Euro 2008 - To Win

[kompressaur]

big pic removed

[kompressaur]

as you know i don't know much about international football but i can watch it with a passion. Due to location and all that i can see the Germans being there abouts as well they are always there abouts in this sort of thing. Spain no as they are perenial under achievers. Italy...well they are italy and must be worth a consideration. Does anyone know how thje draw works? Will Italy and Germany avoid each other to reach the final? I could back both to reach the final and show profit if one does. i think

[MickeyPaul]

I wouldn't have thought Italy were good enough to be honest but it never seems to stop them. I've thought they were poor for quite a few years now but they don't seem to care.

Germany from what little I saw of them look to have something about them. Bit of flair to them which had been lacking for quite some time. Passing and moving, nice and quick. I like.

France.... gutless. Pretty but soft as.... you know. They'll do ok with a bit of space though.

Oooh, Croatia. Forgot about them. They were great when I saw them against England. To be honest though, I've seen so little of international footy outwith Scotland games, I aint got a clue about anyone. Can't remember the last time I saw Holland play for example. Years ago. I'd rather be betting after getting a look at everyone.

[traeth]

I tend to follow the home nations and Italy in the big comps , last one I gave Italy a miss , and they went on to win the world cup , my initial thoughts this time are Portugal , based on the stars in their squad
Bosingwa [must be good for that price] ,Ferreira ,Carvalho ,Nani ,Deco ,Cristiano Ronaldo , Gomes
Spain look to have the "easiest" group , they meet Sweden again [both qualified from the same group], Russia and Greece

[CJ-MUFC]

i agree slightly with portugal, but deco hasnt been on form and they lack fire power up front and may be over reliant on ronaldo for goals. 2 others 2 watch out 4 in their squad are veloso and moutinho. i think although underachivers it may be spains year!

[bakakadassa]

TBH, it all comes down to Ronaldo with Portugal, so with their group only Turkey "may" be able to stop them. However, once in the knock outs, they probably won't last much. Granted they meet someone "manageable" if they top their group, since Germany are virtually group 2 winners, but in the semi-final I would give the portuguese no chance. Obviously I'm voting Turkey to also qualify from that 1st group.

2nd group -as mentione- will be dominated by Germany, but it looks to me that Austria have a decent "half a chance" to progress. Poland are poor, and have always been (Whjat do you think a team that has RASIAK in their starting XI looks like? A championship level at best??). Croatia lost Eduardo, and that has proved their undoing. I saw them getting ripped apart by Holland in a recent friendly, eventhough the Dutch were missing 14 players!! Gosh! Boulehrouz was on the pitch and th Croatas still couldn't score!!!

Group 3 is a massacare. Italy will have a decent shot at topping the group because of their defense (and Buffon). Luca Tomni shoould take care of scoring goals for them. France are pretty on paper, with the likes of Ribery being the driving fore, but you can never rely on Henry on the international scene.

Holland are a decent side, but they could trip over Romania, while neither Italy nor France will, so albeit the trio's head-to-head games being most decessive, Holland start the competition with a virtual handicap.

Romania are also a decent side, but they're unlucky to be drawn in this group. They would have had a decent chance ha they been playing in any other group.

Group 4 could be tricky, and this is actually where the "lucky" punters will make money. While Spain are supposidly the stronger side on papre, you can NEVER trust them Spaniards. They ALWAYS seem to have it going wrong somehow, sometime.

Sweden are not so strong, but they can manage. They can also disappoint at times (remember the goalless draw to Trinidad?).

Greece play defensively for the most part of their games, but can hit on the break, and I would say they can really do some damage to both Russia and Sweden, while the Russians could prove a little tough to break with Heddink tactics.

The q-final thus will feature Portugal winning over group 2 runner up, Germany winning over Turkey, and whoever qualifies from group 3 will BOTH beat group 4 top 2.

The semi-final will have a BIG game, as -suppsidly- Italy/France will face-off with Germany. The luckier of the blue outfits will be facing Portugal and progress to the final.

Personally, I fancy a de ja vu of the WC in Germany. Portugal v France and Germany v Italy, with Italy and France playing in the final. Maybe this time around France will get their revenge, but it's going to take a great deal of effort from Ribery and Nassri to set Anelka with decent chances to score.

There! Go place your bets.

[Martens]

i have two scenarios in my mind

either is me that i dont understand football

or people are mad, if they consider germany as favourites to win the trophy

for me, the most sure bet is "germany not to reach semis"

lets see...

[Quandram]

Originally Posted by bakakadassa

Personally, I fancy a de ja vu of the WC in Germany. Portugal v France and Germany v Italy, with Italy and France playing in the final. Maybe this time around France will get their revenge, but it's going to take a great deal of effort from Ribery and Nassri to set Anelka with decent chances to score.

There! Go place your bets.

