One of the more intriguing qualifying groups for Euro 2020 will be Group B. Defending champions Portugal headline the group and they are heavily favored to be the No. 1 team out of qualifying. There are two major challengers for the second qualifying spot, Ukraine and Serbia. Serbia made it to the World Cup last year, while Ukraine missed out, so the Eagles are favored. We will see a lot play out on Friday and Monday though if either team manages to get a result.
Don't miss this UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying match from Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal at 3:45 p.m. ET on Monday, March 25, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
Euro 2020 QualifyingSoccer Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Portugal -163
Serbia +450
Draw +280
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
Portugal start Euro 2020 Qualifying by taking on the two most dangerous teams in their group in Ukraine and Serbia. The Portuguese host Ukraine on Friday and Serbia on Monday, with both games in Lisbon.
The Portuguese have played well since an uninspiring showing at the World Cup. They did not look impressive against either Morocco or Iran, and they were bounced in the Round of 16 by Uruguay. Since then, Portugal have drawn with World Cup runner-up Croatia and scored wins over Italy, Poland, and Scotland to make the Nations League Final this summer.
Serbia are looking to qualify for the European Championship for the first time. They have made it to the World Cup twice and got to Russia last year, but they lost a heartbreaker to Switzerland and were slammed by Brazil to finish third in their group.
Since that defeat, the country has given us mostly good results, but they haven’t played the best opponents. In the Nations League, they were drawn into a group with Lithuania, Romania, and Montenegro, and ended up with four wins and two draws to get promoted. That isn’t the most difficult of groups, but a 1-1 draw with Germany on Wednesday has them optimistic about their chances of a result here.
Serbia Player to Watch
Luka Jovic got the start for Serbia up top instead of Aleksandar Mitrovic against Germany on Wednesday, and it will be interesting to see whether he gets the start again. Jovic has made just four appearances for the Serbian National Team, but he is the most exciting young player on the team. He has been tearing up the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt with 15 goals and five assists on the season, and he has been linked to a number of big clubs. He could create some magic.
Portugal Player to Watch
Cristiano Ronaldo could score 100 goals for Portugal by the time he finally hangs up his cleats. Ronaldo has only slowed down a little bit at the age of 34, and he has 85 goals in 154 games with the Portuguese national team. The long-time captain has not played for Portugal since their bitter World Cup defeat, and that has given the others a chance to get some seasoning. It will be interesting to see whether or not that affects chemistry.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
I think that Serbia have a better chance of grabbing a result than most experts think. They will have a little more rest than their opponents, and they defended well against Germany earlier in the week. Jovic and Mitrovic are both solid scoring options, and that could lead to a goal or two that throws a wrench into Portugal’s plans. Serbia on the goal line is my favorite play in this one.
Euro 2020 Qualifying Odds: Portugal 1, Serbia 1
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