Euro 2020 is finally here despite being a year late.
BetDeluxe is licking its lips as it goes through best games in this weekend’s opening group stage fixtures.
It all begins when Gli Azzurri take on the dark horse of the tournament in Turkey.
Turkey vs. Italy
June 12th 5:00am
Italy and Turkey open Euro 2020 proceedings from the Stadio Olimpico in Group A of the battle for Europe’s top gong.
Since Roberto Mancini took over Gli Azzurri the resurgence of Italian football at an international level has been irresistible.
Mancini boasts an incredible 71% winning strike rate after taking over as head coach in 2018 and has his men playing with flair in offence, while being rigid and compact in defence like so many champion Italian teams in the past.
The likes of Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne will prove a headache for a Turkish team who enter this tournament on the back of impressive World Cup Qualifier form.
Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz will attempt to get at a rock solid Italian back four which include champion centre back pairing Giorgio Cheillini and Leonardo Bonucci.
Prediction: Turkey 0 Italy 2
Suggested Bets:
Italy head to head at $1.50
Lorenzo Insigne anytime goalscorer at $2.75
Wales vs. Switzerland
June 12th 11:00pm
After its magical run in Euro 2016 which saw it reach the semi-finals, Wales return for another tilt at glory when it faces Switzerland in the second Group A clash this weekend.
Star Welshmen Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen will carry the team on their backs but the trio are no longer at the same level they were back in 2016.
The form Wales has shown leading into the tournament has been from ideal.
A 3-0 loss to France was followed up by a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Albania.
The Swiss, however, have won six games in a row leading into the group stage and held Spain to 1-1 draw ahead of that winning run.
Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaquri will pull the strings in midfield in attempt to find striker Mario Gavranovic who nailed in hattrick against Liechtenstein in the Swiss’ final warm up game.
Prediction: Wales 1 Switzerland 2
Suggested Bets:
Switzerland head to head at $2.15
Mario Gavranovic anytime goalscorer at $3.10
Belgium vs. Russia
June 13th 5:00am
The Gazprom Arena plays host to Belgium and Russia’s first fixture of their respective Euro 2020 campaigns, as the two sides prepare for battle in Group B on Saturday night.
Kevin DeBruyne may be a shock selection as he continues his speedy recovery from surgery after suffering facial fractures in the Champions League final against Chelsea.
Regardless of his inclusion or not, Roberto Martinez’s men have their eyes firmly on the prize as the number one ranked nation in the world, while Russia have realistic expectations of a top-two finish in the group.
Belgium was incredible in the qualification stage taking all 30 points on offer and qualifying for the tournament without a blemish.
Meanwhile, Stanislav Cherchesov’s side are far from guaranteed a knockout berth at the Euros with Denmark also occupying a place in Group B, and only a late Aleksandr Sobolev penalty could propel them to victory in a friendly against Bulgaria last weekend.
Russia’s recent form is certainly mixed to say the least.
Belgium belted Russia with 3-1 and 4-1 wins when the nations duelled Euro 2020 qualifiers and boast seven game winning record against its opponents.
Prediction: Belgium 3 Russia 1
Suggested Bets:
Belgium head to head at $1.67
Romelu Lukaku anytime goalscorer at $3.10
England vs. Croatia
June 13th 5:00am
England commences its group stage against Croatia on Sunday morning at Wembley Stadium.
The Three Lions have gone undefeated through its last six international fixtures and enter the tournament with a 1-0 friendly win over Romania earlier this week.
But a clash with a talented Croatian side will prove no easy victory who, despite a poor effort in a 1-1 draw with Armenia and a 1-0 loss to Belgium in the lead up, will prove a tough assignment for Gareth Southgate’s men.
England clearly have world class individuals on the pitch with Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling being the creative masterminds but the concern is how they gel as a team; which has always been the issue in these major tournaments.
The danger for England lies in the hands of Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric who had an excellent season in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim.
The former Leicester City man scored 20 goals in 28 Bundesliga matches and can cause issues for England’s back four.
Prediction: England 1 Croatia 1
Suggested Bets:
Draw at $3.7
