Euro 2024 Group C Betting Guide: Can anyone stop England?

The clock is ticking as we count down to this summer’s European Championship. The domestic season is drawing to a close so the focus on England is starting to intensify.

Topping Group C will be no easy task. Gareth Southgate’s side are expected to go all the way and lift the trophy but they will face  difficult opposition from the very first whistle.

The Three Lions get their campaign underway against Serbia at 8pm on June 16. Slovenia vs Denmark, the other game in the group, kicks off earlier that day.

England

It will be interesting to see how England deal with the weight of expectation this summer. Many feel this is the year that they will end their long wait for a trophy. Gareth Southgate’s side are the favourites coming into the tournament.

England lost the final of Euro 2020 on penalties against Italy.  They took the lead in that game but were criticised for being too defensive after getting their noses in front. Southgate has an embarrassment of riches available to him in advanced areas of the pitch but his approach is seen as negative by many supporters.  

The Three Lions exorcised their demons by finishing six points above Italy in qualifying. They picked up six wins and two draws to finish on 20 points. However, England have failed to win any of their last three matches. They will be hoping to regain some momentum in their pre-tournament friendlies.

Star player: Harry Kane

Harry Kane remains the star man for England. He departed the Premier League last summer to take up a new challenge with Bayern Munich and he remains, arguably, the most feared striker in world football.

Kane has been in fine form in Germany. He has scored 33 goals and registered eight assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances. The England captain has also scored 7 goals in 10 Champions League matches. Kane will be hoping to lift that trophy before the club season comes to an end.

The former Tottenham attacker is England’s all-time top scorer with 62 goals. His average of 0.88 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes playing for Bayern Munich this season suggests he will add a few to that tally this summer. Nevertheless, silverware is what will define success for Kane.

One to watch: Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham has established himself as one of the leading players in world football this season. However,  he is still only 20 years of age, so we are picking him as our one to watch despite him being one of the main contenders for the Ballon d’Or.

Bellingham has played in a more advanced role for Real Madrid this season but it is unclear where he will feature this summer. Southgate has to accommodate the likes of Phil Foden, who is also enjoying a remarkable season, but Bellingham will undoubtedly be effective wherever he plays.

His goals have grabbed the headlines, he has scored 17 goals in 25 La Liga games this season but it would be foolish to think that is the sum of his contributions. Bellingham’s wide skill set and superb athleticism means he is likely to be one of the tournament’s leading players wherever he is deployed. He ranks in the top 11% for passes, progressive passes, blocks and interceptions when compared with attacking midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues.

Fixtures

16 June vs Serbia
20 June vs Denmark
25 June vs Slovenia

Betting trend: Over 1.5 Goals For England

England have scored in 12 of their 13 matches since losing against France in Qatar. They are averaging 2.23 goals per game during that run. Southgate’s side scored two or more in four of their six matches in the World Cup.

Denmark 

Denmark were hugely disappointing in the last major tournament as they crashed out in the group stages, picking up just one point from their three matches. The Danes were much fancied to do well in the World Cup but will be hoping to make amends in this summer’s European Championship.

The Danish side famously lifted this trophy in 1992. It was a true underdog story back then and it would take another extraordinary set of performances for them to repeat that triumph. Instead, Kasper Hjulmand’s side will focus on making it to the knockout stages and taking it one game at a time.

Hjulmand’s men finished top of qualification Group H, level on points with Slovenia. They won seven, drew one and lost two of their 10 matches. Denmark are second the markets second favourites in Group C at odds of 4.90 but they face fierce competition.

Star player: Simon Kjaer

Denmark are a team that is greater than the sum of their parts so it’s only right to pick the captain as the team’s star player. Kjaer has been a stalwart in defence for the national team and commands the respect of the entire squad. 

The likes of Christian Eriksen have struggled for game time at club level this season but Kjaer has featured fairly regularly for AC Milan despite being 35-years-old.

Kjaer is a calming presence in defence. He is attempting an average of 68 passes per 90 minutes played for his club this season and he will be crucial for Denmark this summer.

One to watch: Rasmus Hojlund

Hojlund made the switch to Manchester United last summer and there have been signs that he can deliver on the biggest stage. He hasn’t had the easiest start to life at United, with the team floundering in the league and playing poorly but he has enjoyed some purple patches in front of goal.

