The second round of fixtures has finished and there are some superb games to discuss. Germany and Spain keep up their promising start and don’t look like letting up. Belgium bounces back to winning ways whilst England and Croatia look uninspiring. In addition, France and the Netherlands played out the first 0-0 of the tournament and Poland became the first team to be eliminated.
Croatia v Albania: (2-2)
My Man of the Match – Ivan Perisic
Oh, I do love the 2 pm kick-offs. This was a game of absolute chaos and determination from both sides. Albania got the first goal and put Croatia right on the back foot. Croatia then
spent all of 60 minutes plotting and scheming a way past the Albania defence but they just couldn’t do it. Until Ante Budimir came on the pitch there seemed to be no hope but the striker changed the tides for Croatia. He completely altered their attack and they were able to get a quickfire double to lead the game 2-1. He allowed Perisic to work his magic and gave him the confidence to join the attack more. But then when all seemed set and done, a lifeline for Albania in the form of substitute Klaus Gjasula. A 94-minute equaliser gave the Albanians hope and a last-ditch chance of getting out of the group. Perisic was the star of the show for the Croatia side with 3 key passes and 9 crosses into the opposition box, he was the made provider of chances. Although playing at left-back, the either-footed veteran managed to conjure up 1.14 expected assists (somehow with not getting one) and was given the freedom to play practically at left-wing. He was vital in creating an offensive overload and will count himself unlucky to not be leaving with a win.
Germany v Hungary: (2-0)
My Man of the Match – Jamal Musiala (Honourable Mention – Ilkay Gundogan)
Hungary enjoyed a strong start to this match and put the German defence under quite a bit of pressure. They got into decent areas and troubled the goalkeeper at times, however, they needed to convert these chances and after failing to do so became undone. Germany began to grow into the game and enjoyed a lion's share of possession. Gundogan played a vital part in creating attacking chances and Kroos and Andrich were able to dominate the centre of the pitch. Musiala was once again the key man for the Germans and began to find his feet in the game. A strong performance which included a goal was enough the make sure the host nation qualified for the knockouts and did so impressively. He linked up with Gundogan excellently and looks to be going from strength to strength throughout this tournament.
Scotland v Switzerland: (1-1)
My Man of the Match – Andy Robertson
A game of ifs, buts and maybes for Scotland. They dominated the first 15/20 minutes of the game, played with fight, created some decent chances for themselves and deserved their goal. However, to put it simply, Switzerland has better players and plays better football. They were able to get into the game following a defensive error and an excellent finish from Shaqiri which then led to them dominating the rest of the first half. Tides turned slightly in the second half with Switzerland almost setting up shop at the back and playing on the counter but to no avail. Scotland was the better team and led by captain Robertson, they were unlucky to come away with just a draw. Robertson put on a man-of-the-match display as he created 1 big chance, made 3 key passes and put in 8 crosses to the opponent's 18-yard box. He dominated the left side of the pitch all game and seemed like one of the only bright sparks for the Scottish.
Slovenia v Serbia: (1-1)
My Man of the Match – Jaka Bijol
Poor Slovenia. After a hard-fought game, they came away without a win thanks to a last-minute equaliser from the Serbians. From a set piece as well, which was poorly defended. Serbia throughout the game were not good enough and should count themselves
lucky to come away with a draw. Slovenia on the other hand created some good chances and defended like their life was on the line throughout. They kept Mitrovic and Vlahovic quiet for the majority of the game and didn’t let Serbia create any meaningful chances. The key man in the defence was Jaka Bijol. The no-nonsense defender made 9 clearances, 2 interceptions, and 3 tackles and won 50% of his aerial duels. He pushed the team up from the back and pushed his back line up well. As can be seen on the heatmap, there are 2 key positions for him both with and without the ball. When Slovenia is without the ball, he is willing to drop off and compete man-for-man with the attackers. When they have possession he pushes up higher and compresses the Serbian team so that there is no risk of a counterattack. This shows a knowledge of who he is up against as it is commonly known that Mitrovics game is not to run in behind, but is to hold up the ball. Bijol managed this excellently and deserved to be on the winning side.
England v Denmark: (1-1)
My Man of the Match – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
England put on a woeful performance and were lucky to get away with a point. The entire team looked slow and lacked anything going forward. Their goal came from a defensive error and to be honest, looked harder to miss. Denmark throughout was physically better and looked far more likely to win the game. They fought for every ball and controlled possession.
The midfield pairing of Hojbjerg and Hjulmand controlled the centre of the pitch and put Trent and Rice under a lot of pressure throughout the game. There was a clear understanding between the pair and throughout they were not scared to have a shot at goal. Including Hjulmand’s superb long-range striker, the pair combined for 7 shots of which 5 were on target and every single one came from outside of the area. With little pressure put on them from midfield, they were able to creep forward and generate a sight of goal for themselves. Hojbjerg had a great game defensively as well with 6 total tackles, and 3 interceptions and went in for 15 total duels demonstrating the aggressiveness he had in midfield. He played better than I have ever seen him play for Spurs and was a real asset for the Danish side.
Spain v Italy: (1-0)
My Man of the Match – Nico Williams (Honourable Mention – Pedri)
Spain put on a display of footballing beauty as they dominated Italy for the full 90 minutes and will be confused as to how they didn’t win by more. They looked clean and precise going forward whilst their midfield was composed and is easily the best of the tournament so far. Pedri provides an attacking threat whilst Ruiz looks composed and creative. In addition, Rodri plays Busquet's role as the sweeper to perfection as very little gets past him. In attack, Morata’s positional play is top class and if he had that clinical edge would be scoring for fun. Yamal seems to be just getting better and is clearly not scared of the big stage. But the man of the match has to go to Nico Williams. He spent the entire match causing absolute havoc down the left-hand side. Di Lorenzo (Italy right-back) is a top-class defender and looked like he had been hit by a tornado by half-time. Williams attempted 10 dribbles, created 1 big chance and hit the woodwork which stopped him from getting his deserved goal. Italy however, were poor the entire game. They had no out ball and were sat inside their half for the majority of the game. They struggled in possession and no player was able to grab the player by the reigns.
