Group B Euro 2024: Schedule, Predictions and Preview
Euro 2024 is about to kick off, and we’re all just hyped about what’s coming in the group stage. No group lacks fierce rivals. The same goes for Group B, which features Italy, Croatia, Spain, and Albania.
The current Euro champions, Italy, missed one major competition before this one. It’s almost unbelievable that they had some trouble qualifying for this tournament, too. Nevertheless, we all know that Italy is one of the most unpredictable teams in tournaments such as this one. So, once again, we expect a lot from them.
Croatia, the ex. vice-champions of the World, also have an amazing squad. Although Spain had a generational change in their team, their spirit and players are great. Albania may not be the strongest team, but they did surprise many fans and experts. Knowing all this, our Group B Euro 2024 analysis presents the most interesting details regarding this group and all the games in it.
Group B Schedule and Favourite
The first match in Group B will confront Spain and Croatia. No team here takes anything for granted. As this is the ultimate truth, we cannot wait to see the Spaniards and Croats on the pitch.
The same day, right after the first game in this group, Italy and Albania will have a clash. Albania may surprise us, as Italy almost never starts off by going full steam ahead.
| Date | Matchup | Match Start |
| 15 June 2024 | Spain vs Croatia | 18:00 |
| 15 June 2024 | Italy vs Albania | 21:00 |
| 19 June 2024 | Croatia vs Albania | 15:00 |
| 20 June 2024 | Spain vs Italy | 21:00 |
| 24 June 2024 | Albania vs Spain | 21:00 |
| 24 June 2024 | Croatia vs Italy | 21:00 |
Group B Teams and Analysis
There are so many favourites in Group B Euro 2024. As mentioned, we have the current champions, Italy. Then, there’s Croatia, the second-best team in the world in the last World Cup tournament.
The Spanish team may have been down for a while, but this is a new opportunity for them to rise and shine. Albania, on the other hand, will probably try to show why they qualified and maybe even turn over a new leaf in their national football team.
Italy
The Italians won this consent just three years ago. The competition should have been held four years ago but was postponed. Nevertheless, people whose expertise revolves around this sport and tournaments like this know full well how mercurial Italy can be.
They can drop the ball in one contest, but right after that, the Italians can have a blast and beat all their rivals. This may be the case here, as the Azzurri had four wins but also four ties and four defeats in the qualifying stage.
All this led Italy to have 14 points and a 16:9 goal difference. Ukraine had the same number of points and threatened to overthrow Italy. Luckily for the Italians, the Ukrainians scored fewer goals than them and ended up one spot below them.
Croatia
It’s been almost a decade since Croatia started playing amazing matches. The Blazers had an astonishing performance in the World Cup 2018. Before that, they gathered some great players and coaches and tried their best to create a team for this.
However, in the Euro tournament held three years ago, the Checkers did not get past the Round of 16. It was Spain that eliminated them. So now, they have a chance for a rematch.
If anyone thought that Croatia had a lucky streak at the World Championship that took place six years ago, they were wrong. This is because the Blazers took third place in the latest World tournament.
In the qualifiers, the Croats had a bit of lower form. Still, our Euro 2024 Group B predictions believe that this will have little to do with their future performance.
Spain
Los Rojos went all the way to the semi-finals in the previous tournament. They stumbled upon Italy and lost on penalties. This group actually features opponents who have had some tough games in the past and are now probably seeking rematches.
As far as other performances of the Spaniards go, we have the Round of 16 in the latest World Championship. Los Rojos couldn’t get past Morocco, as they also lost on penalties.
Getting back on the right track, Spain won all their encounters in the qualifiers but one. Although their qualifying group didn’t feature very strong teams, these great results may serve as great motivation for this national team.
Albania
Albania’s international tournament history is not long. In fact, the Red and Blacks played two to three times at the Euro and World Championship. While they achieved no significant results, their latest games in the qualifiers look promising.
The group they were part of may not have had the toughest of rivals, but it nevertheless included teams like the Czech Republic. The Albanians managed to surpass all their rivals and rank first. Even though they had the same number of points as the Czechs, the Red and Blacks conceded two goals less than them.
Group B Predictions and Odds
The team that hasn’t won any of the major contests recently, Spain, is the actual favourite to win this group. The odds for Los Rojos to rank first in Group B stand at 1.80. Behind them, we have Italy, with winning odds lying at 3.25. Check our experts’ Euro 2024 Group B Preview and Predictions for more insights.
Croatia’s odds of ranking at the very top are somewhat higher and are at 5.50. Finally, Albania’s chances of winning the group are low and come with the highest odds of 23.00. In our opinion, the games would be full of skilful moments, and we’ll see many tough matches.
