Key occasions
Ben Fisher
To Paderborn, the place William Saliba and Adrien Rabiot have been previewing France’s Group D assembly with the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday night. Didier Deschamps has been vital of the Arsenal defender – in March he mentioned Saliba “does issues I don’t like a lot” – however partnered him alongside Dayot Upamecano in Les Bleus’ 1-0 win over Austria on Monday, preferring Saliba to Ibrahima Konate. Saliba performed as a left-centre again, Upamecano to his proper.
“I wasn’t actually anticipating it however once you’re known as up for Euro 2024 it’s a must to be prepared for the crew,” Saliba mentioned. “I performed the final pleasant recreation earlier than the event [a 0-0 draw against Canada] once we completed with a clear sheet. I’ve acquired a bit extra confidence from the earlier matches.”
Requested whether or not he felt he had a degree to show, the 23-year-old replied: “In fact, after I was on mortgage [at Nice and Marseille] I wished to return again to Arsenal and present that I can play on this crew and it was the identical with the nationwide crew. I wish to begin video games and show that the coach can rely on me. I’ll attempt to do my finest when the coach wants me.”
The Albania followers shall be hoping their assist can get their crew over the road within the 2pm kick off at present. Maybe Turkey are the one crew to higher the ambiance from Albania followers within the match towards Italy within the BVB Stadion Dortmund.
Outdoors of Group A, Albania and Croatia face off in Group B for an opportunity at redemption after opening recreation defeats. Croatia’s 3-0 loss towards Spain was essentially the most stunning due to their unbelievable document in latest tournaments, however Albania shall be equally decided to make it out of the group of dying after a slender 2-1 defeat to Italy on Saturday.
A win for Germany will safe their path into the knockout levels whereas a defeat for Hungary will all however assure their exit from the competitors.
Hungary shall be in for a troublesome check of their conflict with the house nation Germany at 5pm. Nagelsmann’s aspect are essentially the most environment friendly within the event. They discovered the web 5 occasions from an xG of two.04 of their match towards Scotland. Marco Rossi’s Hungary aspect solely discovered the web as soon as of their 3-1 loss to Switzerland on Saturday.
The Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham saga continues courtesy of Reuters newest report.
“Jude’s clearly an distinctive expertise,” Foden mentioned in a Soccer Affiliation video. “He’s a frontrunner now, I believe he’s turning into a frontrunner. I believe our link-up play is nice at occasions and I believe it’s bettering as effectively, and may preserve getting higher. So he’s an thrilling expertise and I take pleasure in taking part in with him.” Whereas some chalked up Sunday’s efficiency as only a unhealthy recreation for Foden, it drew criticism from some pundits.
Away from the Euros, there’s been an replace within the Premier League supervisor merry-go-round. It seems to be like Steve Cooper reasonably than Graham Potter will take over as Leicester supervisor after Enzo Maresca’s transfer to Chelsea.
“Shaw was the one participant absent from coaching at their Blankenhain base on Wednesday, with the remaining 25 participating forward of the Group C match. The left-back, who has been out with a hamstring harm since mid-February, as an alternative continued an ‘individualised coaching programme elsewhere’, in accordance with the Soccer Affiliation. Shaw was on the bench towards Serbia and Southgate has beforehand mentioned he might be concerned towards Denmark” PA reviews.
Jacob Steinberg
Hiya from Frankfurt, the place England play Denmark of their second match in Group C on Thursday. Gareth Southgate and Kyle Walker are because of converse to the media later however the early information is that Luke Shaw, who’s recovering from a hamstring harm, didn’t participate in crew coaching this morning. The left-back did an individualised session – and that may increase huge considerations over when he shall be able to play once more.
Speaking of England…
Ben Fisher
Looking forward to the day’s early kick off between Croatia and Albania, the Croatia supervisor Zlatko Dalic had some preventing discuss for the press. “We have now received three medals, England received one [more than] 50 years in the past however they’re an ideal crew, we aren’t, we’re all the time the darkish horse. We’re little however we’re courageous, we are going to struggle and we now have the proof of hundreds of Croats in Berlin. We’re a nation that’s entitled to really feel proud and our outcomes present that we’re higher than our notion.”
Nick Ames
Self-discipline away from the pitch can even be in focus earlier than a match that has been deemed a excessive safety danger. As much as 20,000 Hungary followers are anticipated to attend and the police presence will prolong to greater than 2,500 officers. A variety of measures shall be carried out to maintain massive teams of opposing supporters separate.
Nick Ames
Germany’s mix clicked to pleasant impact towards Scotland. Their youngest gamers, the 21-year-olds Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, scored fantastic objectives and got their platform by an skilled base like no different. Given their velocity and verve it’s a shock to notice that Germany have the best common age at Euro 2024; it’s much more of an eye-opener that, ought to they elevate the trophy in Berlin subsequent month, they would be the oldest European champions within the event’s historical past.
Germany are hoping to proceed their brilliant begin to the event of their match towards Hungary this night. The German supervisor Julian Nagelsmann mentioned “the temper in our camp is great and the connection between the youthful and older gamers is basically good.”
