The action continues as the second pass through the group stage picks up steam at EURO 2024. There have been some high-profile clashes in recent days – Spain vs. Italy on Thursday and the Netherlands vs. France on Friday – that trend continues with a tasty fixture on June 22 between Turkey and Portugal.
12:00 p.m. ET Headliner: Turkey vs. Portugal
| Turkey Win | +480 | Portugal Win | -161 | Draw | +325 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | -133 | Under 2.5 Goals | +110 | Broadcast | TSN |
Both teams sit level at the top of Group F with three points each having won their opening matches. Turkey were excellent in their 3-1 win over Georgia. Perennial dark horses at major tournaments, the Crescent Stars always arrive with a hint of the exotic. Gone are the days when the team is comprised entirely of domestic-based players – Turkish players have been filtering out of the football-mad country to big clubs in Europe for some time now – but still half the squad plays at home, mostly for the three big Istanbul clubs, Besiktas, Fenerbahce, and Galatasaray.
Turkey arrived one of the youngest squads at the competition – only Ukraine has a lower average age – in part because of the two teenage stars everyone was looking forward to seeing in action. Both Arda Guler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus were in the starting XI, lining up on either side of the attack and their youthful exuberance was on display. Turkey were relentless: their 22 shots was more than Germany managed in their big win over Scotland.
The Turks took the lead, but were pulled back quickly, and it was Guler who provided what proved to be the game-winner in the second half, a cracking left-footed strike from range that curled into the top corner.
This match in Dortmund will be a tougher test. The Portuguese withstood a scare against the Czech Republic in their opener, conceding first, needing an own-goal to equalize before a 92nd-minute winner from Francisco Conceicao secured victory.
Portugal came to EURO 2024 as the hipster’s favourite – at +600 they are just off the level of the top three of France, Germany, and England – but it is a squad just as fearsome. Roberto Martinez opted to roll with experience in that first match, starting both Ronaldo (39) and Pepe (41). Whether he sticks to that formula throughout remains to be seen. A Selecao, like Turkey in their opener, registered eight shots on target but will need to make more of their opportunities in matches against better opposition.
Game Bets To Consider
- At -161, Portugal is favoured to win this match, and Turkey is +480 to take the result, but there has been a developing trend in the second matches of the group stage. Of the six games played through the first two days, four have ended in draws – as the importance ratchets up, approaches and defences tighten. Considering that, a Draw at +325 is a good option for some value.
- Whether he starts or comes in off the bench, Ronaldo has a way of refusing to be denied. He was held off the scoresheet against the Czech Republic despite registering five shots, three on target. Enhanced odds as First Goalscorer of +285 look enticing, though it would not be a complete surprise if Martinez holds his superstar in reserve following a quick turnaround.
- The 19-year-old Guler, who now holds Ronaldo’s record as the youngest player to score on his EURO debut, will be flying high after scoring on his only shot against Georgia – Guler to Score Anytime sits at +380.
Bet on Turkey vs. Portugal
TUR +480
POR -161
Other EURO 2024 Games On June 22
Georgia vs. Czechia, 9:00 a.m. ET
Both Georgia and the Czech Republic will be stinging from gutting opening-day defeats. The Georgians may have come out on the losing end against the Turks, but they made a game of it. The scoreline does not represent how solid of an outing it was. The Crusaders responded almost immediately to the opening goal with one of their own from Georges Mikautadze and were only undone by Guler’s wonder strike – the third goal padded the score deep in stoppage time.
The Czechs, too, pushed their opening-round opponents to the limit, taking the lead through Lukas Provod after an hour of hard-fought action. They were only beaten by an own goal and that 92nd-minute Portuguese winner.
With another match against Portugal and Turkey, respectively, on the final match day, both sides will know that their hopes of moving on to the knockout round rests on taking full points this day. Both will be eyeing this match intending to win it.
Game Bet To Consider: Czechia managed just four shots in a defence-first display against Portugal. Georgia, on the other hand, enjoyed a more forceful outing registering 14 against Turkey. The Czechs are significant favourites according to the betting line, but the Georgians, making their debut as an independent nation at the European Championship Finals, showed they should not be underestimated. Their goalscorer Mikautadze registered as many shots as the Czechs himself, with four. The line for his Shots Over/Under is set at 1.5 for this one – the Over pays out at -175. Should he repeat the same feat and have four once more, the odds for that come in at +440.
Belgium vs. Romania, 3:00 p.m. ET
The final match for June 22 in Cologne features two sides feeling very differently after their EURO 2024 openers.
Belgium, despite creating more than enough chances, was upset 1-0 by Slovakia. Romania handed Ukraine a 3-0 defeat in an impressive professional performance. Romania took the lead after 29 minutes through their captain Nicolae Stanciu, doubling it shortly after the restart through Razvan Marin, and securing the result before the hour mark when Denis Dragus added the third in the 57th minute. It was about as textbook a win as a team could want.
The Belgians are rightly favourites on the day, but momentum is dangerous in the tight confines of a tournament setting. Even the longest odds seem manageable when it is at one’s back. When it is not, the expected becomes nearly impossible.
Game Bet To Consider: Belgium should win this game, as they “should have” done many things over the past few years at major tournaments. With an xG of 1.6, the Red Devils did enough to score a goal – only France amassed a higher xG without scoring a goal through the first 90 minutes in Germany. Romelu Lukaku accounted for 0.6 of that himself with three shots, two of which were on target. In the despair of defeat, it is easy to forget that the striker’s reputation for missing chances is matched by his tendency to finish the next one. An enhanced odds offering of Lukaku to Score Anytime and Kevin De Bruyne to Record an Assist at +255 will go a long way toward silencing their critics.
| Away Team |  | Draw | | Home Team | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | +390 | +285 | -128 | Czechia | 9:00 PM |
| Turkey | +480 | +325 | -161 | Portugal | 12:00 PM |
| Belgium | -200 | +365 | +610 | Romania | 3:00 PM |
Latest EURO 2024 Futures Odds
Here are the latest EURO 2024 Futures odds, heading into the matches on June 22:
| Team | | Yesterday | Team | | Yesterday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | +400 | +400 | Portugal | +600 | +550 |
| Germany | +400 | +400 | Netherlands | +1600 | +1500 |
| England | +450 | +450 | Italy | +1900 | +1700 |
| Spain | +550 | +700 | Belgium | +2700 | +2900 |
The top three remained stable overnight despite England’s less-than-thrilling 1-1 draw against Denmark. The English are at +450 to win outright, slightly behind France and Germany at +400.
Spain’s 1-0 win over Italy in Group B saw them leap over Portugal into the fourth spot, up to +550, while the Italian’s odds dropped to +1900.
