24 teams have played their first and second group stage games and now set their sights on the final group stage match to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
Noteworthy moments so far…
Italy are first to qualify for round of 16
The tournament opened with incredible flare as Italy secured the first 3 points in the competition. The Azzurri took the lead, playing at home in Rome, via an own goal courtesy of Merih Demiral of Turkey upon resumption of the second-half and bagged two more goals through Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne not long after.
Roberto Mancini’s side repeated their 3-goal result against Switzerland. A great team effort saw two brilliant goals from Manuel Locatelli and another from Lazio striker, Ciro Immobile.
Belgium : A force to be reckoned with
The Red Devils eased to a 3-0 victory against Russia in front of Russians fans in St. Petersburg. The Belgium side overcame early jitters with a ruthless strike from Romelu Lukaku, and a clinical execution saw the team gain a two-goal cushion in the 34th minute with a goal from substitute Thomas Meunier. Lukaku held the Russians at arms length and wrapped up the win with a goal in the closing stages of the game.
Belgium lead Group B with six points and clinched their place in the last 16 after a 2-1 win over Denmark. The Danes dominated the first half with an early goal coming after only 99 seconds into the game, but Belgium kicked it into overdrive after the interval. Super sub Kevin De Bruyne laid out a superb pass for Thorgan Hazard to equalise in the 54th minute, and got his side’s winner 20 minutes later.
Netherlands take the lead in Group C
Dutch captain Georginio Wijnaldum scored first against Ukraine in the first game, and Wout Weghorst fiund the back of the net six minutes later. The Dutch hopes seem to have faded away as Ukraine drew level with two sensational goals coming within four minutes of each other. The Dutch refocused and got the winner off a header from Denzel Dumfries.
Frank de Boer’s side booked their spot in the last 16 after seeing off Austria in Amsterdam. The Johan Cruyff Arena was filled with celebratory cheers if 12,000 fans as Memphis Depay put the hosts in front after Denzel Dumfries was brought down in the box. He later went on to score the second for his team from a swift break in the second half.
England show promise, but a lot more needed to boost confidence in The Three Lions
England started their journey with speed, but slowed down playing a more ‘normal’ style that fans have become used to, as frustrating as it may be. Their first goal came courtesy of Raheem Sterling, who finished a through-ball from Kalvin Phillips to give England the win and their only goal in the competition, so far.
Gareth Southgate’s side took on Scotland in their second game which ended scoreless. The side needs a point in the next game to be sure of going through to the next round, and winning the game will take them to top spot as they face fellow top-spot contenders, Czech Republic.
The Czech bring the heat for England
Hoping to take top spot in Group D, Czech Republic only need a point to qualify for the knockout stages while a win will give them top spot in the group. The side displayed good skills and talent in their first game against Scotland.
Arguably the goal of the tournament so far is the one from Patrick Schick which defied swirling wind and the 50-yard curler stunned everyone, including Scottish goalkeeper David Marshall, who had abandoned his station to come up to no man’s land.
France remain top picks, but show rare signs of weakness
They took on Germany in the first round which on paper, was supposed to be a thrilling match in the group of death (Group F). Despite the the ‘drop-in’ from a parachuting protestor ahead of kick-off, the game lacked in stats but was a thriller to watch. France got the 3 points thanks to an own goal from Mats Hummels in the first-half.
The World Cup winners took on Hungary in their second game at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, in front of a capacity stadium. The world champions dominated the for majority of the game, but Hungary broke the deadlock with a goal in added time in the first half. Antoine Griezmann salvaged a point for his side with a goal in the 66th minute.
Germany bounce back, Portugal score the own goals this time
The German side were left frustrated after losing to France by an own goal. They showed potential and gave the world champions a run for their money in the first game.
Setting their sights on the second match against Portugal, the Germans needed to secure a win to stay in the tournament. However getting two own goals from the Portuguese was totally expected for the Germans.
Christiano Ronaldo broke German hearts with an early goal a quarter into the game, but their hopes were crushed with back-to-back own goals coming only four minutes apart from the 35th minute. Germany had the momentum after that, scoring another two goals by the 60th minute. Diogo Jota scrapping up a consolation goal was the best Fernando Santos’ side could manage after a disappointing performance.
As the first week of Euro wraps up, all teams have now played 2 of 3 group stage games. The coming week will be crucial for most of them as the fight for a spot in the knockout stages is still very much alive. – The Vibes, June 20, 2021.
