UEFA Euro 2024: Group E Preview

Belgium 🇧🇪

For over a decade, Belgium were regularly in the conversation as perennial challengers in major tournaments. Their best showing came in the 2018 World Cup, reaching the semifinals for the first time since 1986. Unfortunately, they lost against eventual winners France, finishing third in the process. Since then, they were knocked out in the last eight in Euro 2020 and suffered a humiliating group stage exit in the 2022 World Cup. Many key players of their golden generation like Eden Hazard, Toby Alderweireld and Dries Mertens have retired and the ones remaining (Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Jan Vertoghen, Axel Witsel) are at the twilight of their careers. Former Schalke manager Domenico Tedesco was appointed Head Coach after the 2022 World Cup, ushering in a new era for the Red Devils. They qualified for the finals without much fuzz. Unbeaten in eight games, scoring 22 goals. Lukaku was the top scorer in qualifying, scoring 14 goals. Thibaut Courtois was a shock omission from the final squad by Tedesco. The Real Madrid keeper, who has had a lengthy injury layoff this season, returned for the Champions League Final but couldn't make it, continuing a feud that has been boiling between the two since March last year. Courtois' omission has left Belgium's goalkeeper open for Koen Casteels, who's 31 but has only ten caps. A new generation of Belgian players is set to make their mark in the tournament; like Zeno Debast, Arthur Vermeeren, Amadou Onana, Johan Bakayoko, Jeremy Doku and Lois Openda. Belgium's golden generation has come and gone, with the players from that era ready for a potential final showing for the Red Devils. They should qualify for the knockouts comfortably and have an outsider's chance of winning the Euros. Having gone unbeaten since Qatar. However, it can take a bad game for their tournament to break down like a house of cards. As seen from the last World Cup. 

Likely Starting XI:- Casteels - Theate, Vertonghen, Faes, Castagne - Onana, Tielemans, De Bruyne - Trossard, Lukaku, Doku (4-3-3)

 

Ukraine 🇺🇦 

After taking part in Euro 2012 as a co-host, Ukraine has qualified for three European Championships. Euro 2020 was a highlight for the Blue and Yellow. Making the quarterfinals for the first time ever. Following Russia's invasion of the country in 2022, Ukraine had to play their qualifying games in neighbouring nations from Slovakia to Germany. Coach Serhiy Rebrov was appointed in June last year, just after the qualifiers started. He could only take Ukraine to third in the group behind England and Italy. Due to their performances in the Nations League, they made it to the playoffs, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iceland to guarantee their place in Germany. Much of their 26-man squad plays domestically for Dynamo Kyiv or Shakhtar Donetsk, with a few playing their trade abroad. Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the mainstays for this Ukrainian team, amassing 63 caps. He operates more in central midfield for the national team, compared to playing left-back for Arsenal and while at Manchester City. There's no clear answer on who will play between the sticks. Heorhiy Bushchan is the most experienced with 18 caps, Anatoliy Trubin played the most games throughout Ukraine's qualifying campaign with six and Andriy Lunin is coming off playing 30 games in all competitions for Real Madrid, the most in his career. Mykhalio Mudryuk, Viktor Tsyhankov, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk are their attacking depth, with Dovbyk coming off an impressive season in La Liga. Taking Girona to the Champions League for the first time ever and winning the Golden Boot, scoring 24 goals. They are the favourites to qualify from the group alongside Belgium, given their tournament experience, player pool and playing for something more than themselves, with the present situation in Ukraine. With just two defeats in 14 outings, the Blue and Yellow are in great form and with their first games coming against Romania and Slovakia, qualification is an achievable target.

Likely Starting XI:- Lunin - Mykolenko, Matviyenko, Zabarnyi, Konoplia - Mudryk, Zinchenko, Stepanenko, Tsyhankov - Sudakov, Dovbyk (4-4-2)

Slovakia 🇸🇰 

As the fourth-lowest ranked nation in Euro 2024, Slovakia is making its third consecutive appearance in the Euros as an independent nation. Previously winning the competition in 1976 as part of Czechoslovakia. Making the last 16 in Euro 2016, they were eliminated in the group stages of Euro 2020, narrowing missing out on the knockout stages. Francesco Calzona has been Slovakia's coach since July 2022 but preparations were hampered with Calzona taking the Napoli job on an interim basis whilst taking his duties as Slovakia's coach. The Repre qualified for the finals, finishing second in the group behind Portugal with seven wins in ten matches. Notable names like Peter Dubravka, Marek Rodak, Milan Skriniar, David Hanko, Ondrej Duda and Stanislav Lobotka are around and included in the final squad. Goals will be an issue for the Slovaks coming into the tournament. They scored 17 goals in qualifying, the same amount as Iceland in their group with Sparta Prague forward Luka Haraslin their top scorer with just four goals. Conceding just eight goals in ten qualifying games, Slovakia are a disciplined team but their lack of attacking threat might be why they may not advance to the knockouts. With their first game being against Belgium, it's a baptism of fire that they either get out alive or burn in the furnace. 

Likley Starting XI:- Dubravka - Hanko, Skriniar, Vavro, Gyomber - Lobokta, Duda, Suslov - Haraslin, Strelec, Schranz

Romania 🇷🇴 

Ranked 46th in the FIFA World Rankings, Romania is another lowly-ranked nation coming into the Euros. They have made three Euro appearances since 2000, with Euro 2000 being their best showing. Making the quarterfinals. Edward Iordanescu, Romania's coach, will take the Tricolours to their first tournament outing since Euro 2016, having won success in his homeland. Winning the Romanian top flight with CFR Cluj. They qualified top of their group, ahead of Switzerland, going the entire campaign unbeaten. Their defence is a reason for that, conceding just five goals and keeping seven clean sheets. Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin was a mainstay in the Romanian defence, starting all ten qualifying matches and will be vital, going into their first game against Ukraine. This Romanian team is not filled with household names with Dragusin being their most noticeable. Like Slovakia, Romania doesn't have a main goal threat with three players scoring three goals each in qualifying. One of those players is the captain Nicolae Stanciu, who has scored the most goals with 14 in 70 caps. The weakest team in the group will take a herculean task to make it to the knockouts. The chances are very slim with no wins so far in 2024. Their time in Germany might be very brief. 

Likely Starting XI:- Moldovan - Bancu, Dragusin, Nedelcearu, Ratiu - Sut - Mihaila, Marin, Olaru, Hagi - Puscas (4-1-4-1)