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Group B - Croatia to check-in behind queue-jumpers Germany
- By Simon Barlow
- Published 04/28/2008
- Football Previews
- Unrated
Simon Barlow
Simon Barlow is a freelance football writer and commentator. He began broadcasting for TEAMtalk in 1997 and was part of the launch of the UK’s biggest independent football website a year later. As a Manchester United fan since childhood, he was delighted to be made that club’s TEAMtalk editor, before joining ProZone in 2002. After four years as a football statistician, he returned to broadcasting in 2006 and currently blogs on football and NFL.
View all articles by Simon Barlow
Group B (Austria, Germany, Poland, Croatia)
I really can’t get too excited about Euro 2008 betting on Group B because I don’t forecast any upsets here for the favourites Germany – or even a Croatia squad hit by injuries in their build-up.
The majority of the youthful Jurgen Klinsmann-assembled squad that took third place at the World Cup are still around for Joachim Low – the former assistant who has taken over with seamless efficiency.
Low steered a safe course through qualifying with 35 goals for and a miserly seven goals against. However, 19 of those goals scored came against San Marino and, if you take them out of their inflated record, an underlying problem emerges.
Germany do struggle to break down teams who get bodies behind the ball and that is what they can expect to face in all three first phase matches in Austria.
The opening game in Group B features the fortunate co-hosts against Slaven Bilic’s entertaining Croatia. I think Austria are the worst team at Euro 2008 and possibly the worst team to have played in the finals since Turkey in 1996.
Croatia should have no problems starting with a win in Vienna. Despite the well known loss of Eduardo, Bilic has a talented squad at his disposal. Croatia’s fighting spirit that saw them through tough qualifying matches in Israel (won 4-3), Russia (0-0) and England (won 3-2) where they showed maturity and composure to get results each time.
Their away record was impressive, the only defeat coming on a sticky pitch in Macedonia when their passing game was unable to flourish – illustrating that midfield possession is their key to success. I expect Croatia to dominate the possession stats 60-40 in the opener and take the points without much fuss.
Germany tackle neighbours Poland in Klagenfurt next and I expect a close game – as it was in Dortmund when they met two years ago. The Poles will
need their big players to show up – including Artur Boruc – to have a chance, but I expect Germany to clinch a 1-0 win somehow – possibly via a set play.
The two fancied nations meet next and, after victories in their opening matches, on paper it may suit both to keep it tight and settle for a draw. Croatia, however, are likely to want to test themselves against the tournament favourites and I expect them to play their normal game. Germany will be tested defensively in this one, but I don’t think they will lose and it could finish 1-1 or an entertaining 0-0.
Poland should regain some confidence against Austria in the group’s other match which will leave the standings like this going into the two final matches: Croatia 4pts, Germany 4, Poland 3, Austria 0.
Poland will know they probably have to beat Croatia I the last game to go through as Germany should prove too strong for a defensively sloppy Austria. This will bring them out and could potentially make this the most entertaining match of the group – maybe even the tournament. History and form favours Croatia and they could just have enough tactical awareness and grit to take the points with a narrow win.
Germany will want to win the group for national pride, even if this makes their quarter-final engagement tougher and I expect them to take Austria to the cleaners in their last game. A margin of two or three goals could be enough to take the Germans above Croatia and, judging by the way Austria have defended in their recent run of friendlies, this could be on.
Written by Simon Barlow, a professional sports writer who blogs about football betting and Premiership betting at Betfair.
I really can’t get too excited about Euro 2008 betting on Group B because I don’t forecast any upsets here for the favourites Germany – or even a Croatia squad hit by injuries in their build-up.
The majority of the youthful Jurgen Klinsmann-assembled squad that took third place at the World Cup are still around for Joachim Low – the former assistant who has taken over with seamless efficiency.
Low steered a safe course through qualifying with 35 goals for and a miserly seven goals against. However, 19 of those goals scored came against San Marino and, if you take them out of their inflated record, an underlying problem emerges.
Germany do struggle to break down teams who get bodies behind the ball and that is what they can expect to face in all three first phase matches in Austria.
The opening game in Group B features the fortunate co-hosts against Slaven Bilic’s entertaining Croatia. I think Austria are the worst team at Euro 2008 and possibly the worst team to have played in the finals since Turkey in 1996.
Croatia should have no problems starting with a win in Vienna. Despite the well known loss of Eduardo, Bilic has a talented squad at his disposal. Croatia’s fighting spirit that saw them through tough qualifying matches in Israel (won 4-3), Russia (0-0) and England (won 3-2) where they showed maturity and composure to get results each time.
Their away record was impressive, the only defeat coming on a sticky pitch in Macedonia when their passing game was unable to flourish – illustrating that midfield possession is their key to success. I expect Croatia to dominate the possession stats 60-40 in the opener and take the points without much fuss.
Germany tackle neighbours Poland in Klagenfurt next and I expect a close game – as it was in Dortmund when they met two years ago. The Poles will
The two fancied nations meet next and, after victories in their opening matches, on paper it may suit both to keep it tight and settle for a draw. Croatia, however, are likely to want to test themselves against the tournament favourites and I expect them to play their normal game. Germany will be tested defensively in this one, but I don’t think they will lose and it could finish 1-1 or an entertaining 0-0.
Poland should regain some confidence against Austria in the group’s other match which will leave the standings like this going into the two final matches: Croatia 4pts, Germany 4, Poland 3, Austria 0.
Poland will know they probably have to beat Croatia I the last game to go through as Germany should prove too strong for a defensively sloppy Austria. This will bring them out and could potentially make this the most entertaining match of the group – maybe even the tournament. History and form favours Croatia and they could just have enough tactical awareness and grit to take the points with a narrow win.
Germany will want to win the group for national pride, even if this makes their quarter-final engagement tougher and I expect them to take Austria to the cleaners in their last game. A margin of two or three goals could be enough to take the Germans above Croatia and, judging by the way Austria have defended in their recent run of friendlies, this could be on.
Written by Simon Barlow, a professional sports writer who blogs about football betting and Premiership betting at Betfair.