Euro 2016 Schedule: Live Stream, TV Coverage and Odds for Round-of-16 Fixtures
The 2016 UEFA European Championships came alive in the final matches of the group stages and those tuning in around the globe will be hopeful the dramatic action continues when the knockout rounds get underway.
Eight of the 24 teams involved in the competition have exited, with 16 left to battle it out for the title. And while there have been plenty of shocks and twists along the way, the usual juggernauts all made it through and have been accompanied by a few surprise names too.
Here is a look at the matches to come, the odds for all eight enticing ties and a closer look at where you can catch the action from France.
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| Switzerland vs. Poland | 44-19 | 2-1 | 17-10 |
| Croatia vs. Portugal | 17-10 | 2-1 | 9-4 |
| Wales vs. Northern Ireland | 21-20 | 21-10 | 4-1 |
| Belgium vs. Hungary | 4-6 | 13-5 | 6-1 |
| Germany vs. Slovakia | 5-11 | 17-5 | 21-2 |
| Italy vs. Spain | 10-3 | 21-10 | 6-5 |
| France vs. Republic of Ireland | 5-11 | 16-5 | 19-2 |
| England vs. Iceland | 4-7 | 29-10 | 8-1 |
Matches will be televised on either ITV or BBC One in the UK. ESPN will cover the games in the United States.
Ties can be streamed via BBC iPlayer (UK), ITV Hub (UK) and Watch ESPN (US), respectively.
Odds courtesy of Oddschecker and accurate as of 11:40 a.m. (BST), June 22.
Bleacher Report UK outlined the tournament bracket:
Big Names Congested in Draw
The tournament format, which saw four of the third-place teams qualify from the group stage, has been criticised by some. However, there’s potential for some thrilling ties containing European football superpowers in the last 16.
Standing out is Spain’s tussle with Italy in Paris on Monday. After impressing in both of their opening games, these two sides lost their final group match; La Roja, the reigning champions, finished in second place in their pool as a result, placing them in what’s shaped up as a tough section of the draw.
It’s a chance for the Azzurri to gain a measure of revenge after Spain trounced them 4-0 in the 2012 final; here’s a reminder of just how good the champions were that night:
There have been some standout performances so far, but few have shone quite as brightly as Andres Iniesta, who continues to pull the string for Spain.
As noted by Michael Cox of the Guardian, the 32-year-old’s new responsibility seems to be bringing the best out of other Spain players:
Also in this side of the draw are Germany and England. The former will take on a dangerous Slovakia team, one that beat them 3-1 in a warm-up game, while the Three Lions will face Iceland, who have done remarkably well to progress to the final stages.
While Germany and England will be big favourites for the ties and are unbeaten coming into the games, neither have been particularly convincing to this point. As noted by sports journalist Jacqui Oatley, opinion seems split on Roy Hodgson’s side:
France are also involved in the same side of the draw, and while there is plenty of expectation on the host nation to go a lot further than the last 16, things will be difficult against a buoyant Republic of Ireland team.
The Irish got the better of Italy in their must-win group game, showing a tenacity and cohesion that would cause any side problems. As noted by Ball Street, the visitors will be out for revenge after Thierry Henry’s infamous handball back in 2009:
On the other side of the draw there are some teams that’ll be looking to make a significant impact too. Belgium, the highest-ranked side in the tournament, will fancy their chances of a deep run, although they would be unwise to underestimate a dangerous Hungary team.
Marc Wilmots’ men have recovered well after they faltered in their first group game against Italy, beating Republic of Ireland and Sweden comfortably. Portugal, who have drawn all three of their games, will also consider themselves fortunate to be on the easier side of the draw, although they face a Croatia team bristling with class.
Bleacher Report’s Tom Sunderland thinks that whoever comes out on top in that match has a brilliant chance of making it to the final:
Wales have looked like potential dark horses since their win against Slovakia, and with Gareth Bale shining at the point of the attack, they’ll be confident of overcoming a Northern Ireland XI that have proved to be extremely obdurate so far. That all-British showdown in the capital will be a feisty one.
While it’s not the tournament bracket many would have anticipated when the groups were drawn, it’ll be fascinating to see how teams that have never been in this situation fare under such immense pressure. After Euro 2016 was set alight on Thursday, expect the knockout stages to continue to thrill.
