Prediction: Not likely to win a match, may qualify to the next stage.
Bet Tip: Take the under team and match goals.
Other: No goals on first half.
Romania comes to the Euro Cup 2016 with the best defensive record from the entire qualifying stage. It only conceded goals on two games out of 10 and did not lose a match, but it didn’t win that many either with 4 straight draws.
Their solid defense will spoil many good games, but a bad game for some is a great opportunity for sport bettors who can bet easily on Over/Under scores and other prop bets.
Group A
- France – host and favorites to win the tournament.
- Albania – Weakest team in the tournament.
- Switzerland – A strong attack and favorite to move to the knockout stage.
Romania Euro Cup Draw Stats
Romania comes with the strongest defense and a lack of offensive power. Not much is expected from them, but the same occurred to Greece in the 2004 Euro Cup, and they won that tournament with a very similar game strategy. The main difference were the great strikers Greece had at the time without being a powerful offensive team overall.
- 428 minutes without scoring
- 4 draws in a row
- 2 goals against in 10 games
- No key player in top European teams
- Best defense of the Euro Cup qualifying stage
- 16th in the world wide rank
- Unbeaten in 10 games
The numbers are straightforward, Romania has a solid defense that is not expected to be broken easily, so bet for Under goals against them, seems like one of the most reasonable bets in the tournament.
Will Romania make it to the next stage? It seems unlikely with a team that moves forward one point at a time, drawing all games might just not be enough. But they could make it in as best third, so we wouldn’t fully recommend lay betting Romania to qualify. Remember, this Euro Cup receives more teams than before, which gives more room for best thirds to survive.
Romania to Win Euro Cup 2016 Prediction
Chances are slim, very slim. I would give them a 2% chance of winning the Euro Cup if their defense can keep the best strikers away from their goal. The great teams in Europe like France, Germany, Spain and Italy, all are very offensive teams with well build mid-fields and super star attackers; but their defenses are not as solid. Those teams rely on ball possession and more goals scored than received in order to stay ahead.
If Romania can manage to block their goal and score one goal per game or win by penalty decision, they might just make the miracle Greece did back in the day.
Romania Euro Cup Stats
One thing is the current state, another their previous history in the championship which makes our hopes for Romania shatter:
- 3 Euro Cup qualifications in their entire history (this one would be their 4th)
- 13 Euro Cup games played, just won 1
- Quarter finals is the most they have achieved
The only game Romania has won in the Euro has been against England in the direct elimination stage. They managed to hold a draw until the final minutes of the game when a penalty kick was awarded.
Best Players
Vlad Chiriches
Bet Tip: No goals against Romania when Chiriches is on the field. Change strategy when injured.
Vlad Chiriches is Romania´s best player and not in the best of his shape lately. He used to play in Tottenham in the height of his career, but after two seasons with the Spurs he has failed to impress as a defender. He has now been transferred to Napoli for the 2016 season and I still struggling to find a position.
Playing for Romania however, he stands as the best player overall, a key factor in the impenetrable defense.
Other Important Players
- Costel Pantilimon – Sunderland
- Florin Gardos – Southampton
Manager – Anghel Lordanescu
Anghel Lordanescu arrival for a third time to the Romanian national team is quite a story. The team needed an experienced manager, unable to find one in the international market they snatched Lordanescu from retirement, who had quit football in 2008 to become a Senator.
Strategy: Build a strong defense formation with double marks on strong key strikers. Move the team in mass formation and take advantage of rival mistakes.
Bet Tips & Picks
- Under Score – I wouldn’t bet on Romania to win any game, without saying it is completely impossible. They might actually win one. Whatever the result we are pretty damn sure they will struggle to score more than 1 goal, and they will not concede more than that. A 5 under match score seems a safe bet as a pre-match bet.
- Win no Draw for Rivals. It will be hard for rivals to win a match against a team with the best defense, but it will be even harder for a team that has a recent history of not winning to win. So a win no draw bet in favor of any rival secures your stake in case the match results in a draw.