It's finally here! Euro 2020 is with us and that is why in this week's blog we are going to go through the groups and teams that are facing each other and I'm going to choose a player from each squad that will surely be worth to keep your eyes on.
Group AItaly: Nicolo Barella
Arguably, one of the best midfielders that you will find currently in Italian football. The 24-year old come through Cagliari Calcio's youth system before joining Scudetto winners Inter Milan on loan. Eventually, the Milanese side sealed the deal with Barella and became one of the most figures in Conte's plans to win the Scudetto.
He was also important to Roberto Mancini's plans on getting Italy back where they should, after the turmoil that the national side went through in 2017 when they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup held in France, against Sweden. The midfielder scored three goals and registered two assists in eight European qualifiers appearances to help Italy finish on top of Group J with 30 points. Switzerland: Manuel Akanji
I've spoken before about Akanji. The 25-year old defender who makes part of Borussia Dortmund's strong squad which has been making them competitive throughout these past few years.
Akanji is a humble player who makes sure to go out on the pitch and do his job properly. He is great to watch. He isn't the type of player to cause any drama and will defend maturely and rarely makes a mistake. He has become one of the most essential players for German side Borussia Dortmund and eventually he is leaving his mark on Switzerland too. He made seven appearances for his national side while they were trying to qualify for the Euros in Group D. With him at the back, they managed a draw of 1-1 and another of 3-3, three clean sheets against Ireland and Georgia, a 6-1 away win to Gibraltar and only a 1-0 loss to Denmark. He is surely a great prospect to keep your eyes on the look out for during this year's Euros. Turkey: Cengiz Under
Under is not a new name and is a class striker who we will hopefully gets to see lots of at the Euros. He made headlines during his time with AS Roma when he had his breakout season back in 2017/18 having scored seven goals in 26 Serie A appearances.
The winger was essential to Roma for three season before they decided to let him go on a season-long loan with Premier League side Leicetser. Unfortunately he only managed nine Premier League appearances in which he only registered two assists after having to miss out on half of the season due to injury. So he was not made available enough to Brendan Rodgers to showcase his talent in England and when Turkey were trying to qualify for the Euros, he had to miss out on most of the campaign due to injury too. So now, the Euros can finally be his chance to make his comeback to European football and show Europe what he's made of. Wales: Daniel James
Ryan Giggs given the Welshman his debut after he signed for Premier League side Manchester United from Swansea on a deal which cost €17.8 million.
He missed out for a bit in May after suffering an injury and returned to the field just in time to play in the Europe League final which United unfortunately lost to Villareal on penalties. The 23-year old is a great winger which is set to help his team perform at their best as much as possible, after being an essential part of their qualifying journey. He featured in each match to help Wales finish second in Group E which also included World Cup finalists in 2018 Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. He had a significant impact on the group matches against Slovakia, scoring the only goal of the game in the home leg which awarded Wales their first three points in the group, and assisting the goal in a 1-1 draw during the away leg. Group BBelgium: Youri Tielemans
In 2019, Leicester signed Tielemans on a €45 million transfer deal after having him along on loan from French side Monaco. The 24-year old is by far one of the most underrated midfielders in Europe, probably for the reason that he does not play with as big of a club as Real Madrid or Juventus or Liverpool.
But watch out because he is going to be one of the most threatening players these Euros without a doubt. He has also had a stunning season with Leicester this year, surely leaving a mark on the fans after he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final to win them their first ever title. Brendan Rodgers made much use of him after he featured in each Premier League match scoring six goals and registering four assists. He was also an essential part of helping Belgium finish on top of Group I with 30 points and make it to the Euros. Denmark: Kasper Dolberg
Do you remember the threatening AFC Ajax side back in the Champions League season of 2018/19 which eliminated teams such as Real Madrid and Juventus, only to then be beaten in the semi-finals by Tottenham? Well Kasper Dolberg was part of that squad, and a key figure too. The forward is now playing for OGC Nice in France after he attracted the Ligue 1 side after that incredible season that the Dutch side had.
