From France To Portugal: Here Are Seven Must-Watch Matches of Euro 2024
The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2024, is almost here and anticipation heightens as European countries compete between June 14 – July 14, 2024, for the Euro UEFA Cup. The Euro 2024 tournament is hosted by Germany.
Euro 2024 will kick off with the group games from June 14 – June 26, and round of 16 will run from June 29 – July 2. The quarter-finals are slated for July 5 – 6, the semi-finals for July 9 – 10, and the finale will be held at Olympiastadion Berlin on July 14.
In anticipation of the group stage kicking off on Friday, June 14, 2024, here are some of the most talked about fixtures for the fast-approaching Euro 2024, which comprises 24 teams.
Spain Vs. Croatia
Football fans worldwide are anticipating a good game from Spain’s La Roja and Croatia’s Vaterni. With Vaterni having a history of qualifying for every major tournament except UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the team has become a force to be reckoned with at Euro 2024.
On the other hand, La Roja promises an exciting team of well-versed young and experienced players, including Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Nico Williams, Pau Cubarsí, and Lamine Yamal, to push for the opportunity to earn the Euro 2024 Cup after their semi-final exit in Euro 2020.
Spain vs Croatia is scheduled for a 5 pm kick-off on Saturday, June 15, 2024.
Serbia Vs. England
Although both Serbia and England have not had much luck at international tournaments recently, their game scheduled for Sunday, June 16, 2024, is one of the highly anticipated games of Euro 2024.
The game set to be hosted at Arena Auf Schalke (Veltins-Arena) in Gelsenkirchen will see players of Nigerian heritage such as Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka play for the England national team. Serbia brings a range of its top players, including Filip Koctic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Mijat Gacinovic, and Andrija Zivkovic.
Serbia vs England is scheduled for 8 pm.
Portugal Vs. Czechia
Portugal and Czech Republic have both given strong performances in their qualification group stage. However, Portugal is poised as one of the teams to win the tournament. Czech Republic is, however, expected to put in a fierce battle, especially with their recent track record that led them to the quarter-finals at Euro 2020.
Portugal, led by head coach Roberto Martínez, boasts of world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be playing his sixth European Championship, and a lineup with players like Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, João Cancelo, and many more.
On the other hand, Czech Republic, managed by Ivan Hašek, has a younger set of players with dynamic players like Tomáš Souček, Patrik Schick, and many more. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
Denmark Vs. England
Following their game with Serbia on Sunday, June 16, England will play their second game at Euro 2024 on Thursday, June 20, as they take on Denmark. The duo last met at the semi-final of Euro 2020, where England beat Denmark in extra-time.
The game set to be held at the Frankfurt Arena in Germany, will see Denmark try their hands to win their first game with experienced players from its squad, including Mathias Jensen, Thomas Delaney, Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Hojlund, and more.
Denmark vs England starts at 5 pm.
Spain Vs. Italy
Possibly one of the strongest pairings in the group stage, Spain will be playing its second game of the group stage on June 20 at Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen. Aiming for its fourth European Championship trophy, the team brings a range of young and experienced players.
Italy, however, is a defending champion and is on its way to securing its third European Championships crown. The team with a history of winning tournaments has added to the anticipation for this match. Italy will possibly have a lineup including Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni, and Jorginho.
Netherlands Vs. France
World Cup finalists France are to meet the Netherlands in Group D, with a range of top players such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, N’Golo Kante, Eduardo Camavinga, Griezmann, who have most likely increased the anticipation for the game with the Netherlands.
Although the Netherlands have not gone further than the quarter-finals since 2004, they are expected to put up a tough fight with France with players like Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong’s expertise on the field, alongside others.
Croatia Vs. Italy
After their match with Spain on Saturday, June 15, 2024, Croatia will be playing the defending champions Italy on June 24 at the Red Bull Arena, Leipzig. Although, history-wise, Italy has struggled to win against Croatia, considering that they are defending champions and their winning streak in recent history, there’s anticipation for their performance against Croatia.
Croatia, however, is expected to pack a punch as they have become a force to watch
out for in Euro 2024.
To catch up on all these games tune in to DStv Super Sport channel 202 (EURO2024 Nigeria) and channel 205 (SS Football HD) or stream the matches live on DStv Stream.
