The last week of EURO 2024 action saw us wave goodbye to the group stages and enter the Round of 16. While the entire tournament has been a joy to watch so far, there’s something special about knockout games, where you know one team is leaving in jubilation and one in dejection. Let’s look at what’s unfolded thus far and what to expect as we wrap up this stage and march towards the quarterfinals.
Key Storylines This Week
- England Avoids Disaster – It was almost an early exit for the Three Lions on Sunday, as Slovakia scored a 25th-minute icebreaker and shut England out until the final moments of regulation. Jude Bellingham rose to the occasion, however, scoring a gorgeous goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to equalize. Harry Kane opened up extra time with a near-immediate goal that sent England through to the next stage, keeping their hopes as the betting-odds favourite alive.
- Georgia Stuns, Then Sputters – One of the most exciting moments in the group stage came at the very end. While Portugal’s pressure to perform wasn’t particularly high in their last game with a spot in the knockouts secured, no one expected them to get sucker-punched like they did by the Georgians on Wednesday. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring just two minutes in, and a converted penalty in the 57th minute extended their lead to two. It was enough to move the Georgians into the knockouts for the first time ever, though Spain proved to be too much of a challenge for them on Sunday.
- Swiss Give Italy Quick Exit – The defending champions are gone not with a bang, but a whimper, as two late first-half goals conceded were enough to send them home earlier than hoped. The tournament was messy for the Italians, beginning with a goal conceded in the first 23 seconds of the first game, followed by a persistent attempt to undo embarrassment rather than having any sense of control themselves. Their EURO 2020 win brought them some relief after not qualifying for the World Cup – repeating that fate and having this exit this year will no doubt put pressure on the federation to rethink their strategies.
- Let’s Get Intercontinental – EURO 2024 isn’t your only available soccer fix this month. The 2024 Copa America is in full steam, and its evening schedule allows you to follow both tournaments at once. Canada has done us proud so far, defeating Peru and drawing Chile to send themselves to the knockout stages. They’ll take on Venezuela in the Quarterfinals on Friday—stay tuned to Canada Sports Betting for more coverage!
EURO 2024 Team Futures Update
Here are where the top eight favourites to win EURO 2024 stand as of this morning, compared to last week’s odds.
| Team |  | Last Week | Team | | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | +375 | +500 | Portugal | +750 | +550 |
| Spain | +400 | +500 | Netherlands | +1200 | +1700 |
| Germany | +450 | +400 | Switzerland | +1400 | +2900 |
| France | +650 | +400 | Austria | +1400 | +3400 |
Switzerland and Austria have had the biggest bumps of the week, with the former upsetting Italy and the latter entering Tuesday’s Round of 16 Finale against Turkey as the favourites. A run of disappointing form combined with a tough test against Belgium today has France a little lower than expected, though the tides could turn in a hurry.
This Week’s EURO 2024 Schedule
We have another full week of EURO 2024 action ahead of us. Check back with Canada Sports Betting throughout the week to stay up to date with the latest action. Matchday previews are offered a day in advance throughout the tournament!
| Date | Games |
|---|---|
| Monday, July 1 | 12:00 PM: France (-102) vs. Belgium (+380) 3:00 PM: Portugal (-256) vs. Slovenia (+900) |
| Tuesday, July 2 | 12:00 PM: Romania (+775) vs. Netherlands (-213) 3:00 PM: Austria (+102) vs. Turkey (+345) |
| Wednesday, July 3 | OFF DAY |
| Thursday, July 4 | OFF DAY |
| Friday, July 5 | 12:00 PM: Spain (TBD) vs. Germany (TBD) 3:00 PM: Quarter Final Match 2 |
| Saturday, July 6 | 12:00 PM: England (TBD) vs. Switzerland (TBD) 3:00 PM: Quarter Final Match 4 |
| Sunday, July 7 | OFF DAY |
