The second of two Euro 2024 last-16 ties taking place on Saturday, hosts Germany clash with Denmark at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund in the late kickoff.

Julian Nagelsmann’s men topped Group A to cruise into the knockout rounds, while their Scandinavian counterparts nabbed second place in a highly forgettable Group C.

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Match preview

Banishing the demons of their last two World Cup campaigns, which both ended with premature group-stage exits, Germany had already rubber-stamped their knockout place with just two games gone thanks to putting a combined seven goals past Scotland and Hungary.

Simply avoiding defeat versus Switzerland on the final matchday and Die Mannschaft were guaranteed to progress as group winners, but Nagelsmann’s men were on the brink of being unexpectedly demoted down to the runners-up spot thanks to Dan Ndoye’s opener.

However, on an evening of dramatic late goals in Group A, Niclas Fullkrug – who takes to home turf this weekend – popped up with an injury-time leveller to just about ensure Germany’s status as group winners, thereby avoiding a last-16 battle with reigning champions Italy.

In a peculiar turn of events, though, Switzerland are arguably now on the easier side of the knockout draw, as Germany have been grouped with fellow heavyweights Spain, France, Portugal and Belgium as their reward for winning the group and reaching the last 16 for the fifth time in a row.

A quarter-final clash with either Spain or the unfancied Georgia will await if Germany can do the business against Denmark, and they arrive at Borussia Dortmund’s headquarters still unbeaten from their seven matches in the calendar year, prevailing in five and playing out two draws.

Speaking of one-point affairs, Group C was one for the stalemate specialists in England, Slovenia, Serbia and Denmark, all of whom contributed to the joint lowest-scoring men’s Euros group in history with just seven goals scored across six games.

Upcoming foes Germany were coincidentally involved in the only previous seven-goal section in 2016, and despite not winning any of their games in the group, Denmark’s three draws with their three foes was enough for Kasper Hjulmand’s side to clinch the silver medal position.

The Danes were responsible for just two of the seven strikes in Group C – although Morten Hjulmand’s rocket versus England will certainly go down as a goal-of-the-tournament contender – and they have now qualified for the knockout stages of back-to-back Euros for the first time ever.

Hjulmand will be under no illusions that improvements are required quickly if his troops are to stand a chance of shocking the tournament hosts, but they coincidentally share Germany’s seven-match unbeaten run in 2024 and have just one loss under their belts from their last 15 contests.

However, Germany emerged triumphant over Denmark during their last competitive showdown at the 2012 European Championships – prevailing 2-1 in the group phase thanks to Lukasz Podolski and Lars Bender – but both friendly encounters since have ended 1-1.

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Team News

Germany boss Nagelsmann went with the same starting XI for all three of his side’s Group A games, but he will be forced into at least one alteration here, as Jonathan Tah has been booked twice and must serve a one-match ban.

Furthermore, Tah’s regular centre-back partner – Antonio Rudiger – has been hampered by a hamstring problem and did not train with the team earlier this week, although there is still optimism that he will be able to marshal the Mannschaft defence, likely alongside Nico Schlotterbeck.

Robin Koch and Waldemar Anton are both waiting in the wings if need be, and Fullkrug’s strike off the bench against Switzerland gives Nagelsmann a bit more food for thought up top, but there is no indication that Kai Havertz will lose his place.

Similarly, Denmark head coach Hjulmand must also work around a suspension to an integral figure on Saturday, as Sporting Lisbon midfielder and his namesake Morten Hjulmand is also on the naughty step due to a totting-up of yellow cards.

The Red and Whites boss is not short of options to replace him, though, as Brentford duo Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen are competent alternatives, as is Thomas Delaney, who recovered from illness to come off the bench against Serbia.

Further up the field, Jonas Wind has not been cutting the mustard up front since his delicate assist for Christian Eriksen against Slovenia, so any of Andreas Skov Olsen, Kasper Dolberg or Yussuf Poulsen might threaten his position.

Germany possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Kimmich, Schlotterbeck, Rudiger, Mittelstadt; Kroos, Andrich; Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz; Havertz

Denmark possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Vestergaard; Bah, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Maehle; Eriksen; Hojlund, Wind

The USA can potentially qualify for the knockout stage of the Copa America on Thursday when they face Panama in matchday two action at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

In their opening match, the tournament hosts had no trouble with Bolivia, winning 2-0, while Los Canaleros lost 3-1 to Uruguay.

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Match preview

For over 80 minutes, the Panamanians were within striking distance in their opening fixture before falling apart in the latter stages.

Thomas Christiansen’s men gave up two goals in the final five minutes of the second half plus stoppage time, losing consecutive fixtures for the second time this year.

Since taking charge of this team in 2020, the Danish manager has never suffered three successive defeats on the international stage, a streak that will be in jeopardy on Thursday.

After losing their final two matches at the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League, this team have won consecutive games against teams in their region, winning their two World Cup qualifiers this month by a combined score of 5-1.

A defeat combined with a victory for Uruguay versus Bolivia would officially eliminate the Panamanians from this competition for the second time in two appearances.

La Marea Roja have emerged victorious in two of their previous three meetings with the Americans, most recently defeating them on penalties in the semi-finals of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In front of over 47,000 fans, the host nation gave their supporters something to cheer about early, scoring after three minutes and doubling their advantage just before the interval.

