Preview

Netherlands and Austria are preparing for an intense battle in Group D with both sides still standing a chance of finishing in first position. The Dutch are currently in the driving seat, but a win for Austria, if results go their way, could see them leapfrog their opponents.

---

By Matthew Smith

---

Ronald Koeman’s side produced an impressive result last time out as they secured a 0-0 draw against one of Euro 2024’s favourites France. Their victory against Poland in the opening game put them in a strong position heading into the second match, but it will all come down to the final round of fixtures.

The Dutch might not have created as many chances as Koeman would have hoped for in the tournament so far, producing 1.9 expected goals, but France’s resolute defence was tough to break down.

The Netherlands will be hoping to see another bright display from Cody Gakpo, who has been a standout performer in the opening games. The Liverpool forward has achieved an average match rating of 7.98, while having 1.6 shots on target per 90 minutes. 

If they manage to come away with all three points and France fail to beat Austria, then Koeman’s men will advance into the next round in first position. 

Perhaps surprisingly, Austria enjoyed more of the possession in their opening game against France, but they struggled to turn their dominance into clear-cut chances. Ralf Rangnick’s side only managed to produce 0.76 expected goals, while Didier Deschamps’ men found a breakthrough thanks to a Maximilian Wöber own goal.

With a 7.63 average match rating, Nicolas Seiwald has been crucial in the middle of the park for Austria, managing 2.5 successful tackles per 90 minutes while also winning 10 duels. Rangnick’s men have been one of the more feistier teams at the tournament, with no side averaging more fouls per game (16.5).

Austria’s 3-1 win against Poland in their opening game saw them get off to a flying start, but they will need to tighten up at the back if they want to end the group stage on a high. Rangnick’s side conceded 1.68 expected goals including two big chances, but their attacking prowess got them over the line. 

It will be an incredible achievement for Austria if they manage to qualify for the next round, especially if they finish in the top two. Group D was widely considered one of the toughest at Euro 2024, and Austria have done themselves proud so far.

---

(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.

France and Poland go head-to-head in the final round of fixtures in Group D. Didier Deschamps’s side will be looking to secure their place in the next round with a first-place finish, while Poland are simply playing for pride after already being eliminated.

---

By Matthew Smith

---

It’s been an inconsistent start to the tournament for the French, with an injury to Kylian Mbappé undoubtedly stunting their progress. The soon-to-be Real Madrid star suffered a broken nose in the opening game, failing to play a single minute against the Netherlands in their second match. 

Deschamps’ men were on top throughout against the Dutch, creating 1.43 expected goals while keeping 63 per cent of the ball, but they couldn’t turn their dominance into three points. Mbappé could only watch on from the bench with the supporters in France hoping he is saving himself for a vintage display against Poland (or deeper in to the tournament).

France have produced 3.6 expected goals in the tournament so far, but they’ve only managed to find the back of the net once. They will need to show more of a clinical edge on Tuesday if they want to cement their place in the next round, while they will also be desperate to finish in first place in Group D.

Poland were the first side to be eliminated from Euro 2024 due to the head-to-head record being the first tiebreaker method used to separate teams. Michal Propbierz’s side were handed one of the toughest groups possible, but there’s no doubt they’ve endured an underwhelming tournament.

Although the result will officially mean very little to them, the players will be looking to give the fans who have travelled something to cheer about. Poland were without their star man Robert Lewandowski in the opening game, but he returned in the final 30 minutes against Austria.

France will have to be wary of the threat he offers as the Polish striker has scored 81 times for his country during his career. There might be little riding on the game for Propbierz’s men, but a natural winner like Lewandowski will be looking to spoil the party.

With no side conceding more goals per 90 minutes than Poland, it’s a real opportunity for France to stake their claim and advance into the knockout rounds in style. Securing the three points, in reality, is all that matters, while the French will be relying on Austria to do them a favour by beating the Dutch.

---

(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.

Brazil begin their search for a 10th Copa América title on Monday with a match against a Costa Rica team taking part in just its sixth edition of the tournament.

