Euro 2024 betting review: Late goals help Three Lions battle back from the brink

England kicked off Euro 2024 as 7-2 favourites to lift the trophy but they are outsiders for Sunday's final against Spain in Berlin.

La Roja had been 8-1 in the ante-post betting, behind England, 4-1 France, 11-2 hosts Germany and 15-2 shots Portugal.

However, Spain have won all six of their matches at the Euros, five of them inside 90 minutes, and they beat Germany in the quarter-finals and France in the semis, while England's progress to the final has been less smooth.

The Three Lions hit 34 in Betfair's outright market just before Jude Bellingham's stunning 95th-minute equaliser against Slovakia in the last 16 and they are 5-4 to prevail in the final.

Group stage

Germany delighted the home fans with a 5-1 rout of ten-man Scotland in the opening game of the tournament but the 2-5 Group A favourites needed an injury-time equaliser against Switzerland on matchday three to top the section.

Spain made light work of a tough-looking Group B, beating Croatia, Italy and Albania to nil and becoming the only team to take maximum points in the group stage.

Bellingham's 13th-minute header against Serbia gave England the perfect start to their Group C campaign but they were pushed out to 5-1 after a disappointing display in a 1-1 draw with Denmark on matchday two.

England's final group game, a goalless stalemate with Slovenia, hardly set pulses racing although surprise results elsewhere saw the draw open up for the Three Lions, who were cut to 7-2 trophy favourites before the round of 16.  

France and Belgium flopped as 4-7 and 8-15 favourites for Groups D and E, meaning they ended up in the opposite half of the draw to England.

Les Bleus drew 1-1 with Poland in their final group game so Austria, who had been 8-1 to win Group D, topped the table thanks to a thrilling 3-2 victory against the Netherlands.

Belgium's campaign began with a 1-0 defeat to 6-1 shots Slovakia, who were 45 places below them in the Fifa rankings.

All four teams in Group E finished on four points and Romania's opening 3-0 win over Ukraine proved to be the decisive result in the section.

The 13-2 shots took top spot while Ukraine were eliminated despite beating Slovakia and drawing with Belgium in their last two games.

Portugal, 4-9 favourites for Group F, needed a late winner to see off the Czech Republic in their opening match before a comfortable 3-0 victory against Turkey.

Those results allowed Roberto Martinez to make eight changes for the matchday-three clash with 7-1 outsiders Georgia, whose shock 2-0 win over Portugal took the tournament debutants into the last 16.  

Round of 16 and quarter-finals

England went into the knockout stages as 7-2 favourites ahead of Spain, whose perfect group-stage effort and favourable last-16 draw against Georgia meant they were trimmed to 9-2 for Euros glory.

The Netherlands, who finished third in Group D, were rated the main dangers in England's half of the draw at 12-1 while Austria, 80-1 in the ante-post betting, were cut to 16-1 after the group stage.

The Dutch eased past Romania 3-0 but Austria lost 2-1 to Turkey and Euro 2020 champions Italy suffered a 2-0 defeat to Switzerland.

Spain beat Georgia 4-1 and Germany edged past Denmark 2-0 to set up a heavyweight quarter-final clash while Jan Vertonghen's late own goal gave France an underwhelming 1-0 win over Belgium.

England had been just 1-6 to qualify from their last-16 tie against 9-2 shots Slovakia. However, Ivan Schranz gave the underdogs a 25th-minute lead which lasted until the fifth minute of injury-time, when Bellingham rescued England with a brilliant overhead kick.

Gareth Southgate's men had been matched at 34 on Betfair to win the tournament as they teetered on the brink of a last-16 exit but Harry Kane's header in the first minute of extra-time saw them through to the quarter-finals.

Portugal, just 2-5 to beat Slovenia in 90 minutes, progressed on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes and their quarter-final against France also ended in stalemate.

This time, Portugal lost the shootout so France reached the semis despite scoring only three times – one penalty and two opposition own goals – in five matches.

Spain's clash with Germany was a tale of two late goals. Florian Wirtz equalised for Germany in the 89th minute to take the tie to extra-time before Mikel Merino's 119th-minute header eliminated the hosts.

England again needed to come from behind in their quarter-final against Switzerland as Bukayo Saka's 80th-minute strike cancelled out Breel Embolo's opener.

The Swiss, 29-20 to qualify, took the game to a shootout but England dispatched all five of their spot-kicks to set up a semi-final against the Netherlands, who beat Turkey 2-1 in the last quarter-final.

Semi-finals

Semi-finalists England and France had dominated the pre-tournament betting but Spain were 2-1 favourites for the trophy before their clash with Les Bleus.

France ended their goal drought through Randal Kolo Muani's ninth-minute header but Spain hit back to lead after 25 minutes with a stunning strike from teenager Lamine Yamal and a fine effort from Dani Olmo.

Yamal, who turns 17 a day before the final, is 9-5 to be named Player of the Tournament, having been 80-1 before a ball was kicked.

The second semi followed a similar pattern as the Netherlands took an early lead through Xavi Simons and England swiftly equalised with a VAR-assisted Harry Kane penalty.

The Three Lions had to wait a lot longer than Spain for their winning goal but substitute Ollie Watkins fired them ahead in the 90th minute to secure a second straight European Championship final appearance.

They face a tough test against La Roja, who are 8-11 to lift the trophy, and pessimistic England fans can get 15-2 with bet365 about Spain winning on penalties. 

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