
Germany is hosting the EUFA Euro 2024 which will take place from 14 June to 14 July, a Month of exciting and entertaining football. This prestigious tournament could be the last for some of football’s greatest stars, which leaves an extra layer of anticipation around this event. With that being said, the stage is set for a new champion to claim the crown and upcoming stars to showcase their talent on the biggest stage.
39/10 Poland | Draw 29/10 | Netherlands 13/20 (15:00)
Robert Lewandowski and Poland will take on Virgil van Dijk and his orange army, the Netherlands, at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. In the last five matches between the two nations, the Dutch have won four, and one ended in a draw. With so much talent in the ranks of both nations, this fixture is set to be an entertaining and exciting encounter. Lewandowski will look to lead his team to glory and earn a massive three points in their opening fixture of Group D while Virgil van Dijk will use his leadership qualities and experience to keep their unbeaten record alive and make it five victories in the last six games against Poland. My money is on the Netherlands to win.
39/10 Slovenia | Draw 49/20 | Denmark 15/20 (18:00)
The Stuttgart Arena will host Slovenia and Denmark where both nations look to put points on the board. Slovenia ranked 54 in the world, comes into this fixture full of confidence as they remain unbeaten across the last five matches, with three victories and two draws. Denmark, clearly the favourites in this fixture, ranked 19 in the world, faces Slovenia on the back of three consecutive victories. In the last three meetings, Slovenia won 0, Denmark won 2, and 1 ended in a draw. This matchup could come down to individual brilliance on the day. Denmark to win.
51/20 Romania | Draw 47/20 | Ukraine 1/1 (15:00)
There is an extra level of excitement around this fixture as these nations have never faced each other before. Often, we do not speak about Romania and football in the same breath, but they have not made it here by luck. They will look to carry out a well-planned strategy and play with a purpose as they look to cause an upset against Ukraine who themselves have something to prove with all the individual qualities they possess in that squad. Winning the first game of any tournament is crucial and I believe both teams will have a good go at each other in their opening game of Group E. I see Ukraine walking away with a hard-fought victory.
9/20 Belgium | Draw 34/10 | Slovakia 54/10 (18:00)
Belgium, known as the Red Devils on the international stage, prepares to take on Slovakia who are looking to impress in the upcoming Euros. Domenico Tedesco has put together a star-studded team that could possibly go the full distance if everything goes according to plan. Belgian captain Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard, and Romelu Lukaku are just a few names to mention that Tedesco has at his disposal and will expect nothing less than maximum points against a Slovakia team who have nothing to lose and will count on veteran Marek Hamsik to guide his nation with his experience and quality in the midfield along with Sparta Praha forward Lukas Haraslin who has the ability to find the back of the net. Belgium to win and over 2.5 goals.
15/20 Turkiye | Draw 51/20 | Georgia 36/10 (18:00)
The Crescent-Stars, Turkiye, enjoyed their highest achievements in the 2000s, most notably finishing in third place at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2003 Confederations Cup, and reaching the semi-finals at the UEFA Euros 2008. The Crescent-Stars have not been a force on the international stage but boast a roster now full of quality players who have the ability to take the team back to its glory days with players like captain and Serie A champion Hakan Calhanoglu, Kenan Yildiz, and Real Madrid’s rising star Arda Guler. European debutants Georgia have made the nation proud by qualifying for their first major European tournament. They have made it here by playing as a team and with belief which could be a huge positive coming into this tournament and this fixture where they will look to play on the front foot and earn their first European points. Turkiye win this.
5/10 Portugal | Draw 31/10 | Czechia 48/10 (21:00)
The Red Bull Arena in Leipzig will be in full voice as Portugal faces Czechia. All eyes will be on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo who is set to feature in possibly his last European Championship. Arguably one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen looks to guide his team to glory alongside Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, and Portuguese sensation Joao Neves. With so much quality in this squad, I can’t see Czechia causing many problems in this fixture but as you know tournament football is so unpredictable it can go either way on the day. Bundesliga champions Patrick Schick and Adam Hlozek will be the key figures for Czechia with West Ham’s Tomas Soucek pulling the strings in midfield. Back Portugal for the win.
Written by Marc Strydom.