---

By Jon Arnold

---

The history in the South American championship isn’t the only difference between the teams.

Brazil are able to call on a number of players with extensive international experience and who also are UEFA Champions League veterans, from Liverpool’s Alisson in goal to winger Vinícius Júnior of reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid.

Costa Rica, meanwhile, saw its own UEFA Champions League legend retire from international play before the tournament, with Keylor Navas’ absence the latest gap the Ticos must fill with young players. 

But there are commonalities as well. Both squads are led by managers taking their teams into their first major tournaments. Brazil had hoped it would be Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of the ship, but the manager instead opted to stay with Real Madrid. In his stead is Dorival Junior, a veteran manger but one who has never worked outside the country. He’ll look to start his tenure with a showing that proves he can contend for a World Cup crown.

The ambitions won’t be as lofty for Costa Rica manager Gustavo Alfaro, who is tasked with bringing through the Ticos’ new generation and extending their streak of three consecutive World Cup appearances.

Neither new boss will be thinking about the World Cup in Monday’s Group D opener. Dorival Junior will be hoping to thump Costa Rica and send a message he’s the right man for the job, also earning patience from Brazil fans already ready to see, for instance, teenage sensation Endrick in the starting lineup. The front line looks strong enough without him, as Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Raphinha all will be in the XI to face Costa Rica.

Alfaro says his young generation of rising talents – including forward Manfred Ugalde, midfielder Orlando Gala and Navas’ apparent successor Patrick Sequeira – won’t go into the contest scared because of Brazil’s history.

Still, any result for the Central Americans would go down as an historic one – and one that would totally upset experts’ expectations of how Group D – which also includes Colombia and Paraguay (who play earlier) – will pan out.

---

(Cover image from IMAGO)

---

You can follow every game from Copa America live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Group B at Euro 2024 was universally billed as the group of death, and it is set to claim at least one big name team on the final day. World Cup semi-finalists Croatia must win to book a knockout berth but defending champions Italy need at least a point to get the job done as well.

---

By Neel Shelat

---

Can Croatia’s Veterans Conjure a Last Hurrah?

Seasoned campaigners have been the key to Croatia’s impressive recent record which includes consecutive World Cup semi-final appearances. Even after Ivan Rakitić’s retirement, the midfield trio of Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović and Mateo Kovačić kept the good times rolling for a few more years. However, they finally seem to be past their prime now.

They found themselves dominated by a younger Spanish midfield trio and did not even have a good time against the energetic Albanians, with Brozović getting hooked at half-time. There are more question marks in attack in terms of goal-scoring, as now-35-year-old star forward Ivan Perišić is no longer as good as he once was. Still, Zlatko Dalić brought him into the starting XI against Albania owing to a lack of quality alternatives.

Croatia have been a shadow of their former selves both in and out of possession at the Euros so far, so they will need to come up with a very special performance in a must-win clash against the defending champions if they are to avoid a group stage exit.

Italy’s Quest for Control

It is not all smooth sailing for Italy either, as their tally of three points does not guarantee anything going into the final day. As long as they do not finish bottom of the group, though, they should be in a good position to advance. They should be thankful that their goal difference is not too bad after the game against Spain as they were thoroughly outclassed – to the point that just a one-goal defeat was a kind result for them.

In fact, Italy’s opening victory over Albania was not the most convincing either as they conceded the earliest-ever goal in Euros history and failed to kill the game off after taking the lead, only winning by a one-goal margin in the end. After their thoroughly dominant displays en route to the title three years ago, the Azzurri have not shown a similar level of control both with and without the ball in both games so far.

A defeat here could well bring their title defence to a premature end, so Italy will also need to improve on all fronts if they are to safely advance to the knockouts.

---

(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.

Albania will look to seal their first-ever Euro knockout qualification tonight against a Spain team that needed just two games to seal the top spot in Group B. That might be good news for the Eagles as long as they come up against a rotated XI in a must-win game.

