2020 European Championship Group C Predictions

[StefanBB]

Ukraine vs North Macedonia

Zbirna was brave in the opening match against the Netherlands, but eventually, they left with empty pockets. Although Andriy Shevchenko’s side trailed 2:0, they managed to equalize thanks to Andriy Yarmolenko’s brace. However, Oranje snatched all three points thanks to a late winner. That defeat ended Ukraine’s six-match unbeaten run, and they conceded after keeping the clean sheet twice. Despite this loss, Ukraine showed that they shouldn’t be written off from the battle for the knockout stage. This game is crucial for them, as Zbirna could fight for the top-two finish in the closing round of the group stage.

North Macedonia made Austria struggling in their first-ever EURO game, but they eventually failed to a 3:1 defeat. They had a point in their pockets 15 minutes from the final whistle but couldn’t make it ‘till the end. Igor Angelovski’s side lost after four straight games without a defeat, and they want to get back on the winning track. However, they need a defensively solid performance to keep their dreams of progressing further alive. On the other hand, Goran Pandev and the lads should continue being clinical in front of the oppositions’ net. With potential three points from this game, North Macedonia could hope for providing the biggest surprise in this tournament.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

North Macedonia proved that they could be pretty tough to beat and won’t surrender without a fight. However, we believe Ukraine will meet the expectations and book all three points from this game.

Goals Market Prediction

Ukraine hasn’t been too tight in the back, and they managed to keep their net intact only twice on the previous ten occasions. Since North Macedonia failed to score only once in the last 17 games, we could see goals in both nets here.

Ukraine to Win @ 1.75 

BTTS Yes @2.00 

Correct score 2:1 @ 8.00

[StefanBB]

Netherlands vs Austria

The home side opened the EURO 2020 campaign with a victory after a thrilling game against Ukraine. After the goalless first half, we saw fireworks in the second. Oranje had a 2:0 advantage, but Zbirna got back into the game. Eventually, the Netherlands celebrated a 3:2 victory thanks to a late winner. Although the hosts always aim high on the major tournaments, they need to become more consistent if they want to challenge the trophy. Frank de Boer is often criticized for his game style, but it has worked decently lately. The Netherlands missed the chance to win only once on the previous five occasions while losing just once in the last 11 matches. Memphis Depay and the lads want to keep up where they left off and secure a place in the knockout stage.

Austria struggled against North Macedonia, but they eventually picked up all three points. That victory ended their three-game winless streak and provided a vital boost of confidence. Franco Foda’s side got in an excellent position to qualify for the next stage, but they need to raise their game level. More challenging opponents are ahead of them, and this game will be a stern test for David Alaba and the lads. Austria has a talented but yet experienced squad that can go far in the competition. They could avoid the last-round drama against Ukraine if they manage to celebrate once again. However, it’s going to be a challenging task as they face the Netherlands at the away ground.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Neither team was very confident in the opening game, even though they both won their matches. However, the Netherlands could take advantage of playing in front of the home fans to celebrate another vital victory.

Goals Market Prediction

The Netherlands has been involved in many high-scoring matches recently. Seven out of their last eight games went over a 2.5 margin, and they might continue in the same fashion. Austria is a team that can score against any side, and we should enjoy another efficient clash.

Netherlands to Win @ 1.60 

Over 2.5 FT @1.75 

Correct score 3:1 @ 12.00

[peanut peanut]

2-1 Ukraine 17/2

2-1 North Macedonia 18/1

[peanut peanut]

2-1 Holland 8/1

2-1 Austria 18/1

[StevieDay1983]

Ukraine vs North Macedonia

The first game on Thursday takes us to Group C where Ukraine and North Macedonia go head-to-head in a crucial kick-off at 2pm BST from the Arena Nationala in Bucharest. Both teams lost their opening matches of the 2020 European Championship so the pressure is on for them to earn something from this game. Defeat could leave them teetering on the brink of elimination at the group phase.

