Anything has to be better than the 2019 Champions League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. As long as Chelsea or Manchester City can get over the first two-minute hump without conceding a penalty, it probably will be. Then again, it should be anyway, considering it’s a final full of international superstars and lots and lots of money.

On May 29, Chelsea will meet Manchester City in the final of the UEFA Champions League after finishing Real Madrid off at Stamford Bridge in the semi-finals earlier this month. Luckily, Chelsea-turned-Real Madrid player Eden Hazard didn’t seem too crushed by his team’s ejection from the competition. Meanwhile, poor Mauricio Pochettino saw further Champions League heartbreak — you can take the guy out of Spurs, but you can’t take the Spurs out of the guy — after Pep Guardiola’s side beat PSG 4-1 on aggregate.

So, how should you prepare for this match between the two English teams later this month, aside from setting the Champions League anthem as your alarm clock? Here are a few ideas.

Place your bets

The 2021 Champions League final is going to bring bettors around the world out of the woodwork. As was the case in the earlier stages of the competition, such as betting on which teams will qualify for the knockout stages, punters can participate in Champions League betting by placing bets on Chelsea beating Manchester City or vice versa. Individuals can also bet on a draw. Considering Chelsea beat Manchester City in their Premier League match on May 8 and City are likely to unleash stars like Kevin De Bruyne in the final, it’s never been more important to study the betting odds before making a decision.

Make your own bingo game

Betting on the final through an online casino or sportsbook is one way to prepare for the game, but why not have some more fun with your friends and family? For instance, everyone loves a game night and a final, so why combine the two? We recommend creating your own bingo card. If you’re struggling to come up with actions to mark off, here are a few to get you started:

• 1. Timo Werner misses an absolute sitter
• 2. Phil Foden scores without actually looking at the ball 
• 3. Raheem Sterling dives in the box
• 4. Mason Mount scores from outside the 18-yard box

Familiarize yourself with the memes

Having good banter in football is essential, and preparation is key. Ahead of the final, it’s best to plan out your jokes. Think of it as real-time marketing. Maybe you don’t know the context yet, but you could at the very least have the structure down. For instance, there are some popular Pep Guardiola and Frank Lampard memes that you could edit to match the final. A top contender has to be the video of Guardiola and Sergio Agüero arguing, as well as all the Lampard memes that are on the Internet.

The last time two English teams met in the Champions League final in recent years, there was a Moussa Sissoko handball within the first five minutes and a very sad Lucas Moura. What will this year bring? Only a few more weeks to go to find out!

The Euro 2020 kicks off in June and already, there’s a lot of excitement for one of the most competitive football tournaments. The tournament offers a mix of teams from some of the biggest footballing nations to minnows with big dreams of causing an upset. From favourites such as England, France and Belgium to outsiders such as Slovakia and North Macedonia, this mix is what makes the Euros interesting.

For football fans and betting enthusiasts, predicting Euro 2020 is a big challenge but here’s an invaluable tip. When betting on major sporting tournaments, it is important to make sure you look for any relevant betting offers first, we have seen it before, for example we have had Royal Ascot betting offers showcased by bookies which really helped maximise winnings.

So, who is the bookie’s favourite and who should you consider?  Here are some ideas to guide you when betting on the Euros this year.

How the Euro team line-up looks

The EURO team line is as follows; Group A (Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland), Group B (Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia) Group C (Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia), Group D (England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic), Group E (Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia) and Group F (Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany).

The surprise package of UEFA Euro 2020 is of course North Macedonia which only became an independent member of FIFA and UEFA in 1994. Other interesting appearances are by Finland which features in a major football tournament after a 114-year wait.

Scotland with a rich footballing heritage hasn’t featured in a major tournament since the 1998 FIFA World Cup and will feature in Group D alongside the Czech Republic, Croatia, and ‘rivals’ England. Turkey surprised pundits with an indomitable qualifying campaign to finish second in Group H behind France. Hungary also makes an appearance after a last-minute comeback against Iceland.

Tracking the moving lines for Euro 2020

Every major football tournament comes with palpable excitement in the betting world. For the Euro 2020, it has been a long wait and this has seen the odds fluctuate along the way. Before the qualifying, France was the bookie’s favourite.

With their victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League, Portugal’s odds of winning the Euros improved significantly. Towards the close of the qualifying matches, France was still the favourite with average odds of +377.

