UEFA Euro 2024: Group A Preview

Germany 🇩🇪 

Germany is hosting the European Championships for the first time as a united nation, having last hosted the Euros in 1988 as West Germany, and first hosting a major tournament since the 2006 World Cup. Since winning the World Cup in 2014, Die Mannschaft have declined. Being eliminated in the group stage in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and a round of 16 exit in Euro 2020. 2023 was a bad year, winning just two from nine matches. Forcing the DFB to relieve Hansi Flick of his position and appoint Julian Nagelsmann as his successor. At 36, Nagelsmann is the youngest coach in Euro 2024 and has made big decisions for his Euro 2024 squad. Toni Kroos returns to the setup while Mats Hummels, Leon Goretzka, Julian Brandt and Serge Gnabry miss out. Germany usually has high expectations going into tournaments. They have won the Euros three times, the joint most in the competition's history. The return of Toni Kroos is huge, providing a calm presence in midfield as this will be his final showing in his career. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz have been given the keys to unlock defences, given their creative and goalscoring threat. Question marks persist on who starts as Germany’s striker, with Kai Havertz an unorthodox choice while Niclas Fullkrug is a traditional option, and has performed well in a Germany shirt. Scoring eleven times in only fifteen caps. Nagelsmann’s Germany is a talented squad but they have to buck poor performances in recent showings, failing to reach the quarterfinals of a major tournament since Euro 2016. A good showing is also necessary to get the home crowd behind them as pressure to deliver in a home Euros is very high. The name of Germany carries much weight in international football but the team that will play against Scotland on June 14th either takes inspiration from the past or continues to underperform. 

Likely Starting XI:- Neuer- Mittelstadt, Rudiger ,Tah, Kimmich - Kroos, Andrich - Musiala, Wirtz, Sane - Havertz (4-2-3-1)

Hungary 🇭🇺 

Famous for the mighty Magyars of the 1950s, Hungary had one of the greatest teams in the 1940s and 50s that produced Ferenc Puskas. Since the Puskas generation, Hungary only made it to eight more tournaments in the 20th century, their last appearance being in the 1986 World Cup. The 1990s and 2000s were barren years for the Magyars, failing to qualify for a major tournament. They finally bucked that trend, qualifying for Euro 2016. Even making it to the Round of 16, losing to Belgium. After qualifying for Euro 2020, they have qualified for a third straight Euros. A first in the nation's history. They made qualification unbeaten, finishing ahead of Serbia and conceding only seven goals. Coach Marco Rossi has been Hungary's coach since 2018, having been in Hungarian football since the early 2010s. They are a well-drilled team, losing one in their last twelve matches, keeping five clean sheets and failing to score in only one game. Peter Gulacsi remains their starting keeper while having a back three in front of him. The defence is what this Hungary team is built on with Gulasci’s club teammate Willi Orban their key defender with two of Adam Lang, Attila Szalai or Attila Fiola playing alongside Orban. Some of these Hungary play their trade at home like Barnabas Varga while having young prospects like Milos Kerkez, who plays his trade at Bournemouth in the Premier League. Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is the star man of this Magyars team. Despite being 23, he has 40 caps and has been their leading man in their attack for a few years. Scoring the winner against Iceland to send Hungary to Euro 2020. This will be his first outing in a major tournament, missing Euro 2020 due to injury and as captain, the Magyars will look to him for inspiration; providing the stardust in the final third, while having more license to roam and being a threat from open play or set pieces. A solid team that can pack a punch, Hungary have the means and mentality to rival those in their group. A place in the knockouts should be the goal and it’s how far they can go in the tournament. 

Likely Starting XI:- Gulasci- Szalai, Orban, Lang - Kerkez, Schafer, Nagy, Nego - Szoboszlai, Sallai - Adam (3-4-2-1)

Switzerland 🇨🇭

Switzerland has been a team that many don’t fancy playing against over the past decade. In the past eight major tournaments, Switzerland has only missed one tournament appearance (Euro 2012) and failed to reach the knockouts once (2010 World Cup). Testament to the job Ottmar Hitzfeld and Vladimir Petkovic have done to make Switzerland a side that perennially qualifies for major tournaments. A generation of Swiss players led by Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, Ricardo Rodriguez, Remo Freuler and Yann Sommer, who have been their mainstays, Switzerland's limit has only been the Round of 16, unable to advance to the quarterfinals. Euro 2020 was the best showing, making the quarterfinals for the first time since the 1954 World Cup, which included a famous Round of 16 victory against 2018 World Cup winners France on penalties. They also finished fourth in the UEFA Nations League in 2019. Current coach Murat Yakin is going into his second tournament at the helm but their form has been patchy. They made it to the knockouts in the 2022 World Cup but suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat to Portugal and just made it to Euro 2024. Finishing two points ahead of third-placed Israel and had disappointing draws against Kosovo and Belarus. Their form going into the tournament is not ideal, winning just three of their last eight games with four draws. Captain Granit Xhaka is coming off an unbeaten domestic season with Bayer Leverkusen while Yann Sommer also won Serie A with Inter Milan. Manuel Akanji, Denis Zakaria and Breel Embolo are of prime age but Embolo is coming off an injury-riddled season, playing just five games for AS Monaco all season. A tactically disciplined team, this Switzerland generation is not to be underestimated but might be at the end of a cycle. Their attacking threat is also not what it was in previous tournaments, potentially hampering their chances of making it to the knockouts. It’s either the Swiss rollback time or time passes them by.

Likely Starting XI:- Sommer- Schar, Akanji, Elvedi- Rodriguez, Xhaka, Zakaria, Ndoye- Embolo, Zuber, Shaqiri (4-3-3)

Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

The Scots have made consecutive appearances in the Euros for the first time since 1996. Since the turn of the century, Scotland has struggled to qualify for major tournaments until they made it to Euro 2020, beating Serbia in a playoff tie. Steve Clarke, a former assistant coach at Chelsea and Liverpool has been at the helm for five years and has delivered pride and joy to the Tartan Army after years of decline and poor results. Against the likes of Spain and Norway during qualifying, Scotland finished second, ahead of Norway, losing once and conceding just eight goals. Captain Andy Robertson remains a lynchpin for the Tartan Army, while Kieran Tierney, Jack Hendry, Liam Cooper and Scott McKenna provide some depth in defence. Their midfield is where their strengths lie. Scott McTominay and John McGinn provide athleticism plus an attacking threat from deep in midfield. McTominay was Scotland’s top scorer with seven goals while McGinn has 18 international goals. However, Scotland’s attack is a big weakness. None of their attackers have scored 10 international goals while their leading striker Lyndon Dykes will not make the tournament due to injury. Nathan Patterson, Aaron Hickey, Elliot Anderson and Ben Doak will also miss out due to injury, thus limiting Scotland’s options. They have never made it to the knockouts in any major tournament and their form is not encouraging, losing five of their last ten games. While the effort will be there, their quality might not be enough to get them out to the knockouts. 

Likely Starting XI:- Gunn- Tierney, Cooper, McKenna- Robertson, McGregor, Gilmour, Souttar- McGinn, McTominay - Adams (3-4-2-1)