Ukraine were desperately unlucky to not take anything from their 3-2 loss against Netherlands. Andrei Shevchenko's men came back from 2-0 down to level it at 2-2 but a late Dutch winner saw the Blue and Yellow come away with nothing. The highlight of that game was Andriy Yarmolenko's long range stunner. It showed the potential of the Ukrainian side. The bad news is that winger Oleksandr Zubkov could be missing through injury. In order to revive their last 16 hopes, Ukraine will need to end a run of six consecutive defeats at the European Championship.

North Macedonia came into this tournament as heavy underdogs but it was an encouraging and battling display by Igor Angelovski's men for 78 minutes of their 3-1 defeat to Austria in their opening game. Goran Pandev had given the Lions hope of taking a point from their first game at a major international tournament but a late flourish from the Austrians combined with what looked like North Macedonia simply running out of steam saw the draw slip away. Still, it was a performance that showed North Macedonia are not here to simply make up the numbers.

I'm not anticipating us to see a lot of goals here. The previous four meetings between Ukraine and North Macedonia have seen a total of 4 goals with Ukraine scoring 3 and North Macedonia only scoring 1. Ukraine have also won both of the last two encounters. I can see another narrow win for Ukraine here. They lacked consistency against Netherlands and certainly displayed weaknesses that North Macedonia could exploit but I'd be surprised if Ukraine didn't take all 3 points. It could well be another heartening performance that just falls short for North Macedonia.

Ukraine to Win @ 1.83 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.83 with SportNation

[StevieDay1983]

Netherlands vs Austria

The second game in Group C on Thursday is an 8pm BST kick-off when Netherlands face Austria at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. This game pits the two teams in this group that won their opening games of the tournament so a winner from this game would book their place in the last 16. Everything is there to play for but will either side risk losing in the process or settle for the draw that would likely be enough to seal a place in the next round?

Netherlands showed me exactly why they're not backed by many people out there to win this tournament in their 3-2 win over Ukraine. Frank De Boer's side looked inconsistency, fragile at the back, and disjointed in their play. Had it not been for Ukraine shutting off at key moments then it could have been a different story for the Dutch. Still, they did win and there's an argument for saying that sometimes you can go far in tournaments like this if you win whilst not playing well and enjoy some fortune. Matthijs de Ligt is back from injury but it's uncertain if he'll be fit to start. It's also clear that Netherlands will be keen to score first having won their last 21 matches when that has happened. It was former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum who opened the scoring against Ukraine and he's now bagged 15 goals in his last 26 caps for his country.

Austria didn't look overly impressive or confident in their 3-1 win over North Macedonia. It was only North Macedonia hitting a wall late on that allowed Franco Foda's side to score a couple of goals late on to seal a win with a score-line that did flatter them slightly. The news that Marko Arnautovic has been banned for one game for "insulting another player" in that opening game is a blow. That victory over North Macedonia did end a winless run of 9 matches at major international tournaments for Austria so maybe they'll play with a sense of liberation now? Interestingly, 4 of the last 5 goals scored by Austria at a European Championship have been scored by their subs.

Neither of these two teams made me sit up and take notice in their opening games. Netherlands have already displayed a lot of weaknesses across the pitch and Austria appear to be a team that will be lucky to reach the last 16 at best. I can see this being another game littered with errors and fragility. I can see Netherlands perhaps sneaking a second win simply because their opponents are just as poor.

Netherlands HT/FT @ 2.82 with SBK

Anytime Scorer: Georginio Wijnaldum @ 4.20 with GentingBet

[StefanBB]

North Macedonia vs Netherlands

Despite being brave in the opening two rounds, North Macedonia sits at the bottom of their group without points won. After losing to Austria in their first-ever EURO match, Risovi failed to a 2:1 defeat against Ukraine. Nevertheless, Igor Angelovski’s side decently represents their country, and they aim for another courageous display in Amsterdam. However, Stefan Ristovski and the lads need to tighten their defense, conceding five goals in this tournament. North Macedonia has been pretty decent in the front, as they scored in their last eight matches. They need their best performance so far to remain undefeated in this clash.

