England 7/5 to beat Germany and be crowned champions!
Stuart Pearce's team clearly don't like to win games the easy way. They were in absolute cruise control against Sweden in Friday's semi-final, leading 3-0 at the interval and looking for all the world as though they would complete the most routine of victories. In the end, the tie was decided on spot-kicks after the hosts pegged them back to a 3-3 draw in normal time, although the Young Lions are in the final and are a best price 7/5 (Stan James) to beat Germany on Monday.
Considering they have scored twice as many goals (8) as their opponents (4) en route to the final, many will think this is a price worth taking, especially if they can replicate their first-half performance against the Swedes over a longer period of time. For those that had their fingers burnt by backing England to win their semi-final match in normal time, they are available at 3/4 (bet365) on the Draw No Bet market. Even so, I'm expecting them to keep things much tighter in defence, especially as stand-in keeper Joe Lewis will need to be afforded as much protection as possible. It's a 21/10 chance (William Hill) that England win to nil.
Germany will be wary of the attacking threat posed by their opposition, even if Gabby Agbonlahor and Fraizer Campbell are both suspended for the final. Particular attention will be given to Theo Walcott (15/2 Boylesports) and James Milner (9/1 totesport), although the latter's prowess could instead come from free-kick and corner ball deliveries. Two of England's three goals on Friday were assisted by the Aston Villa winger and the Germans will be practising their defending from these positions. That said, they have only conceded one goal in the tournament and are 11/5 (Stan James) to win this match.
If this is to happen, it's likely to be a low-scoring match and a 1-0 victory in their favour is a 7/1 chance (Blue Square). The same firm offer the best price (4/7) that the game has two goals or less, with firms clearly suspecting that the final will be a cagey encounter. After all, this is the biggest career game that several of these players will have enjoyed and there are bound to be nerves on display. However, if England can play to their potential, this could be a comfortable win against a side that they managed to draw with in the group stages despite fielding a weakened side. The Young Lions to win 2-0 (10/1 Paddy Power) looks like a bet worth taking.