The Portuguese national team reached France after breezing through its qualifying group, winning every game apart from the home opener against Albania, in a game that cost manager Paulo Bento his job being replaced by Fernando Santos. Portugal has a rich history in the Euros, always advancing to the knockout rounds every time they qualified, …
Tag Archives: Fantasy
Team Preview — Sweden
Finishing 3rd in Group G behind the surprising Austria and Russia, Sweden booked the flight to France in a playoff win against historic rival Denmark, with a 2–1 home win and a 2 goal draw away. Coming out of the group stage also won’t be easy for a team that in the last 20 years …
Team Preview — Ireland
A three-time participant in the European Championships, Ireland expects to turn around the table on their latest appearance in the tournament. Four years ago, they left Euro 2012 with 3 defeats in 3 games, 1 goal scored and 9 conceded. Joined also by Belgium and Italy in their group, the Irish aspire to beat Sweden …
Team Preview — Italy
Even if the 23 players the Italians sent to France are considered one of the weaker Italian groups of the past decades, the truth is that the 2nd-placed team in the last European Champions easily won Group H, and is massive favourite to join Belgium in the next phase, in a group where Sweden and …
Team Preview — Belgium
The Belgians travel to neighbourly France after winning Group B with relative ease and, as they were before the last World Cup in Brazil, are considered one of the possible surprises of the competition, projected to do better than the quarter-finals of 2014. For the first time in a Euro since 2000 (as a host …
Team Preview — Croatia
Croatia managed to qualify for the Euro, after a second place in Group H, behind only Italy, even with having seen UEFA penalize them with the loss of one point due to racist behaviour in the game against Italy, at Stadion Poljud in Split. Despite being in France, there are many questions hanging around new …
Team Preview — Turkey
Back in the European Championship after failing to qualify for Euro2012, Turkey dreams of repeating the success the 2008 edition where they reached the semi-finals. With a 3rd place in Group A behind the Czech Republic and Iceland, but ahead of the most noticeable absent from this summer, the Netherlands, the Turkish national team ensured …
Team Preview — Czech Republic
The Czechs arrive in France with morale on a high note after winning Group A, ahead of teams like Iceland, Turkey and the Netherlands (which is watching the Euros at home). In a very difficult group, it won’t be so easy to mimic the feats of their countrymen in 2004, when they reached the semi-finals …
Team Preview — Spain
Winner of the last two editions, Spain is perceived again as a clear-cut favourite to take the trophy home, amidst a renovation process, with perennial starters like Xavi and Xabi Alonso retired from international duties. Nonetheless, La Roja dominated its group at will in the qualifying stage with 9 wins out of 10 games, 23 …
Team Preview — Northern Ireland
In their first European Championships ever, and 30 years after the last appearance in a World Cup, Michael O’Neill’s lads come to France as one of the great surprises of the competition after winning Group F, ahead of higher ranked team as Romania, Hungary or Greece (perhaps the biggest disappointment of the qualifying stage, finishing …
RF EN 