Group E at Euro 2024 might not have the star power of some of the other pairings but there’s a few intriguing storylines building. Belgium’s “golden generation” will be under pressure once again and there’s already been some tension in the squad, while Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia will be looking to create some chaos. Here’s a look at how Group E is setting up and our prediction for how things will play out. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Belgium (-225 to win group, -2000 to qualify for knockout round)
Belgium has gone through some heartbreak when it comes to this particular group, and some things might’ve needed to be changed heading into Euro 2024. However, shaking up the goalkeeper sitaution and leaving superstar Thibaut Courtois out of the squad might not be the best way to create a stir. Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Yannick Carrasco and Thomas Meunier bring plenty of experience but also carry some of the burden of past failures of this generation. It’ll be up to some younger guys like Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku to provide that additional boost for Belgium to finally make its mark at the Euros.
Ukraine (+400 to win group, -250 to qualify for knockout round)
Ukraine coming into Euro 2024 on the backdrop of conflict off the pitch will garner a lot of deserved support from neutral fans, and this team will be looking to channel that energy into a spot in the knockout round. Andriy Yarmolenko leads a unit with plenty of experience, supported by Roman Yaremchuk, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ruslan Malinovskyi. Ukraine made it to the quarterfinal round in the summer of 2021 and will hoping to achieve similar success in this competition.
Romania (+700 to win group, -160 to qualify for knockout round)
Although Romania did make the group stage at Euro 2016, this is not a typical spot for the country to be in when it comes to international soccer competitions. That also means an inexperienced squad, but one that doesn’t carry major expectations. Nicolae Stanciu, George Puscas and Razvan Marin have the most caps on this team and will be tasked with leading the squad in what could be a somewhat manageable group. Belgium have plenty of pressure, Ukraine carry some expectations as well and Slovakia are in a similar position as Romania. If there’s ever an opportunity to really shake things up and rejuvenate the soccer program in a country, this is it.
Slovakia (+950 to win group, -140 to qualify for knockout round)
The big difference between Slovakia and Romania is simply experience, which is why I think this team has a better chance of advancing despite the odds suggesting it will finish last in the group. Martin Dubravka, Milan Skriniar, Ondrej Duda and Juraj Kucka bring plenty of experience to this squad at key positions, while Patrik Hrosovsky and Stanislav Lobotka will have big roles as well. Slovakia have been to the last two Euros, securing a knockout spot in 2016 but bowing out in the group stage in 2021. Perhaps this squad will return to the round of 16 and find a way to go beyond that stage.