The centre-forward made his national debut at the age of 19 in order to help his country qualify for the 2019 World Cup. Despite the fact that they failed to do so, they came back stronger for the Euros and managed to finish second in Group D with 16 points, just a point behind Switzerland. Denmark had previously won the Euros in 1992. Despite not being favourites to have history repeat itself this year, can they be one of the teams that actually shock us and give the bigger sides a difficult time of making it through. Finland: Glen Kamara
We have heard lots about the 25-year old defensive midfielder this season, after he was racially abused by Slavia Prague player Ondrej Kudela. Now he is ready to take on the Euros and show Europe that he is not here to mess around. This is the first time that Finland have qualified for the Euros after they finished in second place in Group J, which also consisted of Italy, Greece, Bosnia Herzegovina, Armenia and Liechtenstein. Overcoming countries which have the likes of Kostas Manolas, Miralem Pjanic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan playing for them, shows just how much Finland have also come a long way in football and we hope to see them go through many stages in the Euro Cup.
Kamara is an essential part of both Scottish side Rangers which he plays domestic football for and also his national side, which he helped throughout the whole qualifying stage. Russia: Aleksandr Golovin
Fabio Capello gave Golovin his debut eight days after he turned 19-years old and is one of Russia's best products. He was voted Player of the Year for CSKA Moscow in the season of 2017/18 and went on to have a great World Cup campaign with Russia then.
He helped his country reach the quarter finals of the competition which unfortunately they lost to runner-ups Croatia on penalties. They made it to that stage after they had beaten Spain on penalties in the Round of 16 and throughout this whole time Golovin was attracting the eyes of several football clubs and leagues in Europe. So that is when he ended up playing for Ligue 1 side Monaco that year and have been ever since. This season he could only manage 21 Ligue 1 appearances in which he scored five goals and contributed with nine assists. He missed out on a big part of the first half of the season due to a hamstring injury. He then also missed out on a bit during the second half when he suffered some thigh problems and then also got infected with Covid-19. Group CAustria: Marcel Sabitzer
Sabizter was only 18-years old when he made his debut for his national side and has been a great product of the Red Bull football academy having had spells with both RB Salzburg in Austria and RB Leipzig in Germany.
In 2015, he was named as Austria's Footballer of the Year after he scored 19 goals and registered 16 assists in 33 Austrian Bundesliga appearances. Unfortunately, Austria displayed poor performances in the Euros 2016 in which they suffered two losses and a draw to Portugal, which saw them get eliminated from the tournament as they only achieved to earn a single point. This time round they hope to achieve a better result with RB Leipzig captain being more ready than ever. He has become an integral part of the RB Leipzig squad ever since he rejoined them from the RB Salzburg loan. He is a strong midfielder with a dominant presence which will surely be beneficial for a team that consists of players such as David Alaba at the back and Marko Arnautovic at the front. Netherlands: Nathan Ake
The 26-year old is a great defender who will surely be given more time to showcase his skills now that Van Dijk is omitted from the squad. A link-up between Juventus' Matthijs De Ligt and Nathan Ake will surely give opponents a hard time to find the back of the net.
Ake had his breakout season while at Bournemouth, where he was a rock solid defender and attracted the eyes of Pep Guardiola. Unfortunately with the return of John Stones, Kyle Walker's leadership at the back and a horrible injury spell, Ake didn't have much of an opportunity to show Manchester City what he can do for them after he only managed ten appearances in his first season. The Euros this summer are his opportunity to make his comeback and convince Pep Guardiola to make him a regular starter for the following season and that is why you should surely make sure to keep your eyes on the Dutchman. North Macedonia: Eljif Elmas
The 21-year old is another attacking talent that you should be on the look out for, he will surely be feeding Pandev some scoring opportunities to help North Macedonia make the most of their first ever major tournament.
