The major domestic leagues of the world are over, and the transfer window is in full bloom. Luckily for us, we actually have some meaningful international tournaments this year, Copa America, which is off to a slow start for both the Americans and all of the other matches, and Euro 2016! The Euros, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is the competition for the best teams in Europe throughout the qualification rounds. The competition is exactly like the world cup, three group stage games, top two go on, then a knockout round, however, there are some third placed teams who make it through. So today I am going to break down the squads of all of the nations involved and make my predictions for the group stages of Euro 2016, hosted by France. So, as they say in Paris, commençons!
GROUP A
France: The host nation boasts one of the better teams when it comes to players who played for their clubs this season. In net will likely be Spurs’ Hugo Lloris, who boasted 13 shutouts this year in a strong year for Spurs. The back line has some strong players like Lyon’s Samuel Umtiti, Lloris’ London rival Laurent Koscielny, ex-Arsenal man Bacary Sagna, and either Roma’s Lucas Digne or Juventus’ Patrice Evra. The formation the French run is a 4-3-3, and their three midfielders are some of the best, PSG’s Blaise Matuidi, Leicester City’s N’golo Kante, and Juventus’ Paul Pogba. The front line will be changing often, but the three who probably will be up front will be West Ham’s Dimitri Payet on the left, Atlético Madrid’s Antione Griezmann, and, with no Karim Benzema, either Man United’s Anthony Martial or Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud. It’s a team with a lot of depth, with players like Mangala, Coman, Cabaye, Gignac, and Mandanda who may all play key roles. KEY PLAYER: Antione Griezmann.
Switzerland: The Swiss team looks like a team who could surprise a lot of people, with many underrated or underlooked talents. Like France, Switzerland manager Vladimir Petkovic is prone to running a 4-3-3. In goal will be a toss up between two Borussians, Dortmund’s Roman Bürki and Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer, though it looks as though it will be Bürki. The defense is headlined by Wolfsburg’s Ricardo Rodríguez and Juventus’ Stephan Lichtsteiner, with average center-backs Johan Djourou and Fabian Schär. The midfield is a strong one, with Arsenal’s new midfielder Granit Xhaka, Mainz’s Fabian Frei, and either Watford’s Valon Behrami or Everton’s loaned-out Shani Tarashaj. The front line looks shaky, but Xherdan Shaqiri is set to make another big impact internationally alongside Bayer Leverkusen’s Admir Mehmedi and Basel’s young star Breel Embolo. KEY PLAYER: Johan Djourou
Albania: Albania are new to the Euros, and look to become everyone’s lovable upset. Pure underdogs, led by Lazio keeper Etrit Berisha and Napoli fullback Elseid Hysaj to control the back line. Ermir Lenjani of Nantes will have a big task at hand to control the Albanian midfield, and in the attack, watch for rising star Armando Sadiku, who is hitting his prime for FC Zürich, scoring 16 goals in all competitions. KEY PLAYER: Ermir Lenjani
Romania: The Romanians performed well in the qualifiers and look to outlast the Swiss for the number two spot. Romania run a very common 4-2-3-1, which helps them play from the back. The defense starts with Fiorentina’s GK Ciprian Tatarusanu, and the big defenders are Napoli’s Vlad Chiriches and Vallecano’s Razvan Rat. The midfield is led by veteran Ovidiu Hoban, playmaker Gabriel Torje, and Alexandru Chipciu. The lone man up front will be Cordoba’s Florin Andone, after a very strong year in Liga Adelante. It will be a challenge, but if these men string together, they could overtake Switzerland. KEY PLAYER: Ciprian Tatarusanu
PREDICTIONS
- France, 9 points
- Switzerland, 6 points
- Romania, 3 points
- Albania, 0 points
Group B:
Wales: The Welsh really stepped up their play, storming into a Euro spot. Welsh boss Chris Coleman runs a different style formation of 3-4-2-1. Crystal Palace’s Wayne Hennessey is Coleman’s #1, with the three central defenders as Swansea’s Ashley Williams, West Brom’s James Chester, and West Ham’s James Collins. The two midfielders may adjust to wing backs in mere seconds, watch out for Ben Davies and young talent Jazz Richards. The two central midfielders will be “Welsh Xavi” Joe Allen and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, with two Palace players, Joe Ledley or “Jonniesta” Johnathan Williams as the other midfielder. If Ledley plays, Ramsey will likely go up to the attacking mid, but Williams in the starting XI means he’s the attacker. Upfront, Burnley’s Sam Vokes, who was instrumental to their promotion back into the BPL, and Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale. In one of the most wide open groups, I wouldn’t count the Welsh out of winning it. KEY PLAYER: Ashley Williams.
