4/1 FRANCE
With two late wins and an underwhelming goalless draw against Switzerland last Sunday, France finished top of Group A. However, Didier Deschamps has provoked new doubts about his ability to lead this side to glory.
France simply haven’t clicked on the field. There have been glimpses of the team’s potential and enough evidence of the individual prowess in a hugely talented squad, but the pieces of the puzzle haven’t come together as expected. This is worrying for Deschamps who has tinkered with his side, 
made some bold decisions and still hasn’t been able to achieve the desired results. Now, heading into the knockout rounds, the coach has no room for errors.
They have only been in second gear so far. More is needed and expected from the players, but also from the manager.
One player who has been superb for Les Bleus is Dimitri Payet. The playmaker has had a season to cherish. He was one of the best players in the Premier League for Slaven Bilic’s West Ham United and has brought his club form to the international level at the Euros this year.
Payet will be looking to build on his impressive performances in the tournament, while the likes of Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann will need to be at their best.
Despite my concerns with France, they are yet to lose a match this year with six wins from seven games and are now favourites for the title with odds of 4/1.
France have so many brilliant players capable of creating an instant difference. They can lean upon home advantage and the emotional energy of so many late goals, too, but the wonder remains whether that can all add up to a title-winning team.
5/1 SPAIN
Spain finished second in Group D following their surprising 2-1 defeat to Croatia on Tuesday. Despite what the result or table says, Spain did not deserve to lose that game and luck was on Croatia’s side. Captain Sergio Ramos missed a penalty, while Manchester United’s David de Gea was beaten by his near post.
Spain have dropped from 33/10 favourites to odds of 5/1. Vicente del Bosque’s side have enough quality to bounce back strongly. Let’s not forget the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where they lost their opening game to Switzerland and went on to lift the trophy.
Spain still could make history by becoming the first team to win the tournament three times in a row. Although they might have raised a few concerns, their dominant 3-0 win over Turkey (the first game where a team scored three goals) is sure to be a reminder of Spain’s past successes.
With the likes of De Gea, Ramos, Andres Iniesta and Alvaro Morata, they are covered in every position. They’ll now face a well-organised Italy side who are a tough nut to crack. However, the last time they met the Italians in this tournament, they won 4-0 in the 2012 final.
With three goals to his name, Morata has really stood out in this tournament as a striker who actually strikes. That, combined with their cohesion and Iniesta’s brilliance, could well mean Spain retain this trophy again.
18/1 ITALY
Italy, who are considered dark horses rather than one of the favourites to win the tournament, secured the top spot in Group E with a game to spare, having beaten Belgium 2-0 and Sweden 1-0. Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle both scored against the Red Devils, while Eder tallied the lone goal against Sweden.
The Azzurri arrived at Euro 2016 with one of their least-fancied sides at a major tournament, maybe ever. But they have showed a steely resolve in the back, opportunistic attacking nous and have deservedly won their group. Their 1-0 win over Sweden last Friday was less convincing than their 2-0 win over Belgium in their opener, but it nonetheless featured the unifying theme of the Italian run so far: Antonio Conte’s masterful hand.
Italy have the strongest defence at Euro 2016 with Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli all playing together at Juventus, who recently won Serie A for a fifth successive season. They also have Gianluigi Buffon behind them in goal.
Due to their 3-5-2 formation, Italy have so many players in the attacking third. They work the ball to the wings and whip crosses into the box, looking to take advantage of outnumbering their opponents defence. The likes of Eder and Pelle are proven goal scorers who have both found the net in the tournament.
The Italians remain unbeaten in 12 competitive games under Conte with nine wins. They’re well worth a punt to win the tournament at 18/1.
50/1 SWITZERLAND
Switzerland don’t have the quality to match the likes of Spain, France, Belgium or even Italy, however, they are a hardworking team with unyielding optimism.
Although they have only won once, 1-0 against lowly Albania in their second match, the Swiss are yet to taste defeat and have kept two clean sheets in the tournament.
Switzerland qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in their history and they have the quality to progress to the latter stages of Euro 2016.
The Swiss have some talented players; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri. But whether they can lead their nation to Euro 2016 glory might prove too difficult.
However, after Leicester City defied 5000/1 odds of winning the Premier League title, Switzerland should not be underestimated.
Chadley Nagel