Things changed with the groups taking shape as Germany and France appeared in Group F in what looked like a group of death. The odds of both football powerhouses lengthened but with the postponement of the tournament, it wasn’t easy to tell what would change. The arrival of Scotland, Slovakia, Hungary and North Macedonia after the qualifying playoffs and the announcement of a definite date for the Euro has now made it easier to track the odds.

Current Euro 2021 odds & favourites

If you’re a betting fan, this is the best time to analyse the odds and make your money moves. If you’re keen about betting on the Euros 2020, you have to consider the favourites by looking at different bookies and the state of the teams.

England

England seems to have revived its position as a top Euro 2020 contender. Bookies make England joint-favourites to finally claim a major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. England and France are joint-favourites to win Euro 2020 while Belgium is third favourites. Why such great odds for England?

A quick look at England’s group where they play against Croatia, Scotland, and Czech Republic gives some hope to Gareth Southgate’s team that they can go far. What’s more, the semi-finals and finals are at “home” in Wembley which motivates the Three Lions to go further than the Euros 96.

Of course you have to consider the impact of influential players such as Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Kieran Trippier, Luke Shaw, and others.

 France

There’s no doubt France despite being in a tough group is a favourite considering its pedigree in major football titles. Add to this the fact that Les Bleus boasts some of the most talented football players in the world with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba.

Belgium

If Belgium wins the Euro 2020, this will be their first major trophy in history and their performance in the 2018 World Cup hints at their capability. The Red Devils boasts one of the most talented squads in the world with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku. This might just be the chance for the golden generation to finally shine.

Dark Horses? 

Other teams to consider include Portugal (9/1) which has made impressive progress over the last few years with the Euro Championships win being a milestone. Germany and Spain also have high odds at 7/1 and 8/1 respectively while Italy (11/1), Netherlands (10/1), Croatia (33/1), and Denmark (66/1) are also mentioned as probable dark horses in Euro 2020.  

There’s a wide variety of markets for the Euro 2020 from the outright winner, top-four finish, to qualify past the group stage, top scorer, player of the tournament, correct scores, most yellow cards and many others. This is the biggest football tournament in 2021 and it promises a lot of action. Go ahead and have fun with the best betting offers from reputable bookies.

One of the main goals for former Ipswich Town manager, Paul Lambert, last season was to mount a promotion challenge. Things looked on course with 16 points from the Blue’s opening six games. However, the wheels came off the challenge and Lambert and his assistant Stuart Taylor left by mutual consent with Paul Cook taking over in February.

Well, it was too late for Cook to make an impact and the Tractor Boys finished three positions off the play-off positions in the 2020–21 season. Now, it will be interesting to see what the bookmakers predict their chances will be next season. For the best odds, it may be worth looking at newer bookies. This has worked in the past, for example, there were Royal Ascot’s new betting sites that offered better odds than the traditional bookmakers.

So, what are the chances of the Blue’s promotion to the Championship? There’s an air of excitement on Portman Road with ongoing changes both in the boardroom and on the field. Assessing these changes can help you gauge the chances of Ipswich Town’s promotion. Here you go.

Marcus Evans cedes majority ownership

For a long time, fans have craved for new blood in the team’s ownership to boost any chances of promotion to the top tier football. This has finally come after an American consortium bought out Marcus Evans after his 14 years reign.

The group, Gamechanger 20, has experience in the sports world with ownership in US side Phoenix Rising FC. The changes bring Michael O’Leary as club chairman with Brett Johnson, Berke Bakay and Mark Detmer, and Ed Schwartz on the board.

With the financial constraints experienced by the football clubs over the last one year, this change in ownership brings in much-needed capital and a fresh desire to propel the Blues to higher heights.

Upcoming changes in the team

This is a busy time for Paul Cook as he seeks to rebuild a team that can mount a promotion challenge. To understand the chances of the Tractor Boys going back to the championship, look at the expected changes in the team.

After making almost 700 appearances between them, Luke Chambers and Cole Skuse are finally leaving Portman Road. Freddie Sears is also part of the headline exits. Other exits include Emyr Huws, James Wilson, Tristan Nydam, Alan Judge and Stephen Ward.

Players extending their stay include Kayden Jackson, Toto Nsiala, Janoi Donacien, Aaron Drinan, Idris El Mizouni, and Teddy Bishop, although most of those have been told they can look for new clubs. Among the summer list of targets for Cook is former loanee Callum Connolly.

