We’re into the knockouts of Euro 2024 already folks; it only seems like yesterday that hosts Germany whacked Scotland 5-1 and we anticipated a goal-fest in a feast of football to come.
There have been plenty of goals, some controversy, stacks of drama and a smattering of shock Euro 2024 results along the way. By this stage, with 36 games gone and 15 to play we would normally have a good idea which players are in the hunt for the Golden Boot.
But this time? No way!
The biggest names, the most prolific scorers, have yet to get going and I’ll come to them later; but so far we only have one player with three goals and five with two goals, and if you had a few chances to guess the six I bet you’d struggle.
So it’s big respect to Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze who leads the race on three goals, after he bagged in his nation’s historic 2-0 win over Portugal on Wednesday night. This is the first finals Georgia have appeared at, and to break out of the group is a superb achievement. The reward is another headline clash in the Round of 16 against Spain. It’s a tough task but after beating the Selecao the Georgians are full of confidence.
With 13 goals from 28 appearances Mikautadze has made a great start to his international career and, at 23 years old, there is a lot more to come from the Metz man. With Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia alongside him he has every chance of adding to his tally. Whether he will get more than one game though is unlikely as Spain have been the most impressive side at Euro 2024 so far.
Liverpool striker Cody Gakpo has scored twice for the Netherlands and he should have more opportunity as the Oranje have a very winnable Round of 16 tie against Romania to look forward to. He will come up against another player on two goals, Romania’s Razvan Marin scored his second from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw with Slovakia and that was enough to take both teams through fro Group E, at Ukraine’s expense. Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz is the third player on two, but he will have his work cut out to add many more as the Slovaks have drawn England in the Round of 16.
The Euro 2024 betting odds here at SBOTOP pitch Spain, England, Germany, France and Portugal as the big five, the teams most likely to battle it out for the European crown; but only Germany have players who have scored twice…two of them. One of the players we were all looking out for at the start of the tournament was Bayern Munich’s flying forward Jamal Musiala and he raced out of the blocks with a stunning finish to take the game away from Scotland in the curtain-raiser. Then he scored a well taken opener in Germany’s 2-0 win over an impressive Hungary side; that result taking the hosts through to the Round of 16.
Niclas Fullkrug is the other player to have scored twice for Germany; a brilliant finish against Scotland and then an injury time leveller in the final clash with Switzerland. He’s been used as a substitute and, if Fullkrug gets plenty of minutes he’s always in with a shout of a goal.
Slow start for the sharpest shooters
In total, close to 60 players have scored a goal at the Euros and that includes some of the names we expected to see chasing for the Golden Boot. Les Bleus skipper and talisman Kylian Mbappe scored his first goal of the competition with a penalty in France’s draw with Poland but he missed a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands after he broke his nose during France’s 1-0 win over Austria in their opener. Mbappe had a number of good efforts during the match against Poland and, if France negotiate a tricky Round of 16 tie against Belgium he could still be in the race.
England have failed to impress so far, scoring only twice in three games, but they have two players who have hit the net who will both fancy their chances of staying in the hunt. Jude Bellingham, who had such an explosive first season at Real Madrid, scored the Three Lions’ winner against Serbia, but he has looked sluggish since. England’s captain and centre forward, and 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner, Harry Kane scored the opener in the 1-1 draw with Denmark and if he gets a sniff he is sure to hit the net. But chances have been scarce so far.
And then there is Spain striker Alvaro Morata who has also broken his duck. He scored La Roja’s first goal of the tournament in the 3-0 win over Croatia and, playing for the best side so far in Euro 2024, Morata is in with a good chance.
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