In the opening half, it was one-way traffic for the Yanks, as they managed 18 touches in the attacking box, while the Bolivians did not have any over that span.

Two moments of pure class were more than enough for Gregg Berhalter’s men on the day, as the 50-year-old coach recorded his 44th victory in charge of this team, surpassing Bob Bradley for third all-time, with only Jurgen Klinsmann (55) and Bruce Arena (81) registering more.

That was the Americans’ third successive victory in the group stage of this tournament and the third straight time they failed to concede in this portion of the competition.

Since a new rotational system was implemented to host this event in 1987, every host nation has made it beyond the group stage of this competition, and an American victory, combined with a Uruguayan win or draw, would ensure that streak continues.

Only once have we seen the United States lose to Panama on home soil in normal time, when the Yanks suffered a 2-1 defeat to them at MetLife Stadium during the group phase of the 2011 Gold Cup.

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Team News

This past weekend, we saw three newcomers to the Panamanian starting 11 who had not begun their previous friendly with Paraguay – Edgardo Farina, Jose Luis Rodriguez, and Adalberto Carrasquilla.

Carrasquilla, who plays for the Houston Dynamo, is one of three individuals on this roster currently featuring for an American club, along with Omar Valencia (New York Red Bulls II) and Carlos Harvey (Minnesota United).

Michael Murillo had the only goal in their defeat against Uruguay, the eighth for the Marseille defender in a Panamanian shirt.

The average age of the US starting 11 on matchday one was 25 years and 339 days, with the youngest being Joe Scally at 21, while Tim Ream became the oldest American player to feature in this tournament (36 years and 261 days).

On Sunday, Tyler Adams made the starting 11 for the first time since their victory over Mexico in the March Nations League final, while Giovanni Reyna has started four consecutive matches for the Yanks.

Folarin Balogun netted his fourth with the national team, while Christian Pulisic became the third American to score in five different competitions, joining Eric Wynalda and Clint Dempsey.

Panama possible starting lineup:
Mosquera; Murillo, Farina, Cordoba, Miller, Davis; Rodriguez, Welch, Carrasquilla, Barcenas; Fajardo

USA possible starting lineup:
Turner; Scally, Ream, Richards, A. Robinson; Reyna, Musah, McKennie; Weah, Balogun, Pulisic

Battling it out for a place in the Euro 2024 knockout phase, Czech Republic and Turkey clash at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion on Wednesday evening.

Both aiming to join Group F winners Portugal in the last 16, the Crescent-Stars must simply avoid defeat to wrap up second place, while their Czech counterparts must win and hope Georgia fail to cause an upset.

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Match preview

The hero of their run to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, Czech Republic again turned to star striker Patrik Schick when in need of inspiration, as he scored a second-half equaliser to deny Georgia a first major tournament victory last weekend.

After losing their opening game to Portugal, the Czechs were in serious trouble when Georges Mikautadze coolly fired home a penalty in first-half stoppage time; however, Schick struck back near the hour mark to net his sixth goal in just seven European Championship appearances.

Though they failed to find a winner, Ivan Hasek’s side now have their destiny within their own hands heading towards a dramatic Group F finale, which will see three teams scrapping for one certain last-16 spot behind Portugal.

The Czechs can finish second if they beat Turkey and Georgia do not stun the Selecao in Gelsenkirchen – but if both were to win, then goal difference would be required to separate them.

Drawing could still end Czech Republic’s journey at the group stage, while they will definitely be unable to reach the knockout rounds should they lose.

Hasek’s squad may have arrived in Germany on a run of five straight wins – mostly in friendlies – but they have won only four of their last 15 competitive matches ahead of such a high-stakes showdown.

Furthermore, the Euro 1996 runners-up have now taken maximum points from just one of their last eight group games at the European Championship, against Scotland three years ago.

Turkey, meanwhile, may be more inspired by a look through the history books, as they came out on top in their two previous meetings with Czech Republic at the Euros – both in the final group game.

A spectacular 3-2 comeback win in 2008 was followed by a 2-0 victory eight years later, and by making it three from three on Wednesday, the Crescent-Stars would book their place in the next round.

In fact, Turkey will be through to the last 16 as group runners-up if they simply avoid defeat in Hamburg, where they are sure to have a huge following – many thousands of Turkish emigrants have settled in Germany over the past 60 years.

Only if they lose and Georgia win, Vincenzo Montella’s men might fail to progress; otherwise, they will become the first Turkey team to reach the knockout phase since a memorable run to the semi-finals in 2008.

That is all despite suffering a 3-0 defeat to Portugal last time out, in which a calamitous mix-up between stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and centre-back Samet Akaydin resulted in the latter scoring an awful own goal.

Nonetheless, a 3-1 victory over Georgia in their opener leaves the Crescent-Stars needing just one point to certainly go through – and they have lost only three of their last 16 competitive matches.

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Team News

Patrick Schick saved Czech Republic’s blushes against Georgia last week, while becoming his country’s all time top scorer at the European Championship, but he is a major doubt for Wednesday’s game.

Including the World Cup – and games as Czechoslovakia – only Oldrich Nejedly (seven) has scored more at major international tournaments for the Czech national team; however, the Bayer Leverkusen striker looks set to be sidelined.

