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Comments after four important games of European Cup 2024
The European Nations Cup football match, which kicked off in Germany from 6/15 to 7/15, will provide you with four important post-match reviews. Let us take you to enjoy this month’s football feast.
France VS Belgium
Unexpectedly, France, ranked second in the world, and Belgium, ranked third in the world, would face off in the round of 16. The two teams were not in a very difficult group. As a result, they failed to win the first place in the group and fell to the second place in the group. Meet early.
France relied on an own goal to defeat Austria 1-0 in the first game, but Mbappe suffered a facial injury and was absent from the second game against the Netherlands. The two teams also played in a 0-0 draw. In the last game, Mbappe appeared wearing a mask. Against Poland, which had already been eliminated, they drew 1-1 with Mbappe’s penalty kick, but the first place in the group was taken away by Austria.
The group Belgium is in, in the past, they could easily get through playing against non-traditional powers. However, they only won the game against Romania. It was a bit surprising that they failed to score in the games against Ukraine and Slovakia, especially in the last game. In the match against Ukraine, I wanted to win to avoid France, but I was afraid of losing and being eliminated directly. The final score of 0-0 dragged me into danger.
France, which mainly plays 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, in the last game against Poland, Deschamps removed Griezmann, whom he always relied on, from the starting lineup. There were reports that Deschamps was dissatisfied. Griezmann’s pressing attitude on the court may bring changes to the situation. Without Pogba, France’s organization basically depends on Griezmann. Without his command and distribution, France needs to Find new attack methods. Judging from the previous game, it is obvious that there is no good way to deal with it yet.
Belgium also plays 4-2-3-1. The frontcourt attackers Lukaku, Doku, Trossard and De Bruyne look scary, but their scoring efficiency is not good. Trossard is in The unfamiliar right wing performed generally, and Lukaku was not in the best condition. He missed many goals that he should have scored. Belgium has entered the knockout round. Belgium needs to perform well. Lukaku is actually the most critical player, but in the past He tends to disappear against top teams and it won’t be easy for Belgium to get past France.
The two pairs have a lot of past battle records. France is at a disadvantage with 26 wins, 19 draws and 30 losses. However, France lost more in the early encounters. Looking at the 15 encounters after 1980, France has the advantage with 8 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses. Everyone has the impression. What is profound is that France narrowly defeated Belgium 1-0 in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. There is also a UEFA Nations League match in 2021, and France also won 2-1.
Both teams are not in very good condition. Although France is still more optimistic about passing the test, it is also possible that Belgium relies on midfielders to score goals, and France does not grasp the opportunity well to win. No one of this pairing will advance to the top 8. What an unexpected result.
Portugal VS Slovenia
Portugal, one of the favorites to win the championship, although they lost to Georgia in the last game of the group stage, they did not use their main players in this game. Their defeats against the Czech Republic and Turkey in the first two games still proved that their condition is not bad, although Ronaldo has not yet scored a goal. , but his performance on the field was good, with a goal and a selfless assist, showing that the team has the same goal, which is to win and win the championship.
Slovenia reached the knockout rounds for the first time in team history. This was also the first major competition for top goalkeeper Oblak. Unexpectedly, he and the team reached the top 16. In the group stage, they tied three times in a row, 1-1 in both games. and 0-0 against England.
Portugal, which seems to be undecided whether to play 4 or 3 at the back, may still play 4-2-3-1 in this game if it is about balance. Winger Leo was still a little lost in the group stage and did not fully display his strength. This is also the biggest problem for Leo, who has always been unstable.
In addition, he has the best B fee in the World Cup. This tournament is a bit too aggressive. He often wants to solve the problem with a personal through ball or a long shot, but it delays it. With this opportunity, Portugal wants to go further in the European Cup, and Federer needs to slightly control his problem of easily losing the ball.
Slovenia is the only team among the 24 teams in this tournament that uses the 4-4-2 offensive and defensive balance formation. In this game, the left back Janza, who scored against Denmark, accumulated yellow cards and was suspended. The man in charge The absence of the offensive player on the left will be a blow to Slovenia, which has a weak offense. However, Slovenia’s overall defensive organization has done a good job, and it should continue to play in this way against Portugal.
