As round one comes to an end this Tuesday, let’s take a look at both UEFA European Championship encounters in Group F, scheduled for the 18th of June, and suggest a bet for each game.
At the time of writing, both England and France dominate the outright market at 4/1, closely followed by hosts Germany at 5/1. Portugal and Spain are both priced as fourth favourites at 13/2, while defending champions Italy are at 14/1. The remainder of the field can be backed at 16/1 or better.
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TURKEY v GEORGIA – Click here to bet
Having failed to live up to the hype in the previous edition of the Euros, Turkey will be hoping to make amends after not progressing beyond the group stages in England. This Tuesday, they face the relatively unknown Georgia at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, a side making its debut in this competition. The Crescent-Stars, however, will be making their sixth appearance, which could prove to be a major advantage given their experience. Having finished at the top of their qualifying group, Turkey will enter this encounter as favourites despite a rather dismal warm-up campaign, registering just one draw from their four allotted games leading up to this competition.
Turkey has averaged 0.6 goals per game in their last five international appearances, with under 2.5 goals arriving in 60% of those encounters (3 out of 5).
European Championship minnows Georgia will make their historic debut at the Euros by taking on Turkey in Dortmund this Tuesday. Having finished fourth in their qualifying group, the Crusaders had to overcome Greece in a playoff final to secure their place this summer. As the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, not much is expected from them—a perception head coach Willy Sagnol hopes to challenge, aiming for his team to be more than just participants making up the numbers. In terms of preparation, the Crusaders could only schedule one warm-up match due to their additional playoff fixtures. However, they enter the tournament on a winning note, having defeated Montenegro 3-1 away from home.
Georgia has averaged 1.6 goals per game in their last five international appearances, with over 2.5 goals arriving in 60% of those games (3 out of 5).
Head-to-Head
These two sides have met five times overall, with Turkey dominating with three wins, one draw, and just one defeat. Their most recent encounter was an international friendly in May 2012, which resulted in a 3-1 victory for Turkey.
Betting
Turkey 8/11
Draw 11/4
Georgia 4/1
Prediction
With little to compare in major tournaments, Georgia are somewhat of an enigma going into the Euros. Turkey, on the other hand, enter this clash with significantly more experience and having finished at the top of their respective qualifying group, they should have the edge in their opener.
Suggested Bet: Full Time Result, Turkey at 8/11
PORTUGAL v CZECH REPUBLIC – Click here to bet
The 2016 Euro Champions, Portugal, begin their campaign this Tuesday by taking on Czech Republic in Leipzig, aiming to improve on their underwhelming title defence in the previous edition, where they failed to progress beyond the round of 16 three years ago. Having achieved a perfect record with ten wins from ten in the group qualifiers, Robert Martinez appears to have his side perfectly balanced as he enters his first major tournament for Portugal since departing the Belgian national team. Averaging 3.6 goals per game in the qualifiers and conceding just two overall, the Portuguese enter Group F as one of the more fancied teams to progress deep into the tournament.
Portugal has averaged 2.6 goals per game in their last five international appearances, with over 2.5 goals arriving in 80% of those games (4 out of 5).
The Czech Republic will open their campaign on Tuesday against one of the favourites to win the tournament. Having progressed from the group stages by qualifying directly as runners-up, the Proud Lions will mark their eighth European Championship appearance, hoping for better fortune as they take on the mighty Lusos in Leipzig—a fixture that has not brought much success in recent times. Unbeaten in the warm-ups, Ivan Hašek’s men have gone about their business in a quiet manner and will look to use that as a springboard to make an early impact in the tournament, despite being one of the lower-ranked teams competing in Germany this summer.
Czech Republic has averaged 3.2 goals per game in their last five international appearances, with over 2.5 goals arriving in 100% of those games (5 out of 5).
Head-to-Head
These two sides have met five times, with Portugal dominating with four victories and just one defeat. Their most recent encounter resulted in a 4-0 win for Portugal in the UEFA Nations League back in September 2022.
Betting
Portugal 8/15
Draw 7/2
Czech Republic 11/2
Prediction
I simply cannot see the Czech Republic troubling Portugal in their opener. Given Portugal’s aggressive approach up front and staunch defensive style at the back, they are likely to win comfortably, holding their opponents at bay along with a clean sheet.
Suggested Bet: Portugal to win to nil, yes at 29/20
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