If required, Mojmir Chytil or Schick’s clubmate Adam Hlozek would most likely fill in, perhaps even being paired as Ivan Hasek tries to take the initiative in an almost must-win match.

Little else is expected to change, with West Ham United duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal playing influential roles in central midfield and at right wing-back respectively.

Both are among six men at risk of missing a potential last-16 tie, having already been booked: Schick, Tomas Holes, David Jurasek and Lukas Provod are the others.

Meanwhile, Vincenzo Montella will hope to have first-choice goalkeeper Mert Gunok back in the fold. Having missed the defeat to Portugal with a knee injury, it remains to be seen whether the Besiktas stopper can come straight in for Altay Bayindir.

Orkun Kokcu is struggling with an ankle problem, but Irfan Can Kahveci took part in full training and should be available; Real Madrid wonderkid Arda Guler could be ready to start after a minor groin injury restricted him to a cameo role on Saturday.

Having been booked for the second time in two games, Abdulkerim Bardakci must now serve a suspension, so Merih Demiral is set to step into Turkey’s back four.

Captain Hakan Çalhanoglu starts in midfield, currently topping his team’s rankings for touches (191), successful passes (149), passes into the final third (20) and possession won (14) at Euro 2024 so far.

The Inter Milan playmaker will walk a disciplinary tightrope, though, as he joins Samet Akaydin and Zeki Celik in being one booking away from a ban.

Czech Republic possible starting lineup:
Stanek; Holes, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Soucek, Provod, Doudera; Barak, Hlozek; Chytil

Turkey possible starting lineup:
Bayindir; Muldur, Demiral, Ayhan, Kadioglu; Yuksek, Calhanoglu; Akturkoglu, Guler, Yildiz; Yilmaz

Requiring just one point to ensure a place in the knockout phase of Euro 2024, the Netherlands meet Austria for their final Group D fixture on Tuesday.

The teams convene in Berlin, with the Oranje having four points on the board following their stalemate with France; Ralf Rangnick’s men swept past Poland last time out but must now avoid defeat to have a good chance of reaching the last 16.

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Match preview

Aiming to reach the knockout rounds for an eighth time in their last nine European Championship appearances, the Netherlands took one step closer to their primary goal by holding tournament favourites France to a 0-0 draw on Friday night.

Though neither side could break the deadlock in Leipzig, Xavi Simons appeared to have put his team ahead in the 69th minute, with the skilful forward firing into the bottom corner after France goalkeeper Mike Maignan had denied Memphis Depay.

However, following a lengthy VAR check, the strike was ultimately ruled out for offside, with Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries judged to have been interfering with Maignan’s dive – that left boss Ronald Koeman fuming, but his side still managed to put themselves within a whisker of the last 16.

Having previously beaten Poland 2-1 in their opener, the Oranje will secure a place in Group D’s top two should they avoid losing to Austria; guaranteeing first place if they win and France fail to deliver against Poland.

Meanwhile, if Koeman’s men draw and France win they will still finish second – even in defeat, four points would likely prove enough to progress as a third-placed finisher.

Since the 2014 World Cup, the Netherlands are unbeaten in group matches at major tournaments, winning nine of 11 and scoring in each game except Friday’s goalless encounter with Les Bleus.

During that streak, Austria were beaten 2-0 at Euro 2020, when Depay and Dumfries were both on target at the Johan Cruijff Arena. A repeat would now take a highly-rated Dutch squad through to the next phase with room to spare.

Including defeat in Amsterdam three summers ago, Austria have lost their last seven matches against the Netherlands – their longest ongoing sequence against a single opponent.

In fact, their last victory over the Oranje dates back to May 1990, but ending that barren run may be necessary on Tuesday evening, in order to ensure qualification for the last 16.

Austria will actually win Group D if they take maximum points and France do not, but should they draw and Les Bleus lose, the Austrians will instead finish third on head-to-head record.

One point would surely prove sufficient to progress as a best third-place team in any case, helping Das Team reach the European Championship knockout rounds for the second consecutive edition. Having failed to get past the group stage in their first two appearances – as hosts in 2008, and then again eight years later – that would represent an impressive achievement.

After suffering defeat to France in their first match at Euro 2024, two players recalled to the starting lineup were on the scoresheet as Ralf Rangnick’s side recorded an important 3-1 victory over Poland on Friday afternoon.

Gernot Trauner opened the scoring, and Christoph Baumgartner netted Austria’s second after a clever dummy from Marko Arnautovic, who went on to confirm all three points from the penalty spot with 12 minutes remaining.

Following their 3-1 victory in Berlin, the Austrians could now win back-to-back games at a major finals for the first time since 1982 when they step out at the iconic Olympiastadion once again.

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Team News

Ronald Koeman should have a full squad at his disposal for the Netherlands’ final group fixture, as Ajax striker Brian Brobbey was back on the bench for the France game after overcoming a hamstring injury.

Introducing Jeremie Frimpong for PSV midfielder Joey Veerman was Koeman’s only change on Friday, but with one foot already in the last 16, further switches will surely be considered.

Both Veerman and his clubmate Jerdy Schouten are one booking away from suspension, which may be a minor factor in team selection, potentially opening the door for Ryan Gravenberch or Georginio Wijnaldum to join Tijjani Reijnders.

