Euro 2008 Group D Betting Preview

Group D is possibly the most competitive of the four groups of the first round stage of Euro 2008. Spain, Greece, Sweden and Russia will all square up against each other in pursuit of a top two finish which would see the successful sides' progress into the knockout stages of the competition.

Spain are the clear favorites with the bookmakers to win Group D given their star studded squad of talented players and impressive record in major tournaments of making it past the group stage. Players such as Fernando Torres, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Ramos should have more than enough to see that Spain beat their group opponents to qualify for the Quarter Finals but the big test will come during the knock out stage when they have been known to buckle under pressure in recent years. However, the squad looks as good as any this time around and Spain can be expected to make a bold bid for Euro 2008 glory.

It will be a tough call to determine which of the three remaining teams will finish runner-up to Spain with all three very evenly matched. Sweden has the more experienced players of the three, having performed well in recent major tournaments, however, Greece upset all the odds during Euro 2004 when they defied odds of 100/1 to win the competition and will no doubt have the belief that a repeat performance is on the cards.

Russia were the first ever European Champions back in 1960 and under the guidance of experienced coach Guus Hiddink they will also believe that they can progress in to the later stages of the competition. Zenit St Petersburg recently won the Uefa Cup to illustrate just how much improvement Russian football has made in recent years and it would be no surprise to see the national team make their presence felt in Austria and Switzerland.

Overall, aside of Spain looking the likely group winners, Group D is wide open as to which one of the three remaining sides will join Spain to play the winner of Group C in the Quarter Finals. Sweden will be buoyed by the news that striker Henrik Larsson is coming out of international retirement to play in the Championships and for that reason they are the marginal selection to finish second.

Euro 2008 Group D Betting Odds is sure popular amongst football fans in the build up and during the tournament, Euro 2008 Free Bets are also very popular and it is recommended that anyone planning to bet on the tournament should familiarize themselves with the many offers available around the different internet betting sites.

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