Are you ready for Euro 2024? The 24 teams are in place, and fixtures have been announced across 10 host cities. Managers are busy putting the finishing touches to their squads, ensuring everything is in place for the big kick-off on Friday, June 14th, when host nation Germany plays Scotland in Group A. You still have time to study the stats, get the best gambling odds, make your Euro 2024 predictions, and wage on the many exciting markets available online.

The stars are in Germany to shine for a month between June and July, but which team has your support? Do you agree with traders working at major online sportsbooks that England is the team to beat, or do you prefer the chances of the locals, backed by a home audience in Germany? Perhaps you like the chances of the defending champions and fancy Italy to make it two in a row.

Our football and sports content writer, Frank Monkhouse, has previewed each of the groups from Euro 2024 and now shows what we can expect in Group E, which will be a competitive pool from the opening games.

Ukraine

Ukraine is always a popular team at these competitions, but they aren’t exactly what we would call a permanent fixture at the UEFA European Championship. When they do make it through qualifying, they generally perform well without ever troubling the main players or the prizes. Will Euro 2024 be different, with Ukraine making it into the later rounds? It’s certainly possible, but they’ll be pushed hard in Group E.

Ukraine performed well in qualifying but needed the UEFA Nations League playoffs to secure their invite to this summer’s festival of football. They finished third in qualifying Group E behind pool winners England, with Italy in second place. Ukraine finished level on points with the champions but lost out on goal difference.

Slovakia

Can Slovakia make an impact on Euro 2024? They aren’t one of the early favourites to challenge for the trophy, and most pundits expect them to exit after a minimum of three group games, but they may surprise us. Slovakia is a well-organised and experienced team that is certainly no pushover on the big stage. They will make a nuisance of themselves and take points from the big teams.

Slovakia arrive in Germany following a successful qualifying campaign that saw them finish as runners-up in Group J behind Portugal after ten games. Their stats showed seven wins, one draw, and two defeats, with 17 goals scored and eight conceded. They didn’t worry about Portugal but did finish well clear of Luxembourg in third place.

Belgium

Belgium is the star attraction in Euro 2024, and most respected pundits expect them to win Group E. They have the squad and experience to do just that, but the players must work hard to silence their critics after several disappointing efforts. Fans were promised a golden generation, and despite Belgium boasting a star-studded squad, the team didn’t reach the lofty heights expected of them. Will Euro 2024 be the competition in which Belgium will show its skills and deliver a winner’s medal?

Belgium won Euro 2024 qualifying Group F with an impressive unbeaten record of six wins and two draws, scoring 22 goals and conceding just four. They were one of the standout performers of the qualifiers. We expect them to pick up where they left off by winning Euro 2024 Group E.

Romania

Romania is a team that has performed well at major international competitions in the past. However, it hasn’t lived up to their high standards for a while, with critics suggesting their best days are behind them. Is that true? There’s only one way to find out, and we’ll get a chance to catch up on Romania’s progress this summer. There’s no reason why they can’t qualify for this group.

Romania secured its place at Euro 2024 by finishing in the pole position of Euro 2024 Group I ahead of Switzerland, Israel, Belarus, Kosovo, and Andorra. It wasn’t the most testing group, and Romanian fans will admit that, but the team did what they were supposed to do and kept their dream alive with six wins and four draws to qualify as one of only a few teams with an unbeaten record.

Group E fixtures

• Romania vs Ukraine – 17th June – Munich
• Belgium vs Slovakia – 17th June – Frankfurt
• Slovakia vs Ukraine – 21st June – Dusseldorf
• Belgium vs Romania – 22nd June – Cologne
• Slovakia vs Romania – 26th June – Frankfurt
• Ukraine vs Belgium – 26th June – Stuttgart

Head-to-head analysis

• Romania vs Ukraine: There’s very little between these teams in the head-to-head stats, with Romania on three wins, and Ukraine claiming three also.
• Belgium vs Slovakia: Far from being frequent rivals, these teams have met just three times previously, with two games ending in a draw and Belgium winning the spare.
• Slovakia vs Ukraine: We can expect another competitive game, according to the stats. Slovakia has two wins against the three of Ukraine, with another three meetings ending in a draw.
• Belgium vs Romania: There are no surprises in the H2H stats associated with this game. The pair are evenly matched, with both teams winning 5 games each and two matches ending in a draw.
• Slovakia vs Romania: Slovakia beat Romania just once in a dozen tries, with scores showing five draws and 5 wins for the Romanians.
• Ukraine vs Belgium: Ready for a little but important piece of UEFA European Championship history? You’ll get it here as Ukraine and Belgium cross paths in competitive action for the first time. But which nation will win?

Euro 2024 Group E predictions and expectations

If this group goes to plan, Belgium should finish in pole position without encountering too much fuss along the way. They have the squad, quality, and experience to keep their dreams alive by progressing to the knockout stages. Which team should join them in the next round by finishing as runners-up? I fancy the chances of Slovakia.

*Odds are subject to change

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