As with all German teams, there’s a certain level of expectation for them to rise to and they usually manage it. They’re perennial latter stage competitors and they know how to get the job done in major tournaments. The 2014 World Cup winners will be hoping to end Spain’s grip on the trophy and are third favourites at 9/2.
Germany’s form heading into Euro 2016 is patchy to say the least. They’ve suffered numerous defeats, notably against Republic of Ireland in the qualifiers and more recently Slovakia in a friendly. The German squad has been depleted, with Mats Hummels unavailable until the knockout stages and no Antonio Rüdiger either. Philipp Lahm’s retirement after the World Cup, alongside Miroslav Klose’s has led to gaps in the German team that need filling. Mario Gomez has been recalled, while Thomas Müller is a prolific tournament goalscorer. He’s the favourite to win the Golden Boot at 7/1, but hasn’t scored in 5 games in the Euros. The Germans have never lost their opening game at the Euros and are unlikely to do so again, priced at 10/17 to beat Ukraine. If Gomez isn’t selected upfront, expect Mario Götze to play in a false-nine position and he’s backed at 41/20 to score anytime.
Ukraine qualified via a 3-1 aggregate victory over Slovenia in the play offs. They’re in a tough group, however a third place finish is good enough to see them qualify for the knockout stage. A game against Northern Ireland is to come and you’d expect them to qualify at odds of 1/2. Dynamo Kiev’s Andriy Yarmolenko is their key player. He scored 6 goals in qualifying and is coveted by many of Europe’s big clubs. He’s 17/2 to score first and 33/10 to score anytime. Oleksandr Zinchenko is one to watch for the future. He broke Andriy Shevchenko’s record as Ukraine’s youngest scorer. He’s reportedly caught the eye of Pep Guardiola, and although he might not start for Ukraine, he could be someone to come off the bench.
Match Prediction
History tells us that Germany have never lost to Ukraine in their five meetings. Their five meetings though, have produced just 11 goals, meaning that this might not be a high scoring affair. Both sides will be easing their way into the tournament, and with the format the way that it is, a loss for either side is not the end of the world. It wouldn’t be surprising for this game to end as a draw, with odds of 3/1 on this happening. Expect both sides to score though and 1-1 is priced at 27/4.
