Former Chelsea star and football pundit Chris Sutton has shared his predictions for the upcoming Euro 2024 Round of 16 matches, picking France to win against Belgium and Spain to triumph over Georgia.
France and Belgium are set to clash on Monday, with Sutton anticipating a narrow 1-0 victory for the French side. Despite backing France, Sutton was critical of their performances in the group stage.
"Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco has been getting as much stick as Southgate after the way they have started this tournament. France has been a big disappointment too, in that they have been pragmatic and boring to watch, and they only finished second in their group," Sutton wrote via BBC Sport.
He continued, "They often start slowly, though, and I am not changing my mind now about them going on to win the whole thing,” predicting a 1-0 win for France.
Sutton also forecasted a win for Spain against Georgia when they meet on Sunday. He praised Georgia's surprising journey in the tournament, highlighting their resilience and unexpected success.
“What a story Georgia have been – I love what they have achieved at this tournament and the way they have done it," Sutton wrote. "They only finished fourth in their qualifying group – which by the way saw them lose 7-1 at home to Spain in September last year – but made it here via the Nations League and have surprised everyone."
He continued, "Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is their one real star player but as a team, they have been a real breath of fresh air with their approach in Germany. They are not bothered about possession but when they break they have amazing pace and a real cutting edge."
Despite his admiration for Georgia's performances, Sutton acknowledged the challenge they face against Spain. "With their performances so far, Georgia has shown everyone what a good team they are – but the problem for them here is that Spain were the outstanding team of the group stage."
Spain has been one of the standout teams in the tournament, and Sutton believes their quality and form will be too much for Georgia to overcome. As the knockout stages of Euro 2024 commence, fans will be eagerly watching to see if Sutton's predictions hold true and if France and Spain can advance further in the competition.
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