Group B of the Euro 2024 tournament is widely being described as the group of death and it is the one where the defending champions Italy will get their title defence underway in what should be an extremely competitive section.
We have another former winner in Spain in the group as well as a Croatia side who always seem to find their best when they get to a tournament and then an outsider in Albania make up the quartet in this part of the event.
Teams
Albania
Previous Best: Group Stage 2016
How Qualified: Group E Winner
Qualifying Record: P8 W4 D3 L1 F12 A4 GD+8 Pts 15
Tournament Odds: 500/1
Albania are at their second European Championship and they will be hoping to make a bigger impression than they did in their opening crack at the tournament. They did win a match on that occasion but bowed out in the group stage and they are going to need to be at their best if they are to come out of this section given the quality of the three teams that they are up against in it. They only conceded four goals in a qualifying group which included Czechia and Poland so that should give them some confidence. Sylvinho is a driven coach who believes in this side but he’ll need to be tactically spot on for Albania to contend at this event.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Etrit Berisha (Empoli), Elhan Kastrati (Cittadella), Thomas Strakosha (Brentford)
Defenders: Arlind Ajeti (CFR Cluj), Naser Aliji (Voluntari), Iván Balliu (Rayo Vallecano), Berat Djimsiti (Atalanta), Elseid Hysaj (Lazio), Ardian Ismajli (Empoli), Marash Kumbulla (Sassuolo), Enea Mihaj (Famalicão), Mario Mitaj (Lokomotiv Moskva)
Midfielders: Amir Abrashi (Grasshoppers), Kristjan Asllani (Inter), Nedim Bajrami (Sassuolo), Klaus Gjasula (Darmstadt), Qazim Laçi (Sparta Praha), Ylber Ramadani (Lecce), Taulant Seferi (Baniyas)
Forwards: Jasir Asani (Gwangju), Medon Berisha (Lecce), Armando Broja (Fulham), Mirlind Daku (Rubin Kazan), Arbër Hoxha (Dinamo Zagreb), Rey Manaj (Sivasspor), Ernest Muçi (Beşiktaş)
Croatia
Previous Best: QF 1996 & 2008
How Qualified: Runner Up Group D
Qualifying Record: P8 W5 D1 L2 F13 A4 GD+9 Pts 16
Tournament Odds: 40/1 General
Croatia have become something of a tournament specialist in recent times but it does tend to have been the World Cup rather than this one. They have reached the final and the semi-final of the last two World Cups but they haven’t been to the last eight of a European Championship in 16 years and they will be eager to change that record this time around. The golden Croatian midfield is slowly burning out at this level so this might be their best chance of a deep run in the tournament. They look solid at the back, strong in midfield so if someone can stand up in attacking areas that solid run could come along.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Ivica Ivušić (Pafos), Nediljko Labrović (Rijeka), Dominik Livaković (Fenerbahçe)
Defenders: Martin Erlić (Sassuolo), Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City), Josip Juranović (Union Berlin), Marin Pongračić (Lecce), Borna Sosa (Ajax), Josip Stanišić (Leverkusen), Josip Šutalo (Ajax), Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens)
Midfielders: Martin Baturina (Dinamo Zagreb), Marcelo Brozović (Al-Nassr), Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City), Lovro Majer (Wolfsburg), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta), Luka Sučić (Salzburg), Nikola Vlašić (Torino)
Forwards: Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Luka Ivanušec (Feyenoord), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Marco Pašalić (Rijeka), Ivan Perišić (Hajduk Split), Bruno Petković (Dinamo Zagreb), Marko Pjaca (Rijeka)
Italy
Previous Best: Winners 1968 & 2020
How Qualified: Runner Up Group C
Qualifying Record: P8 W4 D2 L2 F16 A9 GD+7 Pts 14
Tournament Odds: 16/1 General
Italy are the defending champions of this tournament and will want to give a good account of themselves in that position. They have been installed as the sixth favourites in the outright betting market but that can only be because of the reputation of their coach Luciano Spalletti because this squad doesn’t look anything like as strong as we would expect an Italian one to look. Gone are the defensive lynchpins that were the backdrop of the winning campaign three years ago and there is a distinct lack of a quality out and out forward, which for an attack minded coach isn’t ideal. Only eight of this squad have more than 30 caps so you sense this is an Italian side in transition and the World Cup might be a better chance of success for them.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham)