Elmas has had a great breakout in Italian football ever since he joined Napoli in 2019. He started his first season with 26 appearances in which he scored a single goal. He is a dominant presence in Napoli's midfield which led Gennaro Gattuso to feature him in 33 Serie A matches this season in which he found the net twice and also recorded an assist. He made his national debut at 17 years old and was an integral part of North Macedonia's qualifying campaign. They finished third in Group G but a second place finish in Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League 2 put them forward for a play-off and Elmas was a key figure during this journey. He had to miss out on the semi-final win to Kosovo due to Covid-19 but he returned stronger than ever to help his country win 1-0 to Georgia and make it to their first Euros after 27 years of foundation. Ukraine: Oleksandr Zinchenko
There is no need for much introduction to Zinchenko because I'm sure that you already know who he is. The Manchester City left-back is a great player who goes out on the pitch, does his job properly and maturely and is a great teammate to watch.
In 2019, he was voted as Ukraine's Footballer of the Year, mostly after his involvement in his nation's qualifying campaign. Ukraine came out on top of Group C with 20 points, above reigning European Champions Portugal. With him playing, Ukraine managed five clean sheets, including the goalless draw to Portugal and also managed to win against them in their final leg with a score of 2-1. The one time that Zinchenko did not play was when he suffered a knee injury and had to miss the last match against Serbia which resulted in a 2-2 draw. The 24-year old was close to becoming a European Champion with his domestic club Manchester City, after he helped them reach the final for the first time but unfortunately a 1-0 loss to Chelsea took that dream away from them for this season. Now, he will try to lead his country to a great Euros campaign. Despite not being favourites to win the tournament, you never know who the underdogs might turn out to be in football. Group DCroatia: Mario Pasalic
The 26-year old midfielder is not given enough attention in my opinion in European football. Maybe because he plays for Atalanta, who are underdogs and have come a long way in Italian and European competition. Having finished second in Serie A, Atalanta will be competing in the Champions League once again next season, and Pasalic will be ready more than ever to shine there, but before he must do so in the Euros.
The midfielder will be giving us a little sneak peak of what to expect from him next season, as he is one of the most disciplined and effective midfielders in the game. With Luka Modric in the Croatian midfield, they will surely be presenting a threat to opponents. Zlatko Dalic did not make much use of him during the European Qualifiers, but after breaking out as one of Atalanta's best players, which also urged the Milanese club to seal the deal and complete a permanent move from Chelsea, the Croatian boss realised that Pasalic needs to become a key figure in his national team and that is why we should be eager to see how he will be incorporated in the squad during the Euros. Czech Republic: Jakub Jankto
If you're a fan of Italian football, then you might have seen the likes of Jakub Jankto being a definite player for Sampdoria. The 25-year old is a great forward who knows how to read the game well and create goal scoring opportunities for his teammates. In 35 Serie A appearances this season, he scored six goals and registered three assists. He also got to captain Sampdoria once this season, when they played their home leg against Scudetto winners Inter Milan and also won 2-1.
Jankto made the move to Italy at a very young age in 2014 to join the Udinese academy. Udinese sent him on loan to Ascoli before arranging a loan move to Sampdoria for him. Eventually, Sampdoria were very happy with his performances and sealed a €14.5 million transfer deal in 2019. Jankto was also part of the travelling party for the Euro qualifiers and made a huge impact on helping his team finish second in Group A, which also included England, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Montenegro, with 15 points. England: Mason Mount
There is no need for me to tell you who Mason Mount is, but I will tell you anyways because we just cannot get over how great the 22-year old is. He was brought up through the Chelsea youth academy and went on to be an important figure in winning them the Champions League final against probably the strongest current English side, Manchester City.
