EURO 2020!

 A year on from the scheduled kick off Euro 2020 is here! The delay doesn't damper any excitement for the tournament far from it , we can't wait for it to start.  Let's preview what to expect. 

Euro groups 

The big news first , Karim Benzema's return to the French National Team after a five year hiatus . Make no mistake about it, the French were already favourites for the tournament but this makes them massive massive favourites for the trophy. He adds to an already star-studded side that consists largely of the team that triumphed three years ago in Russia. He adds world class movement, finishing quality and the anticipation that has made him one of the best strikers of his generation. A front three of Benzema , Mbappe and Griezman sends shivers down opposition spines.

Dedier Deschamps has seemed to switch to a 4-3-1-2 to accommodate Benzema and partner him with Mbappe . Griezman has the freedom to roam as he has a firm base in midfield anchored by Ngolo Kante. Due to the wealth of talent available to him Deschamps can change system anytime with a 4-3-3 a high likelihood at some point in the tournament. Their solidity in defense has been a large reason why they have been so successful under Deschamps. Les Blues  have been solid for years and that is why they are far ahead of the rest, there are no outright weaknesses in their game. 

Potential Weaknesses 

The only thing that can stop France from winning the tournament is France themselves. One cannot ignore the famous ' go kart' and F1 comparisons between Giroud and Benzema. They may have shelved their previous issue for the sake of the team but who knows , it only takes something to go wrong for the issue to ignite again.

Reports also from France claimed that Mbappe was extremely furious after Giroud's comments where he said that some teammates did not want to pass to him. Ironically Mbappe goes off and Giroud scores twice against Bulgaria.

Team spirit has been France's strength under Deschamps and one may just wonder if by bringing back Benzema he may have just sacrificed his core principle. But who cares if that is what it takes for them to win?

            PORTUGAL

Portugal are arguably top three favourites for the tournament. One can even argue that this team is much better than their 2016 winning side that limped it's way to glory. 

Led by Ronaldo , Portugal posses a dangerous attack complemented by a solid defense. Veterans like Pepe and Jose Fonte will lead the young talented likes of Nuno Mendes and Ruben Dias in defense. Joao Cancelo will be expected to deliver from the right like always. Ronaldo will have three or four behind him depending on the formation . Diogo Jota , Bruno Fernandes , Andre Silva, Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva Will compete for those four places and that is a  mouth watering prospect for Portuguese fans.

Fernando Santos deserves a lot of praise for how he's managed this Portuguese team. He has blended in the younger talent while also giving gametime to the old guard. He is the master tactician.

Potential weaknesses

While the Seleção  have an array of talent they lack quality ( compared to rival nations) in central midfield. Fernando Santos has switched to a 4-3-3 in recent times with Danilo Perreira anchoring midfield. He may also chose to partner William Cavalho and Danilo Perreira in a bid to solidify midfield and rely on the pace of his Frontline to attack. Ruben Neves may also be an option but as you can see those options are considerably lower in quality when compared to Germany or France.

        BELGIUM

Belgium go into the tournament in a not ideal scenario. For the first time in a long while star man Eden Hazard has struggled and is coming into the tournament hoping to rediscover his form. They have always gone into tournaments with Eden Hazard at the peak of his powers . His deputy Kevin De Bruyne was injured in the Champions league final and will go into the tournament after having minor facial surgery. Not ideal.

This is the last chance for Belgium's golden generation to win some silverware. Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have been the pillars of Belgium's defense for years but their powers have waned. Together with Dries Mertens , Christian Benteke , Axel Witsel , Nacer Chadli the Belgian squad is a very senior squad. The experience of previous tournaments may be what they needed but it may also be their Achilles heel.

If the Red Devils are to win the tournament then they have to get Romelu Lukaku firing again. 

He has been in exceptional form for Inter Milan and this confidence may be the key for Belgium. De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans would also need to have an excellent tournament if Belgium stand any chance of winning it.

But hey , they're the number 1 ranked team .

Potential weaknesses

Like I've already mentioned above Belgium have an ageing team . Everything will be a tad slower than it used to be but they  are still a dangerous opposition.

Wingbacks are also an issue with Yannick Carrasco and Nacer Chadli not the best in covering the team defensively. Belgium may be a team susceptible to pace and the high ball over the top. 

      ITALY 

The Azzuri have been on a revival after their failure to qualify for the World cup in Russia. Led by Roberto Mancini they embarked on a mission to rejuvenate the national team and get their pride back. They qualified for the tournament with relative ease with ten straight wins and are undefeated in 2021 in all competitive matches. 

