The final hurrah for Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo?
After playing a starring role in helping Portugal win the European Championships five years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo will be raring to go. All eyes will be on the mercurial forward who is widely considered one of the greatest players to grace the game. He has a pretty strong support cast, with the likes of João Felix and Bernardo Silva hoping to orchestrate things in midfield.
For starters, Portugal is in Budapest to face Hungary which could help them settle into the tournament. Portugal’s squad should be able to break through Hungary, and nothing less than a win will suffice here as they can’t afford any slip-ups.
A cursory glance at the outright market shows that Portugal is 8/1 to win Euro 2020, and while winning back-to-back European Championships is a tough task, Portugal will give it a right good go.
Can France right the wrongs of Euro 2016?
The reigning World Cup champions fell at the final hurdle at the European Championships five years ago. Yet the team is dripping with talent. They boast pace and power in the form of Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, who will be a serious contender for the Golden Boot award.
Didier Deschamps has turned Les Bleus into a formidable outfit, and there are few obvious flaws. With N’Golo Kante patrolling the midfield, France has a good buffer to protect the defence. They have a tantalizing opening group clash with Germany to look forward to, but they could edge that one.
At the time of writing, France is 7/5 to book their place in the last 16 as Group F winners. They could well end righting the wrongs of five years ago and be crowned European champions for the third time.
Germany have revenge on their minds
After suffering a semi-final defeat in Euro 2016 to France, revenge will be firmly on the minds of the Germans. And they will have the perfect opportunity to seize this in their opening group game, as they face France. For Joachim Low, it will be his last major tournament in charge of Germany as he will be replaced by former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick. However, Low will want to bow out in style.
Low has an abundance of riches in his squad with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Toni Kroos, Joshua Kimmich and stalwart Thomas Muller at his disposal. They can cut through teams like butter, and they could well go far once again. Currently, they are priced at 9/1 to win Euro 2020.
Good luck Hungary
Spare a thought for poor Hungary. There is a reason Group F is unfortunately known as the ‘Group of Death’, and for Hungary, their demise could be quick and painful. Although they have a home advantage when they face Portugal in Budapest, it is hard to see where they will pick points up from.
After a 44-year absence from the tournament, Hungary made it to the last 16 five years ago. There aren’t many standout players, although Dominik Szoboszlai is one of the country’s hottest prospects, and his strike against Iceland in the Euro 2020 playoffs ensured his side’s involvement at this year’s tournament.
If Hungary can somehow make their way out of Group F, then it will be nothing short of a miracle!