Slovakia: The Slovakians enter Euro 2016 with hope after missing out on Euro 2012. Slovakia’s stars are mostly veterans stretching into their 30s. In goal is Matús Kozácik, and hopefully protecting him from the lethal attacking lineups of other nations are soon-to-be Fenerbache defender Martin Skrtel, Hertha’s instrumental fullback Peter Pekarík, and the 6’2” Jan Durica. A five man midfield will be dominated by Fenerbache’s Miroslav Stoch and Napoli’s best midfielder this year, Marek Hamsik. Up top is the experienced Adam Nemec, looking to increase the goals in his international career, which stands at six. KEY PLAYER: Marek Hamsik
Russia: The Russians come in looking as strong as they have to a big tournament as ever. After ex-England boss Fabio Capello was dropped for CSKA’s Leonid Slutsky (feel free to put your jokes about Slutsky wherever), Russia stormed to the Euros. Slutsky will have a fair share of CSKA players around him, including Igor Akinfeev in goal, with the two Berezutskis, Aleksi and Vasili at the centerbacks, with Zenit’s Igor Smolnikov and Lokomotiv’s flex Roman Shishkin at the fullbacks. Into the five man midfield that will miss Alan Dzagoev to injury, Oleg Shatov, Zenit’s star on the wing and Krasnodar’s Pavel Mamev will have to step up and be the impact players. Up front will likely be Zenit’s Artyom Dzyuba, but Aleksandr Kokorin could be a prolific backup. Russia will come in overlooked, but with good enough play, the team could be destined for a good run. KEY PLAYER: Oleg Shatov
England: England’s friendly wins over Germany and Turkey gave supporters confidence, but as soon as they saw their team, fans went right back to doubting Roy Hodgson. England’s #1 GK is still Joe Hart, with a backline led by Man United’s Chris Smalling, Spurs’ Danny Rose, Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne, and Chelsea’s Gary Cahill. A very flexible three man midfield will appear to be Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and James Milner, who really stepped it up after January, and captain Wayne Rooney. The front line has it’s doubts, Leicester’s Jamie Vardy will move to the wing to make room for target man Harry Kane as the main striker, and after that, it will be a battle between Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Dele Alli. There also is some notable players on the bench, John Stones, Ross Barkley, Alli(if he doesn’t start), and Eric Dier. On paper, this team could make a big run, but knowing England, you never know what this team will bring. KEY PLAYER: James Milner
PREDICTIONS:
1 Russia, 7 points
2 England, 5 points
3 Wales, 4 points
4 Slovakia, 1 point
GROUP C
Germany: The world champions are looking to continue their dominance in what appears to be a very easy group. This team look like clear favorites on paper, with FIFA’s Team of the Year GK Manuel Neuer fresh off 28 shutouts in all competitions. In front of him are the Bayern pairing of Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels with Shkodran Musatfi and Antonio Rüdiger also looking to break into the team. There are multiple setbacks in Joachim Löw’s midfield, with Ilkay Gündogan and Marco Reus injured, but the midfield is still stacked with the emegance of Mesut Özil, Toni Kroos, and Julian Draxler all looking to boss the German midfield trio. Up front, watch out for the speedy star from Schalke, Sané (say that five times fast), Besiktas’ Mario Gomez, and World Cup 2nd leading scorer Thomas Müller. Scary team nowhere where you look, will they rout favorites again, or will they collapse like the Spaniards in Brazil? KEY PLAYER: Mats Hummels
Ukraine: The Ukranians come in to this Euro after disappointment hosting Euro 2012, in a hard group nonetheless, losing to France and England. The team hasn’t changed too much, Andriy Pyatov remains Shakhtar and Ukraine’s goalie, with Yevhen Khacheridi and Yaroslav Rakitskyi holding down Mykhaylo Fomenko’s back line. A midfield with 2 holding midfielders led by leader Ruslan Rotan and Taras Stepaneko, who helped Shakhtar reach the semis of the Europa League, being knocked out by Sevilla, who have Ukraine’s playmaker on the wing, Yevhen Konoplyanka. Up top is a man looking to really show his worth, Andriy Yarmolenko, who has drawn the interest of Arsenal and Everton in the past, and he could attract even more if he plays like he did with Dynamo Kyiv this year. Even if their Euro 2016 is cut short, I think this team could be a force to be reckoned with in two years time at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. KEY PLAYER: Yevhen Konoplyanka