I'll place my bets as soon as i gloss over the fact that it's not possible for those teams to meet like that.

[FC Basher]

The tough Romanians have a decent chance in their group shutting out Holland twice in the two qualifying group games 1-0 and 0-0.The big if for them is they need to beat Italy or France or should they force two draws,they would then play Holland in their final game to secure qualification to the next round,should they do that they then meet a team from group D,Spain Greece Sweden or Russia,so that 50/1 and 1/2 the odds the place you just might just be sitting on a nice little bet,should they reach the semis well you can even start backing the opposition at this stage to ensure a profit.

Ill take my chance with Romania 50/1

[kompressaur]

Personally, I fancy a de ja vu of the WC in Germany. Portugal v France and Germany v Italy, with Italy and France playing in the final.

I would tend to agree with you bakaka and i fair enjoyed reading your thoughts on the whole thing. It's got me in the mood it has. Hands up who's country is there? We must all wear our colours with pride. I'll have the big telly on to the left of my computer, the sun shining through the window, the wolves at the door. Aye it could really cheer me up. 3 weeks to go.

or people are mad, if they consider germany as favourites to win the trophy

for me, the most sure bet is "germany not to reach semis"

Everyone says that before any big tournie especially in central europe Martens but the German's always do something. they always seem to turn around any poor form or else just play really quite dull but get to the final anyhow without inspiring. then they'll win 3-1 and they'll be 'those bloody germans!' again. We'd be fools to discount the german threat imo.

I'll place my bets as soon as i gloss over the fact that it's not possible for those teams to meet like that.

you find out anything Quandram? I would be interested. I will go look myself in a sec anyhow. Well maybe i will do a Eurovison 2008 Match Betting competition first.

Romania Basher MArtens here's another madman. Surely not George? Hows their form been the last 2 years? they looking strong?

[FC Basher]

Romania yes Komp,Holland for example are less than a third of the price of Romania and they even failed to score against them in the two qualifying games 1-0 and 0-0.

Hows their form last two years? Only 1 lose in a competetive match defeat away to Bulgaria.

Im looking at the market now which Germany head,the Germans were in the doldrums previous to the world cup and the country had become disollusioned with the national team yet now with a good world cup campaign they have overtaken the French and Italians in the betting.Look at the odds France 9s and Italy 8s the Dutch 15's you think the bookies would be given you such big odds on teams of that pedigree and calibre if they were as good as their previous teams I think not,Greece recently and the Danes in the past have proven that a good team can be any match for the big guns with their superstars.

Oh what about the Spanish 2nd favs,ok individually they have good players,but what have they ever done?

[kompressaur]

Aye well i will take Romania as my chosen team this tournie Basher as i like the yellow and i like the price your talking about. Interest stakes but come on the romanians!!!! yip im an adopted Romanian. Hold on on i could do a euro 200/eurovision double on them. Nah now im truly getting silly. Just having a look at this. I'll post it and look-

Thursday 19 June 2008
25 QF Winner Grp A 20:45 Runner-up Grp B Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Friday 20 June 2008
26 QF Winner Grp B 20:45 Runner-up Grp A Vienna - Ernst Happel
Saturday 21 June 2008
27 QF Winner Grp C 20:45 Runner-up Grp D Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Sunday 22 June 2008
28 QF Winner Grp D 20:45 Runner-up Grp C Vienna - Ernst Happel
Wednesday 25 June 2008
29 SF Winner #25 20:45 Winner #26 Basel - St. Jakob-Park
Thursday 26 June 2008
30 SF Winner #27 20:45 Winner #28 Vienna - Ernst Happel
Sunday 29 June 2008
31 F Winner #29 20:45 Winner #30 Vienna - Ernst Happel

euro2008.uefa.com - Tournament - Matches

[kompressaur]

If Germany and Portugal win their group then they will avoid each other. Germany will be meeting Turkey, Czech or Switzerland after the group stage. typical type games and one to savour whoever they meet. I can see them having a hold over any of them teams. Be a tough game but vorsprung dork techniic. we are germany. we vwill vwin even if its in extratime. they then would meet either portugal or a team that they have played in the group stage. I could take them to beat portugal in this sort of affair as for all their class portugal just dont do it for me on the big stage. Maybe theyre a team that could be better than i think. Aye they will be but again i could see the germans grinding out a victory. If not Portugal then i cant seee Poland or Austria beating them though the croatians will give them a game. Germany have all these teams in their pocket.

aye so Germany and Italy are on opposit sides of the draw and i could take either old warhorse to get to the final but like bakakakadassa something like Portugal v France wouldnt suprise me.

[FC Basher]

Is it ok to say I dont really fancy them mate

If they get out the group,they will then face Greece Spain Sweden or Russia not the toughest on paper and then were in the semis

[kompressaur]

nah they play the runner up of group A accoring to that link above George. What am i missing here? ah i see you mean Romania

then were in the semis