain have the highest possibility of emerging as the winner thanks to a well-balanced squad in almost every area. Spain have not failed to get past the group stages since Euro 2004. Despite such positives, one can also expect excellent prices to back Spain in the latest odds for group B matches in Germany.
Group B Not to Qualify – Croatia @ 3.25 (9/4)
0
(100%) 3
Croatia have been the favorite of online bets with football bookmakers when it comes to major tournaments, as they have done exceptionally well to reach the latter rounds of competition like World Cups and European Championships against all odds. This time around, the aging midfield is likely to be caught out. Croatia have had an underwhelming qualification campaign, with the team having had to reach the finals by finishing second behind Turkey. Croatia have also struggled for positive results against Italy, as their qualification hopes are likely to boil down to their last game. One of the decent group B betting tips will be to back against Croatia to qualify, especially if they fail to win a defensive Albania.
Group B Runner-Up – Italy @ 2.60 (8/5)
2 (67%)
(33%) 1
One can use the best Euro 2024 betting odds to bet on Italy finishing as the runner-up in the group. Luciano Spalletti’s team has a lot of strength across the board. If the team can get the maximum points against Albania in their opening group match, it puts them in a great place to reach the playoffs. However, the impeccable defense and strong attitude of the players are likely to be at the forefront. The defense and midfield are formidable for Italy, and they should ultimately help them get to the knockouts.
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