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma)
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma)
Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Michael Folorunsho (Hellas Verona), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)
Spain
Previous Best: Winners 1964, 2008 & 2012
How Qualified: Group A Winner
Qualifying Record: P8 W7 D0 L1 F25 A5 GD+20 Pts 21
Tournament Odds: 9/1 General
Three times winners Spain will be well fancied to go well again this time around. 12 months ago they won the UEFA Nations League and natural progress would be for a decent run here. This is a young Spain squad that Luis de la Fuente is bringing to the tournament but there is no lack of quality on show with some creative young stars in the form of Pedri and Lamine Yamal out to impress. Defensively and in midfield Spain look more than up to the mark but the lack of a world class centre-forward and goalkeepers who can have the odd mare would be concerns. If those worries don’t present themselves then Spain have an excellent chance of a fourth title.
Squad: Goalkeepers: David Raya (Arsenal), Alejandro Remiro (Real Sociedad), Unai Simón (Athletic Club)
Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen), Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr), Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad), Nacho (Real Madrid), Daniel Vivian (Athletic Club)
Midfielders: Álex Baena (Villarreal), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Pedri (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Fabián Ruiz (Paris), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), Martín Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
Forwards: Joselu (Real Madrid), Fermín López (Barcelona), Álvaro Morata (Atlético de Madrid), Jesús Navas (Sevilla), Dani Olmo (Leipzig), Ayoze Pérez (Betis), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
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Group Betting
I’m keen to fade Italy in this tournament because they are lucky to be here when you consider they were on the right end of a shambolic VAR decision in their final group game in qualifying and this just doesn’t look like a strong Italian squad at all. England comfortably beat them twice in qualifying and this is a tough group so I don’t really like Italy here. I would have backed them not to qualify but the threat of Albania in the section could see three go through here.
Instead, I’ll take the dual forecast of Spain and Croatia here. Italy play Albania in their opening match and if they are caught rusty and come up short then Spain and Croatia would be in a strong position to push on and reach the top two. Even if Italy do win that match, were either Spain or Croatia, or ideally both to beat the Italians and beat Albania then Italy could still be reduced to third. I think this will be a low scoring group but one which Italy might have to settle for third at best.
Team Betting
This isn’t a group that I’m keen to take too much in the team betting ranks because I’m not convinced about any of them really. I guess Spain have the potential do the best of the lot but I still don’t see a goalscorer that I’m convinced by in this Spanish set up so I wouldn’t want to be on their team goals or anything like that. It is perfectly possible that Spain come out of their group with only three or four goals so if someone can get a couple of strikes it might be enough to take their team goalscorer market down.
Spain made the semi-finals of the last Euros but three goals was enough to be their leading scorer, and even then one of Alvaro Morata’s strikes came in extra time which can’t be guaranteed. They only had one goal after two matches three years ago when they played their group games on home soil so unless they go mad against Albania we might not need many goals for the leading Spain scorer. I’m not convinced by Morata and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is ditched before the group ends so at 16/1 I’ll have a small play on Rodri. He comes into the tournament off the back of his best scoring season at Manchester City and two of his three international goals have come this year. Both were penalties against Brazil but if he is on them in this event that is no bad thing. Teams side very deep against Spain which might invite Rodri to try his luck a few times. If two goals is competitive and three is the winner the City midfielder might be capable of getting in the mix at a decent price.
Tips
Back Spain/Croatia Dual Forecast for a 2/10 stake at 4.33 with Boylesports
Back it here:
Back Rodri Top Spain Tournament Goalscorer for a 1/10 stake at 17.00 with Betfred