Mount is one of the best midfielders that will be playing in the Euros this year and we wonder, with the likes of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish playing alongside him, could this English team be bringing it home this year, especially since they will have their home supporters along their side in Wembley in every group match? It's exciting to see how it will all eventually unveil for England, one thing that I am sure of is that Mason Mount will bless us with his brilliance and technique in the midfield and opponents should be really afraid of him. Scotland: Keiran Tierney
After 25 years, Scotland make their return to the Euros and Keiran Tierney is an exciting young talent that you should have your eyes on. You might have already saw him play for Arsenal after he completed a €27 million move from Celtic in 2019.
The Scotsman was brought up through the Celtic academy and having been an integral part of the 2018/19 squad for Celtic despite suffering a hip injury, he attracted the London club. Unfortunately due to injury, Tierney missed out on most of the qualifying phase for Scotland, but made sure to be back for the last play-off final against a strong Serbian side which included the likes of Dusan Vlahovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Dusan Tadic and the list goes on. Tierney was essential to help Scotland keep the score at a tie of 1-1 and eventualy the Scots went on to make it to the Euros on penalties, winning 6-5. Group EPoland: Arkadiusz Milik
You surely must have heard of the 27-year old striker who had his breakout season back in that of 2018/19, when he went on to make 35 appearances for Napoli and score 17 goals.
He had made the move to Italy from Ajax back in 2016, on a €32 million deal and had a great stint in Serie A. Currently, the Polish plays for Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille, on a loan deal which ends in June 2022. In half a season, he managed 15 appearances for the French side scoring nine goals and registering a single assist. The striker was also linked with moves to clubs such as Juventus but it seems that they never went through. Without a doubt, a striker of his talent, no wonder that he will be linked to great clubs. He is confident in front of goal and makes sure not to miss an opportunity, he will surely be a great link up with Robert Lewandowski during these Euros. Unfortunately we did not get to see much of him during the qualifying phase due to a groin and muscle injury, but the Euros are his time for redemption. Slovakia: Milan Skriniar
After 11 years, Milan Skriniar was a key figure in helping Inter Milan win their 19th Serie A title. He is arguably one of the best centre-backs in Serie A, together with his partner at the back Stefan De Vrij who will be playing for the Netherlands during these Euros. His success in Italy saw him being named the Slovakian Player of the Year for two years consecutively in 2019 and 2020. Opponents will surely not be getting past him easily, and don't be surprised if he ends up scoring out of nowhere too.
He is a beast on the pitch, fighting for possession, maintaining it, helping his teammates out and creating opportunities for the whole side to score. He is a complete player who you won't get tired of watching. Slovakia qualified for the Euros through the play-off finals. He had to miss out on the semi-final against the Republic of Ireland due to being infected with Covid-19, but then returned stronger than ever for the final against Northern Ireland, which Slovakia won 2-1 after extra time. Spain: Mikel Oyarzabal
If you watch La Liga, then you are surely familiar with the 24-year old winger. He is a product of Real Sociedad and so far, he is set to keep playing for them till 2024. A great talent, which will surely threaten defenders in the Euro Cup. He has become an essential part of the squad back in the season of 2015/16, when he scored six goals in 22 appearances. From then, he became a regular for the Spanish side and has been on every La Liga's fan's mind ever since.
He has played six matches for Spain to help them qualify for the Euros, scoring against Sweden in a 2-0 win and in a 5-0 win to Romania. The Euros are his chance to shine and he will surely be turning heads and catching the scouts' eyes. His technique has already linked him with clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United but it will be after the Euros that we will probably know for sure which shirt Oyarzabal will be wearing next season. Sweden: Dejan Kulusevski
During his first season at Juventus, the Swedish had already won the Coppa Italia and the Super Coppa Italiana and without a doubt that as seasons pass by, more silverware will be added to his trophy cabinet. The 21-year old though is not new to the tabloids in Italy, as he has been making headlines for quite some time now.
