Euro 2020 player specials: You’ve got a prayer in Memphis Depay

Andy Schooler
9 June 2021

Memphis Depay Mario Fernandes Kristoffer Olsson Milan Skriniar

Netherlands attacker can bag the most assists at a decent price, while Alioski is worth a shot for North Macedonia’s top scorer.

Best bets

Memphis Depay most tournament assists at 25/1 (William Hill)

Willie Orban top Hungary scorer at 14/1 (bet365, BoyleSports)

Milan Skriniar top Slovakia scorer at 33/1 (general)

Mario Fernandes top Russia scorer at 33/1 (general)

Vladimir Darida top Czech Republic scorer at 12/1 (BetVictor)

Ezgjan Alioski top North Macedonia scorer at 9/1 (William Hill, betway, Sky Bet)

John McGinn top Scotland scorer at 6/1 (general)

Kristoffer Olsson most Sweden cards at 14/1 (Unibet)

Goran Pandev most North Macedonia cards at 16/1 (Unibet)

Duje Caleta Car most Croatia cards at 11/1 (William Hill)

Fabian Schar most Switzerland cards at 5/1 (Unibet)

Most tournament assists

Dutch star Memphis Depay holds strong claims in this market and looks a chunky price at 25/1 for those betting on Euro 2020's most assists.

The former Manchester United man has been a key figure for the Netherlands in the past few years, scoring and creating goals in a side which has bagged many.

As highlighted in my team specials preview, the Dutch look to have a good opportunity of being among the tournament's leading scorers and if they are, Depay will have every chance of landing this.

He's had 14 assists in his last 20 internationals and it's not as if he's been a flat-track bully - three have come against Germany (in two games), two against England and one against Italy.

This season he's assisted 12 times for current club Lyon - only four players competing in Europe's top leagues managed more.

Depay has spent much of his time in an orange shirt playing as a centre forward, although he's been pushed wider in some recent games so we can't be sure exactly where he'll start.

However, he's shown an ability to assist from both positions and arguably his chance in this market will improve if he's out on the wing.

There's another clue to why Depay represents Euro 2020 odds value when you look at the market.

Despite the Dutch being in the top four of the betting to score the most goals at Euro 2020, they have only two players at 66/1 or shorter in this market, the other being winger Steven Berghuis.

England have nine, Spain six and Belgium six.

That simply can't be right.

Back Depay at 25s before the price goes.

For the record, the market is win only, with dead-heat rules applying.

Four assists won this in 2016 - Eden Hazard and Aaron Ramsey the players in question.

Team top scorers

Hungary - Willi Orban

My approach to these markets has always been to seek out some value and a way to do that is to look for a player at a big price in a team unlikely to score many goals in their Euro 2020 matches.

With Hungary in a group with France, Portugal and Germany, they are prime candidates and this market could easily be won by a player scoring once. In fact, I'd suggest it's probably likely.

Backing Orban at 14/1 looks a good idea.

The central defender is a big threat from set pieces and has scored five times in 18 competitive starts for Hungary. Only two players in the squad have more international goals.

You may well know Orban due to his displays for Red Bull Leipzig for whom he scored five times this season - decent figures for a centre-back.

Orban was his side's top scorer in qualifying, which also shows their dearth of goalscorers in other areas of the team.

With Hungary expected to be on the back foot in all three group matches, they will doubtless be targeting set-plays so Orban looks tempting at the price.

Slovakia - Milan Skriniar

I'll take a similar approach to the Slovakia top scorer market with Inter Milan centre-back Skriniar available at 25/1.

His goal record isn't as good as Orban's but it's still pretty good for someone playing in his position.

He's just won the Serie A title with Inter and contributed three goals to that effort.

Skriniar has two in 28 competitive starts for the international team but that's still good enough for me to back him at 33s.

Slovakia look a team short on goals and I'm expecting them to struggle in a group containing Spain, Sweden and Poland.

Again, it may only take one goal to win this and Skriniar's aerial ability gets him the nod at the price.

Russia - Mario Fernandes

The Brazilian-born Fernandes was a key part of Russia's side which made the World Cup quarter-finals and he has been a regular starter at right-back or right wing-back since.

Notably he's netted four times in his last eight competitive internationals, including two in March's World Cup qualifiers.

