Euro 2024 is just over four months away folks, and the best players in Europe are set to put on the best show on earth for 30 days between June and July.
Germany are the hosts and that automatically shifts the Euro 2024 betting odds in their favour, currently making them third favourites for the title despite them sitting 12th in the FIFA World Rankings below the likes of Denmark, the Netherlands, and Portugal. But home advantage gives Julian Nagelsmann’s team a great chance to add to their three European titles.
Champions of Europe on the last occasion in 1996 in England, Germany have been pretty rubbish in recent years, eliminated at the group stage of the last two World Cups and crashing out of Euro 2020 in the Round of 16. So the passionate German fans have a lot of pent up frustration in them, and there will be a national party if they can lift the trophy on 14th July.
The tournament kicks off on 14th June when Germany host Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich and climaxes a month later at the 75,000-capacity Olympiastadion in Berlin and, with Hungary and Switzerland making up the numbers in Group A, the hosts will expect (or hope) to progress through the first stage without too much drama.
Nagelsmann took over as manager in September and won his first game in charge, a 3-1 friendly win over the United States. But after drawing with Mexico in October, November defeats to Turkey and Austria have given the head coach plenty to work on.
He began his coaching career at TSG Hoffenheim, taking over as first team head coach in 2015 at 28 years of age and leading them to Champions League qualification.
In 2019, he was tempted by RB Leipzig, reaching the Champions League semi-final in 2020, and that led FC Bayern to fork out a record €25 million for his services in 2021. He won the Bundesliga title in his first season but was potted by the club in March 2023.
Nagelsmann is still one of the best young managers in world football, and he has a squad with a nice balance of youth and experience, able to play his high pressing, energetic style.
Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is in prime position to be the last line of defence, and the experience of Antonio Rudiger, skipper Ilkay Gundogan in midfield, and Thomas Muller in attack will be invaluable.
Gundogan dictates the pace of the game for Germany and his close control, clever passing, and ability to support the attack means he is never far from the action and his consistent high standards allows the nation’s flair players to thrive.
Bayern’s Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka will likely be starters too, while Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt is another attacking midfielder who suits the manager’s style.
And Nagelsmann has some exciting youngsters coming through, with two of them sure to make their fair share of Euro 2024 highlights. 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has already made 97 appearances for Die Werkself, scoring 19 goals, and 20-year-old Jamal Musiala is another rapidly rising star with 28 goals in 105 games for Bayern.
The biggest threats to German dominance
While the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy are all backed to make the quarter finals, the nations with the best chance of taking the trophy away from Germany are France, England, and Spain.
France are twice European champions, World Cup winners in 2018, and runners-up in 2022. And with Kylian Mbappe a good bet for the Golden Boot, Les Bleus will be the team to beat. Ousmane Dembele has a bit to prove at international level, scoring just five goals in 42 games, while Antoine Griezmann remains a class act.
This SBOTOP writer is also looking forward to seeing Arsenal defender William Saliba in action, he’s a Rolls Royce of a player and, at 22 years of age, he has a big future ahead of him.
England’s talisman Harry Kane will be 30 when the Euros kick off, and he will fancy his chances too He won the World Cup Golden Boot in 2018 and has scored 62 goals in 89 appearances for the Three Lions, as his nation’s all-time top scorer.
Kane has been in the form of his life since his record move to FC Bayern, scoring 24 goals in his first 20 appearances, and he will be the key man if England are to end their 58-year trophy drought. Manager Gareth Southgate is under pressure to deliver with arguably the most talented squad in the competition.
Spain, captained by Atletico Madrid’s Alvaro Morata, are an exciting team to watch when they are on song, and they could have the breakout star of the tournament in Barcelona’s 16-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal, while the best defencive midfielder in world football, Manchester City’s Rodri, will be a dominant force in every game he plays.
Germany have a good chance to reward their fans in the summer, but if they show any weakness, their biggest rivals will pounce and the hosts will fall short.
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