Euro 2020 Matchday 8 Previews and Betting Tips
Euro 2020 Matchday 8 Previews and Tips
Ukraine landed our tip at 3/1 against North Macedonia, winning a drama filled match 2-1. Belgium recovered from a shaky start to come away with a 2-1 win vs Denmark. Our Austria/btts bet was a loser. The Netherlands were simply too good for them and they looked a lot more secure at the back with De Ligt in the team. At least we didn’t fire a blank, check out our Euro 2020 Matchday 8 tips below.
Sweden v Slovakia
Match Odds: Sweden 5/6; Draw 5/2; Slovakia 4/1.
Venue: St Petersburg, Russia.
Kick Off Time: 2.00 pm.
First up on Friday at Euro 2020 are Sweden and Slovakia. Both teams come into the game on the back of solid performances. Sweden frustrated Spain in a 0-0 draw in the searing heat in Seville. Slovakia pulled off a bit of a surprise against a poor Polish outfit. The bookies make Sweden clear favourites to get their first win. Slovakia are again the underdogs but it would be foolish to write them off.
I fancied Spain to do a job on Sweden last time but they just couldn’t score. Sweden defended resolutely and Isak was their main outlet up front. The Sociedad striker can beat a man and he held up the ball well too in that game. Lindelof had an excellent game at centre back and the likes of Larsson and Forsberg put in huge shifts in the engine room. Slovakia were full value for their win against Poland with goals from man of the match Skriniar and Mak (via Szczesny). Hamsik and Kucka also stood out for the Slovaks who took full advantage of the Polish red card on the hour mark.
I think the value might lie with backing Slovakia to win this game. They didn’t have to put in the same level of effort to beat Poland as Sweden did to draw vs Spain. The Swedes will likely be without Lustig at the back and his experience will be a big loss. Slovakia have a much younger squad than Sweden and they should be far fresher. It is going to be hot again for this game (28/29 degrees) and it will be tough for Sweden’s older players to play in those conditions twice in the space of a few days. I am backing Slovakia to win at odds of 4/1.
Euro 2020 Matchday 8 Tip: Slovakia to win @ 4/1
euro 2020 Matchday 8: Croatia v Czech Republic
Match Odds: Croatia 6/5; Draw 12/5; Czech Republic 13/5.
Venue: Hampden Park, Scotland.
Kick Off Time: 5.00 pm.
The second game of the day on Friday sees Croatia taking on the Czech Republic in Hampden Park. The Croats were dreadful against England and they need to win this to keep their qualification hopes alive. The Czechs took care of business vs Scotland in their opener thanks to a brilliant brace from Patrik Schick. Despite the contrasting performances, the bookies make Croatia the clear favourites. It is hard to be too confident about their chances after the England match.
I tipped up the Croats to win this group but it isn’t looking good. I expected them to put it right up to England but it was an insipid display. They created very little, they struggled to retain possession and overall, it was a very un-Croatian like effort. The Czechs were put under pressure by Scotland at times but they coped well. Schick nicked a goal just before half time and then his wonder goal in the early stages of the second half sealed the win.
Can the Croats bounce back? They are more than capable if Zlatko Dalic picks the right team. Kramaric did nothing to justify his selection vs England and Rebic played poorly too. Nikola Vlasic could be the man to provide the spark required and if he starts, I think Croatia could get the win. I’ll be waiting until I see the teams before deciding whether to have a bet on this game. For now though, no bet.
Euro 2020 Matchday 8 Tip: No Bet
England v Scotland
Match Odds: England 2/7; Draw 9/2; Scotland 10/1.
Venue: Wembley, England.
Kick Off Time: 8.00 pm.
A 3,000 strong Tartan Army will be at Wembley to cheer on Scotland against their big rivals England. The Scots got off to the worst possible start, losing 2-0 to the Czech Republic. England beat Croatia in their first game, the goal scored by Raheem Sterling. They weren’t exactly electrifying against the Croats though and it was a conservative team selection by Southgate. Will he play it safe again vs the Scots, or will he go for the jugular? Knowing Southgate, I would imagine it will be the latter.
Scotland had their moments vs the Czechs but they didn’t deserve anything from the game. They looked one dimensional and the loss of Kieran Tierney before the game was a massive blow. He is key to their usual gameplan and Clarke decided to adopt a more direct style without him. It was a big surprise to see him start big man Lyndon Dykes ahead of Che Adams and it would be even more surprising if he does the same again here.
If Kieran Tierney is fit, which looks likely, Scotland could nick a point here. They have weaknesses at the centre of their defence but Tierney returning would shore things up. However, I am going to focus on the player to be shown a card market. This is likely to be a fiery affair and Scott McTominay will be eager to set the tone and put in some big tackles early. He was booked four times during Scotland’s qualifying campaign and I can see him picking up another yellow card here. Back Scott McTominay to be shown a card at odds of 3/1.