There's obviously a chance his licence to get forward is reduced given the greater quality of opposition at this tournament but I still feel that record makes 33/1 look rather large.

Russia are another team who might not score that many goals - they may struggle to get out of a group featuring Belgium, Denmark and Finland.

Czech Republic - Vladimir Darida

When betting in these markets it's also wise to consider the players due to take penalties and Czech captain Darida is among those.

Being on spot-kick duty has helped the Hertha Berlin man bag four goals in his last 15 internationals - and penalties are far from his only source of goals.

He's a midfielder who likes to get forward, creating chances and often driving towards or into the box.

A double-figure quote therefore looks big.

The talented forward Patrik Schick - previously of Leipzig, now at Leverkusen - is the rightful favourite here but the Czechs might not score too many in England and Scotland's group along with Croatia.

I'll therefore take a chance on Darida with BetVictor's 12/1 quote holding appeal.

North Macedonia - Ezgjan Alioski

The up-and-at-'em Leeds defender is another penalty-taker for his country and with a decent goal record at this level, he's also worth a shot at 9/1.

Alioski has netted seven times in his last 24 international appearances and while four of those have come from the spot, he's still a player who poses a threat from open play, joining the attack regularly with his runs down the left where he's often been deployed as a wing-back.

Again, he's playing in a team that is likely to struggle to score goals - they are second favourites in the lowest-scoring team betting - and so one penalty could easily win this.

Scotland - John McGinn

Away from defender and penalty theories, there's one other bet I like the look of in the team top scorer markets and that's McGinn.

He's really caught the eye for Scotland this season and also finished the season strongly at Aston Villa, for whom he netted twice in the last eight games.

McGinn is given greater licence to get forward for his national team and has scored 10 goals in his last 15 starts for the Scots.

Centre-forward options Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes are unlikely to strike fear into opposing defences and I'd expect McGinn to be looking to contribute to the goal output with his runs from deep.

That team output might not be huge but I certainly wouldn't be surprised for McGinn to add another one or two to his tally in this tournament and am happy to back him at 6/1.

Most team cards

Sweden - Kristoffer Olsson

The 'most team cards' markets are others which look ripe for producing a big-priced winner or two and I feel Olsson is one of my best Euro 2020 betting tips.

The 25-year-old is a no-nonsense central midfielder, who picked up 10 cards in 26 starts for his Russian club Krasnodar this season.

In an international shirt, Olsson has been carded in four of his last eight appearances, including three of his last five competitive games.

Sweden aren't going to blow teams away so will have to scrap for every point and so it's surprising to see Olsson available at 14/1 here.

North Macedonia - Goran Pandev

Arguably the best player Macedonia has ever produced, Champions League winner Pandev finally gets his shot at a major international tournament.

The skipper is sure to be fired up and as a player with a track record for collecting cards, he looks a big price at 16/1.

Pandev has been carded in six of his last 20 competitive internationals and was also booked five times in 29 Serie A games this season.

These figures aren't eye-watering but Macedonia were the dirtiest side in qualifying, averaging well over three cards per game, and this is a market any number of players could win.

The favourite is as short as 3/1 but given it may well be won by a player collecting two cards, Pandev looks the value bet at 16s.

Croatia - Duje Caleta Car

Despite playing once at the 2018 World Cup, Caleta Car remains pretty inexperienced at international level and that is perhaps reflected in his cards record.

The centre-back has been booked in four of his eight competitive starts for his country.

He's also been a regular card collector at his club, Marseille, where he was shown a card 10 times in 38 starts this season. Last season it was six in 20.

Playing in a side who more often than not manage two or more bookings in a match, Caleta Car looks a big price at 11/1.

Switzerland - Fabian Schar

For my final selection in these markets, I'm siding with an old favourite.

Schar has long provided profits for those betting on the card markets, at both club and international level.

The Newcastle man has been particularly prolific in the latter with his last 15 competitive games having brought eight cards.

Always susceptible to a rash challenge, Schar was carded twice at the last World Cup and a repeat here will surely earn him at least a dead heat in this market.

Even at 5/1, I'm more than happy to back him.

Granit Xhaka is favourite due to his Premier League reputation but he's got a better disciplinary record at international level than Schar (20 cards in 94 appearances and only two in his last 14).