We’ve not had to wait long in between the European Championship group stage and knockouts. Just days after a dramatic finish in the groups and it’s time for the last 16 to get started. There are no second chances from this point on, so it’s going to be a huge few games as things start to get serious.
The last 16 clashes are packed in to just three days, so there’s going to be plenty of action to keep an eye on other the next few days. We’re hoping for a few exciting games, and we’ll be looking for goals. Ahead of the knockout clashes getting under way, we’ve previewed the biggest games and picked out where we see both sides getting on the scoresheet.
Saturday 25th June 2016
- Wales v Northern Ireland (29/20 with Coral) – The Welsh come into this one as favourites, although they’ll face a tough test against a highly spirited Northern Ireland. The Ulstermen showed their attacking intent against Ukraine, and we’re backing them to do that here as well.
- Croatia v Portugal (23/20 with Coral) – Portugal found their scoring touch against Hungary, and now they’re taking that up against a leaky Croatia defence. Both of these sides are much better going forward than in defence, so both teams to score looks like great value here.
Sunday 26th June 2016
- France v Republic of Ireland (2/1 with Betfair) – France take on the Republic of Ireland in Lyon, and surely this is when their poor defending will cost them? The Irish are great from set pieces, and given how poor the French are at defending those that could spell trouble for the hosts.
- Germany v Slovakia (7/4 with Sky Bet) – Slovakia should be a little more open in this game, they can’t play for a point here. This German defence hasn’t conceded, but they’ve come very close. We’re backing that to change on Sunday.
- Hungary v Belgium (6/4 with Betfair) – After six goals in three group games, we have little doubt that Hungary can cause problems for Belgium. While the Belgians are strong going forward, their defence tends to be quite open. We’re backing more celebrations for the Hungarians.
Monday 27th June 2016
- Spain v Italy (11/8 with Sky Bet) – This game sees a perfect clash of opposing styles. We think the Italians’ counter attacking can get them a goal here, while Spain have found their scoring touch of late. This should be a close affair, but we’re backing the two sides to score.
- England v Iceland (9/5 with Coral) – Iceland scored and conceded in all three group games, and now they face their biggest ever match. Imagine how loud their commentators would get with a goal against England? It’s not out of the question, as their defence is beatable. We’re backing more joy for the Icelanders, with BTTS priced just short of 2/1.
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