The Netherlands has a perfect record so far, although they didn’t shine in EURO 2020. Oranje beat Ukraine in their first game 3:2 but allowed the opponent to equalize after their 2:0 lead. They were confident against Austria in a 2:0 victory, but it feels like this team could do much better. Nevertheless, Frank de Boer’s side did enough to secure a place in the knockout stage, and they aim for the top spot. Memphis Depay and the lads should continue their excellent work in the front, and anything is possible from the eight-finals. The Netherlands wants to keep up where they left off and victoriously complete the group stage.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

The Netherlands is a firm favorite in this clash as well, although changes in the starting lineup are possible. We believe they can secure the advantage at halftime and pick up all three points from this game.

Goals Market Prediction

Both sides have been involved in many high-scoring matches lately, and this one shouldn’t be much different. The Netherlands scored at least twice on the previous nine occasions, while North Macedonia netted eight times in a row. Therefore, we should see at least three goals in this clash.

Netherlands HT-FT @ 1.85 

Over 2.5 FT @ 1.55 

Correct score 1:3 @ 12.00

[StefanBB]

Ukraine vs Austria

Ukraine left a pretty positive impression so far, despite losing in the first round against the Netherlands. They managed to equalize after losing 2:0 but still suffered a 3:2 defeat. Andriy Shevchenko’s side booked a vital victory against North Macedonia thanks to an excellent first half. Yarmolenko and Yaremchuk have been clinical in front of the oppositions’ net so far, and they want to keep up in the same fashion. Ukraine is in positive momentum, as they celebrated in their both warm-up games ahead of EURO 2020. If they don’t lose this game, Zbirna will secure a top-two finish and a place in the knockout round.

Austria managed to beat North Macedonia as well, but only after a furious finish when they scored twice. Their performance against the Netherlands was not even average, and they need to do much better in the next match(es). Franco Foda’s side sits in third place in the group, despite having the same number of points as their upcoming rivals. Marko Arnautovic and the lads haven’t been in good form lately, as they celebrated only once on the previous five occasions. Austria didn’t manage to score in four matches during that period, and they need to improve their finishing. They need at least a point from this one to advance from the group stage.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Both sides should proceed further if they don’t lose this game, even if they finish as 3^rd in the group. Bookies have severely reduced the odds for a draw, and it could likely happen. However, Ukraine seems to be in better momentum, and we want to ensure our pick with Asian Handicap.

Goals Market Prediction

Ukraine has been pretty productive lately, and they scored in their last eight games. Austria is also capable of finding the back of the oppositions’ goal, despite their poor form in the front. Therefore, we don’t believe the nets will remain still in this one.

Ukraine AH +0.25 @ 1.50 

BTTS Yes @ 2.25 

Correct score 2:2 @ 12.00

[peanut peanut]

2-1 North Macidonia 28/1

2-1 Holland 10/1

2-1 Ukraine 14/1

2-1 Austria 12/1

[harry_rag]

How's it going with the 2-1s @peanut peanut ? I'd be tempted to press with some cross match doubles while there's 4 games per day!

[StevieDay1983]

North Macedonia vs Netherlands

The matches draw to a conclusion in Group C on Monday afternoon with the first of those two 5pm BST kick-offs being between North Macedonia and Netherlands at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. The host nation have already sealed their place in the last 16 but will be keen to end their group campaign on a high in front of their home fans against a visiting side who are sadly already eliminated.

North Macedonia might have been the first team at the European Championship to suffer elimination but they have done themselves proud. A dodgy final 12 minutes denied them a draw against Austria in their opening game and then a tightly contested single goal loss to Ukraine confirmed their exit. There is no doubt that Igor Angelovski's men have earned a number of admirers for their courageous play at this tournament. Goran Pandev finally got a chance to shine on the big stage. Elif Elmas has officially announced himself. We also saw accomplished displays from the likes of Ezgjan Alioski and Aleksandar Trajkovski. Can they be the party poopers here and deny their hosts a win in their final group game?

