Top observations post the group stages of the Euros
Introduction
The group stages of the Euros have now concluded, and the teams that make up the round of 16 decided. That contains both some surprise names and some unexpected fixtures, with sides that might have been expected to face each other much later in the competition now meeting in sudden-death football.
The Euros have a history of producing unexpected winners – Denmark in 1992 and Greece in 2004 – might this year join that group?
Here are some key observations from the group stage.
The favourites are struggling
England and France were the pre-tournament favourites, but both have struggled so far in Germany.
Gareth Southgate’s men have looked ponderous and turgid in all three matches. They were booed off the field and pelted with beer in their last group game with Slovenia. They have only scored two goals so far and have looked unbalanced in midfield, with the attempt to accommodate both Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham in the same team providing a conundrum.
And the fact that they are playing with no recognised left-back also means their attack tends to be right-centric.
France has also struggled to show why they are the second-best-ranked team in the world, according to FIFA. While they are solid at the back and have pace in midfield and in attacking areas, their attack is misfiring at the moment, and their only two goals have come via an opponent and from the penalty spot.
That was scored by Kylian Mbappé, who appears still affected by the broken nose he picked up while playing against Austria.
Before the competition began, Belgium was just behind France in the world rankings, but they are lucky to still be in the tournament after losing their opening game to Slovakia, a team ranked 45 places lower than them. An improved performance and a win against Romania got their campaign back on track, but in their laboured draw with Ukraine, they seemed paralysed by fear and scared of losing.
All three teams may point to the fact that several players in their squads are physically drained after tiring domestic seasons. However, most other teams in the competition are in the same boat, yet they appear energetic in their matches.
Arguably, Spain has looked the most convincing of the pre-tournament favourites so far. The hosts, Germany, flattered to deceive against Scotland and Hungary but were second best for much of their match with Switzerland before finding an injury-time equaliser.
Georgia, the break-out team
That is especially true of Georgia, who are in their first major tournament but have thrived in Germany and caught the public's imagination.
They gave a spirited account of themselves in their first match with Turkey and then snatched their first-ever point at a major championship against the Czech Republic.
Few expected them to beat Portugal, though, a side ranked 68 places worldwide. But they did so with a performance full of counter-attacking football and brave defending. Georges Mikautadze joined the exclusive club of players to score in every group game in a European championship.
Cristiano Ronaldo, withdrawn early, kicked a water bottle as he skulked past the Portuguese dug-out indicated both his own and his team’s frustration.
Own goals lead the Golden Boot race.
Whilst Mikaudatze is the only player to have scored three goals in the tournament so far, the top scorer in the championship is their own goals.
Across 16 previous editions of the tournament, there had been just 20 own-goals scored, eleven of those coming three years ago. That record is under threat, though, with seven men already putting through their net.
While others may claim they were the victims of cruel deflections, Samet Akaydin of Turkey had no such excuses. He attempted a no-look pass back to his goalkeeper in their match against Turkey, only to find he was helplessly out of position.
Honourable mention
Albania are also worthy of an honourable mention, even though they are one of the teams that have now left Germany. They returned home after claiming one record, the fastest goal in Euros history, Nedim Bajrami, who found the net against Italy after just 23 seconds.
Austria emerged as a dark horse
Before the tournament started, Ralf Rangnick turned down the opportunity to take the Bayern Munch job in favour of continuing as manager of Austria. That decision appears fully justified as they have emerged as genuine dark horses for the title.
Although one of those own goals saw them lose to France, they bounced back against Poland and then showed skill, pace, and determination to beat the Netherlands in a five-goal thriller.
Their reward was to top their group ahead of France and earn themselves a theoretically more accessible tie with Turkey in the round of 16.
The end of Croatia’s Golden Generation
Croatia have consistently punched above their weight in major championships over the past decade, reaching a World Cup final, finishing third in Qatar, and only losing the last Nations League final to Spain after a penalty shoot-out.
Unfortunately for them, many of the players who have brought them such success have grown old together, and for many of them, this may have been the last hurrah.
A comprehensive defeat to Spain in their opening match put them on the back foot, and then the late concession of an equaliser to Albania meant that they needed to beat Italy to remain involved.
When Luka Modrić, their captain, put them ahead and, in the process, became the oldest man ever to score at European championships, they appeared to have done what was needed and took Modrić off to preserve his legs for later matches.
It proved a mistake as the Italians equalised with the last kick of the match, preserving their own status in the process.
The tears and slumped shoulders among Croatia players and fans at the final whistle indicated that they knew this was the end of an era.
Political tensions carry over
This was the first tournament featuring Serbia, Croatia, and Albania, all gathered in the same place simultaneously, bringing some political tensions between the Balkan neighbours.
The anti-Serb chanting during the match between Croatia and Albania led to Serbia threatening to pull out of the tournament at one stage, although they did fulfil their fixtures in the end.
Fortunately, despite warnings beforehand, there have been few instances of hooliganism so far, although some Serb fans were arrested before they clashed with England.
Poor organisation
Whilst Germany has a reputation for being an organised, efficient country, the organisation and infrastructure surrounding the tournament have left much to be desired. Supporters have complained about overcrowded and late transport links, poor ticketing information, and inadequate signage around stadiums.
Fan behaviour
One characteristic of fans of all countries is that a number of them seem to enjoy throwing their beer in the air, either when a goal is scored or if there is something that they do not like on the pitch.
Given that, in addition to the cost of the beer itself, fans have to pay a €3 deposit for the cup, which they only get back if it is returned, this is becoming an expensive habit.
It is also not a pleasant experience for players and coaching staff, who get soaked in the process.