The latter completed more line-breaking passes than any Dutch player last time out (13), also boasting the best pass completion rate of any outfield starter (97%).

Up front, Wout Weghorst will hope to supplant Memphis Depay, who is just five goals shy of equalling Robin van Persie’s record total for the Oranje.

At the back, Virgil van Dijk made eight clearances against France: the most by a Netherlands player in a group game at the European Championship since 2008. The Liverpool stalwart will captain his national team once again.

Meanwhile, Austria boss Ralf Rangnick tinkered with his starting XI ahead of the victory over Poland, so more changes cannot be ruled out on Tuesday.

Against France, Max Wober and Kevin Danso were paired in central defence, but Gernot Trauner and Philipp Lienhart stepped into the side last time out. After scoring the opener, Trauner was later forced off by a muscular problem, so his fitness is now in some doubt.

Christoph Baumgartner claimed the ‘Man of the Match’ award so is likely to be retained, while all-time top scorer Marko Arnautovic again battles it out with Michael Gregoritsch to spearhead the Austrian attack.

Captain Marcel Sabitzer will make his 10th major tournament appearance, becoming the first Austrian to do since the 1982 World Cup. His fellow midfielder Nicolas Seiwald has recovered possession 11 times and made 10 tackles in two games at Euro 2024 so far – both the most of any Austria player – and is yet to concede a foul.

Netherlands possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Reijnders, Schouten; Frimpong, Simons, Gakpo; Depay

Austria possible starting lineup:
Pentz; Posch, Danso, Lienhart, Mwene; Seiwald, Laimer; Wimmer, Baumgartner, Sabitzer; Gregoritsch

Vying for second spot in Group B at Euro 2024, Croatia and Italy will meet for a Monday night showdown in Leipzig.

While the Azzurri know one point is enough to secure a place in the last 16, their neighbours must win and hope Albania do not beat group winners Spain.

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Match preview

Despite suffering a serious setback on Wednesday – when they conceded a last-gasp goal against Albania to sit on just one point after two Group B fixtures – Croatia can still progress to the knockout rounds of another European Championship.

They will certainly go through to the last 16 if they defeat Italy on Monday and Albania are unable to upset Spain – should the Albanians also win, the pair would be split by means of goal difference.

Defeat will consign the World Cup bronze medallists to an early exit – or a draw and Albania avoiding defeat – as the two teams’ head-to-head record is level after events at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion.

Having lost 3-0 to Spain in their opener, the Vatreni were held to a dramatic 2-2 draw by Albania four days later, scoring twice in the second half to turn the game on its head before shipping a stoppage-time equaliser.

Croatia have already had more shots and more attempts on target at Euro 2024 than they managed across three group games three years ago, but an ageing midfield and misfiring attack has not helped their cause this summer.

As his team have also conceded five goals so far – and face the prospect of failing to win at a major finals for the first time since 2006 – long-serving head coach Zlatko Dalic is left with some tough decisions to make.

Now, two nations split by the Adriatic Sea meet for a high-stakes contest in Eastern Germany, with Croatia holding the upper hand in terms of precedent: since gaining independence in the 1990s, they are unbeaten in eight games against their Italian counterparts.

Meeting Croatia for the third time at a major tournament – having lost 2-1 at the 2002 World Cup and played out a stalemate at Euro 2012 – Italy are armed with the knowledge that a draw on this occasion will send them through as Group B runners-up.

The reigning European champions could already have booked their place in the last 16, but suffering a 1-0 defeat to Spain last time out leaves the Azzurri in some danger of a disappointing exit.

Although only Riccardo Calafiori’s own goal separated the sides in Gelsenkirchen, La Roja were by far the better team in almost every metric, causing much consternation up and down the Italian peninsula.

With a 10-game undefeated streak at UEFA’s main event finally over, dreams of becoming just the second country to win successive Euros are now dependent on quickly turning things around.

Luciano Spalletti’s men have plenty to prove, after attempting their fewest shots in a European Championship game to date and looking shaky at the back: La Nazionale have never lost consecutive matches at the Euros, but their final group fixture seems far from straightforward.

Avoiding defeat to Croatia is a minimum requirement, because if Italy lose and Albania somehow shock already-qualified Spain, the Azzurri’s title defence would come crashing to a halt.

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Team News

As all 25 remaining players trained at the weekend – Torino forward Nikola Vlasic recently departed the camp due to injury – Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic can contemplate several changes to his starting XI.

Bruno Petkovic could make way for Ante Budimir up front, while former Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic may be dropped for fresh legs in the form of 21-year-old Luka Sucic, having failed to perform thus far.

By contrast, captain Luka Modric is sure to start, having made his 34th major tournament appearance against Albania – a total just six European outfield players can better. The Real Madrid playmaker also made 64 passes in the final third, which is the second-most on record for a single game at the Euros.

Modric will be joined by Mateo Kovacic in the engine room, while the latter’s Manchester City teammate Josko Gvardiol should continue in central defence, with either Borna Sosa or veteran winger Ivan Perisic lining up at left-back.

Italy are also expected to shake up their side on Monday, following sub-par displays by players such as Gianluca Scamacca, Jorginho and Giovanni Di Lorenzo against Spain.

