We have only been through one round of the Euros and it has been a whirlwind of emotions. The headline of the week was surely that of Christian Eriksen, who collapsed on the floor after suffering a cardiac arrest during the match between Denmark and Finland. The footballing world was shocked by the fact that it could have lost one of its best players but thankfully he is better and recovering at the hospital now.
Now we get ready for Matchday 2, as teams such as Turkey need to make sure to grasp some points, other teams like Ukraine need to figure out a way to get a better result which will earn them points and some teams head into this matchday confident after a great group opening match. Group A
Mehdi Benatia opened Italy's campaign with an own goal which boosted their confidence to score two more goals and earn them their first three points at this year's Euros. The Italians displayed a great exhibition of football and it was an exciting match to watch. The Turkish tried to retire back and defend the goal but they could not stop the likes of Ciro Immobile, Domenico Berardi and Lorenzo Insigne from creating opportunities. Meanwhile Wales and Switzerland both hold a point after Kieffer Moore scored a 74th minute equaliser during Saturday's match.
This week, Italy will go head-to-head against Switzerland on their home turf in Rome, while Turkey will be facing another difficult test against Wales at the Baku Olympic Stadium. Italy - Leonardo Spinazzola
The spotlight was all on Leonardo Spinazzola on Friday night and honestly it is about time. The 28-year old has been trying to shine for quite some time now. He grew up in the Siena academy in Italy before moving to Juventus and started his journey in Serie A. With Juventus he displayed incredible talent but for some reason the club decided to let him go and now he plays for AS Roma. He is one of the best left-backs in Italy and if he had been given more chance to play in the Champions League with Juventus, he would also be known as one of the best in Europe. He showed that he belongs up there with greats in matches such as against Real Madrid and Tottenham when he used to play for Juventus.
On Friday, he had another exceptional match which saw him recovering balls constantly, defending maturely and also helped create goal scoring opportunities for his team. It is natural for Spinazzola to switch from defensive play to offensive play and he can read the situation of the game quickly. This intelligent player is surely one to look out for as the Euros progress and hopefully, Italy does so too. Switzerland - Breel Embolo
The 24-year old forward has been part of Switzerland's plan for quite some time now, having made his debut at 18-years old. He currently plays for German side Borussia Monchengladbach and unfortunately he is not given too much attention in European football. He featured for Switzerland in the Euro 2016, in which Switzerland lost in the Round of 16 to Poland on penalties. He then also went on to feature in the 2018 World Cup, where he scored his first national goal in a major tournament against Costa Rica in a 2-2 draw which saw them go through to the Round of 16.
The Swiss is a great talent which we hope that we get to see more of in the Euros. Now that he is competing for his country at an older age and holds more experience then when he was 19 or 21-years old, he is more able to compete at a higher level of football. This could be his chance to help his country move forward and maybe go through more than just the Round of 16 this time. He is a disciplined player and knows the game very well, that is how he tries to help his teammates throughout the whole field. It all started with FC Basel before he moved to Germany to join Schalke. Eventually he completed a move to Borussia Monchengladbach, but this summer might open new doors for him if he keeps up his dynamic performances. Group B
It was one of the worst experience that the footballing world experienced. During Saturday's match, Christian Eriksen collapsed and was unresponsive for about two minutes. Thankfully, the medical team conducted CPR which helped save his life. To this Simon Kjaer and referee Anthony Taylor were also key figures and basically the Danish side and these people were all considered as heroes at the end of the day.
The Finnish side eventually won the match 1-0 after it was continued when it was confirmed that Eriksen is stable. Later that night, Belgium won to Russia 3-0 with Inter Milan striker and Eriksen's teammate, Romelo Lukaku, scoring a brace and dedicating his first goal to the Danish midfielder. Now Belgium and Finland lie in first place with three points each while Denmark and Russia must find a way to get some points to progress through the tournament. This week Russia welcome Finland in St.Petersburg while Denmark will open its doors in Copenhagen to the Belgians. Denmark - Christian Eriksen
It was a great gesture to give Eriksen the Star of the Match, not only because of what happened to him but because he truly deserves it. Everyone can agree that Eriksen is one of the best midfielders that one can find in the game. He was a key figure at Tottenham which for some reason decided to let him go, and then went on to become an essential part of Inter Milan too, while winning his first Scudetto title with the club. He is also loved because of his humbleness and respect that he shows for others, which is what at the end of the day makes him a very great player and a role model for all of us.
Simon Kjaer can also be described as the Star of the Match, as he was essential in helping Eriksen alongside Anthony Taylor. Kjaer immediately helped Eriksen by holding his tongue before the medical team called by Taylor arrived. Everyone took immediate action to help save Eriksen's life, and Kjaer led the team to form a human wall around their teammate to block the scenes from the cameras. Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and Kjaer himself also made sure to show support to Eriksen's wife, who without a doubt was tormented by what she was experiencing. It was a horrifying experience to even think about the fact that we could have lost one of the greatest players in Europe who is basically loved by everyone. A humble and amazing player which would be such a shame to not see him play football ever again. Belgium - Romelu Lukaku
He dominated Serie A and now he is set to dominate the Euros too. This man is non-stop. Ever since joining Inter Milan, Lukaku has been on top of his game and the striker cannot stop scoring. The 28-year old was already an important figure in Antonio Conte's plans to help Inter win the Scudetto after 11 years, scoring 24 Serie A goals and registering 11 assists in 36 Serie A appearances this year.
