The excitement surrounding Euro 2016 is almost at fever pitch, and no wonder: this is a tournament that has been blessed with shocks, surprises and above all else quality football in its 50 or so years of being held.
Making predictions is a bit of a minefield then, although if past renditions of this competition are anything to go by then we can expect a few key trends to play out:
Expect the Unexpected
At Euro 2012 the early signs of Holland’s demise were clear for all to see. They lost all three of their group games in a devilish section of the draw which featured Germany, Portugal and Denmark….leaving many punters out of pocket.
Such unpredictability was in full force at Euro 2008 too, where France were dumped out in the group phase, while Greece’s historic win in 2004 and the Czech Republic’s final appearance of 1996 reveals just how imbalanced the European Championships are.
So perhaps the key point for punters to take away is to expect the unexpected; every dog seems to have its day in this tournament.
Paying the Penalty
The spectre of the penalty shootout is never far away in major tournaments such as Euro 2016, and the European Championships have a lengthy tradition of making heroes and breaking hearts from 12 yards.
England were dumped out of Euro 2012 courtesy of Italy’s penalty prowess, while the Italians themselves were on the wrong end of a spot-kick shoot-out with Spain in 2008. To complete the ménage a trois, it was England who ended Spanish hopes in 1996 via penalties!
All in all, six matches have been decided by penalties in the last three renewals of the competition, so expect plenty of squeaky bums in the knockout phase of Euro 2016.
Home Town Glory
Can any team boast a record as incredible as France’s when playing on home soil in big tournaments?
Of the last two majors they have hosted – the European Championship of 1984 and the World Cup in 1998 – they lifted the trophy on both occasions.
Of the other big ones they have hosted they reached the quarter finals of World Cup ’34 and the semis of Euro ’60; so could this be their year once again?
History Makers?
Given that Spain’s back-to-back triumphs in 2008 and 2012 were the first time that the European Championship trophy was retained, it goes without saying that a stunning hat-trick would re-write the history books once again.
And the Spaniards are not the only team/player at Euro 2016 with a chance of making history. Should Germany reach the final – win or lose – it would be the seventh appearance in the finale of the European Championship; another record for them to add to their huge collection.
Three players in France will have the opportunity to become the European Championships’ leading goalscorer of all time. Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are currently tied on six goals – three behind current record-holder Michel Platini – with our very own Wayne Rooney just behind on five. Should any of this trio enjoy an outstanding tournament, they too could write their own little piece of history.
