The Euro 2016 has been in full flow for the past 15 days. The premier football tournament for European countries in being held in France this year. 24 nations are a part of this mega event.
The group stages have been completed a few days back and the Round of 16 has started today. The next few days promise exciting football by star players across the world. Half an earth away, their peers are playing the Copa America.
Starting from the Round of 16, every match must find a winner. The loser needs to take the flight home.
The stakes are very high. The teams which reached the Round of 16 have earned a cool 1.5 Million Euros. Upping the ante, the teams playing the quarter final and semi final will earn 2.5 Million and 4 Million Euros respectively. The champions will earn a significant 8 Million Euros, while the runner ups will pocket a substantial 5 Million Euros.
The prize money apart, individual brilliance will be appreciated. A new star will find his way into a big club like Manchester United or Real Madrid. An established player will further cement his place, in the hearts of fans and minds of coaches. The times are exciting.
Which team will make its way to the crown? This would be the question on top of everyone's mind across the pubs, offices and homes in Europe, and fans across the world. Brexit might take a back seat for few hours every day for the next fortnight.
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| Euro 2016 Knockouts |
Given the form book and the big match temperament, my picks are as below.
| Match | Possible Winner |
| Switzerland Vs Poland | Switzerland |
| Croatia Vs Portugal | Portugal |
| Hungary Vs Belgium | Belgium |
| Wales Vs Northern Ireland | Wales |
| Germany Vs Slovakia | Germany |
| Italy Vs Spain | Spain |
| France Vs Republic of Ireland | France |
| England Vs Ireland | England |
The matches Spain and Italy promise to be humdingers. Big game chokers Portugal will take on Croatia, and the team will bank on Ronaldo to pull them through. Gareth Bale is in tremendous form and should take Wales through (just two days after Wales voted the UK out of the EU).
In all, the bottom half of the knockout draw is very strong.
My choice for the Quarter Finals is as below
| Match | Possible Winner |
| Switzerland Vs Portugal | Portugal |
| Belgium Vs Wales | Wales |
| Germany Vs Spain | Germany |
| France Vs England | France |
Once Portugal get through the Round of 16, they enter into uncharted territory. They should win their Quarter Final and setup a semi final clash with Wales. Germany should beat Spain, in a battle royale between the World Cup Winners of 2010 and 2014. France should beat England, with the home advantage helping them. England would also be distracted by the Brexit vote.
If things go as per my prediction ( a very very long shot to start with ), the semi final line up will be as below.
| Match | Possible Winner |
| Portugal Vs Wales | Wales |
| Germany Vs France | Germany |
The first semi final will be a battle between the individual brilliance of Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Both are stars in their own right, playing for the same club - Real Madrid. Picking up the winner here would be very tight. My choice is Wales.
The second semi final will be a dream match between the European powerhouses - Germany and France. Germany are a better placed team and should win this match.
| Match | Possible Winner |
| Wales Vs Germany | ?? |
Germany and Wales should play the final.
Germany have tremendous experience as far as playing in D Day matches in concerned. On the other hand, Wales have never qualified for the World Cup Finals since 1958, where they finished 6th.
However, I would not put my head up and predict the winner in the final. Let the best team win.
P.S. As I finish this blog, the first half of the Switzerland Vs Poland Round of 16 Match has been completed. Poland lead Switzerland 1-0, and my predictions might fail from day one altogether !!
Euro 2016 Knockout Fixtures
Reviewed by Vyankatesh
on
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by Vyankatesh
on
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Rating:
In all important semi final France Vs Belgium it is very hard to predict both teams played extra ordinary throughout the Fifa World cup 2018 Russia. France has edge because it has more experience of big matches and Tournaments. France performance in Fifa remained very consistent. On the other hand Belgium is playing attacking game and there momentum and moral’s are so high after beating Brazil.
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