Every team has now played a game. There have been fun games, late winners, and VAR taking away some goals. If the first round of matches is any indicator, we’re in for a wonderful Euros.
Jude Bellingham Was the Best Player I Saw
England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham started his Euros off with a bang, a shove, and a head. England didn’t necessarily put in a convincing performance against Serbia. Bellingham, however, was convincing. He scored England’s only goal and was impressive on the ball.
Bellingham stamped his name on the game, something other England players (Phil Foden) failed to do. Bellingham was a target of Serbia. He was fouled four times, but it felt like more. He got into it with Serbian players and was not afraid of the moment. Bellingham is not worried about anyone he comes up against and believes every time he is the best player on the field.
Germany Looked Great, But Scotland Looked Horrible
Germany benefitted from a bad Scotland game plan. Impressive as always midfielder Toni Kroos was able to pick out whatever pass he wanted. Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala ran riot with the space the Scottish backline provided. The host nation (Germany) needed a statement performance to get their country on their side after some horrible showings at previous tournaments. Other than a ball ricocheting off Antony Rudiger’s head into the back of the net, Germany were perfect.
The Scotland team was looking to do something at this tournament. It wasn’t a great start. With a minus four-goal difference, Scotland faces an uphill battle to qualify for the next round. They’ll need to get midfield dynamo Jonn McGinn on the ball more if they want to get some goals.
Lamine Yamal Was a Problem
At 16 years of age, Lamine Yamal shouldn’t be starting at the Euros. He should be in school. Instead, he’s picking out a perfect pass to Dani Carvajal for Spain’s third goal in a 3-0 win over Croatia. He can play with either foot, so he keeps the opposing defense always on their heels. Yamal also created three chances and was a nightmare for Manchester City left-back Josko Gvardiol all game.
I wondered if Yamal would start and how much he’d play at this Euros. He played 86 minutes against Croatia and was crucial to Spain’s performance. If Spain is to go far, it is obvious that Yamal will play a big part in this. Spain will face Italy on Thursday in what is the game of the group stage at the Euros.
This Isn’t Your Father’s Italy
Italy had 68% of the ball against Albania. Despite conceding a goal after 22 seconds, Italy fired back with two goals in the next 20 minutes. The Italians controlled the game and looked like a Luciano Spalletti team. Midfielder Nico Barella was huge in maintaining the tempo of the game and also scored their second goal. Barella completed 97% of his passes and rarely put a foot wrong.
After losing legends Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci to retirement and age, Italy was in a perfect position for a rebrand. The center-back partnership Riccardo Calafiori and Alessandro Bastoni don’t measure up to those legends in defending, but they do in their passing ability. They combined for 220 passes and about 93% pass accuracy. At 22 and 25 respectively, Calaflori and Bastoni should be around for the next couple of tournaments.
N’Golo Kante is Back
N’Golo Kante moved to Saudi Arabia last summer at age 32. Many believed he was done for France after the move and missing the 2022 World Cup through injury. He didn’t play a single game for the national team in 2023.
Then, BAM, after he was a surprise inclusion to the Euros roster and one man-of-the-match performance later, it is clear he is a top 10 player in the world right now. France can only win the Euros with him. It seems as if two or even three N’Golo Kante’s are on a pitch at one time. He made six ball recoveries against Austria and played the full 90. The Saudi league’s slow pace and $100 million a year have helped Kante find his best again.
The Euros Will Come Down to Kylian Mbappe’s Nose
Kylian Mbappe played an up-and-down game against Austria. His cross led to an own goal, which was the only goal of the game. He covered the left side a couple of times when left-back Theo Hernandez got caught in attack. Yet, Mbappe missed a golden one-on-one chance to make the game 2-0.
Then, towards the end of the game, Mbappe went up for a header and hit his face on an Austrian player’s shoulder. His nose bled profusely and went off. He came back on and received a yellow card for returning to the pitch without permission from the ref. Another yellow card and Mbappe will miss a game. Regardless, Mbappe will be out due to injury against the Netherlands and is questionable for the Poland game. France will have to figure things out without Mbappe. How effective he is with a mask will decide the outcome of the Euros.
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Featured Image: Getty Images/Boris Streubel-UEFA