Poland: The Polish squad is a team that may change multiple times throughout this tournament, as for me, there is no safety in the starting lineup. Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski beat out Wojciech Szczesny for the number one spot, funny, he never could do that at Arsenal. The defenders aren’t the strongest, but Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek and Torino’s Kamil Glik are the notable ones. The midfield will rely heavily on Fiorentina’s loanee Jakub Blaszczykowski, Warsaw’s Tomasz Jodlowiec, and Sevilla’s bulldog Grzegorz Krychowiak. The strikers are dangerous, one of the bigger up-and-coming stars, Artem Milik of Ajax, and IMO, the best European striker in the game right now, Robert Lewandowski of Bayern (I don’t consider Ronaldo a striker, he’s always been a winger). If the role players in this team preform well, Poland could be in for a good run. KEY PLAYER: Lukasz Fabianski
Northern Ireland: The Northern Irish team appear like clear knockouts, but Michael O’Neill’s boys may be about as unpredictable as what formation O’Neill will run, they ran three in the qualifiers! Goalie is weak, lead by 31-year-old Michael McGovern, with some half-decent defenders hoping to limit the strong strikers of their group foes, West Brom’s Jonny Evans and Gareth McAuley, as well as Derby’s Chris Baird and Watford’s Craig Cathcart. The midfield is bossed by Southampton’s Steven Davis, who had a great year under Ronald Koemann. Up front appears to be Kyle Lafferty of Norwich, but some would love to see Wigan’s Will Grigg to make the jump up front, maybe due to his chant, “Will Grigg’s on fire, your defense is terrified!” KEY PLAYER: Steven Davis
Predictions:
1 Germany, 9 points
2 Poland, 4 points
3 Ukraine, 2 point
4 Northern Ireland, 1 point
GROUP D
Czech Republic: The Czechs have fallen from galacticos to rare performers, but this could be their time to turn around as a nation. Petr Cech, arguably the best BPL keeper in net, with Theodor Gebre Selassie, Tomas Sivok, and Marek Suchy the main players in the defense. Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky could be making his final appearance as captain, but he is still banged up and won’t be fully fit for game one, but he may still play. The forwards are the real nerves of this team, but Tomas Necid, hitting his prime could emerge for this team to try to get out of the group. KEY PLAYER: Marek Suchy
Turkey: Not many Turks go abroad from the Super League, but those who do are those who may lead Turkey to a strong tournament this year. Volkan Babacan has earned Volkan Demirel’s trust in net, and with a great back line consisting of Erkin, Gonul, and veteran Balta. The midfield is mostly abroad, Leverkusen’s Hakan Çalhanoglu, Mainz’s Yunus Malli, Dortmund’s Nuri Sahin, and Barcelona’s Arda Turan, all stars. Galatasaray’s Buruk Yilmaz will start up front, also abroad, in the Chinese Super League, this will be a good journey and a good test for the Turks. KEY PLAYER: Hakan Çalhanoglu
Croatia: I consider the Croats very possible underdogs, as a lot of their players aren’t just good, but have the potential to be world-class in France. Monaco’s Danijel Subasic is the keeper, with young talent Tin Jedvaj, and veterans Darijo Srna and Vedran Corluka as the big name defenders. The midfield is where this team looks like one of the best in this tournament, with talents like Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic of Inter, Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, and Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic and Team of the Year member Luka Modric. Up front, Mario Mandzukic, who had a good World Cup, always seems to shine for Croatia when they need him. The group will test them, but I have no doubt this team can do big things. KEY PLAYER: Vedran Corluka
