The UEFA European U21 Championships get underway on June 16th and will run for a couple of weeks. The Final is set for June 30th in Italy. Italy are joint-hosting along with San Marino for the 2019 European U21 Championships. Twelve teams are lining up for their shot at the title, and heading back as the defending champions are Germany.
They toppled Spain the final two years ago, in what was a real heavyweight duel between the two nations. It is the Spaniards who are going back as the 9/2 outright favourites to win* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on June 13th, 2019 at 4:52 pm). VAR will, for the first time, be used at the UEFA U21 European Championships.
There is extra incentive this time around because the tournament is preceding an Olympic Year. That means that the four teams who reach the knockout stages of these Championships will take a place at the Summer Olympics next year. If England, however, are one of those semi-finalists, there will special play-off between the 2nd and 3rd best runners up from the group stage to take the Olympic spot.
U21 Euro Winner Odds*
Spain 9/2
England 4/1
France 5/1
Italy 9/2
Germany 11/2
Denmark 16/1
Belgium 16/1
Serbia 20/1
Croatia 25/1
Austria 66/1
Poland 66/1
Romania 100/1
* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on June 13th, 2019 at 4:52 pm)
Group Stage & Knockouts
The tournament consists of three groups of four teams. It will be the top team from each of those groups which will take a spot in the semifinals. The best-placed runner up from the group stage will join those three teams in the semifinals where it is just a straight knockout. There is no third-place match at the U21 European Championships.
Group A – Will Spain win the group over Italy?
Spain 11/8, Italy Even Money, Belgium 5/1, Poland 25/1
* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on June 13th, 2019 at 4:52 pm)
Spain are the big force at this level of football. They took back to back titles in 2011 and 2013 and were back in the final two years ago. They were stopped on the day by a 1-0 defeat against Germany. But it’s big momentum that they have shown in his tournament. Two years ago they won their group with three wins from three. They then faced Italy in the semifinals, with Saul Nigeuz getting all three goals in a 3-1 success.
Spain have quality running through their squad with the likes of 2017 Player of the Tournament Dani Ceballos returning alongside his Real Madrid teammates Jesus Vallejo and Borja Mayoral. Spain not only beat Italy in the last edition, but they had beaten them in their successful 2014 campaign as well. Italy and Spain meet in the first group match so that will set one of them up for success, leaving the other to chase the one runners-up sport form the group stage.
The Italians are not likely going to be a pushover though. Two years ago they pipped Germany to top spot in their group (taking a 1-0 win over the Germans) but then just couldn’t handle themselves against a blistering semi-final performance from Spain. They have a big danger man in Moise Kean up front. Belgium have been weakened by some key players out injured, while Poland finished bottom of the group two year ago.
Visit Bet365Group B – Will Germany get the easy group win?
Germany 4/9, Serbia 9/2, Denmark 11/2, Austria 12/1
* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on June 13th, 2019 at 4:52 pm)
This is a good group draw for Germany, in that it looks pretty easy for them. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them win all three of their group stage fixtures in it actually. They failed to do that two years ago, losing out against Italy. But they were the best of the runners up from the group stage, and then they knocked England out in the semi-final stage via a penalty shootout. It was Mitchell Weiser who got their winning goal in the Final against Spain.
It is hard to see the others taking top spot from them in this group. Denmark were third-place finishers in their group two years ago behind Italy and Denmark but suffered defeats against the big two. Serbia managed one point from their group stage campaign in the last edition. There’s a chance for one of the three other group members to beat the other two and push for that runners up spot.
Visit Bet365Group C – Can England beat France to claim top spot?
France 10/11, England even money, Croatia 14/1, Romania 20/1
* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on June 13th, 2019 at 4:52 pm)
There is going to be a clear divide in this one. The group could easily be decided in the first round of fixtures, as the two powerhouses of France and England will meet. England topped their group two years ago to make the semi’s but suffered a dreaded penalty shoot-out defeat in the final four to Germany.
England have a good squad full of familiar faces to Premier League fans, including Man City’s Phil Foden, Crystal Palaces’ Aaron Wan-Bisaaka Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham, Southampton keeper Angus Gunn and Leicester duo Demarai Gray and James Maddison. They will meet a strong and competitive France side, who didn’t make last year’s finals. But there’s great talent coming through at French youth level. The other two in the group are not likely to make much of an impact.
Visit Bet365
Predictions
A group win for the reigning champions Germany looks a pretty solid bet. They should go through their campaign unchallenged to get to the final four. But it is Spain who look the strongest proposition to collect the title and they are value as 9/2 favourites* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on June 13th, 2019 at 4:52 pm).
They have created a pretty strong legacy in the last several editions, making three of the last four finals. England have a good squad and we will back them to get the better of France in what should be a tight battle between them to get out of Group C.
So who will make the other final four spot? Italy should have enough in them to pick up enough points in their games against Belgium and Poland to make a pretty strong case for a place in the semi’s.
