Final Week of Euro Championships
Portugal vs. Spain. Germany vs. Italy. These are the final hurdles that need to be overcome before the final match of the Euro 2012 Championships. These four nations have played their hearts out and are now within reaching distance of a title, and they’ll put it all on the line yet again, preparing for the big game on July 1.
Germany is the only squad to have dominated the opposition thus far. They were the only nation to win all three group stage matches, including a 1-0 win over Portugal, and crushed Greece 4-2 in their quarter-final match.
The Germans have won the Euros more times than any other country and are currently on a 15-game winning streak. Their Thursday match against Italy looks one-sided if you consider only the stats thus far, but if you believe that history plays a role, but they’ve never beat Italy in seven encounters at this tournament.
Some might call that a curse.
Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo believes that the Germans are scared of the Italians, because of that storied history. He believes that history will repeat itself once again in 2012, which is why his squad can go into Thursday’s match with such confidence. They’ve played well in the tournament, despite many off-field distractions, but they’ll have to beat Germany if they want to be remembered after this tournament for anything other than being the squad that broke history.
The Euro Cup futures don’t recognize curses, though. The Germans, who entered as the pre-tournament favorite, are -130 favorites to win the game, with Italy’s odds set at +400. The draw pays +250.
Before that game, however, Spain and Portugal will renew hostilities on the pitch on Wednesday. These two last met in 2010 when Portugal rocked Spain 4-0 in a friendly. Earlier that year, Spain took the 1-0 victory on their way to winning their first World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the hero of the day for Portugal against the Czechs in their quarter-final, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 victory that was more lopsided than the score suggests. They’re in for a much tougher match though now. Spanish midfielder Xavi has said that they’re tailoring their game plan specifically around stopping Ronaldo.
Like Germany, Spain was also a favorite to win the tournament when things began. In their semifinal against Portugal, they are the -120 favorites against Portugal’s +350. The draw odds are set at +250.
There final matches of the tournament are upon us. It’s your last chance to get in on Bovada’s 2012 Euro Cup betting odds, as well as our live betting props, so continue to follow Bovada as we crown the champion!