Netherlands were a team I had big doubts about before this tournament and, if I'm honest, despite winning their first two group games I'm still not sure about them. The 3-2 win over Ukraine in their opening game was fortunate and they were helped massively by a couple of major keeper errors. Then the 2-0 win over Austria was a gift. The Austrians didn't even turn up and it was one of the worst displays by a team I've ever seen at a European Championship. Head coach Frank De Boer still looks like he's forcing a system on his players that doesn't maximise their potential yet they remain a team that can punish opposition defences with their pace. Georginio Wijnaldum is making a big case for being Player of the Tournament so far and the combination play involving Denzil Dumfries and Donyell Malen is frightening.

I'm glad that North Macedonia have put in two competitive performances and it's great that a nation like theirs has had a chance to reach this tournament. They have been a credit to their country and hopefully that will inspire them to compete more in the future. Netherlands are building some decent momentum so I expect them to win this one but they'll be tested a bit more in the last 16 away from their home turf.

Netherlands HT/FT @ 1.90 with SportNation

BTTS @ 2.10 with Betfair

[StevieDay1983]

Ukraine vs Austria

The second final Group C match taking place at 5pm BST on Monday afternoon is Ukraine versus Austria at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest. A confirmed spot in the last 16 with the incentive of a tie against Italy is up for grabs for the winners. Hmm, that's not the best second round draw but at least they'd still be in the mix and won't have to wait on the results of other groups like the third place finisher.

Ukraine have undoubtedly been the most inconsistent side at the European Championship so far. The 3-2 loss to Netherlands was a classic case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and then the narrow 2-1 win over North Macedonia once again showed moments of real class combined with glimpses of self-harm. Head coach Andrei Shevchenko will just be pleased his team still have their fate in their own hands. A draw will see them progress in 2nd place due to a superior goals scored record over Austria. Andriy Yarmolenko has proved key for the Ukrainians so far with his direct involvement in 4 of their 6 goals at European Championships including scoring in both of their games in this tournament so far. Attacker Roman Yaremchuk has also been key with his direct involvement in 3 of their 4 goals at this tournament including two goals scored.

Austria will be disappointed with their campaign thus far. The 3-1 win over North Macedonia in their opening game flattered them and then the 2-0 loss to Netherlands was one of the limpest displays by a team we've seen at a European Championship. Talisman Marko Arnautovic returns from suspension to lead the line but will he start? Franco Foda has been favouring other options recently but it was clear his team missed the presence of the former West Ham front man against the Netherlands. It's just 2 wins from their last 17 matches at major international tournaments but they need a win to leapfrog Ukraine here and avoid the lottery of the third place draw. Austria have lost their final group stage game at their last three major international tournaments.

All the pressure is on Austria here. Ukraine can sit back and absorb the pressure but Austria know that they are the ones that need the victory. Neither side has looked overly commanding so far but I feel Ukraine have shown the more potential to progress in this tournament. Their attacking options seem more threatening and it just feels that Austria are lacking something. Their best player in David Alaba has been playing too deep and by not getting him involved in the play they are cutting out one of their key threats. I have to back Ukraine to get the win here. I've not been impressed by Austria at all and they're far worse than they were when I saw them play a few years back and even in the qualifying phase for this tournament.

Ukraine to Win @ 3.75 with MansionBet

Total Goals Scored Over 1.5 @ 1.75 with Novibet

*Just a quick note to say that the odds on a draw for this game appear to be ridiculously low at just over Evens with most bookies. Not sure if this is a glitch in the market. Appreciate a draw would suit both teams but surely they won't literally turn up and just pass the ball around aimlessly when 4 points might still not be enough to qualify for the last 16? Hmmm.