Matteo Darmian, Bryan Cristante and Genoa striker Mateo Retegui are all viable alternatives, while young midfielder Nicolo Fagioli is also in contention despite spending most of last season sidelined by a betting ban.

Luciano Spalletti’s squad was decimated by injury before the tournament kicked off, and with Federico Dimarco’s presence now in doubt due to a bruised calf, the versatile Darmian may be required to deputise.

Voted player of the tournament at Euro 2020, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will captain the Azzurri, with Inter pair Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella also certain of selection.

Donnarumma is set to make his 10th European Championship appearance aged 25 years and 120 days, thereby becoming the youngest goalkeeper to hit that milestone by nearly three years.

Croatia possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Sucic, Kovacic; Pasalic, Budimir, Kramaric

Italy possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Darmian, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco; Fagioli, Barella; Chiesa, Pellegrini, Zaccagni; Retegui

A battle of the Group D behemoths headlines Friday’s Euro 2024 fixtures, as the Netherlands and France pit their wits against one another at the Red Bull Arena for the right to guarantee last-16 progression.

Ronald Koeman’s men fought back from a goal down to sink Poland 2-1 in their opening affair, while Les Bleus also scraped a narrow success over Austria, albeit one that was marred by an injury to their star man.

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Match preview

The absence of marvellous marksman Robert Lewandowski initially did not harm Poland’s chances of claiming a shock scalp over the Netherlands in their Group D opener, as his capable deputy – Adam Buksa – glanced a terrific header into the far corner with just 16 minutes gone.

However, the Netherlands responded in just 13 minutes as Cody Gakpo’s deflected effort deceived Wojciech Szczesny, and with a mere seven minutes of normal time remaining, Wout Weghorst wrote his own hero arc with a thumping low finish to complete the Dutch turnaround.

Koeman was more relieved than anything else to see his bold tactical decision pay off – the ex-Barcelona boss admitted that he considered playing Memphis Depay behind Weghorst but ultimately substituted the former for another Manchester United flop, whose winner propelled Oranje to the summit of Group D.

Leading the way over France courtesy of their superior goals scored tally, the Netherlands will guarantee themselves a top-two finish by winning Friday’s match, which would also represent their fourth straight victory after 4-0 friendly thrashings of Canada and Iceland in their warm-up fixtures.

In fact, a 2-1 friendly defeat to Germany in March is the only reverse that Koeman’s men have suffered in their last eight battles – underlining their status as a genuine competitor for Euro 2024 glory – but their upcoming opponents certainly had their number in qualifying.

Before being quickly reunited with their Dutch foes in the same finals section, France eased to a 4-0 battering of Oranje at home and also scraped a 2-1 victory in the preliminary section, leaving Didier Deschamps’s men with history firmly on their side this week.

As was the case with the Netherlands, Les Bleus’ opening success of the tournament – a 1-0 victory over an in-form Austria thanks to Maximilian Wober’s own goal – did not come without a strenuous effort, although they could have usurped Oranje into first place had Kylian Mbappe not spurned a glorious one-on-one.

While the Real Madrid new boy could not smash the ball home on that occasion, he sparked serious concern when he smashed his face into the shoulder of Kevin Danso, receiving a broken nose and a yellow card for his troubles; he came back onto the pitch without permission amid a substitution farce.

However, Mbappe’s assist for Wober’s own goal means that second-placed France will also be through to the last 16 with victory on Friday, and Deschamps’s men have found a resilient defensive streak when it matters most, recording three clean sheets on the spin.

By doing the double over the Dutch in qualifying, France followed the established pattern between the two nations; they have won seven of their last eight matches against the Netherlands, although Oranje have triumphed in their last two at the Euros finals, including a 4-1 demolition in the 2008 group phase.

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Team News

No injury concerns arose for the Netherlands during their hard-fought win over Poland, and as Brian Brobbey – absent from that victory with a hamstring problem – is now training with the team again, Koeman should have every man available to him.

The only minor quandary for the Oranje boss might come in midfield, as Joey Veerman’s yellow card on Sunday means that he will incur a one-game ban if he is booked here as well, but Koeman should not take such hypotheticals into account for a match of this magnitude.

The Netherlands coach has not completely closed the door on Weghorst’s chances of starting after his late heroics over the weekend, but Depay – five shy of equalling Robin van Persie’s record 50 goals for the men’s team – should continue to hold off his colleague for the time being.

Speaking of attacking predicaments, Bleus fans have been anxiously awaiting news on Mbappe, who was left sporting a bloody nose and shirt after the Danso incident, but the ex-Paris Saint-Germain attacker could still feature in the latter stages of the tournament with a protective mask.

However, French media have reported that Mbappe will have to sit out Friday’s crunch clash, and Deschamps is expected to call upon record goalscorer Olivier Giroud to fill the void; the 37-year-old has been dealing with some groin pain, but nothing that should impact his availability.

Eduardo Camavinga (ankle) and his Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni (foot) are also expected to be given the green light to play, but neither should displace N’Golo Kante, who rolled back the years against Austria with an industrious midfield performance.

Netherlands possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Schouten, Veerman; Simons, Reijnders, Gakpo; Depay

France possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Thuram; Giroud

Seeking to qualify for the Euro 2024 knockout rounds with a group game to spare, England do battle with Denmark in Group C at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt on Thursday evening.

