The EURO 2020 brings together all the best teams on the continent and is a superb chance for all the young coaches and scouts to watch and learn how top national selections play and apply certain ideas of their strategists.
England, Belgium, Portugal, France, and all other teams have specific tactics which are adjustable, more or less depending on the opponents across the field.
According to the EURO 2020 odds issued by the bookmakers recently, the above-mentioned teams are the biggest candidates to win the European crown. England is topping the list at the moment, with the odds 5/1, barely ahead of the world champs, France 11/2. Belgium comes after at 6/1, and Germany 8/1. Portugal is 9/1, but it is our humble opinion that these guys deserve to be ranked better. After comes Spain 11/1, Italy 12/1, and the Netherlands also at 12/1.
England is the No.1 favorite because the semis and the finals take place at Wembley, and that might give them a slight edge in the late phase. Gareth Southgate’s team is a perfect system in which each member understands its role perfectly well. They rely on tough and strong defense, and once having the ball, patiently work and seek Harry Kane up front. Tottenham’s striker is the target man, and all the attacks are designed for him.
It is why the bookmakers believe he has the biggest chances of becoming the top goalscorer and winning the EURO 2020 Golden Boot. Kane is 5/1 to snatch the award, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe sit second with 7/1. Romelu Lukaku 15/2, and everyone should keep an eye on Inter and Belgium’s striker as he plays in terrifying form this year. Nerrazurri’s tactic is apparently perfectly suiting the powerful striker. Karim Benzema, who returns to the national team following a long time, is 16/1, and Oranje’s Memphis Depay sits at 20/1.
Belgium and Portugal have a different approach. These two sides have world-class individuals, and any player on the field could be a potential danger. Belgian midfield is incredible, with Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Yannick Carrasco, Dries Mertens, etc. The same goes for Portugal, which has Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Joao Felix. Once reading all these names, some might say that the strikers in these teams are relatively unnecessary.
However, the bookies agree with us here, but only when talking about Belgium. The Red Devils are considered to have the most potent offense in the tournament and are topping the list of the favorites for the highest-scoring team in EURO 2020. Odds on them to score most goals are 9/2. England is 5/1, France 11/2, and Spain 6/1. These teams are followed by Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands with 7/1, while Portugal finds its place in the middle of the list with 14/1.
From our perspective, this is a bit underestimating towards the reigning European champions who changed their style of play significantly compared to the one back in 2016. They aren’t facing a defensive-minded approach anymore, but take the ball and often dictate the tempo. They do like to play slow, yet that is only because of the fantastic ability to make bursts through incredibly fast and explosive wingers and forwards who need a split of a second to find enough space and hit the back of the rival’s net.
Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the top 10 favorites to win the EURO 2020 Golden Ball. Ronaldo is 14/1, while Bruno 18/1. De Bruyne and Mbappe lead the way, 9/1, Kane is 12/1, and then comes the Portuguese duo.
As you can see from this short text, the upcoming EURO 2020 will provide a fantastic opportunity for all the coaches and staff members to upgrade their tactical knowledge. Top favorites have a different philosophy of play, and it will be interesting which one prevails in the end.