[waynecoyne]

i will also try a bet on ukraine

schevchenko  when asked about playing for a draw said : 'you won't get very far with a mentality like that'

ukraine win 2.8/1

ukraine 2-1 15/1

ukraine 3-1 49/1

betfair exchange

[888888]

i tool Ukraine draw no bet @1.85 , even if they won't be in full attack mode of course they ll try going forward and score, when Ukraine will have the ball they are not going to stay on their half and hope (take the risk) for the game to end 0-0 , of course they ll counter attack

[peanut peanut]

2 hours ago, harry_rag said:

How's it going with the 2-1s @peanut peanut ? I'd be tempted to press with some cross match doubles while there's 4 games per day!

Hello Harry, there have been 52 bets with 3 winners for a loss of -13.5 pts. Still plenty of time to get in profit but I do not think I will be doing doubles until the group games are over.

I feel the 2-1 score line will come into it's own in the knockout stages with teams pressing more and trying to score. Fingers crossed.

[StevieDay1983]

It's at times like this when football just feels dirty, @Mickey The Brave. When was that game that the two teams needed to draw 2-2 to both go through and they did? I live in this idealistic world where every game is there to be won. It's a shame when both teams will settle for a draw and I'd love it if Ukraine shithoused it and grabbed a late winner. 

[waynecoyne]

4 minutes ago, StevieDay1983 said:

It's at times like this when football just feels dirty, @Mickey The Brave. When was that game that the two teams needed to draw 2-2 to both go through and they did? I live in this idealistic world where every game is there to be won. It's a shame when both teams will settle for a draw and I'd love it if Ukraine shithoused it and grabbed a late winner. 

germany austria was one @StevieDay1983 and more recently 2 scandinavian teams needed to draw 2-2 i think to deny italy which they did (that one was funny as the italians, the kings of cynical football were crying about it)

[harry_rag]

14 minutes ago, Mickey The Brave said:

I don’t think you should be tipping Ukraine to win at the odds you did, when you can have Ukraine on the draw-no-bet at 1.85 or something like that. Surely that’s a much better way to approach things?

Such a strident critique is a bit rich coming from the man who (correctly) flagged the likely collapse of the draw price but then failed to get on it in time! 

I get where you're coming from, obviously the draw becomes more likely in these circumstances and I think it's just part and parcel of having 4 team qualifying groups. Ever the optimist, I'm always inclined to assume the market tends to overreact to these scenarios and it may throw up value opportunities in other markets.

Risking your further disapproval, I've had 20 points on Ukraine to score 2+ goals at 3/1 with Sky Bet. 

[StevieDay1983]

9 minutes ago, Mickey The Brave said:

Surely 0-0 at a similar price is a much better bet?

Normally in sport, we have two opponents trying to achieve opposite or different things. Today we have two opponents who would be happy with the same outcome. I’m not saying that makes that result a guarantee, but surely you have to factor that outcome into your betting, and have that outcome on your side in some way?

Going against an outcome that both teams are happy with seems crazy to me. If you think that Ukraine will score twice, then I’d suggest that 2-2 and 3-3 are where the value lies.

I'm going for the win simply because backing a draw that is so likely to happen just deflates me. Yes, from a tipping point of view maybe the draw is the obvious pick but I want to optimistically back Ukraine to get the win. Too tempting at that price given how awful Austria have been. Come on, Mickey. Where's your sense of adventure?! 

[harry_rag]

6 minutes ago, Mickey The Brave said:

Going against an outcome that both teams are happy with seems crazy to me. If you think that Ukraine will score twice, then I’d suggest that 2-2 and 3-3 are where the value lies.

Generally I find there’s more money to be made by taking a contrarian stance and going against the obvious rather than betting into it. I’m not saying that will pay off today but it works for me in the long run. Maybe I’d be better leaving games like this alone but they are so few and far between it’s hard to say.

I never said that I thought Ukraine would score twice and most of the things I bet on are things I think probably won’t happen (in that I rarely bet odds on or close to evens). I just don’t think it’s a 3/1 shot today despite the circumstances. I have no view on whether the correct score odds are right or wrong, it’s a market I rarely venture into.

Out of interest, have you bet on anything in this game?

