It’s half-time at a simply magnificent Euro 2024
As the knockout round starts this weekend, the tournament has already exceeded expectations
THE first two weeks of the European Championship in Germany have breezed by, and it is safe to say the tournament has more than delivered in terms of drama, excitement, controversy and the entertainment factor.
All 36 group games have been played, and Euro 2024 enters the knockout stage this weekend. Eight teams have been sent packing, and the remaining 16 nations will soldier on in their quest to win the Henri Delaunay trophy in Berlin on Jul 15.
From now on, there is simply no margin for error. Only the winners will progress, while the losers will lick their wounds and hop on the next plane home. There cannot be any more stalemates as every match must produce a victor, and it is almost certain that some games will need extra time or the lottery of a penalty shootout to separate the teams.
The first two fixtures of the Round of 16 will see the defending champions Italy play Switzerland in Berlin on Saturday (Jun 29, 11.55 pm kickoff, Singapore time), followed by the hosts Germany taking on Denmark in Dortmund on Sunday (3 am).
BT Weekend recaps some of the highs and lows of what has been a breathtaking Euro 2024.
Most impressive team – Spain
Spain were not talked about as heavy favourites before the tournament began, but the 2008 and 2012 champions have more than stamped their credentials as one of the teams to beat.
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They topped the so-called Group of Death with some ease, defeating Italy, Croatia and Albania and scoring five goals without conceding a single goal. Coach Luis de la Fuente has the proud honour of being in charge of the only team with a perfect winning record in the first round.
Spain have one of the most exciting squads in Germany, with players such as Barcelona duo Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.
A notable mention in this category is Austria, which surprised many by finishing top of their group ahead of France and the Netherlands.
Most disappointing team – England
One word to describe the England team is “underwhelming”. Billed as the team most likely to win the trophy, the Three Lions laboured their way through the group stage. They scored just two goals and somehow finished top of a weak section featuring Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia.
England coach Gareth Southgate has faced the brunt of the criticism, and rightfully so. He has been blessed with one of the most talented squads in generations, including Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Kobbie Mainoo, Phil Foden and Declan Rice, and yet they have turned in three of the worst performances in Germany, capped off by that turgid goalless draw against Slovenia on Thursday.
Southgate is fast running out of time to get things right, and he simply must get his players to fire on all cylinders, starting with the Round of 16 game against an unpredictable Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.
Best goal – Mattia Zaccagni (Italy)
In terms of sheer drama, quality and importance, it is hard to look past Mattia Zaccagni’s first-ever goal for Italy, which came deep into stoppage time against Italy on Jun 25.
The Croatians were defending a one-goal lead, scored by their captain Luka Modric. With nine minutes left, Italy manager Luciano Spalletti sent winger Zaccagni on for defender Matteo Darmian, and what a tactical masterstroke that proved to be.
In the eighth and final minute of injury time, Riccardo Calafiori stormed his way up front with the ball and passed to Zaccagni just outside the box. The 29-year-old curled a strike with precision, pace and power into the far top corner beyond goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
That 1-1 draw was enough to confirm Italy’s place in the Round of 16, while Croatia were left crestfallen on the pitch as they knew they were eliminated.
Fastest goal – Nedim Bajrami (Albania)
Hundreds of fans had barely settled into their seats at the BVB Stadion in Dortmund when Albania raced into a shock lead against Italy after just 23 seconds on the clock.
From the opening whistle, Albania made three passes, Italy botched a throw-in and Nedim Bajrami – a 25-year-old Switzerland-born midfielder who plays for Italian second-tier side Sassuolo – smashed the ball past a shellshocked Gianluigi Donnarumma
The Balkan nation still lost the game, but they exit the Euros with their heads held high. Apart from scoring the fastest goal in the tournament’s history, they also earned an impressive draw against Croatia.
Top scorer – ‘Own goal’
Maybe it is time the managers start telling their players to score at the correct end of the field. In the group stage alone, seven own goals were scored, which is only one fewer than Euro 2020. In all, there were 11 own goals scored at the last edition, and the signs are there that Euro 2024 could match or even overtake that unwanted record.
Donyell Malen of the Netherlands was the seventh and latest player to put the ball in his own net. That came in the sixth minute of the game against Austria, which turned out to be the earliest own goal scored in the 64-year history of the European Championship.
Believe it or not, the player leading the race for the Golden Boot is none other than Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze, who has three goals. The 23-year-old has scored in all three of his country’s matches so far, and it would not be too far-fetched to say that he will fancy his chances of another goal when Georgia play Spain in the Round of 16.
Five other players are tied on two goals, including Niclas Fullkrug and Jamal Musiala (both Germany), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Razvan Marin (Romania) and Ivan Schranz (Slovakia).
Most entertaining match – Turkey 3-1 Georgia
There have been some crackers at Euro 2024 already, and one game that stands out is Turkey’s 3-1 victory over Georgia on a rain-soaked evening in Dortmund on Jun 18. The stadium was packed to the rafters, the fans were cheering from start to finish, and every player on that field ran their hearts out as if their lives were on the line.
This match will be remembered for Turkish teenager Arda Guler’s spectacular long-range goal, which made him the youngest player to score on his debut at the Euros at the age of 19 years and 114 days, beating the record held by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Earlier, it was Mert Muldur who blasted in a volley from the edge of the box past Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Georgia, playing in their first major international tournament, were not overwhelmed and levelled the score just minutes later through Mikautadze.
Guler’s brilliant goal restored Turkey’s lead, and as the brave Georgians pressed on for an equaliser, Kerem Akturkoglu took advantage of the holes at the back and slid the ball into an empty net to cap a wonderful night for the Turks.
Georgia bounced back from the defeat and secured four points to reach the knockout round, making them the biggest surprise of Euro 2024. And no matter what happens in their next match against Spain, the Georgian players will head home as heroes and with their pockets significantly heavier too.
This after the founder of Georgia’s ruling party, billionaire former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, said that he will donate 30 million lari (S$14.6 million) after their qualification to the Round of 16.
Biggest snoozefests – Denmark 0-0 Serbia, England 0-0 Slovenia (tie)
The less said about these two matches, the better. These four teams in Group C played what possibly could be described as the two worst games in the tournament’s history.
England could barely produce any meaningful attack whatsoever against a resolute Slovenia side that were more than happy to secure a point and reach the next round.
Denmark and Serbia, meanwhile, seemed so disinterested on the pitch that the referee should have perhaps ended everyone’s misery earlier and sent both teams off to the locker rooms. It says a lot that a pitch invader being hauled to the ground by security personnel late in the second half was perhaps the most dramatic piece of action of the entire match.
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