Euro 2020 - What We Have Learnt From This Year’s Tournament?

Euro 2020 was one of the biggest sports and betting events in 2021. Check out the final results compared to the predictions.

17:54 18 August 2021

After seeing the sports world take a big dive in 2020, due to the crisis of the world pandemic, there was huge anticipation for Euro 2020, especially since stadiums would actually be hosting fans. The world was ready to witness 24 teams battle it out in 51 exciting matches. This immediately built excitiment for the tournament, and many fans will certainly agree that it was well worth the wait. In this article, we’ll take a look at what went on at Euro 2020.

 

Who Were the Favourites for Euro 2020?

 

As footballing fans, and punters alike, do at such tournaments, everyone immediately turned to the bookies to try to anticipate the winner. The favourites at the start of the tournament were France and England, and given the fact that sports had been missed so much, bookmakers saw a huge spike in betting before the tournament. Football fans all over the world placed their bets on the teams they felt confident about, while others simply wanted to add a bit more excitement to the game with the hope of winning something in the process.

 

The Predictions vs The Outcomes – The Results We Didn’t See Coming

 

From the start of the tournament, all eyes were on France and England, but that soon changed when France, twice European and current world cup champions, were sent packing by Switzerland. With the French out of the way, Spain and Italy were then in the mix as favourites to win the title, and bookmakers’ odds soon reflected this. 

 

As the tournament progressed, we witnessed a steady England team push forward, whilst Italy’s unbeaten run picked up pace. Belgium, Spain, Ukraine, and Denmark were knocked out in the quartrer- and semi-finals, so all was left to play for between England and Italy at England’s hallowed ground of Wembley.

 

Euro 2020 Finals – It All Came Down to England vs Italy

 

England went into the game as clear favourites on the night, dominating the first 25 minutes of the game and managing to score a very early goal by Luke Shaw after only 90 seconds. As the game progressed, Italy found their feet and started to be more present on the field. After 67 minutes, they managed to draw level with a goal from Leonardo Bonucci.

 

It then became a constant battle, up and down the field, until Italy started proving to be the stronger side. After 120 minutes of play, including extra time, none of the teams managed to come out as winners and the game went to penalties.

 

What Led to the Final Results?

 

Again, there are still many questions that went unanswered after the Euro 2020 final. English fans were trying to make sense of the loss; was it a bad choice in the penalty takers, was it just the nerves, or was it bad tactics from the England manager that led them to lose the final? Should the game have been won in the normal playing time?

 

What Can We Take Away from the Euro 2020 Final?

 

If this tournament taught us anything, it’s that predicted winners can never be guaranteed by any bookmaker, and punters must always be sure to do their homework right before placing their bets. According to Swedish sports betting compilator www.bettingonlinesverige.se, when it comes to football betting, it’s not about your favourite team, but about studying the teams well, studying their run up to the finals, their results, and making sure that you have enough information about every player and the impact such players may have on the teams they play for.

 

Even after gathering all this information, this tournament thought us that any odds can fail, and no odds are guranteed.

 

What’s Next For Football Fans?

 

Sports bettors and football fans are now gearing up for another highly-anticipated football tournament: the FIFA World Cup 2022. The 22nd FIFA World Cup competition will take place in Qatar, and it will be the first World Cup to take place in the Arab world. This tournament will be the last World Cup to include 32 teams, with the 2026 tournament scheduled to involve an increased number of 48 teams instead. It will also take place between Novemeber and December instead of the months of May, June, and July, due to Qatar’s intense summer.

 

The final draw will take place in April of 2022, but fans are already making their predictions on who will qualify for the tournament and who will win the trophy based on previous tournament winners and current FIFA world rankings. Despite being a year away, the world is already keeping a close eye on the FIFA World Cup 2022 predictions.