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Euro 2020 Group D Odds: Switzerland Listed as Favorite Over Denmark

Gary Gowers

by Gary Gowers in Soccer News

Updated Apr 7, 2020 · 10:32 AM PDT

Xherdan Shaqiri
Xherdan Shaqiri leads a strong Swiss squad. Photo by Эдгар Брещанов (Wikimedia Commons) [CC License].
  • Group D of Euro 2020 qualifying kicks off on March 23rd
  • Denmark and Switzerland head the betting at -105 and +130 respectively
  • The Republic of Ireland is expected to crash the party

Group D of Euro 2020 qualifying throws together two of the world’s top 10, making it likely to be one of the closest groups of the lot.

Switzerland and Denmark will both fancy their chances of qualifying but will be pushed all the way by the Republic of Ireland.

Euro 2020 Qualifying Group D Winner Odds

Team Odds
Switzerland -105
Denmark +130
Republic of Ireland +550
Georgia +25000
Gibraltar +50000

*Odds taken on 03/20/19

While Georgia and Gibraltar will be highly unlikely to feature in the qualification shake-up – odds of +25000 and +50000 respectively telling the story – everything points to this one being a three-way battle for the top two places.

An Irish Revival Imminent?

The Republic of Ireland, while having recently slipped to 34 in the FIFA World Rankings after failing to qualify for last summer’s World Cup, remain dangerous opponents, and at +550 are worthy of consideration.

Under new manager Mick McCarthy – now in his second spell as the Republic’s manager – the Irish will look to recreate the spirit and togetherness that saw them regularly qualify for major championships, which includes the last two Euros.

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Home Wins Alone Not Enough

The Aviva Stadium in Dublin has always been a fairly happy hunting ground for the Boys in Green, but if they are to get among the group’s two favorites they will need to pick up some wins away from home – specifically in either Bern or Copenhagen. Good home form alone will not be enough to get them into the top two.

If the Boys in Green are to get among the group’s two favorites, they will need to pick up some wins away from home.

They will also need to get over the psychological impact of a damaging World Cup playoff tie against the Danes, when a 0-0 draw in Copenhagen was followed a few days later with a resounding 5-1 victory for the Vikings. On a night when the Irish actually took an early lead, the visitors – inspired by a Christian Eriksen hattrick – cruised through to the finals in what was an embarrassing night for the Irish.

Penalty Heartbreak for the Danes

Denmark went on to more than justify their place in Russia 2018 and qualified from their group with draws against France and Australia and a win over Peru. Their journey ended in the round-of-16 when they lost on penalties to the eventual finalists, Croatia.

For the Swiss – now up to eighth in the FIFA World Rankings as a result of that last-16 place at the World Cup – it will be a case of tapping into the form that has seen them qualify for almost every major championship since 2006; the Euros of 2012 being the only tournament they missed.

The Golden Swiss

While it’s a phrase that’s been used mainly when discussing recent England and Belgium squads, the “Golden Generation” could equally apply to this current Switzerland squad, with English Premier League stars like Xherdan Shaqiri and Grant Xhaka at the core of their team.

When looking at head-to-heads between these three sides, it’s the Irish who come out on top with most wins – with Denmark narrowly edging out the Swiss for second – but it’s the 16 draws between that are most significant.

Goals Hard to Come By

Historically, this trio have been well matched and that continues to this day, with the Irish’s greater odds reflective of their recent struggles in front of goal. Goals for the Irish have been hard to come by.

As a result, we do see this three-way battle edging the way of the Swiss and the Danes, but with Denmark’s extra creativity, in the form of Eriksen, seeing them top the group and offering the value.

Pick: Denmark (+130)

Our Euro 2020 Qualifying Coverage:

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