Gareth Southgate and his team faced hostility in Cologne, but England’s odds of winning Euro 2024 have improved. Despite a disappointing performance, bookmakers have cut the odds for England, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. This shift came as a result of the tournament’s structure, which has favored some teams over others.
The knockout bracket has been pre-determined, leading to an unbalanced distribution of teams. France’s failure to win their group has placed them alongside Spain, Germany, Portugal, and Denmark in the top half of the bracket. In contrast, Belgium finds itself in the same challenging section after finishing second in their group.
The article highlights the potential paths for teams in the tournament. The bottom quarter of the bracket features Switzerland, Italy, England, and Slovakia, all of whom won only one game in the group stage. Despite their lackluster performance, one of these teams is likely to reach the semi-finals, where they could face Austria, Belgium, or the Netherlands.
England’s manager, Southgate, remains cautious about the team’s prospects, emphasizing the need for improvement in each round. While England has avoided facing powerhouse teams like Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal in the knockout stage, Southgate acknowledges the quality of teams on their side of the draw.
The article draws parallels to previous tournaments, such as the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2016, where the knockout brackets showed similar imbalances. The structure of international football competitions does not follow a free draw format, leading to predetermined matchups based on group standings.
Despite the unpredictability of knockout football, the article suggests that underperforming teams like England, Switzerland, and Italy could benefit from the current bracket arrangement. While the tournament’s structure may raise questions about fairness and parity, it also adds an element of intrigue and excitement to the competition.
In conclusion, the Euro 2024 draw has had a significant impact on the likely finalists, with some teams benefitting from a more favorable path to the later stages of the tournament. As the competition progresses, fans and pundits will be watching closely to see which team can capitalize on their advantageous position in the knockout bracket.