The two nations meet for the first time since the semi-finals of Euro 2020 when the Three Lions came from behind to win 2-1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium.

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Match preview

Exactly 1,100 days after suffering a cardiac arrest in Denmark’s first game of Euro 2020, Christian Eriksen marked his return to the continental stage in heart-warming fashion as he netted the opening goal in Sunday’s Group C encounter with Slovenia.

The Manchester United playmaker chested down a superb flick from teammate Jonas Wind before poking home a first-time shot in the 17th minute. However, it was not quite the perfect comeback for Eriksen, as his opener was cancelled out by a deflected long-range shot from Slovenia’s Erik Janza 13 minutes from time, forcing both sides to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand admitted after the match that his side were “too passive” and lacked intensity in the closing stages, and he has encouraged his players to maintain their high energy levels for the entire 90 minutes if they wish to claim three precious points from at least one of their remaining two group fixtures.

Ranked 21st in the world by FIFA, Denmark have made themselves difficult to beat in recent months as they have only lost one of their last 13 international matches since March 2023, but the draw with Slovenia means that they have now won just one of their last six group fixtures at the European Championship (W1 D1 L4).

The Euro 1992 winners head into Thursday’s contest having won just four of their previous 22 meetings with England, and failure to claim maximum points will put them in danger of exiting the group stage at a second consecutive major tournament, after falling at the first hurdle at the 2022 World Cup.

Following a memorable debut season at Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham inspired England to an important 1-0 victory over Serbia in their opening Group C match on Sunday, ensuring that the Three Lions’ quest to banish the demons of Euro 2020 began in positive fashion.

The floodgates were seemingly primed to open when 20-year-old Bellingham powered home a header from Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross in the 13th minute, but England failed to capitalise on their early dominance which led to a nervy second half, as they were forced to soak up pressure from a much-improved Serbian outfit.

Nevertheless, Gareth Southgate can take positives from a defensive perspective as his side showed “resilience” to quell the threat of Serbia. England eventually held on for maximum points and subsequently sit two points clear of both Denmark and Slovenia, knowing that victory against the former on Thursday will see them qualify for the last 16.

England have become the first nation in European Championship history to keep five consecutive clean sheets in the group stage of the competition, while they have not tasted defeat at the group stage since their Euro 2004 opener against France, recording eight wins and four draws since then.

Interestingly, England will be bidding to win their opening two matches at a Euros tournament for the very first time when they face Denmark on Thursday, but success against the Danes is not a given considering that they have failed to win any of their previous three competitive meetings in 90 minutes.

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Team News

Denmark boss Hjulmand may decide to stick with the same starting lineup on Thursday, with Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen, former Chelsea man Andreas Christensen – now at Barcelona – and Leicester City’s Jannik Vestergaard all retaining their places in a three-man defence, protecting 37-year-old goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Joakim Maehle will be pushing for a recall at wing-back at the expense of either Alexander Bah or Victor Kristiansen, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is set to links arms with Morten Hjulmand in centre-midfield.

Man United striker Rasmus Hojlund has scored seven goals in 15 international caps for Denmark and is expected to continue up front alongside Wind, with Eriksen operating in the number 10 role.

As for England, Southgate will weigh up whether to stick with the same starting lineup or look to make one or two changes, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden potentially at risk of dropping down to the substitutes’ bench.

Alexander-Arnold began in centre-midfield alongside Declan Rice against Serbia and could keep his spot on Thursday, but it would not come as a surprise to see one of Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo or even Adam Wharton handed a start at the Liverpool man’s expense at some point during the group stage.

Foden, meanwhile, struggled to make the desired impact on the left flank. The Manchester City star would prefer to operate centrally or on the right, but both Bellingham and Saka seem nailed in their respective positions, so Foden is seemingly poised to continue on the left, unless Southgate opts for a change in personnel and hands a start to one of Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer or Eberechi Eze.

Denmark possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Vestergaard; Bah, Hjulmand, Hojbjerg, Kristiansen; Eriksen; Wind, Hojlund

England possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane

Capable of sealing qualification for the Euro 2024 knockout stages with a game to spare, hosts Germany square off with Hungary in Wednesday’s Group A battle at the MHPArena in Stuttgart.

Julian Nagelsmann’s men became record-breakers in a 5-1 thrashing of Scotland on the opening day, while their Hungarian foes were put to the sword 3-1 by Switzerland.

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Match preview

Starting the European Championships as they mean to finish it, Germany made tournament history in their dismantling of a sorry Scotland side at the Allianz Arena last Friday, recording the biggest opening win that the men’s competition has ever seen.

That was one of a spectacular seven records smashed by Nagelsmann’s merciless men, who had two 21-year-old phenoms in Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala to thank for their initial advantage, before Kai Havertz slotted home from the spot after Ryan Porteous’s dreadful tackle on Ilkay Gundogan.

While Antonio Rudiger’s own goal prolonged Germany’s streak without a clean sheet at major tournaments – which now stands at 13 matches – two thumping Niclas Fullkrug and Emre Can strikes either side of the Real Madrid man’s unfortunate contribution spared his blushes and sparked Munich mania.

