In this article, we take a look at the forces at work in Group B at Euro 2024 and try to come up with some predictions.

Who will qualify from Group B at Euro 2024 ?

SPAIN

- **To Win the Group:** 1.77*

- **To Win Euro 2024:** 9.00*

Spain are favorites to win what looks to be the most hotly contested group at Euro 2024. At the time of the draw, Group B contained the sixth, seventh, and eighth highest-ranked European teams in the FIFA rankings, with the Spanish at the front of that queue.

Aside from a loss to Scotland in Glasgow, Spain had a perfect run through qualifying and won eight consecutive matches between June and November last year. The run of victories ended in March, with a 1-0 loss to Colombia and a 3-3 draw with Brazil.

However, Luis de la Fuente’s side were 2-0 up in the latter until a mistake from goalkeeper Unai Simón and led 3-2 until the 96th minute. They would likely not be so careless in a competitive fixture.

Compared to their strongest teams from the past, this is not a classic Spain side. Manchester City’s Rodri holds everything together in midfield, but Barcelona’s Gavi will be missed after suffering a bad injury. None of their players scored more than four goals in qualifying, so, can the likes of Joselu and Álvaro Morata be relied on to score against much stiffer opposition?

Spain won this competition in 2008 and 2012 – collecting the World Cup in-between – and only lost the semifinal on penalties at Euro 2020. That defeat came to Italy, but the Spanish have won two Nations League meetings since.

ITALY

- **To Win the Group:** 3.50*

- **To Win Euro 2024:** 17.00*

The defending champions Italy appear unlikely to retain their crown. They wouldn’t have been expected to win Euro 2020, though. It seems to be the Italians’ style to win tournaments when doing so looked unlikely at the outset.

Even so, they failed to qualify for the last two World Cups and their qualifying performance for these finals was only the 18th-best across the continent, which landed them a spot in Pot 4 for the draw. Italy finished behind England, who are very strong at present, in the qualifying group but they drew away from home to North Macedonia and Ukraine, with their only win on the road coming against Malta.

Better results were forthcoming in the March friendlies, though wins over Ecuador and Venezuela may not be much preparation for far stronger teams such as Croatia and Spain.

Without the watertight backline of so many of their predecessors – with only one clean sheet against a team other than Malta in qualifying – the current crop of Italians may need to score their way out of trouble. And with the line being led by Mateo Retegui, who has single-digit goals for mid-table Serie A outfit Genoa, from where are the goals going to come?

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CROATIA

- **To Win the Group:** 5.22*

- **To Win Euro 2024:** 41.00*

If you put your faith in FIFA rankings, Croatia are the eighth-best team in Europe yet only third strongest in this group.

Like Italy, the Croatians reached Germany by virtue of being group runners-up. In their case, they finished behind Turkey, with the countries trading away wins in the head-to-head. Much of the rest of the journey was uninspiring, with only one point from matches with Wales and then a pair of 1-0 victories against Armenia, who are currently ranked 95th in the world.

But then Croatia has always done better at the World Cup for some reason. They have one final and two semifinals in that competition when a pair of quarterfinals have been their peak at the European Championships.

After over 170 games for his nation, 38-year-old captain Luka Modrić continues to be hugely important to Croatia. He will be ably supported by the Manchester City pair of Joško Gvardiol and Mateo Kovačić, while Andrej Kramarić was their top scorer in qualifying Group D, with four goals.

The Croatians might have even been favorites to win their group in Germany with a more favorable draw, but this section is going to be tough for them to negotiate.

ALBANIA

- **To Win the Group:** 26.02*

- **To Win Euro 2024:** 501.00*

If Group B looks a fairly tall order for Croatia, spare a thought for Albania. They are appearing at the European Championships for just the second time, having finished third in their group at Euro 2016.

But whereas they were qualifying group runners-up eight years ago, this time around they topped their section, losing just once and only conceding four goals in eight matches. The goals they conceded were split perfectly too – none at home, one in all four away games.

To come from Pot 3 in the qualification draw to top a group ahead of Poland and Czech Republic is a serious achievement for Albania. They were brought back down to earth in their March friendlies, though, suffering a 3-0 loss to Chile and a 1-0 defeat to a Sweden side who failed to qualify for Euro 2024.

Manager Sylvinho, the former Barcelona and Arsenal defender, will hope Armando Broja can get more playing time and some form with Fulham after missing the entire qualification process through injury. In his absence, Jasir Asani and Nedim Bajrami each scored three times and will likely need to deliver again.

PREDICTION

This is the toughest group to call, beyond it being close to certain that Albania will finish bottom of the pile.

There could easily be several draws. The last three meetings of Croatia and Italy all ended 1-1 (albeit they haven’t clashed since 2015) while Spain drew with both sides in 90 minutes at Euro 2020, and again with the Croatians in the Nations League since then.

As the Spanish have been the strongest in the last year or so, they should take the group, with Italy second. But almost anything could happen here.

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*Odds subject to change