Five things we learnt from Euro 2024 this weekend: Swiss Side on the Charge

There were five games for our viewing pleasure this weekend, each bringing with it its own unique dynamics we should consider when considering wagers for the rest of the tournament.

Both Switzerland and Germany confirmed their places in the round of 16, with our expert picking out the Swiss, as well as a few other notable trends, from this weekend's round of games.

Under’s are prudent

Despite every single side having bagged at least one goal during the Euros, masses of goals haven’t exactly proven to be the norm.

Four of the five games saw less than 2.5 goals, with teams failing to find the net as we enter the crunch time for the group stage.

Be this because of the occasion so perhaps lesser sides are emboldened to defend more staunchly, hoping to hold onto a game, or that VAR intervention has ruled off a tonne of goals to this point.

The reasons are legion, but all we know is that a mass of goals are not to be expected.

Overs on Offside

Offside betting is something that has come into the landscape recently, and with the inclusion of VAR in football, offside numbers have been steadily rising of late.

Many things are now checked in the match, not just goals, all of which can potentially be written off by VAR.

Belgium have now had three goals disallowed, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Linesmen's mistakes will always be corrected by VAR, with this in turn, serving to drive up the offsides, with this market being one to keep an eye on betting wise going forward.

Bundles of Bookings

One of the more shocking trends we saw over the weekend has been battles being fought out on the pitch, often resulting in a slew of bookings for slides.

Four of the five games at the weekend saw four or more cards, with the clash between Georgia and Czechia seeing a massive eight bookings.

In most matches, this would've been enough to cover over 3.5 cards, which decent odds can usually be found at just below evens, making a great addition to accumulators or bet builders.

This trend is unlikely to halt either as we head into the round of 16 where there again could be some mismatched meetings, forcing the underdogs to have to foul their way to victory.

Swiss Striking an Outsiders Chance

The Swiss have been one of the revelations of the tournament by playing some truly fantastic football at times, with their most recent match seeing them earn a hard-fought draw with Germany.

This has earned them a place in the round of 16, where they could have an easy ride of it. Germany, Spain and Portugal, three of the top five favourite, already have been confirmed to be on the other side of the draw.

This only serves to increase the Swiss’ chances of going far into the tournament, and at a 50/1 shot shoud provide tonnes of value to bettors.

Greece and Denmark shocked Europe when they took the trophy back in 2004 and 1992 respectively, and the Swiss don't have the worst chances of doing the same this time around.

Fullkrug Killing it

Niclas Fullkrug has been a massive impact player for Germany at the tournament, scoring two off the bench for his nation, racking up just 73 minutes' worth of game time in the process.

This makes him a great option to win the Golden Boot at 14/1, as he currently leads the top scorer race, based on his minute-to-goal ratio.

If he keeps this up there is every chance he earns his place in the starting XI and with this should only come the chance for more goals.

Fullkrug has been nothing if not impressive and is currently one of the best-priced players in the betting to secure this accolade.