---

By Neel Shelat

---

Albania Seeking Sustained Defensive Solidity

Albania impressively topped their qualifying group with four clean sheets and just four goals conceded in eight matches, so they might have hoped to have a shot at the Euro knockouts until being drawn in the group of death. Still, they have given a very good account of themselves in their first two games to stay in contention on the final day.

One of the most impressive aspects of Sylvinho’s side in qualifying was the compactness of their mid block out of possession. They did maintain it at the start of both their matches in Germany but somewhat fell apart after taking the lead by sinking too deep and inviting sustained pressure – particularly in the second half of the 2-2 draw against Croatia.

That is precisely what they must avoid against a Spain side that is sure to dominate possession for long periods. A clean sheet alone will probably not be enough for Albania to progress as two points will likely not place them among the best third-placed teams, but it should offer a good platform to build on.

A Free Hit for Spain

Spain are in the luxurious position of not having anything on the line at all from their last group game. Their dominant wins over Croatia and Italy mean first place in the group is already theirs, so Luis de la Fuente can freely rotate his side if he so desires.

Whether or not he should do so, though, is a difficult call. On one hand, he might want to rest his first-choice XI that took to the field half a week ago to face Italy. However, he will also want to keep them match-sharp ahead of their Round of 16 fixture, which they already know will be the late kick-off on Sunday.

Furthermore, the 63-year-old tactician might not want to create any selection dilemmas for the knockouts. He has a set formula having fielded almost the same XI in both games so far (save for Aymeric Laporte replacing Nacho at centre-back) and dominated on all fronts. The defensive unit kept two clean sheets, the midfield comfortably controlled proceedings against top-class competitors, and Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams ran rings around full-backs with Álvaro Morata poised to pounce in the box.

---

(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.

The host nation for the 2024 Copa América starts its campaign Sunday at AT&T Stadium, fighting traditional straggler Bolivia in a Group C contest.

---

By Jon Arnold

---

The United States is participating in the South American continental championship as an invited team for the fifth time, and will hope to once again make the semi-final as it has twice before, including in 2016 when it last was played on U.S. soil. While a teenage Christian Pulisic was on that squad, the AC Milan attacker is one of few holdovers from that generation of American soccer.

He’s joined at this tournament by a midfield full of talent, whether it be Juventus’ Weston McKennie, Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams, Pulisic’s Milan teammate Yunus Musah and Real Betis’ Johnny, a relatively new face with the U.S. who is coming off a tremendous six months in Spain.

There may be more concerns about the current generation at the back, where typically secure goalkeeper Matt Turner enters the summer after playing little with Nottingham Forest. Sergiño Dest is missing the Copa América with an injury, though Joe Scally’s performance against Vinicíus Júnior in a friendly against Brazil has U.S. fans hopeful they have the personnel needed to lock down attackers who excel out wide.

Bolivia historically has struggled to win when they’re not the home side, so a date with the hosts will be an intimidating start to the tournament they last won in 1963. A sterling run in the Copa Libertadores by Bolívar has lifted some hopes in Bolivia that this group could be the one to break what is nearly a decade-long winless run in official games played away from the altitude of Bolivia.

They’ll need to find the right attacking mix, with Henry Vaca missing the tournament as he recovers from injury and legendary goalscorer Marcelo Martins Moreno having announced his international retirement after 108 caps and 31 goals for La Verde, both all-time highs.

Matching the highs of the 2015 Copa América in Chile, when Bolivia beat Ecuador and advanced from the group stage would be success at the tournament for Antonio Carlos Zago’s men. Any result against the host nation would go down as an historic result.

The other teams in the group, Panama and Uruguay, meet later Sunday in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. 

---

(Cover image from IMAGO)

---

You can follow every game from Copa America live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The final round of games in Group A awaits, with the two most vulnerable sides set to go head-to-head. Scotland will face Hungary at the Stuttgart Arena, with the group’s third and fourth-placed sides clinging on to their qualification hopes.

