The 2024 UEFA Euros kick off on June 14th and, of the six groups, Group B may be the “Group of Death” that tests teams early on. With three teams ranked in FIFA’s Top 10 men’s rankings with Spain, Croatia, and Italy, it’s entirely possible one of the teams doesn’t make it to the knockout stages. We break down the 2024 Euros Group B along with giving you our predictions and best bets to make for the group stage.
2024 Euros Group B
Team Overviews
Spain
Few teams looked as good in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying as Spain. In eight games, they won seven games and outscored their opponents by 20. Although some of Spain’s defenders are on the older side, this team has plenty of young talent and has played well in recent tournaments. In the semifinals of the 2020 Euros, Spain lost to the eventual champions Italy in penalties. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Spain fell to Morocco (who would go on to the semifinals) in the Round of 16 in penalties.
While Spain has only two players who have scored 10 or more goals for their national team, they still have plenty of star power. The big question is whether or not their young players such as Ferran Torres and Pedri can do enough to get Spain over the hump again. They have been inconsistent at times and inconsistency in this group would spell trouble.
Major USA Sports Team Comparison: New York Yankees
Croatia
For Croatia, this year is likely their version of the Chicago Bulls’ “Last Dance.” Led by 38-year-old Luka Modrić and 35-year-old Ivan Perišić, Croatia has always risen to the occasion in past tournaments. For a team that is much less talented than others on paper, their second and third-place finishes in the last two World Cups and two knockout-round appearances in the last two Euros show just how good they are at getting results.
For years, Croatia has appeared to be the team that is just short on talent to make a true run. With that being said, they have knocked off Brazil and England in years past and could very easily make a run again this year. Luka Modrić is a sensational talent at midfield and this tournament will likely be his final competition for Croatia. Every game with him will be a must-watch. The only question becomes whether or not this team has enough magic to finally get the job done.
Major USA Sports Team Comparison: Milwaukee Brewers
Italy
Out of all four teams in this group, Italy has the best combination of experience and youth. Players like Nicolò Barella, Federico Chiesa and Jorginho all have over 45 appearances for Italy and were part of the Italian team that won the 2020 Euros. This team has been very successful in past tournaments as well, as they were also runners-up in the 2012 and 2000 Euros, as well as winners of the 2006 World Cup.
The question for this Italian team is if they can refocus. Although they won the 2020 Euros, they needed either penalties or extra time to win three of their four knockout games and have failed to qualify for the past two World Cups. Do the Italians have enough magic left to be the second team ever to repeat as Euros champions, or will they wilt to the pressure like in World Cup qualifying?
Major USA Sports Team Comparison: Boston Celtics
Albania
There is no debate that the most unlucky team in the draw for the 2024 Euros was Albania. The Albanians shocked Europe when they not only qualified for the Euros, but qualified by winning a qualifying group that included the Czech Republic and Poland. While they did draw three of their eight games, they did allow just four goals. Their defense held up just fine, but they hardly played the best there is in Europe.
In this group, Albania has been thrown straight into the fire. Albania doesn’t have one player that has scored more than seven goals in international competitions and only one has more than five. On top of that, Albania has never qualified for the World Cup and only qualified for the Euros once in 2016 where they scored just one goal in the group stage. This team will need to hold teams scoreless and hope a goal or two a game is enough to secure them results needed to qualify for the knockout rounds.
Major USA Sports Team Comparison: Chicago White Sox
RELATED: UEFA European Championship 2024: The Sporting Event of the Summer
Group B Predictions
This group feels like a group that is guaranteed to have three teams qualify. With Albania likely struggling to draw with Spain, Italy and Croatia, it seems likely these teams have at least three points. All those three need in the other two games is one point and it’s extremely likely they’ll qualify for the knockout rounds.
While Italy and Spain are the more talented teams, Croatia is built to at least rescue a draw with both them, if not pull of a minor upset. We expect Croatia to take the top spot in this group while Italy and Spain fight for the second and third spots. Spain has the better team on paper, so we’ll give them the edge to finish second in this group.
2024 UEFA Euros Schedule – Group B
Here is the 2024 UEFA Euros schedule for Group B matches.
Saturday, Jun. 15
12:00 PM ET: Spain vs. Croatia
3:00 PM ET: Italy vs Albania
Wednesday, Jun. 19
9:00 AM ET: Croatia vs Albania
Thursday, Jun. 20
3:00 PM ET: Spain vs Italy
Monday, Jun. 24
3:00 PM ET: Croatia vs Italy
3:00 PM ET: Albania vs Spain
Group B Best Bets
Albania Lowest Scoring Team: +450
Croatia Group Winner: +450
Croatia and Spain Top 2 in Any Order: +275