Germany v Scotland set the tone for an thrilling run of video games at this yr’s event. It’s additionally generated some quirky statistics. After Germany’s 5-1 triumph, every of the web six video games had as many or fewer objectives than the earlier recreation. Does that make sense? The Information in all probability explains it, and different pub quiz info, higher than I can.
Ewan Murray
We’d see a begin for the Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour after he was noticeably absent from Scotland’s beginning XI of their 5-1 defeat to Germany.
“It’s not possible to reply,” Clarke mentioned when requested whether or not not choosing Gilmour from the beginning felt like an error. “In a 5-1 recreation the place we had been by no means within the recreation, is one participant going to make that quantity of distinction.
“Perhaps by speaking about Billy in that context we’re simply placing an excessive amount of stress on him. If he’s chosen for the following recreation, let him go into it with a transparent head. It’s troublesome. You may say what you need and I can say that I don’t suppose it made a distinction. You may say: ‘Sure it did make a distinction,’ and we are going to by no means know.”
Ewan Murray
The Scotland fullback Andy Robertson says it’s time for the crew to indicate everybody what they’re able to.
Requested if the Swiss conflict is a time for motion reasonably than phrases, Robertson mentioned: “I might sit and discuss all night time but it surely received’t make a distinction. It’s straightforward to speak earlier than or after a recreation however not really easy to exit and do it. That’s what we have to do, we’d like motion.
The Scotland supervisor Steve Clarke stored his playing cards near his chest in an interview with the BBC final night time. “I believe perhaps it will be higher this time to not converse an excessive amount of and put the motion on the pitch and present everybody what we are able to do … You’ve acquired to bounce again and present what you’re manufactured from within the subsequent recreation and that’s what we intention to do … My feelings are fantastic. I’m simply wanting ahead to the sport. I’m wanting ahead to seeing my gamers play in addition to they’ll play.”
Trying ahead to at present’s video games, Scotland must get better from their 5-1 defeat to Germany to maintain their EURO 2024 dream alive.
The semi-automated offside expertise was notably efficient in yesterday’s video games. Targets from Kenan Yildiz and Diogo Jota had been dominated out expeditiously after gamers strayed marginally offside within the construct up. I’m wanting ahead to seeing the expertise used within the Premier League.
The Czech Republic supervisor Ivan Hasek spoke to the press after his aspect’s defeat. “Clearly we’re upset to concede a objective this late within the recreation however we have to preserve our heads excessive. We have to get higher as a result of this was not an ideal recreation for us … We wished to be a lot larger on the pitch however they dominated and pushed us very deep in our half. Once we acquired the ball we wished to go ahead and assault however some unhealthy passes made it doable for them to dominate once more. Dropping the balls was our largest mistake” Reuters reviews.
Portugal’s final minute substitutes, Pedro and Neto Francisco Conceição, linked up in stoppage time to clinch victory over a troublesome Czech Republic crew.
Participant of the match Vitinha spoke to the press after Portugal’s victory. “Luckily, we equalised and we believed till the top we might flip the match round … We have to do higher however this was the primary recreation. Everyone was enthusiastic however generally we had been a bit hasty” Reuters reviews.
Portugal acquired off to a successful begin within the night’s different recreation with a tough fought 2-1 win over Czech Republic. Try Jonathan Liew’s report from the Leipzig Stadium.
Whereas everyone seems to be rightly raving about Guler, I believe Mert Mulder had the decide of the bunch in yesterday night’s recreation. As a fullback, he has no proper hitting a ball like that!
Sid Lowe
“Arda has a present,” Ancelotti mentioned, but it surely was solely seen in glimpses. Now the European Championship stands out as the introduction everybody else wants too, an opportunity to take pleasure in extra of Guler, a chance for him to announce the arrival he imagined coming sooner.
Arda Guler a.ok.a the Turkish Messi broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s document to turn into the the youngest participant to attain on their European Championship debut with an absolute peach. Take take a look at his objective in all its glory.
In case you missed the sport of the event yesterday or want a recap, we’ve acquired you coated with Sid Lowe’s match report from the BVB Stadion Dortmund.
Preamble
Hiya and welcome to at present’s Euro 2024 dwell weblog!
As every crew has solely performed one recreation to date, it’s in all probability too early for a assessment. However that’s not going to cease me offering you with one anyway.
Up to now Germany have seemed the aspect to beat, thumping Scotland 5-1, whereas the opposite common suspects, apart from Spain of their 3-0 win over Croatia, have made more durable work of their opening fixtures. There have been some absolute screamers since final Friday – thanks Nicolae Stanciu. But the objectives of the event got here yesterday as Turkey beat Georgia 3-1 within the recreation of the event to date.
If the primary spherical of fixtures are something to go by, we’re in for a deal with at present. There are three video games: Croatia v Albania at 2pm, Germany v Hungary at 5pm and Scotland v Switzerland at 8pm. Every crew can have one thing to show with Steve Clarke’s Scotland aspect particularly eager to bounce again from a disappointing first recreation.
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