Euro 2021 Outright Betting: Are Spain the value at 8/1?

The European Championships will be upon us before we know it and I've decided to take a look into Spain, and why they could be the value selection to win next summer's tournament. 

The 2008 and 2012 champions are fourth-favourites at 8/1 to scoop the coveted trophy in July, with France, England and Belgium all ahead of them in the Euro 2021 winner betting market, but is this a sign of the bookies overlooking their quality and underplaying their threat? 

La Furia Roja have not won a major international trophy in what will be nine years by the time the Euros kick off, and were embarrassed at the 2018 World Cup when they were knocked out on penalties by hosts Russia in the last-16. It was the same story at Euro 2016 two years prior as Spain tumbled out of the tournament early after a 2-0 defeat to Italy, while they didn't even make it past the group stages at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 

Indeed, since their dismal showing in Russia two years ago, Spain have lost just three games.

Record since the 2018 World Cup

- Games: 24
- Wins: 15
- Draws: 6
- Defeats: 3
- Scored: 62
- Conceded: 16

Their last win was undoubtedly the most impressive in recent history, too, as Luis Enrique's side steamrolled four-time world champions Germany 6-0 in the UEFA Nations League. 

Trust in youth

When you look at Spain's team on paper it is barely recognisable from the side that endured such success between the years of 2008-2012, where they won two European Championships either side of a World Cup. The likes of Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, David Villa and Fernando Torres are now long gone; instead, there is now a whole host of young talent rising through the ranks to carry the baton forward.

The country's under-21s won the European Championships for a fifth time in 2019 and now a number of players who achieved that feat are being given a chance to prove themselves at senior level.

The likes of Villarreal central defender Pau Torres has been the perfect replacement for Gerard Pique since the Catalonian retired from international football back in 2018, while Barcelona's exciting teenage star Ansu Fati has burst onto the scene for club and country within the last 18 months and is going to be a huge key to his nation's potential success at future major tournaments. Fati has scored once and assisted once in his first four appearances for the Spanish national team, and is certainly going to be a player to keep an eye on next summer.  

Manchester City's newest acquisition Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick against Germany - taking his tally to four goals in just six senior appearances - and has so far impressed for the Sky Blues, scoring four and assisting two goals in his opening 11 appearances in all competitions.

For a while there has been a concern that Spain's lack of cutting edge in front of goal is what has proved to cost them at major tournaments, but in the 20-year-old there stands a player of huge potential who is showing that he is capable of leading his country's line on the main stage. 

Experience is key

The importance of Sergio Ramos in the heart of defence is massive for Spain as well. The 34-year-old is the only remaining player from the triumphs in 2008, 2010 & 2012 and is still one of the best defenders in world football, but more importantly a born leader with an elite mentality who will do anything to win. 

Amazingly, the Real Madrid skipper has now scored 23 international goals which ranks him eighth in the list of all-time top scorers for Spain. He is the second-highest scoring defender behind Fernando Hierro (30 goals) and a complete shots on target merchant - averaging 1.7 a game, more than any player in the whole of the Spain squad!

Having a player as experienced as Ramos is absolutely vital and will undoubtedly give Spain a boost at Euro 2021, and he is certainly someone who we should all be keeping an eye on in the SoT markets when placing our Same Game Multis next summer. 

Sergio Ramos career honours

- La Ligas: 5
- Copa del Reys: 2
- Champions Leagues: 4
- World Cups: 1
- European Championships: 2
- International goals: 23

In Luis Enrique the Spaniards also have a manager of huge experience, which is another thing that gives them a slight advantage here. Enrique is a serial winner having laid claim to La Liga titles, Champions Leagues, Copa del Reys and Club World Cups during his time in charge of Barcelona, and that is something that the national team have really been lacking at recent major tournaments. With Enrique at the helm, though, you feel as if Spain should be better equipped to go far at the upcoming Euros. 

Luis Enrique career honours

- La Ligas: 2
- Copa del Reys: 3
- Champions Leagues: 1

La Furia Roja should make light work of their group

Spain have been placed in Group E at Euro 2021, alongside Poland, Sweden and Slovakia. They're unsurprisingly odds-on to win that group and progress through to the last-16 at 4/11 (an implied chance of 73%), which makes them the shortest-priced favourite to win their group and qualify for the knockout phases.

While of course anything can happen, Spain do seem to have a fairly straightforward pathway to the last-16 and I'd be extremely surprised to see them fall short of expectations with all of the quality and experience they have at their disposal, especially given the fact that their games against Sweden and Poland will take place on home turf in Bilbao, supplying them with an added advantage. 

With all said and done, Spain could really be the value selection to win Euro 2021. With a whole host of talent rising through the ranks, alongside experience in the likes of the free-scoring Ramos in defence, guided by a hugely successful manager, 8/1 seems like an appealing price to get behind at this stage.

They completely blew Germany out of the water earlier this month and are now showing signs of returning to their best following a period of disappointment, and look ready for the challenge which lies ahead of them next summer.