Tales of the unexpected as knockout stage shapes up
WE’VE reached that stage of the Euros when pretournament predictions speculatively scribbled on to glossy wall-charts without much in the way of prior knowledge about a whole host of teams start to look a tad unrealistic.
Who’d have thunk it. Certainly Sweden sitting top of Group F was not a popular pick, nor Czech Republic leading the way in Group D. There are, of course, unforeseen circumstances that help to explain Denmark needing to beat Russia and hoping for favours elsewhere to avoid elimination from Group B.
The harrowing scenes of Christian Eriksen’s collapse in Copenhagen 10 days ago in the Danes’ group opener against Finland aside, it has been a compelling first week and a bit in the tournament.
From this point on, though, it starts to feel a little like we are on the home straight with only two matches in each group played simultaneously until the knockout stages begin. Traditionally, the third match has been a time for already-qualified teams to rest and recuperate. In some groups finishing second is almost incidental – for example Group A’s winners and runners-up will be paired with those finishing second in the considerably weaker-looking Groups C and B respectively. All being present and correct it should represent a relatively simple path into the quarter-finals for both Italy and Wales.
What else have we learned from these first nine days? On the evidence of Saturday night’s Robin Gosens-led demolition of Portugal, it is that Germany were written off too soon following a 1-0 defeat by France in which they weren’t as bad as some suggested. The Group of Death has lived up to its billing but what has become clear, too, is that Hungary – billed as no hopers – should have been afforded more respect, especially given that looser Covid regulations has allowed for a 61,000 capacity of supporters inside the Puskas Arena.
We’ve also learned England were too heavily touted prior to the tournament and that Scotland might have been better placed had Steve Clarke been a little less conservative in the Group D opener against the Czechs.