Spain: Spain had the biggest World Cup letdown of any team, even if they had to play Chile and Netherlands/Holland. The talent level isn’t different, but we will see if play is. David de Gea, Louis van Gaal’s savior, until after the FA Cup, will replace Spanish legend Iker Casillas. The best, or at least top three, defenders, consisting of Team of the Year’s Sergio Ramos, Barcelona’s Gerard Pique, Champions League choker Juanfran, and likely Barca’s Jordi Alba over Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta. It will appear Cesc Fabregas won’t get his shadow striker role, but he will still start with world-class Spaniards Andres Iniesta, David Silva, Koke, and Sergio Busquets. Up front, no Diego Costa, but a battle between BBVA big man Artiz Aduriz and Juventus’ Álvaro Morata, I’d bet Aritz gets the start game one. I think 2014 is a thing of the past, and Spain can return to one of the top teams now. KEY PLAYER: Andres Iniesta
PREDICTIONS:
1 Spain, 7 ponts
2 Turkey, 5 points
3 Croatia, 4 points
4 Czech Republic, 0 points
Group E
Sweden: Sweden failed to qualify for the World Cup and it looks this may be Zlatan’s swan song, so a good tournament is a must. Andreas Isaksson remains in goal, and he will have his 130th cap after game one. The defense is lead by Krasnodar’s Andreas Granqvist, Norwich’s Martin Olsson, and Torino’s Pontus Jansson, who IMO, shouldn’t have beat West Brom’s Jonas Olsson, but I don’t watch too much Serie A, so I trust Erik Harmen’s decision making. Kim Kallstrom won’t play, so the midfield will be dominated by CSKA’s Pontus Wernbloom and Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson. There should be two strikers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic obviously, but the second spot will be a battle between Panathinaikos’ Marcus Berg and Celta Vigo’s newbie John Guidetti. Sweden could surprise a couple if they remain relaxed and try not to force too much, because this is no Leicester, they won’t run fast-pace. KEY PLAYER: Andreas Granqvist
Italy: Antonio Conte will debut at Chelsea after losing his Juve job in August, but for now, his mind is set on winning Euro 2016. Legend Gianluigi Buffon will have his swan song at 38, he has a 2-year deal at Juve, but this will be his last Euro. He will be behind likely three Juventus centerbacks, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, and Leonardo Bonucci. We will likely see more of a wing-back setup with Alessandro Florenzi and Mattia De Sciglio, with a three-man midfield of bulldog Thiago Motta, well-rounded Marco Parolo, and defensive-minded Daniele De Rossi, with PSG’s Marco Veratti and Juventus’ Claudio Marchisio out of the team with injury. Up front is where the competition really starts, as Graziano Pelle, Antonio Candreva, Lorenzo Insigne and Stephan El Shaarawy will compete for two striker roles. It all depends on Conte, we may not see wing-backs and see Insigne and Candreva as wingers, but for now, I think Insigne and Candreva will get the forward spots. All in all, these vicious veterans could go all the way. KEY PLAYER: Daniele De Rossi
Ireland: The luck of the Irish is a must for Martin O’Neill’s men in the group of death. Some surprising calls, including West Ham’s Darren Randolph in net over Shay Given and Keiren Westwood. A 4-man backline boasted by Seamus Coleman of Everton, Aston Villa’s Ciaran Clark, and Norwich’s Robbie Brady. Into the 5-man midfield Everton’s skiller Aiden McGeady and West Brom’s James McClean will start on the wing, with another Everton player, James McCarthy and Stoke’s Glenn Whelan are the holding midfielders with Norwich’s playmaker Wes Hoolahan at the attacking midfielder, with LA Galaxy’s skipper Robbie Keane as the lone striker. It is a team that I think would make it out of any other group comfortably, we’ll see how it plays out. KEY PLAYER: Ciaran Clark
