When Germany and Denmark play on Saturday in Dortmund, it will be a rematch of the 1992 Euro final. With two victories and a draw in the competition, Germany, the hosts, have not lost yet. Denmark, on the other hand, has only won twice and drawn all of their group matches
⚽Denmark vs Germany
When: June 29, 19:00 GMT, 9 p.m. local time
Where: Dortmund’s BVB Stadion
Denmark, who are the underdogs going into the game, will draw motivation from their incredible performance in the Gothenburg finals of the 1992 Euro. They won their first and only major football title in that game, defeating Germany, the world champions at the time, 2-0, in one of the biggest upsets in finals history.
Prior to Saturday’s round of 16 match, Denmark’s assistant coach Christian Poulsen told reporters, “It’s a strong team we’re going to face and a little bit like the big country against the little country.” “However, we’re going to engage in combat and hope to perform similarly to how we did in 1992.”
In order to take on Germany, the Danes will rely on experienced midfielder Christian Eriksen and attackers Rasmus Hojlund and Jonas Wind. Germany’s team is loaded with talent, including joint-second-best scorers from Euro 2024, Jamal Musiala and Niclas Fullkrug, as well as breakout player Florian Wirtz.
Julian Nagelsmann, the coach of Germany, will have to make a difficult choice before to the knockout round: start Fullkrug, who scored a stoppage-time equalizer against Switzerland, off the bench or stick with the underperforming Kai Havertz in the starting lineup?
Germany has always been virtually invincible once they advance to the European Championship knockout round. Germany has advanced to the semifinals nine times and to the final six of the ten times they have advanced.
With three European Football Championship titles, Germany and Spain are tied. They will be one step closer to a record-tying fourth championship if they defeat Denmark on Saturday. They will also be serving as the host nation for Euro 2024 and providing the ideal farewell to German football sensation Toni Kroos, who will retire from the game after the competition.
However, Denmark, who advanced to the semifinals of the most recent Euro 2020, will not be taken lightly by the Germans.
⚽ Belgium vs France
When: July 1, 16:00 GMT, 6 p.m. local time
Where: Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany
One thing unites France and Belgium: their offensive struggles throughout the competition.
Belgium has only scored twice in three games, while two-time world champion France has not scored from open play yet.
With the attacking prowess of both of these elite teams—the French have players like the world-class Kylian Mbappe and seasoned forward Antoine Griezmann, while Belgium has two of the best playmakers in the world in Kevin De Bruyne and the towering Romelu Lukaku—those stats seem strange.
Despite scoring just two goals in the group stage—a penalty from Mbappe and an own goal against Austria—France defender Saliba is optimistic that his team will do better against Belgium in the semifinals.
It’s obvious that we—me especially—need to use our set pieces with greater caution. We can do better, I believe I haven’t even touched one,” Saliba remarked.
Attack-related problems are not Belgium’s sole worries. Following their goalless group match tie with Ukraine in Stuttgart, fans jeered and whistled at the squad, and captain De Bruyne instructed his men to leave the field without saying “thank you” to them.
Defender Thomas Meunier stated that the club “always plays to win” and called the fan response “out of proportion.”
It is difficult for supporters to think that Belgium, who are still seeking their first major football championship, can defeat France, who have won two Euros and are regarded as the tournament favorites, given their lackluster performance in the competition.
The match on Monday will be the two teams’ 76th encounter overall, although it will be their first in the European Cup since 1984.
⚽ Turkey vs Austria
When: July 2, 19:00 GMT, 9 p.m. local time
Where: Leipzig, at the Leipzig Stadium
Austria and Turkey were two of the most exciting teams in the Euro 2024 group stage, with their fast-paced and attractive game.
Few predicted Austria to emerge victorious from a group that featured France and the Netherlands, two of the biggest teams in the tournament, but Ralf Rangnick’s youthful team accomplished the unimaginable with a strong attacking performance.
Austria scored six goals in the three group matches, with six different players scoring, indicating that the side is no longer playing with a defensive mentality and is capable of a well-balanced, selfless assault.
Rangnick expressed his amazement at topping the group that was the hardest according to UEFA coefficients. The notoriously counter-pressing former Manchester United interim manager continued, “We dealt with all the pressure put on us to win against Poland, and to end as group winners is something very special. We started with an unfortunate own goal against France.”
The Austrians, who lack star power and have never advanced past the round of 16, started the competition as dark horses but have since improved to title contenders. Austria’s first obstacle will come from well-known rivals Turkey, whose campaign has been nothing short of spectacular.
Turkey scored five goals in the group stage, with Arda Guler and Hakan Calhanoglu among the goal scorers. However, they also let in an equal amount of goals, which exposed the defense’s weakness.
When these teams previously faced off in a friendly in March, Austria prevailed 6-1; however, this time around, Turkey, the 2008 Euro semifinalists, are full of confidence and could provide a tougher battle.
But due to his suspension following two yellow cards, the inspiring skipper Calhanoglu will not play for the Turks in the round of 16. The Austrians’ goal of making it to the quarterfinals of the Euros for the first time might find all the fuel they need in his massive absence
⚽ Slovenia vs Portugal
When: July 1, 19:00 GMT, 9 p.m. local time
Where: Frankfurt Arena
Portugal will be under pressure to bounce back fast following their shocking 2-0 loss to tournament newcomers Georgia in their last Euro 2024 group round match on June 26.
Most supporters would rank Portugal as the overwhelming favorites as they prepare to play Slovenia in the round of 16, but a cursory glance at history and the form guide may lead one to believe differently.
Portugal has only played Slovenia once, in a friendly match that ended in a 2-0 loss in March 2024. Although Portugal was without its starting midfield tandem of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo was a member of the starting squad.
At Euro 2024, Silva and Fernandes have both struck the back of the net, but despite having the most shots on goal, Portugal’s aging superstar forward and captain, Ronaldo, has not found the scoreboard.
For the first time in his career, 39-year-old Ronaldo has failed to score in the group stages of a major international event, which must be concerning for Portugal.
Slovenia prefers to play deep and frustrate their opponents, as they proved against England in a 0-0 stalemate in their last group stage match in Cologne, so a Portugal team that has not found their best will probably have issues.
With two potent strikers and ruthless defensive synchronization, Slovenia is a team that plays like a club. Roberto Martinez, the coach of Portugal, stated, “We need to prepare well for the game, but this is not a friendly,” alluding to his team’s March defeat by Slovenia.
After securing three draws, the Slovenians, who are participating in the Euros knockout stages for the first time, are also formidable counterattackers.
Benjamin Sesko, a vital striker for Slovenia against Portugal, is a tall 1.95 meters (6.5 feet) player with exceptional mobility for a player his size. He is regarded as one of the most intriguing young attackers in Europe.
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