Euro 2020 Group A Odds & Preview: Italy -186 Favorites

• The 2020 European Championships begin on Friday, June 11, KO 4pm ET, with Italy vs Turkey in Group A
• Switzerland and Wales are the two other Group A teams competing for a place in the knockout phase
• We preview Group A, look at the odds, and offer some best bets below

The 2020 European Championships finally kicks – one year late – on Friday, June 11, KO 4pm ET, with Italy vs Turkey in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. It is the opening game in Group A, in which the Italians are the clear favorites to progress but Turkey faces tough competition from Switzerland and Wales for the second qualifying place.

Read on to see a preview, the Group A Euro 2020 odds, and best bets below.

Euro 2020 Group A Odds

Odds as of June 5

Italy

The Italians start as favorites to win the group with good reason. While it has been several years since they last landed a major trophy – the World Cup in 2006 – they did get to the final of this tournament in 2012, where they were beaten by Spain in the final, and are currently ranked 7th in the world by FIFA.

Less than a week to go now… 🔜#EURO2020 #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/tNYX2cm2m5

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) June 5, 2021

Roberto Mancini has continued that very Italian tradition of producing teams that let in few goals, and during their qualifying campaign, they conceded just four and collected six clean sheets in their 10 games. Mancini will again look to rely on the aging but vastly experienced Juventus pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini in defense, while in attack the winner of Europe’s Golden Boot, Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, looks likely to be leading their line.

While Mancini will rely on an experienced backline, there are some exciting youngsters in his squad, with Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli the pick of the bunch. The 23-year-old has been instrumental in his team shaking up the establishment in Serie A and will now look to do the same on an even bigger stage. Also in the Italians’ favor is the fact that all three of their group games are to be played in Rome.

Switzerland

The Swiss are also highly ranked by FIFA at 13 and will push the Italians in this group. Coach Vladimir Petković has now been in charge of the Rossocrociati for seven years, but in that time, despite loads of expectation, the best they have managed is a couple of disappointing round-of-16 exits at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. While qualification for major tournaments has not been a problem, they have struggled to adapt to the different needs of tournament soccer, but this could be the year it changes.

Euro 2020: Switzerland will need to step up under Vladimir Petkovic. Switzerland will look up Arsenal's Granit Xhaka and Liverpool's Xherdan Shaqiri.#Switzerland #EURO2020 https://t.co/407uOhGyqa via @newsbytesapp

— NewsBytes Sports (@NewsBytesSports) June 5, 2021

Petković’s team managed to top a tricky group in qualifying — one that included Denmark and the Republic of Ireland – and did so without the services of their star player, Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri, who missed the whole campaign through injury. They will, however, need Shaqiri to shine in Rome if they are to make it to the knockout phase of this tournament.

While the Swiss find themselves in a tough group, if they can hit the same form they found in qualifying, there is still a chance that Petković could finally deliver on his promise of turning them into a major European force.

Turkey

While Turkey is not generally regarded as a powerhouse of the European game, they qualified for these finals in style and with an impressive 7-2-1 record. What made it doubly impressive was the fact that in those 10 games they conceded just three goals – meaning they tied with Belgium in having the best defensive record in the qualifiers – and posted eight clean sheets along the way. They also registered a very impressive win over France, the current world champions.

I will be here to officially announce That in the upcoming @EURO2020 I will be supporting The @Turkey National Team ❤️ @azzurri so we better perform well and win pic.twitter.com/9AOx8TLtdF

— The 🐐❤️ himself Yakuza (@Priyaya420) June 4, 2021

Like Switzerland, Turkey has a good record in qualifying for the Euros – they have made it to five of the last seven finals — but they do struggle to make too much of an impression when they are there. At 29 in FIFA’s world rankings, they are the lowest-ranked of the four teams in this group but led by Leicester City’s  Çağlar Söyüncü, this Turkey team, with its ultra-tight defense, always has a chance.

Wales

In the absence of manager Ryan Giggs — who is currently dealing with off-field issues — Rob Page has been tasked with leading the Welsh through their successive Euro tournament. Five years ago, in France 2016, Wales was the surprise team of the competition and made it all the way through to the semifinals, where they lost to the eventual winners, Portugal.

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On their way to #EURO2020 via Cardiff City Stadium and #TheRedWall. #WAL | #TogetherStronger | #WALALB pic.twitter.com/uqZBedUfwt

— Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@Cymru) June 5, 2021

This Wales squad has a very different look to the Class of 2016 though, which relied on a lot of experienced players, and have made a name for themselves by being young, technically efficient but also full of running and energy. They have still retained some experience in the squad to help the youngsters, and the contributions of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey will be vital if the Welsh are to get anything close to matching their 2016 exploits. The Welsh are at 17 in the FIFA rankings.

Euro 2020 Group A Best Bets

This is a tough group to call, with the Welsh — who are big outsiders to win it at +1200 — in with a realistic shout. Much will depend on the Swiss and Turks being able to translate their impressive qualifying form into tournament soccer, but the Italians are past masters at it and the Welsh proved five summers ago that they adapt well to the requirements of a four-week competition. The value is with Wales making it into the top two (+230).

Prediction:

• 1st – Italy
• 2nd – Wales
• 3rd – Switzerland
• 4th – Turkey