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The Scout: EURO 2020 Day 9

Posted on | Posted by The Scout

Hungary vs France

A Group of Death fixture sees Hungary play host to France at Puskas Arena, Budapest, with a capacity crowd on hand to cheer on the home team.

Hungary come into this match off the back of a disappointing 3-0 loss to Portugal. It was a strange match, as they held their opponents goalless until the 84th minute, at which point the floodgates opened.

France did what they needed to do against Germany, coming away with a 1-0 victory, but it’s noted that they had goals to Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema waved off. Les Bleus remain tournament favourites, but Group F is so strong that they may still need a win here to keep a grip on top spot.

France have now won five straight games, and are undefeated in eight. Their attacking intent was clear in game one and the defense was its stoic best (has now kept clean sheets in those five wins).

Hungary drew the ultimate short straw in this tournament, and now face the best team in the toughest group of EURO 2020. An own goal in Game 1 means the French forwards are yet to get off the mark in the tournament. I’m expecting a few of them to change that here.

SUGGESTED BET: France Win Both Halves @ $2.90*

Portugal vs Germany

Portugal will be out to book their spot in the knockout rounds with a win over Germany at the Allianz Arena.

Germany aren’t short on talent but now need to bounce back immediately after their 1-0 loss to France. Manager Joachim Low might look to change up the starting XI, as they managed just one shot on target in Game 1.

Portugal left it until late against Hungary, but scored three goals in the blink of an eye off the back of dominant play and 70% of possession. Cristiano Ronaldo looked his ominous best, scoring twice in quick succession and making multiple runs behind the defensive lines.

Despite turning 36 this year, Ronaldo showed in Game 1 just why he remains one of the most feared strikers in the world. His double against Hungary made him the all-time greatest goal scorer in the history of the Euros, and I think he presents great value in a game that looks likely to be another tight encounter.

SUGGESTED BET: Cristiano Ronaldo First Goalscorer @ $5.50*

Spain vs Poland

Spain and Poland will do battle in Seville with both sides looking to improve on poor performances in their opening matches. Spain was unable to breech Sweden’s defense and were forced to concede a 0-0 draw, while Poland was surprised by an exciting Slovakian outfit, going down 2-1.

Despite not registering a goal against Sweden, Spain put in a dominating performance. They held possession for an incredible 85% of the game and completed over 900 passes. Unfortunately for Luis Enrique’s men, they were just unable to execute where it mattered most, creating plenty of chances, but denied by their own poor finishing.

For mine, Poland couldn’t have been less impressive in their opening match. Defensively, they looked incredibly fragile and showed very little potency going forward. Arguably the greatest striker in the world, Robert Lewandowski was a non-factor, with Poland unable to set the table their main man up front.

It’s hard to see either team exploding in this matchup, with Spain most likely, but still clearly yet to find their feet. Spain are unbeaten in their last nine matches and have the home ground advantage. If they can quell Lewandowski, they can just about neutralise this Polish attack.

SUGGESTED BET: Spain Win to Nil @ $2*

*Odds correct as at 9pm, 18th June 2021.

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