Euro 2020
Euro 2020: Swiss coach confident of last-16 spot despite tough travel
Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic is confident his side have done enough to reach the last 16 at Euro 2020 after a 3-1 win over Turkey on Sunday but he criticised the long distances his side have had to travel during the tournament. Xherdan Shaqiri scored two superb goals as Switzerland secured third place in Group A at Euro 2020 with the win against Turkey, but they now face an anxious wait to see if they will reach the last 16. The Swiss, who finished level on four points with Wales but behind on goal difference, will hope to secure a spot in the knockouts as one of the four best third-placed finishers from the six groups. “We scored a few goals but unfortunately we had more chances we didn’t convert,” Petkovic said. “It wasn’t a perfect game but it was a good game.” “It should be enou...
Depay, Wijnaldum and co look to keep perfect record in final Euro 2020 group game
The Netherlands will be looking to maintain their 100% win rate at Euro 2020 when they take on North Macedonia at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Monday. The hosts have already earned their place in the round of 16 and are now aiming to smash a couple of records. Meanwhile, the visitors have nothing but pride to play for after two consecutive defeats at the start of Euro 2020. Note: You can watch all Euro 2020 games via live streaming. North Macedonia Preview North Macedonia’s first-ever appearance at major tournaments is drawing to a close as they prepare to wave goodbye to Euro 2020 following back-to-back defeats to Austria and Ukraine in their opening Group C fixtures. Despite losing both group stage matches at the European Championship, the North Macedonians have not left a poor impres...
Euro 2020 Best XI from Round 2: Dumfries, Gosen and a dream midfield trio
It’s been another exciting round of Euro 2020 action, with several players putting in standout performances for their country. As we approach the last selection of group stage fixtures, it’s all very nicely set up. We should be in for an enthralling finale. Here is our best XI from the second round of Euro 2020 games. Danny Ward (GK) – Wales go into their final group game with Italy in a very good position. With four points from two games, they look almost certain to qualify for the knockouts. And they couldn’t have done it without Danny Ward, who was excellent again in the win over Turkey. His stunning late save from Merih Demiral’s header was vital to keeping his side ahead in the closing stages, as they later got a second. Denzel Dumfries (RB) – The right-back has made a reall...
West Ham forward returns to the fold for crunch Euro 2020 clash
A crunch Euro 2020 meeting at Arena Nationala pits current Group C runners-up Ukraine against third-placed Arena in a decisive showdown. The Ukrainians could make it out of the group stage at a major tournament for the first time as a sovereign nation if they avoid defeat in Bucharest. On the other hand, the Austrians need to pick up all three points to ensure a top-two finish in Group C and reach the European Championship knockout phase for the first time. Note: You can watch all Euro 2020 games via live streaming. Ukraine Preview Ukraine’s Euro 2020 journey started with a 3-2 loss to the Netherlands despite coming back from a two-goal deficit through Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk. The star duo came up big again on Matchday 2 to fire Andriy Shevchenko’s side to an all-importa...
Euro 2020 Matchday 2 Review: Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands progress, Scotland hold England, Germany blow Portugal away & much more
The second matchday of Euro 2020 once again featured 24 nations participating in 12 fixtures across the six groups, and there is lots to unpack from the week’s action. So, let’s get straight into it in this review: Group A Turkey and Wales faced off in Baku for the Group A opener, and it certainly was a tense affair as the two sides were fighting to have a realistic chance of reaching the knockouts. Turkey looked rather hopeless against Italy, and they weren’t particularly good in the first half here either as their defence was pulled apart effortlessly and there was space available almost everywhere in their half. Gareth Bale often dropped deep for Wales, and from such positions, he attempted a fair few chipped passes in behind the Turkish backline. Aaron Ramsey was most often the recipie...
‘What a player’: Some Chelsea fans rave about £63m star’s performance at Euro 2020
A selection of Chelsea fans on Twitter heaped praise on Kai Havertz following his impressive display for Germany against Portugal last night. Portugal took an early lead in the Euro 2020 clash with a superb counter-attacking goal through Cristiano Ronaldo in the 15th minute. However, they went into the break trailing 2-1 after two own goals scored from Ruben Dias and Rafael Guerreiro respectively. Havertz played a part in both of them. His clever run at the near post forced Dias to put the ball into the back of his own net. He kept the ball in play for Germany’s second. Moments later, Guerreiro was forced to turn into his own net with Serge Gnabry lurking behind. Shortly after the interval, Havertz got onto the scoresheet with a tap-in after a lovely low cross from Robin Gosens into the si...
