5 Serie A stars to watch at EURO 2024

The waiting is over. The 2024 UEFA European Championships have started, and Gli Azzurri go into Euro 2024 as the defending champions after overcoming England in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Wembley three years ago.

Luciano Spalletti’s men are one of the lesser-fancied teams at this summer’s finals, but it’s very difficult to write off a nation that’s renowned for coming alive in tournament football.

With no major European domestic leagues to watch or bet on, all the action is geared towards Germany this summer. The number of Euro 2024 markets is bigger than ever before, allowing you to wager on any stage of the tournament. The latest bet365 Euros betting markets even include the option to bet on individual player performance, such as their chances of winning the Golden Boot or UEFA’s Player of the Tournament.

To that end, we’re going to look at five of the Serie A’s biggest names and mull over their chances of making a big impression on this summer’s finals.

Dušan Vlahović

The Serbian striker did not impress in his opening EURO 2024 match against Gareth Southgate’s England, but Vlahović was Juve’s top scorer this season, with 16 goals to his name, a figure only bettered by Inter’s Argentine sensation, Lautaro Martinez.

Vlahović has averaged almost a goal every other game for his country, notching 13 in 28 appearances. The towering front man has led the line superbly at Serie A level since his breakthrough year in 2020-21 and he is seemingly ready to displace long-serving striker Aleksandar Mitrovic as Serbia’s number-one goal hope.

Marcus Thuram

Thuram has been an integral part of Inter’s dominant Scudetto-winning 2023-24 campaign. The 26-year-old powerhouse notched 13 goals in 35 appearances for Inter. Despite scoring just twice in 19 games for France, it feels like his game is maturing all the time.

He is increasingly carrying more of a goal threat, while his mere presence occupies defenders and gives the likes of Mbappe and Dembele space to thrive.

Federico Dimarco

Inter’s marauding left back, Federico Dimarco, is going to be one of the key figures in Italy’s bid to retain their European title. Dimarco’s presence up and down the left flank has been one of the consistent features of Inter’s Scudetto-winning campaign. He created the second most big chances in Serie A 2023-24 behind Rafael Leão, creating 14 big opportunities and ending the season with 7.5 expected assists (xA).

In fact, his xA per 90 minutes was only bettered by Atalanta’s Aleksey Miranchuk and his Inter teammate, Alexis Sanchez, suggesting that Dimarco has been in consistently productive form this year. He’s likely to benefit most from Luciano Spalletti’s attack-minded style of play.

Yann Sommer

Switzerland’s veteran stopper, Yann Sommer, is an integral figure in the Swiss’ chances of qualifying from their group. The experienced Inter keeper was the main man for Switzerland at the last Euros, proving the penalty king and helping to knock out France in the last 16.

Sommer posted an impressive save percentage of over 80% in the 23/24 Serie A season, suggesting the 35-year-old is by no means finished yet. Sommer and his compatriots will be hoping to at least clinch the second spot in Group A, with hosts Germany the clear favourites to top the table ahead of Switzerland, Scotland and Hungary.

Olivier Giroud

French veteran Olivier Giroud will be playing his final European Championships aged 37. However, despite his advancing years, his output is still up there with the best in Serie A. He posted 23 goals and assists for Milan this season, which means France’s all-time leading scorer will still offer something for Didier Deschamps this summer.

Although the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann will invariably grab the headlines, Giroud’s hold-up play and unselfish work rate often go unnoticed. He could yet be one of the key figures in France’s bid to become European champions again this summer.

Although we’ve hand-picked five potential Serie A icons to star at this summer’s Euro 2024 finals, you may have other ideas. Let us know in the comments section below if you think we’ve overlooked a potential Serie A sensation in Germany!