After 36 matches, Euro 2024 has advanced to the all-important knockout stage, starting with the round of 16 on Saturday.
Al Jazeera chooses the four main games of this round:
Germany vs Denmark
When: June 29, 9pm local time (7pm GMT)
Where: BVB Stadium in Dortmund
Germany and Denmark will meet in a repeat of the 1992 Euro final when they meet in Saturday’s match in Dortmund. Although hosts Germany are unbeaten in the tournament, with two wins and a draw, Denmark are yet to celebrate a victory, drawing all their group stage games and scoring just two goals.
Going into the game as underdogs, Denmark will look to their miraculous performance in the Euro 1992 finals in Gothenburg for historical inspiration. In that match, they pulled off one of the biggest final upsets of all time, defeating then-world champions Germany 2-0 to win their first and only major football title.
“It’s a strong team we’re going to face and a bit like the big country versus the small country,” Denmark assistant coach Christian Poulsen told reporters ahead of Saturday’s round of 16 clash. “But we’re going into battle and hopefully we can do what we did in 1992.”
The Danes will rely on veteran midfielder Christian Eriksen and forwards Rasmus Hojlund and Jonas Wind to challenge Germany, who have a star-studded squad with Euro 2024’s second top scorers Jamal Musiala and Niclas Fullkrug, as well as emerging star Florian Wirtz.
Before the knockout match, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann will face a difficult decision: keep faith in Kai Havertz’s poor performance as a starter or start Fullkrug after the injury-time equalizer off the bench in the last game against Switzerland.
Historically, Germany is almost unbeatable when reaching the knockout stage of the Euros. Of the 10 times Germany has qualified, it has reached the semi-finals on nine occasions and the finals on six occasions.
The Germans are tied with Spain with three European Football Championship titles. Defeating Denmark on Saturday takes them one step closer to a record fourth title – and with the added motivation of doing so as Euro 2024 hosts, as well as being the perfect send-off for retiring German superstar Toni Kroos of football after the tournament.
But Denmark, who reached the semi-finals in the last edition of Euro 2020, will not be an easy task for the Germans.
France vs Belgium
When: July 1, 6pm local time (4pm GMT)
Where: Düsseldorf Arena in Düsseldorf
France and Belgium have one thing in common: both teams have struggled in attack in this tournament.
Although two-time world champions France have yet to score in open play, Belgium have scored just twice in three matches.
These statistics seem bizarre given the attacking prowess of both star-studded teams – the French boast the likes of superstar Kylian Mbappe and experienced striker Antoine Griezmann, while Belgium are blessed with one of the world’s best playmakers in Kevin De Bruyne. , and the imposing striker Romelu Lukaku.
Despite scoring just two goals in the group stage – a goal against Austria and a penalty scored by Mbappe – French defender Saliba is confident that his teammates will excel in the tie against Belgium.
“Of course we have to be more dangerous from set pieces, especially me. I don’t think I even touched any, so we can do better,” Saliba said.
Attacking issues are not the only problem Belgium are dealing with. Fans booed and whistled at the team after their goalless group stage draw with Ukraine in Stuttgart, and captain De Bruyne told his players to leave the pitch without thanking the fans.
Defender Thomas Meunier said the fans’ reaction was “disproportionate”, adding that the team “always plays to win”.
Belgium, who are still seeking their first major football title, showed too little intent in the tournament for fans to believe they could overcome France, who have won the Euros twice and are considered by many experts to be the tournament favourites.
Monday’s match will be the 76th meeting between the two teams, although it will be the first at the Euros since 1984.
Austria vs Türkiye
When: July 2, 9pm local time (7pm GMT)
Where: Leipzig Stadium in Leipzig
Playing fast-paced and entertaining football, Austria and Turkey were two of the most exciting teams in the Euro 2024 group stage.
Few expected Austria to win a group that included heavyweights France and the Netherlands, but Ralf Rangnick’s young side achieved the unthinkable with their excellent attacking display.
No longer playing with a defensive mentality, Austria scored six goals in their three group stage matches, with six different players scoring goals, suggesting the team is well balanced and unselfish in attack.
“It’s incredible to finish top of the group which was as difficult as possible based on UEFA coefficients,” said Rangnick. “We started with a goal against France, we dealt with all the pressure put on us to beat Poland and to finish as group winners is something very special,” added the former Manchester United interim manager, known for his counter tactics. pressure.
The Austrians, who have little star power and did not progress past the round of 16, entered the tournament as underdogs but have now elevated their status to title contenders. Standing in Austria’s way at the first hurdle will be familiar foes, Turkey, whose campaign has been nothing short of dramatic.
Arda Guler and Hakan Calhanoglu were among the scorers as Turkey scored an impressive five goals in the group stage. But they also leaked an equal number of goals, revealing the lack of solidity in defense.
Austria won 6-1 when these teams last met in a friendly in March, but Euro 2008 semi-finalists Turkey are full of confidence this time and are likely to pose a better challenge.
However, the Turks will play the round of 16 match without their inspirational captain Calhanoglu, who is suspended after receiving two yellow cards. His massive absence could be all the motivation the Austrians need as they try to reach the Euro quarter-finals for the first time.
Portugal vs Slovenia
When: July 1, 9pm local time (7pm GMT)
Where: Arena Frankfurt in Frankfurt
Portugal will be under pressure to regroup quickly after their replacement team suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to debutants Georgia in their final Euro 2024 group stage game on June 26.
As they prepare to face Slovenia in the round of 16, most fans would pick Portugal as the favourites, but a quick look at the history and form guide might suggest otherwise.
Portugal have faced Slovenia just once – losing 2-0 in a friendly in March 2024. Cristiano Ronaldo was part of the team that started in that game, although Portugal were without the key duo of Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
Both Silva and Fernandes have scored at Euro 2024, but aging striker and captain Ronaldo is yet to score despite making the most attempts on goal.
In what must be a worrying development for Portugal, for the first time in his career, 39-year-old Ronaldo has not scored in the group stage of a major international tournament.
A Portugal team that has not reached its best performance will probably face problems against Slovenia, who prefer to sit back and frustrate their opponents, as they demonstrated against England in the 0-0 draw in the last group game in Cologne.
“Slovenia is a team that plays like a club, with brutal defensive synchronization and two influential strikers. We need to prepare well for the game, but this is not a friendly”, said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez, referring to his team’s defeat to Slovenia in March.
The Slovenes, who are competing in the Euro qualifiers for the first time after recording three draws, are also dangerous on the counterattack.
Striker Benjamin Sesko, 1.95 meters tall and blessed with exceptional athleticism for a player of his size, is one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe and is considered Slovenia’s greatest attacking threat against Portugal.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