Spain vs Poland – Euro 2020 Group E Preview, H2H, Team News, Players to Watch & Predicted Line-ups
Spain and Poland go head-to-head at the Estadio de La Cartuja in the second round of the Euro 2020 group stage fixtures on Saturday night. The Spaniards exchanged a record-breaking 830 passes in their Euro 2020 curtain-raiser but failed to find the back of the net against Sweden. Despite a sluggish start to their Euro 2020 journey, Poland will be looking to dwell on their impressive major tournament record on Spanish soil. They suffered just one loss in eight matches in Spain (W3, D3) en route to finishing third at the 1982 World Cup. Note: You can watch all Euro 2020 games via live streaming. Spain Preview Despite setting a European Championships record for having 81.1% possession of the ball against Sweden, Spain could only manage a bore draw in their Group E opener. The Spaniards h...
Chelsea set to meet £60 million exit clause for Euro 2020 sensation
Chelsea are reportedly ready to meet the release clause in the race to snap up a Liverpool and Arsenal target who is currently turning heads at Euro 2020. Alexander Isak is the name making the headlines, with the forward turning in two outstanding performances in Sweden’s draw with Spain and the win over Slovakia. Isak was a constant threat against a fancied Spanish outfit on Monday night, while he was Man of the Match as the Swedes virtually booked a last-16 spot with a narrow victory on Friday. The striker scored 17 goals for Real Sociedad last season and was named the Young Player of the Season in Spain. And according to Spanish newspaper AS, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel wants Chelsea to snap up the 21-year-old. However, to do that any suitor would have to pay Isak’s £60million (€70m) exit ...
Defender drops Twitter clanger, pundit nails Sancho situation
The second Friday at the 2020 European Championships won’t be remembered for producing thrilling football. Sweden kicked things off with a dour 1-0 win over Slovakia, before Croatia and Czech Republic laboured to a 1-1 draw. Anyone hoping that England versus Scotland would lift the mood were left sorely disappointed, with neither side able to get on the scoresheet. Thankfully, we’ve still been able to find some talking points, so let’s begin. Robertson drops Twitter clanger ‘5 million strong’. Three words that highlight why some footballers would be well advised to steer clear of social media after a game. Andy Robertson’s tweet certainly found favour with Scotland’s happy clappers after a dour 0-0 draw with England on Friday. 5 million strong 🏴&...
Tactical Analysis: How Scotland’s in-match adjustments contained England in the Euros
For the 100th time in a competitive football match, less-than-friendly neighbours England and Scotland prepared to face each other. This was their first clash at the Euros since (look away Scottish readers) 1996, which was also at Wembley Stadium, where a certain man with bleached hair scored a rather good goal. This time around, England and Scotland’s match was their second group game, but the difference was that the hosts had won their opening clash while the visitors had lost theirs, as opposed to both drawing. So, this game bore greater importance for Steve Clarke’s side, who needed to win to keep their chances of progression to the knockouts in their own hands. A gripping tactical battle followed, which involved both managers making various changes during the match to give their side ...
‘Poor’, ‘Looks a shadow’: Some England fans react to Tottenham Hotspur star’s performance
A selection of England fans were left frustrated with the performance of Harry Kane during last night’s 0-0 draw against Scotland at Euro 2020. The Three Lions were overwhelming favourites to beat their neighbours at Wembley Stadium, but they struggled to dominate the proceedings. They ended up with just one shot on target over 90 minutes. The Scots fared better with two shots – one of them required a crucial diving save from Jordan Pickford. Kane was disappointing for the second straight group stage game. He struggled to make his mark with centre-back Grant Hanley winning most duels against him. The England captain ended up with just 19 touches of the ball and seven successful passes. He failed to register a shot on target for a second game running. His latest performance angered some sup...
Sweden vs Slovakia – Euro 2020 Group E Preview, H2H, Team News, Players to Watch & Predicted Line-ups
Slovakia will be aiming to claim back-to-back wins at Euro 2020 when they take on Sweden at the Krestovsky Stadium on Friday. The Slovakians go into this match on the back of a tight win over Poland, looking to pick up consecutive triumphs at the European Championship for the first time. On the other hand, Sweden fought tooth and nail to avoid defeat against Spain but will have to show more urgency in the front third if they are to open their account at Euro 2020. Note: You can watch all Euro 2020 games via live streaming. Sweden Preview Despite having just 25% of the ball and failing to attempt a single shot on target, Sweden held Spain to a goalless draw in their opening game of Group E. Although a draw with Spain ended their five-match winning streak, it has seen Janne Andersson’s ...
