Success-starved England to rely on young stars as they chase Euro 2024 glory
With Kylian Mbappe leading the attack, formidable France are also in hot pursuit of the trophy in Germany
MOST of Europe’s top football leagues have already wrapped up their seasons, and the attention is shifting to Germany where the European Championship will begin in Munich on June 14.
In Part 2 of BT Weekend’s preview of Euro 2024, we look at the eight teams in Groups C and D.
Much of the spotlight is naturally on England, who were within inches of winning the trophy three years ago but came up short against a resilient Italian side. Fans of the Three Lions will hope their team can finally go one better this time and win a first major trophy in nearly 60 years.
Group C (England, Denmark, Serbia, Slovenia)
England manager Gareth Southgate earlier this week named a provisional 33-man squad for Germany, and the most glaring omissions were Manchester United’s underachieving forward Marcus Rashford and Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Jordan Henderson.
Pundits are divided on the move to axe Rashford, with former Liverpool striker Michael Owen arguing that the 26-year-old still possesses immense pace that would suit the rigours of tournament football.
With several established stars out of the picture, it’s the perfect opportunity for the younger generation to stamp their mark on the international scene.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham have excelled for their clubs this season, and they could hold the key to guiding England to at least another semi-final appearance or better.
The toughest obstacle for England in this group is likely to be 1992 champions Denmark, with the two teams last meeting at Euro 2020, when Southgate’s men emerged 2-1 winners after extra time.
Denmark and Slovenia were in the same qualifying group for Euro 2024, with the Danes narrowly topping the section ahead of Slovenia by virtue of a better head-to-head record.
Denmark suffered a shock loss to Kazakhstan in the qualifiers but recovered to reach consecutive European Championships for the first time in 20 years.
Coach Kasper Hjulmand has a wealth of talent at his disposal, and he will be counting on Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund for the goals.
Slovenia’s seven wins from 10 qualifying matches ensured their spot at the Euros for the first time since 2000. They are certainly no slouches when coming up against the big boys, with coach Matjaz Kek overseeing a shock 2-0 win over Spain in a friendly in March.
As for Serbia, they boast an experienced roster that, at first glance, can more than match any team in this group. Coach Dragan Stojkovic has a formidable starting 11 that includes Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus, AC Milan’s Luka Jovic and Fenerbahce’s Dusan Tadic. Serbia could well be the dark horse of Euro 2024.
Group D (France, Netherlands, Poland, Austria)
One match that every football fan is eagerly anticipating is the Jun 21 clash in Leipzig between France and the Netherlands. Barring a major upset, these two teams should occupy the top two spots in their group and move comfortably to the next round.
The French, runners-up at the last World Cup in December 2022, are hoping to go all the way in Germany and win the championship for the first time since 2000.
Once again, coach Didier Deschamps will turn to Kylian Mbappe to spearhead the attack. The 25-year-old netted a hat-trick against Argentina in the World Cup final, and he is already one of the favourites for another Golden Boot award.
This current French squad is simply oozing with talent in every position, with Deschamps able to field the likes of Arsenal’s William Saliba, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele.
The Dutch, meanwhile, will provide the stiffest of tests. Ronald Koeman – who won Euro 1988 as a player – is in his second stint as coach. He led his team to the 2019 Uefa Nations League final and a third-place finish in the same competition in 2023.
Koeman has the luxury of having captain Virgil van Dijk in the heart of defence, and surrounding him are stars such as Jeremie Frimpong, Matthijs de Ligt and Denzel Dumfries.
Poland are a regular participant at the major tournaments, but have failed to hit top gear when it matters most.
To book their spot in Germany, the Poles had to do it the hard way via a play-off because of their third-place finish in their qualifying group. Coach Michal Probierz navigated the two extra games by beating Estonia 5-1 and ousting Wales in a penalty shootout.
As for Austria, they are participating at the Euros for the third straight time. Their coach is Ralf Rangnick, who is perhaps most known for his brief stint as interim manager of Manchester United in the 2021/22 season.
One advantage that Austria may have is the fact that Rangnick is German, and the bulk of the squad are from clubs in the German Bundesliga. Being on “home turf”, so to speak, could give them that little push to give the other teams in Group D a run for their money.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