There is only one match between the two teams in the history, which was in a friendly match in March this year. In that game, Slovenia defeated Portugal 2-0. Portugal was a bit testing, playing a 3-back formation, with the exception of Ronaldo in the frontcourt. Felix and Otavio, B fee and B seat are not on the list. Although the formation and lineup are different, Slovenia should still be able to have some resistance in this battle, and even if it loses, it will not be a big deal. defeat.
Netherlands VS Romania
After the Netherlands achieved 1 win and 1 draw in the group stage, in the third game against Austria, they tied twice and were overtaken. In the end, they lost 2 to 3. While giving their opponent the first place in the group, they also fell to third place in the group. Unexpectedly The Netherlands, third in the group, has almost become the team in the best position among the traditional strong teams in the knockout rounds.
The Romanian team has almost no stars, and their value is the lowest among the 24 teams. As a result, in the first game they faced Ukraine, which was ranked 10th in terms of value, and they actually won 3-0. In the last game, they tied with Slovakia, and they ranked first in the group. Advance.
The Netherlands mainly plays a 4-2-3-1 formation and has a strong defense lineup, but the midfield is their biggest weakness. Several players who play in the Eredivisie obviously have a hard time playing at this level. Schouten , If Wellman can be replaced by the injured De Jong and Kupmenas, the Netherlands will be more powerful. The right back Heitleida also looked very embarrassed against Austria in the last game. Let’s see if coach Koeman will Dumfries, who performed well in the last European Cup at Inter Milan, will be used.
Romania plays a 4-1-4-1, but in the game it will be more like a 4-5-1 configuration, piling more players in the middle to limit the opponent’s penetration in this position. When counterattacking, Dennisman, Hagi It also has good destructive power. The double Marlins in the center have good long-range shooting ability. The Netherlands should pay attention to the opponent’s long-range firepower.
The historical record of the Netherlands against Romania is 9 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss, and they have won 4 consecutive games recently. However, the most recent match was a friendly match in 2017, which is relatively long ago, and the reference value is not very high. This combination may be the most likely to be upset among the traditional strong teams. The Netherlands’ midfield problem is bigger than imagined. Facing Romania, which is well organized, the Netherlands may not be able to break through easily.
Austria VS Turkey
The last combination to play against was Austria, which defeated France and the Netherlands to take first place in the group. Although they lost to France in the first game, they defeated Poland 3-1 in the second game. In the last game, they were tied twice in the lead and relied on Sabitzer’s explosive shot. The goal won the victory and secured first place in the group.
Turkey defeated the new European Cup team Georgia 3-1 in the first game, was beaten 3-0 by Portugal in the second game, scored in stoppage time in the final game, defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, and secured the second place in the group. Advance to the top 16.
Under the coaching of Rangnick, Austria plays a pressing and pressing formation, with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Austria has performed well in international competitions recently. It was originally expected to be the dark horse of this competition. Of course, it can win the first place in the group. It’s not easy. The three midfielders Sabitzer, Laimer and Baumgartner may not be well-known, but they are quite sharp in suppressing the opponent and cooperating on counterattacks.
Turkey also plays 4-2-3-1. The biggest problem in this game is the captain, who is also the core of the midfield and the free kick operator. Inter Milan midfielder Calhanoglu is suspended due to yellow cards, as is defender Akadin. The suspension has weakened the Turkish team a lot.
The record between the two teams is that Turkey is at a disadvantage with 7 wins, 1 draw and 9 losses. However, in the early days, Austria defeated Turkey with 6 consecutive victories. Then around 2000, Turkey became even more dominant. However, in the last 5 meetings after 2010, the two teams had 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. Evenly divided, the most recent friendly match was in March this year, Austria won 6-1, which once put Montella’s coaching position in crisis. This time, Turkey still has internal problems, and Austria is expected to move forward.