Regardless of what happens in the rest of the tournament, this is the final. These are the best two sides left in the competition. The winner of this game is likely to come up against France in the semi-final, however the side that wins this quarter final will assert themselves as favourites for the rest of Euro 2016. Currently Germany are priced as favourites at 11/4, whilst odds of 13/2 on Italy don’t reflect their ability or efficiency.
Germany’s status as tournament favourites was reinforced after their 3-0 win against Slovakia in the round of 16. The performance was the best out of any side in Euro 2016 so far and it’ll take a special team to beat them. Their lack of striking options was pointed out in the build up to the tournament, but Mario Gomez’ cameo performances have made him a contender for the Golden Boot. He’s priced at 43/20 to score any time, and his aerial battle with the Italian defenders will be something to watch in the game. Thomas Muller’s form is a concern though, although he’s favourite to score first at 17/4, he’s still never scored in a European Championship match. However, the big players step up in big games, and there aren’t many bigger than this one. Germany’s other strength in this tournament is the defence and they’re yet to concede a single goal. The partnership between Jerome Boateng, who scored a fantastic volley against Slovakia, and Mats Hummels has been resolute so far, whilst Manuel Neuer has shown why he’s the best goalkeeper in the world. Odds of a German clean sheet are good value at 6/5.
Italy were excellent in their round of 16 tie against Spain, where they knocked out the defending champions. They easily suffocated Spain, however Germany will prove to be tougher competition. They’ve never lost to the Germans in a major competition, with four victories and four draws in their eight meetings. Graziano Pelle is another candidate for the Golden Boot when the tournament reaches its conclusion. He’s already found the back of the net twice so far, and is priced at 14/5 to score against Germany. Gianluigi Buffon was the hero of their victory over Spain. He produced a world class save from Gerard Pique late in the game, and he’s backed at 39/20 to keep a clean sheet.
Match Prediction
If there’s any match in the tournament that’s likely to go to extra time (apart from one involving Portugal), it’s this one. Both sides have excellent defences and are both able to strangle their opponents and keep clean sheets. Both teams also have world class goalkeepers, meaning that even the defence is penetrated, there’s still a big obstacle to get past. As for a scoreline, a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes is priced at 9/2.