There is not much to say except that Lukaku is a threat which will not make the opponent's life easy. He takes every opportunity to score and lines up great with his teammates to make the Belgium side a strong and terrifying side to face. The Inter Milan Player of the Year for the season of 2020/21 is a goal machine for Belgium, having scored seven goals in five European qualifying matches for Belgium to help them get through. His brace puts him on top of the goalscorer leaderboard for the Euros so far, and I wonder how many more he is about to score. Group C
We got to see some pretty exciting football from Group C considering that these footballing nations are still in the process of developing a stronger side. Austria won 3-1 to North Macedonia thanks to goals from Lainer, Gregoritsch and Arnautovic. North Macedonia's Pandev tried giving a threat to the Austrians with a goal at the 28th minute but unfortunately Austria went on to dominate the match during the last 20 minutes. Despite the loss, I am pretty excited to see how North Macedonia will now respond to the Netherlands and Ukraine, as they have shown a great display of football.
Meanwhile, Ukraine gave the Netherlands a hard time on Sunday as they managed to get the score to 2-2 thanks to goals from Yarmolenko and Yaremchuk. Despite the effort, Denzel Dumfries came through for his country five minutes before full-time to make the score 3-2 and reward the Netherlands their first three points of the tournament. After recording their first ever Euro win, Austria also lie on top with three points, while North Macedonia and Ukraine will now go head-to-head this week, both seeking chances at progressing to the Round of 16. Austria - David Alaba
The leader leading the pack. The 28-year old Austrian captain led his country to their first ever historic Euro win. They qualified to their first ever Euro Cup in 2008 and got eliminated from the group stage to Croatia, Poland and Germany. That year they only managed a draw of 1-1 to Poland and saw themselves in the Euros again in 2016. During the group stage of that tournament, they lost to Hungary and Iceland and drew 0-0 to Portugal. They did not have much luck in the World Cup either, having not qualified since 1998, in which they also got eliminated in the group stage.
Alaba is described as Austria's best player and this is based on facts and of course his amazing performances. He has been awarded the Austrian Footballer of the Year Award seven times, winning it six time consecutively from 2011 till 2016 and then getting the title once again in 2020. The defender who also plays in midfield, has helped his country develop in football, especially thanks to his breakthrough in European football with Bayern Munich. During Sunday's match his stats were just exceptional. He recovered seven balls, had a passing accuracy of 90% and also assisted Gregoritsch's goal. He is doing a wonderful job leading his country and helping his teammates get the motivation needed to help a small footballing nation write their name on European history too. The Netherlands - Denzel Dumfries
The 25-year old right-back is giving more reason to Everton to persist interest in him after his great performance for his country on Sunday. The Dutchman brought three points to his country after he headed it in from an outstanding cross delivered by Nathan Ake.
The PSV Eindhoven right-back was spot on throughout the match, being persistent on the right flank and helping his team offensively to create scoring opportunities. Frank De Boer can make great use of Dumfries' ability to play both in defense and attack, as he can also play as a right winger, although he only done this once with PSV during the last season. The Dutchman is also being viewed by Italian side Napoli, but if he keeps these performances consistent, he will be making more headlines and turning more heads from different clubs towards him. He transferred to PSV Eindhoven in 2018 from Eredivisie side Heerenveen on a transfer fee of €5.5 million. His value as per Transfermarkt is now at €16 million, but with his agent being Mino Raiola and the great performances expected from his throughout the tournament, this summer can mean big numbers for Dumfries. Group D
Raheem Sterling had the England fans singing that it's coming home after he scored his first ever major tournament goal for his country. One can say that it was quite a levelled match, even looking at the statistics. Both sides were attacking but only England got lucky and found a goal. The Croatians will need to put their head in the game as they face Czech Republic this week.
The Czechs seem to be a threat, especially if Patrik Schick keeps up his Star of the Match performance. Two goals from the Bayer Leverkusen forward put Czech Republic on top of the group with three points leaving Scotland with hope that they pull off a better performance against England on Friday. Scotland seemed to be threatening during the first half, mostly Andy Robertson who was dominating the left flank. After conceding their first goal, Scotland could not find their feet in the game again, and a huge error from the Scotland keeper, David Marshall, gave Schick the opportunity to score from the half-line. England - Raheem Sterling
The 26-year old is criticised by many but on Sunday he gave England the three points that they needed. The only shot on target that he achieved resulted in a goal and it was not only his first goal that he was celebrating but also the first opening match that England have ever won in the European Championship.
The Manchester City forward was calm and maintained patience and focus throughout the match to try and beat the Croatian defense. With this young squad, England hope to progress to the final and celebrate their first tournament win since winning the World Cup in 1966. Raheem Sterling is surely one of the key figures that gives England the motivation and pace needed for the tournament and is one of Gareth Southgate's favourites, so we will surely be seeing him fight for his country throughout this summer. Czech Republic - Patrik Schick
The 25-year old did not have it easy throughout his career but at the Euros, he is ready to show Europe what he is truly made of.
