The European Championship in Germany is over, and the Copa America in the USA. The start of the club season is not soon, but for now we can look forward to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (France). The bookmakers have already assessed the strength level of the quartets. Before we tackle Group B, let’s recall the format and the schedule.
Football at the 2024 Olympic Games for men: format, schedule, when is the final
Due to the larger number of matches, the Olympic football tournament starts two days before the official opening ceremony of the Games, namely on 24 July. There are three rounds in the group stage, and then of the 16 teams that were divided into four groups in the group stage, two each qualify for the playoffs.
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It is important to note that, unlike the women’s teams, only players under the age of 23 are allowed in the men’s teams. Only three additional adults may register. The entire application is made up of 18 players. In Group B, the following participants will compete to reach the quarter-finals: Morocco, Argentina, Iraq and Ukraine.
1st round, July 24
Argentina – Morocco (16:00 Moscow time); Iraq – Ukraine (20:00 Moscow time).
2nd round, July 27
Argentina – Iraq (16:00 Moscow time); Ukraine – Morocco (18:00 Moscow time);
3rd round, July 30
Ukraine – Argentina (18:00 Moscow time); Morocco – Iraq (18:00 Moscow time);
Riddle: Without Messi, but a favorite
If Argentina is one of the favourites at the Paris Olympics, then it is quite logical that it is one of the favourites of its quartet. You can bet that the young Argentine will leave Group B in first place with a rate of 1.50. This is approximately equal to 66% probability.
It’s curious that the national team was left without Lionel Messi. Initially, the striker wanted to participate, but then he didn’t make it to the final list. In addition, he was injured in the Copa America final, so he will surely follow the team on television. Fortunately, Julián Álvarez and Nicolás Otamendi are there.
The Ukrainian national team is unlucky.
The favourites are all clear. The Argentines’ candidacy is not in doubt – after all, the country won the last World Cup and is rich in talent. But then things get more interesting. The main competitor is the Moroccan national team. If the Moroccans win Group B, the odds will be 3.80. Translated into probability language, this is 26%. Decent!
Next up is the Iraqi team, which is given a coefficient of 6.00, which is just over 15%. Not much, but still considerably superior to the Ukrainian team’s chances. Ukrainian youth have been making progress in recent years and are leaving for Europe. Many football players are well-known and visible, some of them perform at the highest level.
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So it is not clear why the Ukrainian Olympians are given the odds of 40.00 for the victory in the group – less than 3% probability. And the answer is interesting: the leading UPL clubs do not want to let their players go and are delaying answers to the coaching staff. Of course, all this does not benefit the team. That is why the chances are low.
Prediction and betting on Group B of the Paris 2024 Olympic Football Games
Argentina’s Olympic squad in recent years has not been very encouraging. The 2008 gold medal, when Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria were in the lineup, is long gone. And in the last two competitions we have not even managed to get out of the group to the play-off round. It is not entirely clear where the bookmakers got the obvious favourites from.
Of course, we should not expect too much from Morocco, Iraq and Ukraine. Still, for some, the Games will be their first. However, the Argentines will not see an easy victory. Messi and Di Maria are not there; the squad is mostly made up of players from the local league. And the Moroccans themselves are also making progress.
At the same time, Ukrainian athletes have a much better chance of at least qualifying for the quarter-finals. Since the bookmakers’ line is still rather sparse, one can accept the bet “Argentina will not win Group B” at 2.59. In the future, one can think about Morocco making it to the playoffs or Ukraine finishing in the top three.
Tender: Argentina will not win Group B in 2.59.
