London: England will get their Euro 2020 campaign underway on Sunday as they face Croatia in a Group D encounter at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday. This match will be a chance for redemption as the “Three Lions” aim to take revenge for the defeat they suffered against the eventual runners-up three years ago in the 2018 World Cup semifinal.
Gareth Southgate has moulded this side with an ability to play in different tactical set-up starting the match both with three and four at the back. This time he even has a lot of options to play his cards. Kyle Walker will be a vital cog in defensive setup as he has been able to tuck into the centre-half position in the past one and a half year.
Besides Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho will be the aces for England as these are probably the two most technically gifted players in the side alongside the talismanic striker Harry Kane who will be their man to go for the goals. Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United also could get his chance to show his potential with Jordan Henderson doubtful.
Croatia on the other hand will look to repeat their spirited campaign of the last World Cup. Luka Modric is undeniably their talisman who will have a lot of workloads to deal with considering the sheer individual prowess the opposition have. Ante Rebic will also be key for visitors having gone through a great domestic campaign with AC Milan.
In another Group C match, Netherlands will host Ukraine at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. The Dutch will make their return to the competition after five years as being one of the dark horses for the tournament and will be looking to kick-start on a winning note.
The side went for a major revamp with several new faces coming to the side and their impact has been positive as they went to the final of the UEFA Nations League back in 2019 despite losing to Portugal. Head coach Frank De Boer will look play the usual free-flowing style of the Men in Orange.
However, the biggest hit back for them will be the absence of the towering skipper Virgil Van Dijk due to injury. Mathijs De Light of Juventus will have many responsibilities in the defensive department. Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong will be a man to watch out for as being the midfield maestro of the side alongside Ajax youngster Ryan Gravenberch.
Striker Wout Weghorst has been in good form who will lead the charge upfront alongside Memphis Depay. Ukraine on the other hand will be looking to keep things tight at the back against such a strong opponent. Oleksandr Zinchenko of Manchester City will be of the popular faces on the visitors’ side alongside the dynamic Ruslan Malinovskyi who has been in red hot form and cause some real problems with the ability to find the net from long ranges. They also have quality in Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko.
Elsewhere, Austria and North Macedonia will lock horns in Group C at the Arena Națională in Bucharest, Romania. Under coach Franco Foda, the Austrians will look to break the group stage jinx this time. David Alaba who recently moved to Real Madrid will be the key player for them alongside Marko Arnautovic who can be a tricky player on his day.
For North Macedonia, it will be their debut at a major tournament after qualifying through the playoffs of the UEFA Nations League. However, they have the ability to pull off some upsets with the notable being beating Germany 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in March this year. Veteran Goran Pandev will be their go-to man for the job having scored a national team record 37 goals, including the one which secured a place for this tournament.
