Euro 2020: Talking points in Group E

With Spain looking to rebuild, this group also featuring Poland, Sweden and Slovakia could be the most fiercely contested.

Z FOR ZWEDEN

Even in his absence, Zlatan Ibrahimovic tends to dominate the conversation around Sweden at the majors. All talk leading up to Russia 2018 centred around how a faceless team will fare following the superstar’s retirement. Very well, as it turned out, with Sweden reaching the quarter-finals–further than Ibrahimovic had ever taken them in his era. Just when they seemed to climb out from under his shadow, the AC Milan striker announced his international comeback in March. “The return of the God,” he tweeted under a picture of himself in Sweden’s yellow, only to get ruled out of the Euro due to an injury. So, Zweden (as Ibrahimovic once called it) turned back to Sweden, who will take part in Group E.

IN HAMSIK THEY TRUST

No country makes as many cars per capita as them but to motor beyond the group stage, Slovakia will hope an old model still has some gas in the tank. And that his calf injury has healed. Marek Hamsik has survived five coaches since Euro 2016, where they played the pre-quarters, and at 33 is more than their man with a mohawk. The Slovakia captain and midfielder has 26 goals in 126 internationals and has a habit of shining in major competitions. On a bright afternoon at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park, he helped send Italy out of the 2010 World Cup. In Euro 2016, his goal helped Slovakia beat Russia 2-1.

7000KM ROUND TRIP

What Hamsik is to Slovakia, Robert ‘The Body’ Lewandowski is to Poland. Coaches have lost jobs if they couldn’t get the best out of the man who broke Gerd Mueller’s 40-goal Bundelsiga record before it turned 50. Between their first and third games in St Petersburg, Poland will travel 7000km for a round trip to Sevilla where they play Spain and their campaign could hinge on how fresh Lewandowski, his strike partner Arkadiusz Milik, centre-back Kamil Glik, among others, are.

THE FIXTURES JUNE 14

9:30pm POLAND V SLOVAKIA

JUNE 15

12:30 am SPAIN V SWEDEN

JUNE 18

6:30 pm SWEDEN V SLOVAKIA

JUNE 20

12:30 am SPAIN V POLAND

JUNE 23

9:30pm SLOVAKIA V SPAIN SWEDEN V POLAND (both matches at same time)