7. Belgium
They were deservedly beaten 2-0 in their opening encounter, which means the old familiar doubts are beginning to re-emerge about Belgium, despite being ranked as the world’s second best team by Fifa. There was a lack of cohesion in their display against the Italians which suggests they don’t have the capability to win the competition outright. Nevertheless, they have at least got their most difficult group game out of the way, and if the Red Devils’ coterie of stars belatedly manage to click, they will remain a formidable prospect to face for any other side in the competition.
6. Croatia
There are better teams collectively in the tournament, but in Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, Croatia have two of the best midfielders in the world, with the former delivering a spectacular goal in their 1-0 win opening win over Turkey. They have other highly talented players too in Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic, though you suspect better sides than the Turks may be able to cause problems for a defence that is far from the strongest in the competition. That said, they are a decent dark horse bet in what is one of the most open European Championships in recent memory.
5. England
Should have beaten a poor Russia side but despite a last-minute defensive lapse, England looked very good for long periods and will surely progress from a group that also includes Wales and Slovakia. Roy Hodgson’s team have the youngest squad in the competition, and they certainly played Russia with a youthful exuberance and energy that was at times reminiscent of Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs at their best — no surprise really given that they had five Tottenham players in their starting XI. Nonetheless, they still need to do more to convince as legitimate contenders — the team’s inexperience showed, as they failed to manage the game in the dying moments and conceded a sloppy equaliser.
4. Italy
Possessing a solidity that all the best tournament teams tend to demonstrate (as Martin O’Neill has pointed out), the Italians surprised many with their opening 2-0 win against a fancied Belgian outfit. Their lack of high-profile stars was highlight by the fact that their attack included Emanuele Giaccherini, who has struggled to make an impact since joining Sunderland in 2013 and was loaned out to Bologna last season, as well as Graziano Pelle, who also didn’t have the best of campaigns for Southampton, with Shane Long out-shining him for the second half of the season.
Yet both players looked impressive and got on the scoresheet in the Azzurri’s opening game, dispelling previous suggestions by some critics that they were an ordinary side who pale in comparison to past Italian teams. What’s most impressive about Antonio Conte’s men, however, is their defence. While they were helped by more than one cynical foul, Italy boast arguably the best backline in the competition. Juventus trio Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci gave a masterclass in the art of defending, and in what has been a very tight tournament so far with games routinely decided by the odd goal, their nous and experience in closely fought contests could help the Italians go very far.
3. France
Their 2-1 opening win against a workmanlike but limited Romania side was not totally convincing. Their defence looked vulnerable on occasion, with an ageing Patrice Evra completely out of sorts. However, they have several individuals capable of moments of brilliance, as Dimitri Payet demonstrated on Friday with his sensational last-minute strike, while in N’Golo Kante, they have arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world on current form.
2. Germany
The world champions got their Euros campaign off to a positive start with a 2-0 win over Ukraine. The victory was far from convincing, however, with Manuel Neuer having to make a number of good saves during the game, while Jerome Boateng also cleared off the line at one point. Their leadership has been questioned following the post-World Cup retirement of a number of big names, though with Northern Ireland and Poland to play, they should comfortably advance to the knockout stages. In Toni Kroos, they have a player who can dictate games like few others in the competition, while in general, Germany have one of the strongest sides in the tournament on paper.
1. Spain
It may have taken them until the 87th minute to break the deadlock against Czech Republic, but they more than deserved the win, with 18 shots (and five on target) as well as 72% possession. They may not have the paciest and most dynamic of midfields, but in Andres Iniesta, who created the winning goal in their opener, they possess a player of exceptional footballing intelligence. Moreover, in terms of squad depth few can compete with Spain — even their second XI is stronger than most teams in the competition.
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Agree with his comments in that regard but a bit rich coming from him as La Liga chief where Barca and Real carve up the TV rights with their own TV deals which dwarf the alms handed out to the rest. Could do with sorting his own shop too..
@alternativefacter: your right about the TV rights there has been slight improvement but still nowhere near enough in Spanish football
PSG and City just copying the financial doping model invented by the Spanish and Catalan governments.
@Stanley Baggins: that’s just plain ignorance. The Spanish government lost true control years ago over the sport . It wasn’t a plan it was just ineptitude . The Catalan government is a regional government and have nothing to do with it . Still you’ll get more likes cos people love to believe s#it€
He wasnt saying anything when Real were winning. How much debt has the goverment wiped clean for them?
@Kingshu: used to be the king, is the government at it now?
@Kingshu: he is the League President , he has two many enemies , the Spanish FA and UEFA/CL
@Dave O Keeffe: the King ??? Haha haha deluded ! That’s like saying it was Franco cos he was top dog in Europe .
The rest of the football world should seize & allow Real & Barca to dominate
Javier has made some excellent points.
It was okay when their lads were the biggest fish in the pond. I agree with him but its hypocritical on his part. The two he mentions can’t get within an ass’s roar of a final no matter how much they bend the rules.
@Hardly Normal: Wait
…at one point they were going to wind up Real Madrid. It would have taken the main Spanish banks down with them. State support???
@Tom McHugh: what point was that ? A date maybe ?
City’s record signing is £60 million, what is Barcelona’s or Real’s. And they apparently wanted this idiot to be chief executive of the Premier League.
@William Boland: city just buy buy buy and consistently price other teams out of signings. I think your forgetting PSG though. Remember the whole Neymar+Mbappe double transfer? That was beyond farcical
@William Boland: it’s not what they pay it’s who they pay it for ? Real and Barca also sell their players for often more than when signed , even Ronaldo’s fee for Juventus was technically more . Who do City sell for more than they paid for ??
@Limón Madrugada: in the last 5 years, who have City overpaid for? They got out of the race for Sanchez because they didn’t want to overpay for him, same as DeJong. You can say PSG City in no way created the market the way it is now.
@William Boland: I haven’t said they’ve overpaid for anyone . I’m saying if you spend 12 x50M that’s 600M whereas if you’re an extremely rich club like Real Madrid or Barca you spend 200M -300M because you’ve just sold Neymar , Ronaldo or even Morata for 70-100-250M , and you’ve picked up 100m for winning the CL .. or should I say 400M for winning it 4 times in 5 years . It’s the total spend that’s high not the price for the player .And how you generated the money to pay for him . Madrid generates 120M a year from Adidas alone . 120M from ticket sales . Barca even more . City don’t generate that income , but they can spend better than the best .
He’s right too..
But its ok for Barcelona and Real to buy La Liga every year
@Brysonpieters: Barca didn’t buy it this year . Nor last year . Madrid’s last League win included the European double and they made no significant additions to that years squad that made the difference . Madrid has spent its money recently on future players some of whom have just started to play a bit ( Vinicius Jr) or Rodrygo , yet to arrive . Their impact on Madrid’s league position is minimal