This Friday, the 2017 UEFA Euro U21 Championship kicks off in Poland. Hakan Ericson’s Sweden and Aidy Boothroyd’s England get the tournament up and running, with the hosts Poland playing Slovakia later in the day.
This may be youth level, but we should still be in for a cracking tournament. Several of the youngsters, who already play regular football in the top leagues for their club sides, have the chance to express themselves on the international stage. A big tournament here can help some of the lesser players get a dream move but the glory of winning the Euros is what most players will be dreaming of.
According to the bookies, Germany and Spain are among the pre-tournament favourites to lift the crown come 30th June. These two nations certainly have the best, most technically gifted squads in the competition, but we suspect the likes of Portugal and Italy to not be too far behind. England, meanwhile, will be looking to emulate the U20s’ recent FIFA World Cup success, and win their first U21 European Championship since 1984.
The performances of Paul Simpson’s under-20s are sure to have inspired Boothroyd’s troops. How could they not be determined to go all the way having seen the celebrations of their “little brothers” following their success in South Korea?
Group A
Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and England are the four countries contesting Group A. As we touched on, the Swedes and the English go head-to-head at the Kolporter Stadium in Kielce on Friday, with the Poles and the Slovaks meeting in Lublin a few hours later.
The Young Lions may be the slight favourites, but this group is wide open. Boothroyd’s boys are the 13/10 favourites with Bet365, with Sweden available at 11/4 (Sky Bet). You can get the hosts at 4/1 with Betfred, whilst Slovakia are priced at 6/1 with Betfair.
England won’t have it all their own way in Poland, but we do believe they will be top dogs in Group A. Therefore, take advantage of Bet365’s 13/10 for the English to win the group. That’s a great price considering the class and experience within England’s ranks.
England to Win Group A – 13/10 at Bet365
Group B
Group B consists of Spain, Portugal, Serbia and Macedonia. The Macedonians will almost certainly find life very difficult, but the other three will be vying for top spot in this particular group.
As expected, Spain, four-time winners of this competition, are the favourites to top the lot in Group B. However, at 15/8 (Betfair), the Portuguese could be a good bet to cause an upset. As for Serbia, they are available at 6/1 with the same firm, whilst Macedonia are coming in at the whopping price of 16/1 at Sky Bet.
Looking through Spain’s squad, Albert Celades has a vast array of world-class talent to choose from. Not only do we fancy the Spanish to win Group B (evens at Betfred), we feel they have a great chance to go very far in Poland.
Spain to Win Group B – Evens at Betfred
Group C
The final group sees Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark and Italy battle for supremacy. The Germans are the favourites, but we expect the Italians to push them close. Out of the other two, we believe the Czechs will pose the biggest threat.
With Germany and Italy not meeting until the last game in Group C, it could go to the wire. We fully expect Stefan Kuntz’s troops to see off Czech Republic and Denmark, while the Italians should also be too strong for the pair. Either way, Germany and Italy should have enough to reach the next round.
The Germans, who won this tournament back in 2009 when they beat England in the final, are priced at evens to win Group C. However, we feel there’s better value in Betfair’s 12/5 for Luigi Di Bagio’s Italy to beat Germany to top spot. That last game will be key and we just fancy the Italians might have enough to grind out a result.
Italy to Win Group C – 12/5 at Betfair
Outright Winner Betting Tips
Like we said, we anticipate the likes of Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and England to go far in Poland. At this level, however, anything is possible.
In terms of an outsider, it could be worth having a small punt on the hosts to cause a shock on home soil, with Bet365 offering the tempting price of 16/1. For those of you looking to back England, Bet365’s 9/1 is your best price. Either of those are also worth considering as each way (to make the final) options.
However, when push comes to shove, we can’t see past the Spanish. Even at youth level, Spain have the wow factor. We’re backing them to ease to top spot in Group B, before going all the way in Poland. Betfred’s decent odds of 7/2 for Celades’ Spain to lift the trophy are very much worth taking advantage of.
Spain to Win the Tournament – 7/2 at Betfred