Mancini has placed an emphasis on attack , encouraging one of his fullbacks to burst forward while the other tucks in as an inverted fullback. He plays a three in midfield with Jorginho/ Locatelli anchoring the base supported by Marco Veratti while the talented Nicolo Barella makes up the numbers forward . 

Italy press when out of possession but are comfortable sitting back in their own half and countering with pace. Lorenzo insigne and Domenico Berardi supply the width in forward areas with the license to cut in and offer a threat.

Upfront Mancini has an option of Ciro Immobile or Torino's Andre Belotti depending on the opposition but Immobile is expected to lead the line.

Mancini has heavily rotated his team and anyone that comes in knows what task to perform. The overall shape of the team does not change but it remains to be seen how they cope against superior opposition.

Potential Weakness

Despite being solid in qualification and friendlies central defense is still a concern for Italy if they are to go far in the tournament. A lot will depend on whether Mancini goes for the old guard or decides to partner Acerbi with Bastoni .

The Italian team has also not faced top level opposition and it remains to be seen whether they can upset the big favourites like France.

Italian fans may also be concerned that despite flourishing for his club ,Lazio, Ciro Immobile has struggled to replicate this form for his country.

 If Italy are to have a successful tournament then they will have to sort out both ends of the pitch against top level opposition.

Notable  Dark Horses mentions 

While France may be the outright favourites for the Euros we have watched football long enough to know that it doesn't always go according to plan.

In the event of a surprise Turkey , Ukraine and Spain may be among the dark horses alongside Italy. 

Turkey specifically have had morale boosting wins against Netherlands and Norway and in both looked solid and dangerous upfront. We predict a quarter final finish for them.

Spain go into the tournament with a mixed bag of results. A 6-0 demolition of Germany last year was followed by inconsistent performances with a 1-1 draw against Greece and a narrow 2-1 win against Georgia. Goals may prove to be an issue for Spain. Morata  has been misfiring in front of goal and Spain have seemed to rely on goals from winger Ferran Torres. A quarter final place is predicted for Spain.

Ukraine are perhaps a more inconsistent choice but they have shown flashes of brilliance at times. The draw last year with France after a win against Spain showed big progress but that was quickly followed by draws against much lower opposition. However they are placed in a decent group and will fancy their Chances especially against a below par Dutch side.

Denmark are also to be watched out for.

Italy as stated above are also expected to have a good tournament. How far they go depends on them but we predict a Semi- Final for the Azzuri.

Big Teams Crashing Out 

In every tournament there is always a team expected to perform better but always falls short. We've tried as much as we could to not describe England in that way but there simply isn't any other way to put it. This time they have so much talent going forward but are so imbalanced in defense. The absence of Maguire means that they are more likely to shift to a back three which would sacrifice an attacking talent. The lack of fitness of Jordan Henderson is also a concern with Declan Rice also coming from an injury , Central midfield is an issue. Upfront there's a clamour to get Grealish in the side but one wonders how that will affect the side who for large parts of Gareth Southgate's reign have depended on Sterling's pace and wittiness . With England you never know , but a round of 16 exit cannot be ruled out.

Germany are a nation at their lowest for years. Never in my lifetime have we gone to a tournament with Germany not among the favourites not even to win it , but to reach the latter stages. You always knew Germany would reach the Semi finals but this team is far from previous German sides. The transition was not as swift or easy as expected and they find themselves trying to gel the team while finding a suitable formation. Joachim Löw would want to go out in a respectable manner so you cannot rule them out . However on the form and shape of the team , Germany look miles off the top teams. They still have the Stars but they have lost the team , for now Germany is a collection of individuals but hardly the team that entertained us for so long. A quarter final place would be a success for Löw . HOWEVER THE DRAW MIGHT BE FAVOURABLE FOR GERMANY ESPECIALLY IF THEY FINISH THIRD.

The Netherlands go into the tournament talking big but likelihood is they will do well to avoid a round of 16 exit i.e if they make it out of the group. Frank De Boer , to put it kindly, has destroyed what Ronald Koeman had worked so hard to build. He insists on a 3-5-2 formation while the players and fans cry out for a return to the 4-3-3 Koeman used to great effect . So much can change in just a year, last year Koeman's Dutch side we're being touted as potential dark horses for the tournament but now it can only end in one way. De Boer's sacking after a disappointing tournament. Sorry Dutch fans.

Predictions

Top scorer : Griezmann / Lukaku 8 goals 

Final: France vs Portugal 

Surprise team: Italy/Denmark/ Turkey