Wales 2020 UEFA Euro Betting
The first trip to the European Championships couldn’t have gone better for Wales. The Dragons made it to the semifinals of Euro 2016, delighting the tiny nation that is mostly known for its rugby success when it comes to international sports. It will be extremely difficult for the Welsh to match that success in their second appearance, but this team has the talent to make some noise in the knockout rounds.
Wales Squad Profile
UEFA Euro Odds: +15500
Coach: Ryan Giggs
FIFA Ranking: 18
Best Finish: Semifinals (2016)
Group: A ( Turkey, Italy and Switzerland )
How They Got Here
Wales finished runner-up in one of the most difficult qualifying groups for this tournament. Croatia managed to win Group E with a 5-2-1 record, and Wales was three points behind with a mark of 4-2-2. Slovakia and Hungary were just behind the Welsh, and they ended up qualifying through the playoff so that four of the five teams from this group ended up in EURO 2020. Wales went 3-1-0 at home and 1-1-2 on the road.
Team Preview
Ryan Giggs is a legend for both Manchester United and Wales. He took over as the manager in January 2018, and he will lead the Dragons into this competition. Giggs hasn’t been on the sidelines for a while due to legal trouble, but that isn’t expected to stop him from coaching Wales this summer.
The star of this team is Gareth Bale. His 33 goals are already the most in Welsh national team history, and he is closing in on 100 caps too. Bale had a goal in each of Wales’ three Group Stage games in Euro 2016, and he has always risen to the occasion for his country. Fitness might be an issue though as he hasn’t played much the last two seasons for Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.
Aaron Ramsey was the hero of qualifying. He notched a brace against Hungary to send Wales through without the need for a playoff. Ramsey has 16 goals for the Dragons in his career with the national team, and he is still talked about warmly among Arsenal fans although he is now with Juventus in Serie A. He and Bale are the most proven players on this team by a mile.
There are some talented youngsters though. Manchester United midfielder Daniel James is 23 years old and could have a big breakthrough at this summer’s European Championships. Former Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu can have a big impact too, although he has yet to score a goal for Wales.
Ben Davies and Chris Gunter are the mainstays in the back line. Gunter has the most caps in Welsh history despite being just 31 years old, while Davies has been one of the better defenders in the Premier League for some time now. Liverpool product Neco Williams could make an impact too although he just turned 20.
Wales Schedule
GROUP STAGE
Saturday June 12
Wales vs. Switzerland (Baku; 9 a.m. ET, 3 p.m.)
Wednesday June 16
Turkey vs. Wales (Baku; noon ET, 6 p.m.)
Sunday June 20
Italy vs. Wales (Rome; noon ET, 6 p.m.)
Wales’s History at the European Championships
Wales has only been to the World Cup once (1958) and made its first Euros in 2016. Not much was expected of the tiny nation, but they secured a fortuitous draw in the knockout rounds after victories over Slovakia and Russia in the Group Stage. Although they failed to beat rival England after an extra time goal from Daniel Sturridge, they still managed to win Group B in order to move into the easier side of the bracket.
That proved to be huge for their Euro hopes. While powerhouses Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and England were all in the bottom of the bracket, Wales were in the top half of the bracket where their toughest competition was Belgium and Portugal.
In the Round of 16, Wales took on a familiar foe. The Welsh faced Northern Ireland and won 1-0 thanks to a late own goal. They were huge underdogs to Belgium in the quarterfinals, but they pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament with a 3-1 win. The Dragons overcame an early 1-0 deficit with goals from Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu, and Sam Vokes.
That set up a date with Portugal in the semifinals. After a scoreless first half, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani scored shortly after the break to give the Portuguese a 2-0 win. Despite the defeat, it was a delightful debut for the Dragons.
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