Taking their rightful place at the summit of Group A – ahead of the Swiss on goal difference – Germany’s top-two finish will be confirmed if they prevail on Wednesday evening, as even if Scotland can stun Switzerland, their inferior head-to-head record would leave them unable to usurp Die Mannschaft.

Nagelsmann’s reign may have got off to a mediocre start, but the Euro 2024 hosts are now riding the wave of a five-match unbeaten sequence – four of which have ended in victory – and they have all the motivation they require to seal their top-two finish against a recent bogey team of theirs.

It has been a little under three years since Hungary dug in for a 2-2 draw against Germany in the Euro 2020 group stage, before managing to take four points off of Die Mannschaft in the most recent Nations League, where Marco Rossi masterminded a remarkable 1-0 win in September 2022.

Adam Szalai was the hero of the hour that day with the game’s only goal – and his final one for the national team before his retirement – but Hungary certainly could have done with his talismanic figure up front during their unsuccessful war with Switzerland over the weekend.

Kwadwo Duah and Michel Aebischer launched the Rossocrociati into a merited two-goal lead before Murat Yakin’s side switched off – allowing Barnabas Varga to cut the deficit in half – but Switzerland withstood late Magyars pressure and restored their two-goal advantage right at the death via Breel Embolo’s delicate lob.

Consequently, Rossi’s troops lie third in the embryonic Group A rankings – which could suffice for a knockout berth based on their performance – and only lead Scotland on goal difference, so their top-two aspirations could come to a swift end in Stuttgart this week.

The Switzerland-inflicted defeat was just the second that Hungary have experienced in their last 17 matches in all competitions, and while both of those losses have come this month, a 12-match scoring sequence should offer the Magyars faithful the tiniest crumb of comfort.

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Team News

An almost perfect evening for Germany against Scotland saw none of Nagelsmann’s players pick up any knocks, and both fans and neutrals were pleased to see Gundogan emerge unharmed from Porteous’s sickening challenge, having caught the Barcelona man on the ankle with the full force of his studs.

Gundogan is expected to form a part of an unchanged XI for the tournament hosts, working in tandem with man-of-the-match Musiala and Bayer Leverkusen hotshot Wirtz, now the youngest German man to score a goal at the European Championships.

As Robert Andrich and Jonathan Tah were both booked against Scotland, they run the risk of sitting out the final group game versus Switzerland if they pick up a yellow card on Wednesday, although it may be preferable for them to miss that match if Germany have already qualified.

Meanwhile, Hungary head coach Rossi was unable to call upon either Loic Nego or Callum Styles for the loss to Switzerland due to unspecified fitness concerns, and while both men are stepping up their recoveries, neither are expected to be fighting for a starting role.

Even with Nego absent, Rossi could still opt for a change on the right-hand side in the shape of Bendeguz Bolla – one of two players walking a suspension tightrope alongside Attila Szalai – or Endre Botka, after giving 34-year-old Attila Fiola the nod in the opener.

Now the youngest male captain in Euros history, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai cut a frustrated figure before providing the assist for Varga’s header on Saturday, and a 44th cap now awaits the 23-year-old.

Germany possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Kroos; Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz; Havertz

Hungary possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Orban, Lang, Szalai; Bolla, Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Sallai, Szoboszlai; Varga

One of the favourites for this summer’s European Championship will take to the field on Tuesday evening, with Portugal opening their Euro 2024 campaign against the Czech Republic at Leipzig Stadium.

Portugal are being tipped as challengers for the trophy in Germany, while the Czech Republic will be bidding to progress from a section which also includes Turkey and Georgia.

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Match preview

Portugal famously triumphed at Euro 2016, and they have reached the semi-finals of this tournament on a further three occasions, but they were knocked out in the last-16 stage of Euro 2020.

The Iberian nation then reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, with Roberto Martinez taking charge soon after the competition, and there have been plenty of positive signs under the Spaniard.

France, England and Germany are considered to be the three favourites to win Euro 2024, but Portugal are also expected to be in the mix due to the talent and experience in their star-studded squad.

A Selecao das Quinas will enter their Group F opener off the back of a 3-0 success over Republic of Ireland in an international friendly, with a certain Cristiano Ronaldo coming up with a brace.

Portugal have actually lost two of their last four matches, but they are the heavy favourites to top this section, which also includes Turkey and Georgia, with definitely two but potentially three teams progressing.

Martinez’s side will face Turkey in their second match in Group F on June 22, before finishing their section against Georgia on June 26, with the knockout round of the competition beginning soon after.

Czech Republic, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 victory over North Macedonia in their final warm-up fixture for the tournament on June 10.

Ivan Hasek’s team are on a run of five straight wins in all competitions, including their final Euro 2024 qualification match against Moldova last November, while they have since beaten Norway, Armenia, Malta and North Macedonia in friendly fixtures.

Czech Republic were runners-up at Euro 1996, while they made the semi-finals in 2004 and have reached the quarter-finals in two of their last three tournaments, including at Euro 2020.

Winners as Czechoslovakia in 1976, the national side are capable of making an impression this summer, with a solid qualification campaign for Euro 2024 seeing them pick up 15 points from their eight matches, finishing ahead of Poland in Group E.

Czech Republic have lost four of their previous five matches against Portugal, including a 4-0 defeat when the two countries last locked horns in the UEFA Nations League in September 2022.

