Euro 2016 – Group B – is England doomed for success?

The English and the Russian are forecasted by bookmakers to have the highest chances for advance from group B to the following stage of the tournament. Are they right?

Group B matches during the European Championship are due to bring us huge emotions. Experts called it the match between the “Islanders” and the “Slavdom” right after the drawing, the fate brought together the national team of England and the dreaming of success Russia, aggressive Wales and unpredictable Slovakia. All teams expect advance and probably have their own advantages, which they will try to use. Who will be able to do it? Who will become successful and will advance from the group, and who will return home after three group matches? Below we will try to look closer to the chances of the given national teams which were brought together in group B by fate.

The English have been faultless in the qualifiers
The English are definitely the favorites for the win in the group (odds 83/100). They passed through the qualifiers as a storm, won 10 matches (only four teams in history could do this), scored 30 goals and lost only 3. Wayne Rooney was at his peak, having scored 7 goals for his team. It has been much time since the last match and the team’s captain is rehabilitating after an injury, so nobody knows in what shape he will start the tournament in France. This probably worries the main coach of the team Roy Hodgson and the dreaming of success at Euro 2016 fans.

The participation of the English in tournaments of the given format is a series of real misfortune, with the exception of the golden medal at the 1966 World Cup, held on the British land. If it is about European Championships, then the English did not take part in 6 out of 14, having diverse luck in the rest, with the peak of possibilities being the bronze medals in 1968 and 1996. It is interesting that in 4 previous tournaments of the Henry Delaunay Cup, which they participated in, they were eliminated three times in the after match penalty shootout. The odds makers have, of course, prepared themselves to such possibility, setting the odds at the level 4/5.

This time everybody on the British Islands believe that the misfortune will finally end and their favorites will play a key role in France. This is not a frivolous belief though. More and more talented players are the main power of the leading teams of the strongest league of the world, especially impressing in the attack. Undoubtedly Rooney, Kane, Sturridge, Sterling or Walcott are footballers whom the world best defenders should be afraid of.

Besides, while being conscious about some disadvantages of the defense, Hodgson sets namely on the attack, not decreasing the main stars of the team by tactical nuances. If you believe in an offensive gaming of the Three Lions, then you should bet on them having the best results in the attack. The odds 13/1 look attractive. Is it low? No problem. England wins the tournament and Rooney becomes the best scorer of the tournament – odds 66/1. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

The Russians dream of a win
Nobody even thinks of Russia not advancing from the group. The team that has written itself in the history of the European Championship (a triumph at the first tournament and three times consecutive silver) does not have any rights to repeat its weak gaming from the previous Euro, when after a powerful start and thrash of Czech Republic with the score 4:1, it performed so awful in the following matches, that wasn’t able to advance from the group. The Russians also didn’t pass the group stage on the World Cup in Brazil. This time everything should be different, what the bookmakers probably know as well, showing it in their forecasts. The odds for leaving the group are only 1/4, no advance in its turn – 11/4.

It was not so easy during the qualifiers, for some time the Russians struggled in their group. And then, four matches before the end of the qualifiers, they played all in and thanked Fabio Capello for cooperation (having paid him out 21 million Euro), employing Leonid Slutsky instead. As it turned out it was a top hit. The team found common language with the new coach very quickly, what was so simple since part of footballers knew him from the CSKA Moscow – the team he trains till today. The national team won all the rest matches of the qualifiers, due to what secured itself a place in France.

Everything what the new coach has done is he returned the style, in which the team felt itself the best. So, dynamic attacks in the midfield, constant change of positions and far attempts have returned. This was enough in order to return the faith into players and believe in their capabilities. One should remember that it will be one of the most experienced teams on the tournament, the team’s core has virtually not changed since Euro 2008, when they reached the semi-finals. For many players this can be the last chance for the team’s success, so they will do everything possible to reach it. As for the proud Russians, only the final can be a success. Russia – France in the final? Why not. Bookmakers have taken into consideration such a possibility, having set the odds for such match at the level 100/1. Players, who will be able to correctly forecast that Russia will become the winner with simultaneous success of Artem Dzyuba in the role of the best scorer, will earn even more. Here the odds make 250/1.

All hopes of Wales are in the hands of one person
The most expensive footballer of the world – Gareth Bale – at the beginning of his career managed to do what his older colleague Ryan Giggs did not – virtually alone (scored 7 out of 11 goals in the qualifiers) and lead his team to the final stage of the Championship. After 58 years of participation in the World Cup, the poor relatives of England will play in such an important tournament. Euro 2016 will be a debut performance on the European Championship for them.
The joy is even bigger since they will meet England in their group. The matches between them are considered nationally important, and in case of a win (odds 3/1) the whole Wales will get mad due to joy. The bookmakers have set the odds for the advance at 61/100, while for no advance – 5/4. The Welsh have gone through the qualifiers pretty confident. In the match against a strong opponent Belgium they earned 4 points and during the whole qualifiers lost just 4 goals. One word that characterizes the team’s gaming style is chaos. The islanders know best, that the more chaos is present on the field, the easier it is to thrash the tactical schemes of the opponents, and the more chances for counterattacks Bale will get, who as no other football player in the world, knows how to use free space in the penalty area.

In general, the whole game of the team is based on the Real’s star (so we are not impressed by the odds at the level Evens for him being the best scorer of Wales). He will get help in creation of dangerous situations from Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, the rest should just not mess up near him – work on the whole width and length of the field. The thing that does not let the main coach of the team Chris Coleman and the fans sleep is the unsteady health of Bale. During three last seasons he missed 20 matches, spent 108 days in the doctors’ rooms. Many think that if not the health issues, he would have already been at Messi and CR7 level. All his fans will most probably like the bet of the type Wales – gold/ Bale – the scorer – the odds 125/1.

Will the Slovaks come to France for a rest?
The debuting on the Euro Slovakia is being awaited by a fearfully difficult task. Despite being in the number of the first national teams, who secured themselves in the tournament, and full optimism took the country, the drawing results do not look impressively. England seems to be a “sure thing” to advance from the group, the Russians cannot allow themselves a weak game on the third in a row tournament, and in their turn the bookmakers estimate a tougher gaming style of Wales than a more stable game of the Slovaks. The odds for an advance is 11/10, no advance – 67/100. Still, however, in case of three losses of Slovakia in the group, you can multiply your funds by eight (7/1).

Will it not be a team able to surprise everybody? You should remember about Slovakia winning 6 first matches of the qualifiers and in June 2015 the activists of this federation could already book hotels in France. Wins over Spain and Ukraine, which, because of Slovakia, participated in end-to-end matches in order to get to the Euro 2016, were not a matter of chance and give hope to the fans that the team with its leader Marek Hamsik, will be able to at least repeat the success of the WC of 2010 and will advance from the group. Will it happen? The time will show.

Who will go further?
Although it is hard to name group B the group of death, it probably is one of the most interesting in the tournament. None of the teams has any thoughts of surrendering without fight, some get big chances, others less. We definitely are into fascinating matches, taking into account that the match between England and Wales is being awaited by not only fans with British passports. So, we bettors, are into a real examination, what we, of course, love.