Slovakia v Ukraine: (1-2)
My Man of the Match – Mykola Shaparenko
This was a game that lacked quality but certainly didn’t lack effort and enjoyment. Slovakia was the better team in the first half and deserved their early goal. They looked calm on the ball and were an attacking threat. The second half was dominated by an uplifted Ukraine side. They got forward a lot more and utilised the wings a lot more. Yarmolenko was the main threat as his experience was able to manufacture chances for Dovbyk in the centre. However, it was Shaparenko’s well-taken goal which got them back in the game and was a catalyst for Ukraine winning the game. Shaparenko finished the game with a goal and assist and was directly involved in giving the blue and yellow hope of getting to the knockouts. He popped up all over the pitch whilst Ukraine was fast on the counter. Unfortunately for Slovakia, they were just not good enough in the second half and seemed to lose a lot of momentum. They were poorer on the ball and struggled to get out of their half.
Poland v Austria: (1-3)
My Man of the Match – Marcel Sabitzer
Austria came out of this match as the deserved winners and backed up the pre-tournament hype that was around them. They played a constantly high line and were always pressing the ball. Throughout the game, they defended from the front and certainly put in the long yards as a team. They were a unit throughout the squad but the star was Marcel Sabitzer. In contrast to the game against France, he had fewer defensive duties and was given free roam across the front line. The attack had 5 shots, won a penalty and racked up a total of 0.5 estimated goals. He was involved in every attack and was unlucky not to come away with a goal for himself. Arnautovic was a much more effective outlet for Ralf Rangnick’s side in how he allowed the midfielders and wingers to get involved in play whilst also being a headache for the Polish backline. Speaking of Poland, after going behind early they were the far better side and led by Zielinski were creating a lot of chances for themselves. However, this did not last in the second half as eventually they became run down by the Austrian press and conceded 2 goals to eliminate them from the competition.
France v Netherlands: (0-0)
My Man of the Match – Rabiot and Kante
There is very little to speak about when it comes to this game. The first 0-0 of the
tournament was exactly as it would seem…dull. Both teams defended well enough
but neither team had the clinical edge to take control of the game. Griezmann was seemingly the only outlet for France and tried his best to manufacture a goal but failed. The Netherlands were unlucky not to leave with a goal and a win after a controversial VAR decision spared France’s blushes and meant both sides would leave with a point. Kante was up to his usual self as he popped up all over the pitch and put on another strong display. However, Rabiot also put on a strong display both offensively and defensively. 3 tackles, 7 ground duels won and also making 3 key passes is a decent all-around display for the Frenchman.
Georgia v Czechia: (1-1)
My Man of the Match – Tomas Soucek (Honourable Mention – Vladamir Coufal)
How the hell the Czech Republic didn’t win that game I will never know. They dominated the match throughout and mustered a huge 27 shots and 3xG. They looked strong throughout and should have been celebrating a superb win. Georgia on the other hand was strong at times and looked decent on the counter but couldn’t create too much. They passed the ball well and their key men possessed a lot of skill but struggled to make a difference. Soucek was a midfield leader for the Czechs in which he managed 4 tackles, went in for 16 duels and made 4 key passes (including 1 big chance). He did all he could but couldn’t drag them to a win. Coufal was another who had a great game. He was all over the pitch and put in some superb balls into the box. The Czechs were always a danger from set-pieces and this was thanks to the quality of ball put in by Coufal. Due to this tight result, it all comes down to the final game for the Czechs to progress from this group.
Turkey v Portugal: (0-3)
My Man of the Match – Bernardo Silva
Portugal continues to back up the promise they were expected to have and get a solid win against a strong Turkey side. Silva, Vitinha and Fernandes are maestros in the midfield and they pick up constantly strong positions all over the pitch. These 3 have the creative flair to create a bundle of chances and would fit into any team in the world. Bernardo Silva especially had a great game picking himself up a goal. He also managed to play 4 key passes and create 1 big chance in the game. From watching the game, the flair player could have had at least a brace as well as an assist. Turkey did not play as badly as the score line seemed and on another day could have got themselves a goal. They attacked with speed but liked a lot of end product to properly trouble Diogo Costa in the net for Portugal.
Belgium v Romania: (2-0)
My Man of the Match – Kevin De Bruyne
Belgium completely flipped the script from the first game and looked like a proper team in this match. They attacked with speed and precision but most importantly, they actually attacked as a team. If not for Lukaku being the unluckiest striker in the world, they could have easily won 4/5-0. Lukaku constantly gets into strong positions and is always a threat to
the opposition's defence but he lacks a bit of awareness. After getting his goal it was deemed correctly offside but it was only by a toe’s width. But what is poor for the striker is that he didn’t need to be. He will always have the beating of the centre-back but always mistimes his run. One player who didn’t mistime anything however was the brilliant Kevin De Bruyne. He has a perfect game in which he made 3 key passes, completed 3 dribbles, had 5 shots and even managed to get himself a goal. He is the main man for Belgium and proved it in this match. Romania again didn’t play badly; they were just simply outgunned. They threatened the Belgium goal and will get results against lesser opposition.
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