Belgium: The world’s second best team according to FIFA isn’t that for nothing, their squad is a very strong one, capable of big things now and for many years. Thibaut Courtois is the clear number one, and an inexperienced back line, with no Vincent Kompany, who is injured, again, led by Spurs’ Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, but Jason Denayer and Thomas Vermaerlin are big liabilities. A dominant midfield of stars will be Belgium’s biggest assets, Roma’s Radja Nainggolan, Spurs’ Moussa Dembélé, Atletico’s Yannick Carassco, Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne, and the man with the most stress on him to have a big tourney, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, who went from the PFA player of the year to scoring no BPL goals until April. Up front will be one of the bigger players in the team, literally, Everton’s record holder for most goals in a season, Romelu Lukaku, who is grinning at Chelsea, who sold him to make room for Costa, they could’ve needed him when he single-handedly knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup. This is a definite contender if everything falls into place. KEY PLAYER: Toby Alderweireld
PREDICTIONS:
1 Belgium, 9 points
2 Italy, 4 points
3 Sweden, 2 points (goal differential breaks tie)
4 Ireland, 2 points
GROUP F
Iceland: One of the newest teams in the fray, the Icelandic team may have a chance, as their group is the easiest in the competition. Hannus Halldórsson is the goalie, with four defenders who you may not have heard of, led by Krasnodar’s Ragnar Sigurdsson. The midfield may feature a diamond, with big players such as captain Aron Gunnarsson, Udinese’s Emil Hallfredsson, and Swansea’s free-kick genius Gylfi Sigurdsson. A two-man strike force will likely be Real Sociedad’s Alfred Finnbogason and Nantes Kolbeinn Sigthórsson. It’s not the flashiest side, but it could get the job done. KEY PLAYER: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Hungary: Another less flashy team, the Hungarians will hope for some luck to get past the group stage. 40-year-old Gábor Király will lead the way in goal with Lech Poznan’s Tamás Kádár, an ex-Newcastle player the standout defender. The 5-man midfield will be led by Hamburg’s Zoltán Stieber and Turkish League and Hungarian star Balázs Dzsudzsák who will look to create chances. The lone forward will be Hoffenheim’s Ádám Szalai, a target man who can score goals with ease in the air. It looks a harder challenge than it is for Hungary, but who knows what will happen? KEY PLAYER: Balázs Dzsudzsák
Portugal: From one of the least flashy to one of the most flashy, Portugal will look to finally bring Cristiano Ronaldo international glory, and this may be his only shot, as rival Lionel Messi is looking to capture his 6th Ballon d’or, and if Ronaldo can be an impact at the Euros plus his Champions League trophy under his belt, he may win his 4th. Ballon D’ors aside, Portugal will go with Sporting Lisbon’s Rui Patricio over Lyon’s Anthony Lopes in net, experience over youth it seems. The 4-man back line includes Southampton’s Cedric and Jose Fonte, Fenerbache’s Bruno Alves, and Real Madrid’s Pepe. A deep three-man midfield consists of Valencia’s Andre Gomes, Monaco’s Joao Moutinho, Sporting’s William Carvalho, Porto’s Danilo Pereria, and possibly, Bayern Münich’s new young star Renato Sanches, but based on the selection of Patricio, I’m willing to bet Sanches and Pereria will miss out on the first game. The front three are pretty explainable, a skillful trio of Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo. This team looks full of stars who could shine this coming week. KEY PLAYER: Cristiano Ronaldo
Austria: The Austrians are very underrated and not talked about a lot, but they have talent in the right places. Robert Almer will lead the charge in goal, with a very strong, mostly BPL backline led by Leicester’s Christian Fuchs, Spurs’ Kevin Wimmer, and Watford’s Sebastian Prödl. The midfield, which is mostly Bundesliga, is Mainz’s Julian Baumgartlinger, Bayern Münich’s David Alaba, and Bremen’s Zlatko Junuzovic, with the exception of Stoke’s key player Marko Arnautovic lead the creation of Austria’s play, and in attack is Basel’s Marc Janko. I think this is a very strong team, definitely one to make it out of the group, maybe to make a run. KEY PLAYER: Marko Arnautovic
PREDICTIONS:
1 Portugal, 6 points
2 Austria, 4 points
3 Iceland, 3 points
4 Hungary, 2 points
So that concludes my Euro 2016 group stage predictions, I’ll be covering this tournament like the back of my hand, so I’ll try to make an article every day, but no promises. I wish everyone’s nation of choice good luck, and I will see you soon!
Beyond The Grandstand 