Euro 2024 Predictions: The Panel's Best Bets & Tips For Monday's Group B Games

Monday's Group B Predictions

• The Panel Tip 1: Croatia & Italy To Draw - 23/10 With BetMGM
• The Panel Tip 2: Both Teams To Score In Albania Vs Spain - 19/20 With Unibet

The final round of Group B games take place on Monday night with Italy, Croatia and Albania all bidding to join Spain in the knockout stage.

Defending European champions Italy just need to avoid defeat against Croatia to seal the runners-up spot and book a last-16 encounter with Switzerland.

Realistically, the Croats must win to ensure they reach the knockout phase for a fifth successive time at a major tournament as a draw may not be enough to secure one of the four spots available for the best third-placed teams.

Zlatko Dalic’s ageing side lost 3-0 to Spain in their opener and were leading 2-1 against Albania when Klaus Gjasula struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn his side a point in a thrilling contest in Hamburg.

That goal means the Albanians can still advance if they beat a Spanish team that have already qualified as group winners without conceding a goal and are 5/1 fourth favourites with football betting sites to win the tournament for a fourth time.

A draw would send Albania home if Croatia beat Italy, so the minnows will have one eye on what’s going on in Leipzig.

Gambling.com’s experts on The Panel have picked one tip from each match for what should be a thrilling evening.

Croatia Vs Italy Tips, Monday, 8:00pm (BBC1)

Croatia start the game as 9/4 favourites with betting apps to pick up three points, but this team look a shadow of the side that reached the 2018 World Cup final and the last four in 2022.

That said, Italy have hardly set the tournament alight and conceded the fastest goal in European Championship history in their 2-1 win comeback against Albania.

Luciano Spalletti’s men were second best in a 1-0 defeat by Spain, who had eight shots on target compared with Italy’s one, although it took Riccardo Calafiori’s unfortunate second-half own goal to settle the issue.

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Tonight’s match at the Red Bull Arena looks absolutely tailor-made for Italy to park the proverbial bus against a team with the fourth oldest squad at Euro 2024.

Croatia have never beaten Italy in a competitive match and the last three meetings all ended in 1-1 draws at Euro 2012 and in a couple of qualifiers for the tournament four years later.

Betting sites have priced up a fourth successive 1-1 draw at 5/1, but The Panel aren’t being greedy with their selection for this match.

Spalletti is unlikely to instruct his players to go gung-ho in search of a winner, so we’ll go with a share of the spoils at 23/10 with BetMGM as our Croatia vs Italy tip.

The Panel Tip 1: Croatia Vs Italy To Draw - 23/10 With BetMGM

Albania Vs Spain, Monday, 8pm (BBC2)

Albania will be going all out for the win, roared on by their fanatical fans in Dusseldorf, and given what’s at stake they really have nothing to lose. 

The Panel believe they will make it challenging for Spain, having scored against both Italy and Croatia already in this tournament, two teams known for their defensive solidity.

Spain have yet to concede a goal, but with Rodri out and potential further rotation from head coach Luis de la Fuente, Albania could well ruin Spain's perfect defensive record in the group stage.

Albania need a victory to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stage, so they will press for a late goal unless they are already winning.

But rather like on Sunday night in the Germany vs Switzerland game, if Albania are ahead, Spain will not want to suffer an embarrassing defeat, even if the match holds no real significance for them. 

Therefore, The Panel can see both sides getting on the scoresheet here at 19/20 with UniBet as our prediction for Monday's clash.

The Panel Tip 2: Both Teams To Score - 19/20 With Unibet