It turns out the 2024/25 season has more endings than The Lord of the Rings, with the EFL playoffs, the Champions League final, and the UEFA Nations League all acting as the end-point of the football season.
However, the action carries on into the summer. The Club World Cup is just around the corner, as is the latest Under-21 European Championships.
After England won the last tournament in 2023, they head to Slovakia to defend their crown. However, there are some talented European rivals who pose a real threat to the Young Lions.
Euro U21 winner odds
- Spain U21 – 4/1
- Germany U21 – 4/1
- England U21 – 9/2
- France U21 – 9/2
- Netherlands U21 – 7/1
Germany to win at 4/1
Germany under-21s struggled at the last tournament, picking up only one point in three games before exiting at the group stage. They have raced back since, winning eight games out of 10 in qualifying to book a place in Slovakia.
Germany have impressed since booking their place at the tournament, beating fellow finalists Denmark 3-0 in November before drawing 2-2 away to France. They beat the tournament hosts to start the new year, while they thumped Spain 3-1 in a real statement of intent.
The impact of the Club World Cup has hurt many top sides here, including England. They’ll be without key Man City and Chelsea stars, but Germany haven’t been as impacted by clubs refusing to release players.
The German defence is based around Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, two sides who had fantastic Bundesliga seasons. Goalkeeper Noah Atubolu played 26 times for a Freiburg side that finished fifth, while teammate Max Rosenfelder plays ahead of him in defence.
Nathaniel Brown and Bright Arrey-Mbi also feature in a defence which has plenty of experience, while Brighton’s Brajan Gruda could be a breakout player at this tournament.
They have plenty of quality in midfield, while we’ll touch on forward Nick Woltemade later when it comes to golden boot contenders.
The Gemans’ struggles in 2023 ended a run of three consecutive appearances in the final of this tournament, winning in 2017 and 2021. They will be desperate to return to those levels this summer, so I’m backing this talented German side to go the distance.
Italy to win each-way at 8/1
Italy’s senior side have endured a tough few years, but there’s a lot to like about the side they’re sending to Slovakia. While they’re pushed out to 8/1 thanks to meeting the Spanish in the group stage, they could trouble la Roja.
For starters, this side qualified for the tournament after conceding only four times in their 10 qualifiers. This is also a group with tremendous experience at youth level, with their under-19s making the semis at the Euros in 2022 and 2024, either side of being crowned champions in 2023.
Brentford loanee Michael Kayode scored the winner in the 2023 final, and he’s part of a talented Italian group heading to the tournament. Manager Carmine Nunziata led Italy to the final of the under-20 World Cup in 2023, so this is a group that used to deep tournament runs.
This Italian side is also an older group in under-21 terms, with all but four players aged 21 or above. Brentford’s Kayode is among them, while their youngest player, Niccolo Pisilli, made 28 Serie A appearances for Roma last term.
With both their players and manager packing plenty of tournament experience, this Italy side can make another run this summer.
Nick Woltemade to be top scorer at 7/1
Germany striker Woltemade enjoyed an impressive debut season at Stuttgart, including scoring as they lifted the DFB Pokal in May. The forward scored 17 times across all competitions for them, including five goals in five games in that cup run.
The forward has scored 12 times at youth level for Germany, while he appeared in both games at the recent Nations League finals in Germany. The striker struck an impressive hat-trick against Spain for the under-21s in March, which bodes well for this tournament.
The 2023 edition saw three players share the top scorer award with three goals. Given the impression Woltemade was able to make against one of the biggest nations in European football, he should shine for a German side that can go far this summer.
One outsider to watch is Mathias Kvistgaarden, although there are currently no odds on the Brondby forward at the time of writing. He is playing for a Denmark side who have a kind group, so the Danes should be able to make an impression in Slovakia.
Kvistgaarden has seven goals for Denmark’s under-21s, but it’s his recent scoring jump that stands out. He went from eight goals in 24 games in 23/24 to 17 in 29 this term. That leap, combined with the chance to make an impression in this group, means Kvistgaarden should be a big-priced contender.
Build better bets with our free betting tips, predictions and accumulators, every day.
More betting news:
80/1 Club World Cup group stage predictions
View All Today’s Football Tips
Betting Academy: See our complete guide to football betting
To take full advantage of our Free Football Tips we recommend you take a look at our Free Bets page, where you can compare all the best free bets and special offers from the country’s top bookmakers.
The post Euro U21 Outright Predictions with 4/1, 7/1 & 8/1 tips! appeared first on Free Football Tips.