[StevieDay1983]

3 minutes ago, Mickey The Brave said:

That’s fine to take a chance on Ukraine, but surely give yourself the safety net of draw-no-bet? Like I said, when we have the same outcome suiting both teams, to go against that outcome completely is crazy.

Do you place bets on all the selections that you tip on here, or are they more predictions, rather than tips? If you aren’t betting on the match, I can understand taking the chance on predicting a Ukraine win, but for anyone who is actually going out and staking money on the match, they have to have the draw on their side in some manner.

I don’t think how well Austria have played previously is relevant, as the situation here is totally different to their previous matches and to most other football matches.

I’m not suggesting that the teams will fail to venture out of their own halves, and carve up a draw in a completely obvious manner. However, I think both teams’ sole focus will be on not losing the match, and this will lead to far less attacking impetus than any normal game of football.

 

It's a mix of tipping on bets I'm placing and predictions. Strangely, I get more daring when I'm actually betting on the games. I am also a hopeless romantic when it comes to football. It's going to be interesting to see how this game goes. As you said, it's a result of a very poorly structured competition. I've never understood the whole 24-team format. Either do 16-team or 32-team if you're going to have a group phase and then knockout. You mentioned about sweeping changes needed. What sort of changes do you mean?

[harry_rag]

16 minutes ago, Mickey The Brave said:

Actually, does anyone know which bookies offer ‘home team no bet’ and ‘away team no bet,’ as well as draw-no-bet? I could have sworn I’d seen these markets somewhere, but when I looked for them yesterday for Switzerland - Turkey, Ladbrokes seemed to have these markets for each half, but not for 90 minutes, and I couldn’t find them anywhere else.

Not sure but I'll shout if I spot any. I was thinking of double chance markets where all 3 combinations are readily available. But I'd be suspicious of getting value, e.g. it might be better to dutch the best available prices so that you get the desired push/win outcomes.

[harry_rag]

N Macedonia v Holland: 

10 points on Elmas to score at 15/2 with Uni

15 points on Malen to assist a goal at 16/5 PP

11 points on >2.5 "home" corners at 11/8, 20 points on >3.5 at 27/10 with Uni and 5 points on them getting >1 in each half at 24/5 with Hills

Should be an entertaining game with a win for Holland. I don't think NM will sit back and wait to be torn to shreds. At the prices I think it's worth a punt on them getting 4 corners with a saver on 3.

[harry_rag]

Added 15 points on Wijnaldum ro score at 4.2 on BF.

Too short at 2/1 or less with most fixed odds firms but, for me, too big at 3/1 or more.

[harry_rag]

Austria blind-sided all of us there, I didn't watch the game. Enjoyed the other one but it's always nice when you're lucky enough to fluke 5 winning bets on one game (and see your top Holland goalscorer selection score a brace)! 

[888888]

Ukrainian players absolutely didn't care or for whatever reason prior to the game decided to lose , either one of those two , because they for sure didn't try to win.

[harry_rag]

On 6/7/2021 at 6:35 PM, harry_rag said:

12 points on Ukraine to win the group at 6/1 with SPIN

I'm not being entirely seduced by the fact that they're currently 4-0 against 10 man Cyprus but it made my mind up in case the price shortens. Had already seen it tipped in print and liked the mention for it in a YouTube preview I watched earlier. Holland maybe not quite up to justifying such heavy odds on favouritism, Ukraine the pick of the others at the prices.

No joy there. Along with 3 Golden Boot index buys, that's 4 of my antepost bets down after the group stages.

[harry_rag]

On 6/13/2021 at 7:16 PM, harry_rag said:

Ukraine v Holland: 10 points on Malinovski to assist a goal at 6/1 with Lads.

Decent looking RP tip. I’ve got antepost interests in Ukraine to win the group and Wijnaldum top Dutch scorer.

Weighed in on that one at 23/2 after Holland's exit yesterday. It would appear I didn't post the stake and odds on here so I can't include it in my records for bets on here, which is a shame as it would have offset the losses to some extent!