2025 European Championship R1 Preview

Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2025 European Championship R1 preview. You can check out his outright preview and tips here.

Ryan Joyce vs. Luke Woodhouse

Both players have lost five of their last ten matches, but Joyce has been playing the better darts. He played two very strong matches in Germany last weekend, hitting two big ton plus averages before a very flat performance against Ratajski. That said, it was a lot better than the sub 80 average put in by Woody against Noppert.

Their H2H record is 3-3. They have not met in 2025 and have only played three matches in the last three years. Woodhouse won the last two, both 6-5. Another close match looks unlikely in my opinion. Joyce has looked in better form to me while Woodhouse has not been at his best since losing the final of ET13 last month.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Ryan Joyce to win @ 1.80 Betfred, SpreadEx, Boylesports

Ross Smith vs. Peter Wright

This is a tricky one. Ross Smith has lost form since winning PC29 three weeks ago. That was a few days after his mother died. Since then, Smudger has played six and lost five. I’m sure he will bounce back and he played quite well in Germany last weekend but lost 4-6 to eventual winner Nathan Aspinall in his opening match. Signs of a return to form?

Snakebite won a couple of matches in Germany last weekend in defence of his German Darts Championship title. He had three averages in the low to mid 90s and that was a step up on what he had being doing recently. Was it venue related? He had reached the final at that venue for the last two years and had won it twice in the last nine years.

Wright has also won this title, in this venue in 2023, so he has more positive mental associations to draw on.

Their H2H record is 7-4 to Wright. Smith won their only match in 2025, 6-5 on the Euro Tour back in May. They played in this event, in this arena, in 2022 and Smith won that 10-8, and then went on to win the title. So, some very positive mental associations for Smith as well.

Smith is the 1.44 favourite and Wright 3.20. It is easy to pass on this one. No bet.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: No Bet

Gian van Veen vs. Damon Heta

Heta has lost in the first round here for the last three years in a row and only ever won one European Championship match. His recent form sees six wins from his last ten matches, but he has hit five sub 90 averages in those ten.

Heta was poor in Germany last weekend. He was 4-1 up on Steve Lennon and went on to lose 5-6. He missed two darts to win 6-4 and missed four more to win 6-5. The Heat was rather disappointed.

Van Veen reached the semi-final last weekend, the curse of the Punt Pound made sure he lost that 6-7 to Nathan Aspinall. He has made the semi-final in three of the last four Euro Tour events and he is playing some very nice stuff.

Their H2H record is 5-3 to Heta. Van Veen won their only 2025 match, 10-9 at the UK Open, and he also beat Heta here in 2023, with a crushing 6-1 win in the first round. He averaged 107 in that match and that is what he can do.

Van Veen is the 1.48 favourite with Heta 2.90. I will take Van Veen on the handicap.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Gian van Veen to win -1.5 legs @ 1.73 generally available

Gerwyn Price vs. Daryl Gurney

Price hit two ton plus averages last weekend but still lost 5-6 to Noppert in the third round. He hasn’t been as consistent as he would like to be but his game is on the simmer. Price has won six of his last ten matches.

Daryl Gurney is not in good form, losing six of his last ten matches and hitting too many low 90s averages. Will playing his old rival spark up his game?

Their H2H record is 14-5 to Price, with a remarkable four drawn matches in the Premier League. Price has won both their matches in 2025, 6-1 and 10-7, both in July.

Price is the 1.35 favourite with Gurney 3.30. We are on Price outright and that is enough interest for me. No bet.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: No Bet

Jonny Clayton vs. Ryan Searle

Clayton has won six of his last ten matches and is playing OK, but with too much inconsistency. His form in the Majors has been very strong, so we should expect him to be ready for this.

Searle has also won six of his last ten matches but he lost in the first round of the Grand Prix and last week’s German Darts Championship. That is just two matches played, both lost, in the last two weeks. He won PC28 last month, reached the semi-final the next day, but then took time out. I’m not sure stopping when on a roll was a wise move.

Their H2H record is 6-4 to Clayton and the Welshman has won four of their last five. Clayton is 1.61 to win, Searle 2.38. In their best of eleven leg matches that Clayton has won, he has covered a -1.5 leg handicap.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Jonny Clayton to win -1.5 legs @ 1.95 generally available

Martin Schindler vs. Dave Chisnall

Chizzy just about made it into the finals by winning two matches at the German Darts Championship and he played quite well, even in defeat to Ratajski. The fact that he made it might just be what he needs to relax him, getting the monkey off his back and all that. After some poor form, Chisnall has won four of his last six matches and he might just feel that he has turned a corner.

Schindler has the luxury of home advantage again. He has won five of his last ten matches but he is not playing his best and lacking consistency. Schindler may have home advantage, but it hasn’t done him much good in the past and he has lost all five of his first-round matches in the European Championships.

Their H2H record is 6-2 to Chisnall and he has won their last four matches, albeit none in 2025.

Chisnall is the 2.30 outsider and I will take a chance that he has turned a corner and he can extend Schindler’s poor record in this tournament.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Dave Chisnall to win @ 2.30, generally available

Wessel Nijman vs. Michael van Gerwen

MVG has just about parked his darting career for the time being. He has lost his hunger for the game and his priority is sorting out his domestic arrangements after his recent divorce. No doubt he will be back, I dare say he will have millions of reasons to do so.

His recent form sees five wins from his last ten matches. If you look at his scoring, it looks good. He is still able to hit big averages but his seasonal win rate of 54% tells the story, his heart isn’t in it.

MVG won the recent World Series of Darts finals, but that was a) played in Amsterdam, and b) he had his daughter there the whole time. He was motivated to show her what her dad could still do, and in front of an adorning crowd. He was motivated. I am not so sure he will be tonight.

Next Generation

Wessel Nijman is, along with Van Veen, leading the charge of the next generation of young Dutch players. The new guard, but some of the young Dutch players are still in awe of MVG.

Nijman is playing good stuff, winning PC30 at the start of the month but his record in the Majors is both limited and poor. His H2H record with MVG is 0-4 and their last match was a 6-5 win for MVG at the aforementioned World Series finals. That was their only match in 2025, a narrow win for MVG when he was in a rare state of motivation.

MVG is the 1.80 favourite, which may be understandable given their H2H record, but I am happy to take a chance on Nijman. He will beat MVG sooner or later and I have to wonder whether Van Gerwen really wants to be here.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Wessel Nijman to win @ 2.10 with Unibet, SpreadEx, Betfred

Stephen Bunting vs. Chris Dobey

Bunting is the number three seed having won two Euro Tour titles in 2025. Dobey only just qualified, 30th on the European Tour OOM. He has never enjoyed much success on the Euro Tour but he has reached a semi-final and quarter final in the European Championships.

Bunting, on the other hand, has only reached one quarter final and that was back in 2014. Since then, he has played in eight European Championships and never got beyond the second round. He has lost two of his last three first round matches.

In terms of recent form, Bunting has won seven of his last ten matches and is playing some very good stuff. Dobey has won five of his last ten matches and he too has played some very good stuff, just not as consistently as Bunting, but he is a player who can match Bunting in terms of scoring.

H2H

Their H2H record is 14-5…to Chris Dobey, so he will not be intimidated by facing one of the tournament’s form players. He has won four of their last five matches, all played in 2025.

Bunting is the 1.67 favourite and Dobey 2.38. I mentioned in my main preview that it is becoming quite common for the top seeds to struggle to get through this short format first round, and this is a tough draw for Bunting.

2025 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Chris Dobey to win @ 2.38 with SpreadEx

-JamesPunt