---

By Matthew Smith

---

It’s been a disappointing start to the tournament for both Hungary and Scotland, but they will be forced to give it everything on Sunday as one of them will be heading home by the end of the game. It was a night to forget in Munich for the Tartan Army against Germany in the opening fixture of Euro 2024, shipping five goals and shattering the confidence of the supporters before half-time.

Steve Clarke’s side showed signs of improvement in their second match after their heavy defeat to Germany in the opener, but an injury to Kieran Tierney has dented their chances of getting a result.

The Arsenal defender plays a crucial role in Scotland’s five-at-the-back system, slotting in on the left-hand side of the central defenders. Tierney dovetails well with Andy Robertson on the left, with the latter playing in a wing-back role. A tweak of his setup would be in the pipeline from Clarke, especially with Ryan Porteous suspended. 

Scott McTominay continues to show his attacking threat from midfield after his deflected strike against Switzerland made it eight goals in 12 Scotland appearances for the Manchester United midfielder this season. 

Against Germany, the Hungarians weren’t afraid to try and stamp their authority on the host nation, creating four big chances throughout, but their finishing let them down on the night. Dominik Szoboszlai is the one to watch, achieving an average FotMob match rating of 6.98 so far, including a 7.6 against Switzerland in the opening match.

Throughout the tournament, Hungary have missed six big chances while only finding the back of the net one on occasion, so there’s an argument to suggest they’ve had a slice of misfortune. Getting the ball into advanced areas hasn’t been a problem for Marco Rossi’s men, but putting it into the back of the net has been a struggle.

Hungary are unable to finish in the top two as they trail four points behind Switzerland, so nothing more than a victory will do for The Magyars. It could make for an entertaining clash on Sunday night as the two sides desperately compete for a pivotal three points.

---

(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.

Germany face Switzerland in what is likely to be the battle for first and second place in group A. Julian Nagelsmann’s side are guaranteed to advance into the next round after picking up six points since the tournament got under way, but a flawless group stage campaign will be the plan in front of their home crowd.

---

By Matthew Smith

---

The mixture of experience and youth in the middle of the park has created a successful cocktail in the tournament so far for the Germans. Toni Kroos and İlkay Gündoğan provide a base in the midfield, with Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala given the freedom to make things happen in attack.

The Germans have shown immense control since the start of the tournament and have produced plenty of goals to back up their possession-based style.  One of the favourites heading into Euro 2024, Nagelsmann’s men have produced the goods, scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game so far. The toughest game of their group-stage campaign awaits against the Swiss, but they’ll have to beat stronger sides if they want to lift the trophy in July.

With 71.2 per cent possession in their first two games of the tournament, Nagelsmann has been able to implement a controlling style and Germany are now reaping the rewards at Euro 2024.

Although the Swiss stand a good chance of qualifying for the next round of the competition, finishing in first place will be in their sights at the Frankfurt Arena on Sunday. With four points in the bag already, Murat Yakin’s side will be hoping to end the group-stage fixtures on a high.

Granit Xhaka, who has averaged a 7.58 match rating so far, will be crucial for Switzerland if they want to finish on top. His experience and comfortability on the ball have made him a standout star in their first two fixtures, and he’ll have a point to prove in the country where he now plies his trade domestically. 

We’re likely to see Switzerland allow the Germans to dominate the ball, hitting them on the break after sitting deep. The Swiss only had 50 per cent of the possession against Hungary, but still managed to create 2.33 expected goals (xG) with 35 touches inside the opposition box. 

A draw between the two sides would guarantee they both cement their place in the next round of the competition. 

---

(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.

One year after their Gold Cup semi-final contest, Mexico and Jamaica meet again, this time opening their Copa América campaigns with a Group B match in Houston’s NRG Stadium.

---

By Jon Arnold

---

Mexico took that match 3-0 with Henry Martín scoring an early goal, Luis Chávez adding a second at the half hour mark and Roberto Alvarado finishing things off with a tally in stoppage time. But only two of the players are part of Mexico’s Copa América roster, with América forward Martín left off of Jaime Lozano’s roster as the Mexico manager looks to bring younger players into the fold.