The Champions League is often thought of as the crème de la crème when it comes to club football. Hojlund scored five goals in the group stages despite his team finishing bottom. The striker has also found the scoring touch in the Premier League since the turn of the year. He can have an impact for Denmark this summer.

Fixtures

16 June vs Slovenia
20 June vs England
25 June vs Serbia

Betting trend: Both teams to score – no

Denmark’s last ten matches have seen an average of just 2.2 goals per game. They only managed to put two goals past San Marino in their last game. Defensive stability will undoubtedly be key as they look to navigate their way through this difficult group.

At least one side has kept a clean sheet in six of Denmark’s last ten matches. Both teams to score – no, landed in two of their three group games at the World Cup.

Serbia

Serbia finished second in their qualifying group, four points behind Hungary and three points ahead of Montenegro. They were far from their best as they won just four of their eight matches but it would be foolish to count Dragan Stojkovic’s men out ahead of this tournament.

The Serbs are capable of getting a result against anyone. They have plenty of quality in their ranks and could prove to be a banana skin for the likes of England and Denmark. Serbia beat Cyprus in their last match and did the double over Montenegro in their qualifying group.

Star player: Aleksandar Mitrovic

Aleksandar Mitrovic swapped the English Premier League for the Saudi Premier League in the summer. He has been in excellent form for AL-Hilal, who look set to clinch the league title. He has scored 23 goals in 22 with help from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, his compatriot who also plies his trade at the club. 

Mitrovic has the physical prowess to cause problems for even the most seasoned of defenders. His exceptional ability in the air, coupled with intelligent movement means he often finds himself in aerial duels with weaker full-backs. Mitrovic’s hold-up play is also a huge asset for Serbia.

One to watch: Filip Kostic

Filip Kostic’s contribution could be key for Serbia in this tournament. The wing back has been known for his wicked delivery from wide areas since his days in the Bundesliga. He is also adept when it comes to taking set-pieces. 

Kostic now plays for Juventus. His combined non-penalty xG and xAG (assisted goals) of 0.32 per 90 minutes means he ranks in the 95th percentile when compared with all other full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues. He will have bodies to aim at when putting deliveries in the box for Serbia this summer.

Fixtures

16 June vs England
20 June vs Slovenia
25 June vs Denmark

Betting trend: Both teams to score

Serbia’s eight matches in European Championship qualifying saw an average of three goals per game. They kept a clean sheet in their opening two matches of the campaign but both teams scored in the last six. Goals look to be on the agenda when they take to the field in Germany.

Slovenia

Slovenia are the group’s outsiders but they have shown they are capable of challenging the status quo in qualifying. They managed to win 7 of their 10 qualifying matches, They finished the group with a superior goal difference to Denmark but finished behind Hjulmand’s side thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker rule.

This is the first time they have made it to the European Championships since the year 2000. They will take confidence from the fact they were completive against the second favourites for Group C in qualifying. Slovenia were narrowly beaten 2-1 in Denmark and managed a 1-1 draw on home turf. They also earned a surprise 2-0 victory over Portugal in March.

Star player: Benjamin Sesko

Sesko is a name that will be familiar to fans of the Bundesliga. In fact, his name has also been linked to Premier League clubs in recent years. He has been dubbed the next Erliing Haaland by some. While there is a long way to go before fulfilling that potential, there are signs of encouragement. Benjamin has formed a deadly partnership with Lois Openda for RB Leipzig this season and scored plenty of goals.

The forward is an imposing figure standing at 6’4”. He also has a deceiving amount of pace for a man of his stature. These physical advantages do not come at the expense of technique and he could have a good tournament this summer.

One to watch: Jake Bijol

Jake Bijol will need to have a big tournament for the Slovenians with the team set to do a lot of defending as underdogs in all three of their group matches.

Bijol is one of the few players in the Slovenian squad that plays in one of Europe’s top five leagues. He is enjoying a solid season at Udinese. Jake isn’t afraid to get involved. His average of 5.76 clearances and 3.77 aerial duels won per 90 minutes puts him in the top 5% by those metrics when compared with all other defenders across the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1.

Fixtures

16 June vs Denmark
20 June vs Serbia
25 June vs England

Betting trend: Under 2.5 cards for Slovenia

The Slovenians picked up an average of just one card per game in their European Championship qualifiers. That was fewer than any other side and well below the average 2.19 cards picked up per team in each match.

They picked up no cards in one of their matches, one card in eight matches and two cards in one, so under 2.5 cards landed in all ten qualifying games.