Strong team leadership 

First-team coach Gary Roberts has already hinted at a lot of hard work expected at Portman Road this summer. Roberts says that the revival of the team’s fortunes lies in more goals which has happened with defeats over Swindon and Fleetwood.  

The partnership between the manager Paul Cook and Roberts is an interesting one as they have previously worked together at Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan. Back then, Roberts was a player for Cook and their partnership is expected to bring good tidings.

There were glimpses of a fitter team in the last games by Ipswich Town and Fleetwood boss Simon Grayson was quick to note the ruthlessness displayed by the Tractor Boys.

Things looking up

Things are finally looking up for Ipswich Town with support coming from all quarters. For instance, Ed Sheeran, the renowned musician and a boyhood Ipswich fan has inked a one-year deal to sponsor the shirts of the men’s and women’s first-teams. This coupled with injection of new cash, new players and a motivated manager boosts the Blue’s chances of promotion.

The postponed Euro 2020 starts on 11 June and after a strange season where the majority of games have been played without any fans, most of the Euro matches will have at least a section of supporters in the ground.

If you are not fortunate enough to be able to get your hands on the very limited numbers of tickets for any of England’s games, you can do the next best thing by cheering the Three Lions on from a fan park instead.

With lockdown restrictions easing in the UK, several venues are planning on showing matches on large screens, offering before and after-match entertainment, drinks, food, and the fun of getting together with friends for the footy that we have all missed so much.

A lot of bookmakers have England as favourites to win the Euros and with players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Mason Mount and many other English players in great recent form, this is a very good chance for England to finally lift a trophy after waiting so long.

This year the final takes place at Wembley, so if England were to join the World Cup heroes of 1966 as trophy winners, celebrations across England will be wild. And after the miserable time we’ve all endured throughout lockdown restrictions, if you want to get out and enjoy the football and support your team,  a fan park is the place to be.

What are fan parks like?

If you have never visited a fan park before, you can expect to have a great time, especially if your idea of fun involves lots of football, a great atmosphere and plenty of alcoholic beverages (or soft drinks!). Of course, the weather cannot be guaranteed but in June and July, there is a good chance we will have some warmer, drier weather but after a few drinks, a bit of rain probably won’t concern you too much!

The concept of a fan park is a bit like the famous tailgating experiences at sports events in the US, where fans meet up before the event to eat, drink and have fun with fellow fans. Tailgating has been growing in popularity and the 2021 Super Bowl even had musical performances from Miley Cyrus and guests such as Billy Idol.

The Super Bowl tailgate concert made history as the first live music event of 2021 in the US to host large volumes of spectators, with the audience being made up of vaccinated health workers. UK fan parks are based around the same idea; large groups of sports fans getting together to enjoy themselves with the added bonuses of music, food and drinks.

Where can I visit a fan park in England?

A few venues have already advertised events, including:

Manchester, EventCity

Manchester might be a fair distance from Suffolk but with travel restrictions having been lifted, you can make a weekend of it with your mates and head up north to the homeland of Oasis, in a city where they know how to party.

Social distancing measures will be in place until at least June 21 when the government restrictions are expected to be removed, if all goes well with the roadmap. At the Manchester fan parks, special guests include former England players Paul Merson, David May and Danny Mills, with a DJ set to get the crowd going.

London, Oval Space, Bethnal Green

While the England team line up at Wembley, London-based fans without tickets can head over to Bethnal Green to soak in the atmosphere at the fan park. This venue will also be recreating a real-life match atmosphere, with lots of music, drinks flowing and guest appearances from some football legends.

You can expect a real carnival atmosphere, especially after we have waited so long to go out and have fun. With some exciting young England stars coming through like Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, this could be the year that they actually go all the way, so imagine what the party will be like at a fan park!

London, Trafalgar Square

A fan park with a capacity of 12,500 will be set up in Trafalgar Square, with no charge for tickets. All three of England’s group matches will played on a big screen, including the much-anticipated England vs Scotland game.

Trafalgar Square hosted a similar event for Euro 2016 and with food and drinks outlets available throughout the games, it could be the perfect place to cheer the boys on. Watching the games in the heart of England’s capital is likely to be an experience you will never forget, so book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

There are loads of other smaller venues hosting Euro screening parties, but a fan park is the ultimate place to watch the Euros for anyone who has really missed that football crowd atmosphere. Sing along to the Baddiel and Skinner song, proudly wear the St George’s flag painted upon your face and enjoy watching what will hopefully be some excellent football matches this summer.

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