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Team News

Portugal head coach Martinez has a number of big decisions to make when it comes to his team selection on Tuesday due to the strength in depth that exists in the squad.

There will be some big players named on the bench, but Ronaldo, at the age of 39, is set to lead the line, with the forward bidding to add to the 130 goals that he has managed for his country.

Ronaldo is set to make history this summer, as he prepares to feature in his sixth European Championship, while he will be aiming to become the oldest player to score at the competition.

Pepe will be 41 years and 113 days old when his national side open their Euro 2024 campaign, and he is expected to feature in the middle of the defence to become the oldest player in the history of the tournament.

Rafael Leao and Bernardo Silva could be given the nod alongside Ronaldo in the final third of the field, with Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and Joao Palhinha operating in midfield.

As for Czech Republic, midfielder Michal Sadilek, who would have been a starter, was forced to pull out of the squad before the start of the tournament due to an injury which he suffered while riding a bike.

West Ham United duo Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek will be in the XI, while Jan Kutcha should feature in the final third of the field on Tuesday night.

Patrik Schick is comfortably the leading goalscorer in the squad with 19, and the 28-year-old will lead the line here, bidding to add to the five goals that he has managed at the competition.

Adam Hlozek has only managed two goals for his country, but the 21-year-old is also an option to feature in the final third of the field against Portugal.

The Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf is the venue for Monday’s closing Euro 2024 contest, as in-form Austria and title favourites France pit their wits against one another in Group D.

Das Team have never progressed past the round of 16 at the continental championships, while Les Bleus have two titles to their name but have some wrongs to right from three years ago.

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Match preview

One of many managers to turn down the chance to replace Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich, Ralf Rangnick – in spite of his ill-fated spell in the Manchester United hotseat – has been well and truly working his magic with Austria, who arrive in their neighbouring nation as one of the most in-form teams on the continent.

Finishing just one point adrift of Belgium in their qualifying section, having posted six wins from a possible eight while dropping just five points along the way, Euros appearance number four is now on the menu for Austria, whose 2008 and 2016 campaigns ended prematurely with no wins under their belts.

However, Das Team belatedly earned their Euros stars in 2020, overcoming North Macedonia and Ukraine in the group stages before an excruciating extra-time defeat to eventual champions Italy, and the form book suggests that a surprise can be sprung in Group D.

While Poland and the Netherlands will provide daunting opposition, Rangnick has overseen a magnificent spell of results since a 3-2 loss to Belgium in Euros qualifying, masterminding six straight wins before a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on June 8 stopped the train in its tracks.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned defeat at the hands of the Belgians represents Austria’s sole defeat from their last 16 matches across all competitions, and not since September 2022 have Das Team drawn a blank in front of goal; a word of warning for a France outfit with a point to prove.

Amid conquering the globe in Russia and also sealing a Nations League title three years ago, heartbreak has been the theme of France’s last two major competitions, and Les Bleus have a barren 24-year run without continental stardom to snap on German soil.

Before severing ties with Paris Saint-Germain and completing his long-awaited switch to Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe went from hero to zero as his penalty miss against Switzerland condemned France to a last-16 Euro 2020 exit, before he trudged up to the podium with a face like thunder to collect his World Cup 2022 Golden Boot following Argentina’s 12-yard triumph.

In spite of recent shortcomings and Zinedine Zidane lurking in the background, Didier Deschamps – now the only living man to win a World Cup as a player and manager – remains in the hotseat to oversee France’s 11th Euros campaign, two of which in 1984 and 2000 saw Les Bleus go all the way.

Among France’s seven qualifying wins was a record 14-0 obliteration of Gibraltar, but even though Deschamps’s men were comfortable 3-0 victors over Luxembourg in their first friendly of the month, a drab goalless draw with Canada on June 9 was hardly the ideal send-off.

However, not since Euro 2012 have Les Bleus been defeated in a group-stage affair, and they had Austria’s number during the most recent Nations League cycle, being held to a 1-1 draw in June 2022 before a straightforward 2-0 Stade de France success a few months down the line.

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Team News

A handful of noteworthy Austrian names will be watching the Euros from the treatment room, including ACL victims David Alaba and Sasa Kalajdzic, while RB Leipzig midfielder Xaver Schlager did not make the selection either owing to a serious knee problem of his own.

However, Austria’s most-capped men’s player of all time – veteran striker Marko Arnautovic – is in the ranks, although Michael Gregoritsch is expected to win the scrap for the number nine spot in Rangnick’s 4-2-3-1.

Right-back Stefan Posch has also battled back from a knee concern and is poised to start in defence, especially with Gernot Trauner missing training on Friday, although that was more a precautionary measure than anything else.

As for a star-studded France outfit, Kingsley Coman was laid low by an illness earlier in the week but should be fine to feature, while Mbappe is also raring to go despite an alarming blow to the knee in the friendly win over Luxembourg.

That is more than can be said for Real Madrid lynchpin Aurelien Tchouameni, who is still on the mend from the foot injury that forced him to miss the Champions League final, so Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot is expected to be given the nod in the engine room.

Further back, Arsenal’s William Saliba was looking likely to be overlooked despite his magnificent Premier League season, but Deschamps has apparently now made a U-turn on his decision and will demote Ibrahima Konate to the bench instead.