He was meant to sign for Italian giants Juventus in 2016, but his medical report showed that he had heart problems and the Turinese club did not want to risk taking him on. So he signed for Serie A side Sampdoria instead and then also spent some time with Roma. Eventually, he made the move to Germany and joined RB Leipzig on loan. Now, the Czech plays for Bayer Leverkusen after Roma sold him for a transfer fee of €26.5 million. During this Bundesliga season, the forward netted in nine goals and registered two assists in 29 appearances. Against Scotland, his brace awarded the Czech Republic their first three points of the tournament and also gave his country confidence for the upcoming matches against Croatia and England. Group E
Things did not go to plan for Poland on Monday as they lost 2-1 to Slovakia. Polish and Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny gave Slovakia their first goal at the 18th minute and Star of the Match Milan Skriniar put his country in front at the 69th minute. Poland's Grzegorz Krychowiak also got a red card after being shown his second yellow and now the Polish will have to make do without the midfielder for the upcoming match against Spain on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Sweden managed to keep Spain to a goalless draw till the end. It is definitely not how Spain wanted to start off their Euros campaign, as they had a Covid-19 outbreak in their training camp and had to keep some key figures out, such as David De Gea in goal and Jose Gaya in defense. Sweden played quite a defensive match, having only four attempts throughout the 90 minutes when compared to Spain's 17. They had 27 clearances completed, seven won tackles, four blocks and 39 ball recovered. The both sides that have struggled to get on track for the Euros so far, Spain and Poland, face each other this weekend while Sweden go head-to-head against Slovakia. Slovakia - Milan Skriniar
If you've read mylatest blog about players to look out for in the Euros, then you have already heard about the Inter Milan Scudetto winner. Look out because Milan Skriniar is not the one to mess with. He is great defensively and can easily switch to attacking, which makes him a dynamic and dangerous player to play against.
Besides scoring the winner for his country from his single attempt, the Slovak was exceptional defensively. Out of nine attempted clearances, he completed eight, while recovering four balls and managing two blocks. He had a passing accuracy of 94% and did not commit a single foul throughout the match. The stats speak for themselves. The 26-year old is set to have a great Euros campaign and it is going to be difficult for sides to stop him or get through him. Sweden - Viktor Lindelof
It will be great to see who will be the best defender out of Lindelof and Skriniar when they face each other. The Manchester United defender made sure not to let any Spaniard get the ball across the goalline and he succeeded.
Covering a distance of 9.8km, the Swedish wall recovered eight balls, blocked two shots and completed six out of nine clearances. He had a passing accuracy of 93% and made sure not to commit any foul on the back line. He was the key figure that kept Sweden defensively strong and earned themselves a point in Group E. Sweden does not have a squad with big names, so Lindelof is a great leader at the back to help guide his fellow teammates. He has shown with Manchester United how strong and disciplined he can be, and he is doing so at the Euros too. Group F
The group that everyone has been talking about, before the Euros even started. Current European Champions Portugal came out on top against Hungary thanks to a brace from the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo and a goal from Borussia Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro. The goals were scored in the last ten minutes of the match as despite the 3-0 score, Hungary had shown a great display of football throughout the match. Unfortunately the first goal that came at the 84th minute made them lose their tempo, and then Ronaldo joined the party and of course there is no stopping the Portuguese.
Meanwhile, Germany showed that they are still struggling to find their feet in international football after a poor performance and an own goal from Mats Hummels cost them three points against France. During their last World Cup, the Germans got eliminated in the Group Stage as they lost to Mexico and South Korea and they seem to not have recovered from it. Germany seek redemption against Portugal on Saturday and hope to get themselves some points while France prepare to face Hungary at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo
It is no surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo is Star of the Match. The Portuguese is non-stop, especially when it comes to his country. He had already led them to the final and the title back in 2016 as they surprised everyone and went on to win against a strong French side. Be it on the pitch or on the sidelines just like what happened in 2016, Ronaldo is ready to lead his team to victory. Scoring his 106th goal, the 36-year old became the overall Euro Cup goalscorer.
Despite the fact that Hungary made it difficult for the Portuguese captain to find the net, Ronaldo still managed to find the way in the end and now they lie in first place in a very difficult group, with three points. France - Paul Pogba
The 28-year old only had one thought on his mind last night and it was not on whether he will be leaving Manchester United or not during this summer, that can wait for after the Euros. It was on leading France to three points in Group F, and he managed to do so.
Covering a distance of 10.6km, he had a passing accuracy of 80% while maintaining a great level of possession in France's midfield. The own goal came from Pogba's cross at the 20th minute, with the French being effective throughout the whole pitch recovering five balls, blocking a shot and also successfully completing two clearances which he attempted. It is no news that Paul Pogba is one of the best midfielders in Europe and of course we look forward to what more the Man United midfielder can bring to the field and how far he can help lead his country.
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