The final match day of the group stage is upon us at Euro 2024. Here are four things you should look out as both Group E and Group F come to a head on the thirteenth night of the tournament in Germany.
By Ian King
Slava Ukraine?
It’s not often that a team can go into their final group match at a tournament such as this with ambitions of still winning the group, but Ukraine’s Euros have so far been very much a game of two halves.
At half-time against Slovakia, they were heading out, 1-0 down and having already lost their opening match to Romania. It looked as though the pressures of their unique circumstances could finally be taking their toll. It’s impossible to carry on ‘as normal’ when your country can’t even play their home matches at home.
But if there’s one thing that this Ukraine doesn’t lack, it’s spirit. They came from behind to beat Slovakia, and with Belgium awaiting in their final game and everybody tied on points, a win would put them through. They’re nowhere near as out of this as they were exactly halfway through their group stage.
Can Slovakia and Romania avoid the temptation to “Disgrace of Gijón” their final match?
In the only group to go into its final round of matches with all four teams tied on points, one of the lower-key matches in the tournament on paper will have ramifications. With Slovakia third in the group and Romania second, a draw would almost certainly be enough to put both teams through at the expense of the loser of Belgium vs Ukraine.
But will sporting muscle memory override the obvious temptation to just shut up shop and play out that draw? And how closely will UEFA be watching if that temptation proves too strong? More than 40 years on from their infamous little stitch-up in Gijón at the 1982 World Cup, both Germany and Austria found that a dirty reputation from this sort of cuddly operation can be a difficult stain to remove.
Rafael Leão has found the perfect time to sit out a one-match suspension… or has he?
It’s a record that few would want, but in getting booked for simulation during Portugal’s 3-0 win against Turkey for the second match in a row, Rafael Leão became the first player since the introduction of the modern tournament in 1980 to pick up a suspension for doing so.
He’ll have breathed a sigh of relief that this was a comfortable win for Portugal. They’ve already qualified for the next round and can give someone else a runout for their final match against Georgia.
But there is a risk for Leão. What if his replacement comes in and puts in a performance that makes returning him into the first eleven impossible for Roberto Martínez? Leão may have considered himself to have taken one for the team with these two illegal attempts to win a foul, but it’s not impossible that he could lose his own place in it for having done so.
Will the real Türkiye please stand up?
No team has blown hot and cold at Euro 2024 quite like Türkiye. They did so within their opening match against Georgia – quite possibly one of the great games in the history of this competition – before getting pushed to the limit and emerging with a slightly flattering 3-1 win. They could yet drop to the bottom should they lose and Georgia pull off a surprise by beating an under-strength Portugal. A point will almost certainly be enough to ensure their progress, but which Türkiye will turn up?
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.