Martín is hardly the only casualty of the push for fresh blood. Mexico’s goalkeeping situation heading into Saturday’s match is uncertain because veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was left out – as was winger Hirving Lozano. But Ochoa’s replacement Luis Malagon suffered an injury, meaning Lozano now will pick between late addition Carlos Acevedo or two goalkeepers who went into the summer without any international minutes.

Jamaica, too, will be without its stalwart shot-stopper, though not because they don’t wish Andre Blake were there. Blake suffered a knee injury and underwent meniscus surgery in late May. While he’s named in Heimir Hallgrímsson’s 26-man squad, he’s unlikely to be able to play.

Another player present on the squad list but not in person is Aston Villa star Leon Bailey, who Hallgrímsson named to the roster but who continues to decline to play for the Reggae Boyz amidst frustration with the coaching staff and the Jamaica Football Federation.

Still, Jamaica will not be without an attacking threat. West Ham United forward Michail Antonio will lead the line and, after missing out on June’s World Cup qualification matches with an injury, winger Demarai Gray is fit and ready for Copa América.

El Tri’s attacking situation will be closely watched during the tournament, with no Lozano but with several players coming in off red-hot seasons in Liga MX. Uriel Antuna, who led the league in scoring with Cruz Azul, and Julián Quiñoes are options out wide, as is energetic Pumas playmaker Cesar Huerta, while expectations are heavy on Santi Giménez, who has starred with Feyenoord but is yet to find a huge return in international play.

In a Group B that looks like the most open in the competition, points will be at a premium. Both teams will hope to secure all three in the opener before games with Ecuador and Venezuela.

---

(Cover image from IMAGO)

---

You can follow every game from Copa America live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Game two of Group E is do-or-die for one of these nations, but not the one expected at the start of the tournament.

---

By Karl Matchett

---

Romania’s magnificent performance against Ukraine earned them admirers, three points and half a foot in the last 16 of Euro 2024, but another step up again will be required against a team who will surely amount a response of some kind, following Belgium’s dismal showing and narrow defeat to Slovakia.

No doubt plenty will point to two disallowed goals for Belgium. Valid, but irrelevant: they created too little, looked ill-suited to the system with the chosen personnel, were too tame and hesitant in their buildup play, didn’t get Kevin De Bruyne into particularly threatening areas often enough and have real concerns over their defensive partnerships.

Wout Faes individually was poor; he was too impetuous, lacked consistency and wasted possession far too often. Faes is six years older than Zeno Debast but played like the rookie: he won just one of three tackles, played eight long balls but found his mark only twice, lost four of his ten ground duels and three of five in the air.

That said, he was far from the only reason for defeat for Belgium, with the likes of Johan Bakayoko and Youri Tielemans perhaps set for inclusion after trying to inject guile and pace from the bench last time out. Improvements are needed all over the park, else they face a second straight humiliation in group stage exits at major tournaments.

Romania must remain wary, all the same. There’s obviously enough technical ability in that Belgium side to simply step up, create a dozen chances and sweep them aside, particularly if any of the effort, off-the-ball running and team unity from that first win over Ukraine is absent in their second game.

Wondergoals made the match and result even more fantastic for their fans, but it was that far greater endeavour and much better gameplan which really saw Romania topple their opponents throughout.

Dennis Man was a standout from the right wing, creating three chances, assisting two goals, very nearly scoring one of his own with a curling shot just wide. But to highlight individuals is to ignore the essence of their success. Man’s partnership with right-back Andrei Ratiu was crucial, in both directions. Radu Drăgușin was astonishingly good at centre-back, celebrating blocks and covering for teammates wherever needed. Denis Drăguș lead the line well in attack, but covered in for his midfielders too when required. This is what they need once more against Belgium, where they’ll likely have less possession, fewer chances to sustain pressure…and more expectation on them now, too.

---

(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.