He moved to Milan to start his professional career with the Atalanta academy back in 2016. In 2019, they sent him on a loan spell to Parma and that is when people started wondering, who is this exceptional talent? He only needed half a season to impress one of the best clubs in Italy, Juventus and in January 2020, they announced that he will be completing a move of €35 million, which will enable him to start playing in the black and white shirt in the summer of 2020. He finished the season at Parma, with Serie A naming him the Best Young Serie A Talent of the season for 2019/20, after he scored ten goals and registered nine assists in 36 Serie A appearances. With Juventus, he is yet to find his feet as the whole team is going through changes to find the best 11 for Juventus, but he is surely in Allegri's plans for next season, as the Swedish was made for the Italian game. It's exciting to see what he will be able to do for his country these Euros after they qualified by finishing second in Group F with 21 points, five points below Spain. Group FFrance: Benjamin Pavard
It is without a doubt that current World Champions have one of the best teams in the world, and they also have a 2020 Champions League winner in their squad. The 25-year old right-back has basically won every single trophy that a football player would dream of, and at such a young age.
Pavard currently plays for Bayern Munich and has just helped them in winning their ninth Bundesliga title. Didier Deschamps gave the French his national debut at 21-years old and has been a key figure in the squad ever since. He was essential during France's 2018 World Cup journey to victory, having also scored in a 4-3 win to Argentina in the Round of 16. He was also an essential part of the qualifying phase for the Euros and we eagerly wait to see what Pavard has in store for us as he will surely be crucial to face teams such as Germany and current European Champions Portugal. Germany: Robin Gosens
Finally, at 26-years old, Joachim Low realised that Gosens needs to be given the international call-up. The left-back who plays Serie A football for Atalanta has been established as one of the best in the field in Europe thanks to Atalanta's breakthrough and hopefully he will be given enough chance to bless us with his talent and technique.
He is a great box-to-box player who can adapt to the different situations that he and his teammates find themselves in during a match. He made his international debut in a 1-1 draw to Spain in the UEFA Nations League back in September 2020, after Atalanta had made a huge name for themselves in European football when they made it to the Champions League quarter finals against Paris-Saint Germain. After missing out on the qualifiers for this tournament, we hope that we will get to see Gosens incorporated into the team during the Euros, as he will surely pose as a threat to opponents, being excellent both defensively and offensively. Hungary: Rolland Sallai
Now Hungary do not hold many big names in their team sheet and they are least favourites to be passing from one of the toughest groups in the Euros considering that they have to face current World Cup Champions France, current Euro Cup Champions Portugal and one of the best footballing nations, Germany. So it is going to be a tough one for Hungary but luckily they have Roland Sallai up front who might be presenting a threat to these three sides and letting them know that Hungary are competing to go through too.
The 24-year old plays in the Bundesliga for Freiburg, and this season he went on to score eight goals in 28 appearances while recording six assists. It is no surprise that Sallai will go on to be one of Hungary's best talents considering that football runs in his blood. His father used to play for Vac in the mid-90s, with whom he won the Hungarian league with and his uncle, Sandor Sallai played in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups for Hungary. Meanwhile his other uncle, Laszlo Sallai also played football but did not make it to the top level, while his sister previously also played the sport but went on to become a professional handball player. Can the forward finally be the Sallai that brings hope to Hungary, a country which has significantly left its mark on football during the 1950s? Portugal: Diogo Jota
One of the most exciting players that I am sure that we are all eager to see play for Portugal alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix this summer. During his first season at Liverpool, with whom he signed a five-year transfer deal which cost at around €44.7 million from Wolves, he scored nine goals in 19 appearances. He would have probably scored more, but a knee injury in December saw him miss out on most of the season.
He made his national debut in 2019 during a 6-0 win to Lithuania in the European qualifiers. He then went on to score his first national goal against Croatia in a 4-1 win during the Nations League. His agility and intelligence makes him one of the best players that will be competing at the Euros this year, and he will not go down without a fight. In a group which involves so many big names, many hope that Diogo Jota will come out on top of them, because even if you don't support Liverpool or Portugal, you've got to be impressed by his talent.
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