Euro 2024

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France: And so we come to the first of the Big Four, a team who have not only won the Euros but also the World Cup, twice each. Now that's what you call a footballing power! The only one of the Big Four, and the only European country to have taken part in the inaugural tournament (well, it was held in Paris), France are therefore tied with Czechoslovakia as being the only two teams who took part in the first Euros who are still around (even if technically the latter are now a different country), with Yugoslavia split into six separate countries and the Soviet Union no more. France can also claim the distinction of being in the very first World Cup in 1930 (so can Yugoslavia) and the only European team to take part in both. They failed to impress in their first Euro however, losing 5-4 to Yugoslavia (ah! Those were the days. Apparently) and then 2-0 to Czechoslovakia to end up in last place. Sacre bleu! It took them another 24 years to qualify again, but man was it worth it!

In the year of Big Brother, France, as host nation, were in Group 1 along with Denmark, Belgium and their old muckers from 1960, Yugoslavia, who, did they but know it, had less than a decade to remain as one country. The French swiftly set about kicking ass and taking names, beating Denmark 1-0 before absolutely trouncing Belgium 5-0 and leaving them wondering what had happened probably. Incidentally, Denmark would enact a similar beating upon Yugoslavia, making, I think but am pretty sure I'm right in so thinking, this the only Euros where two teams beat two others by five goals to nil. France then rounded off a sort of blitzkrieg of the group by taking poor, dazed Yugoslavia 3-2 to top the group.

Marching relentlessly on, they did the same to Portugal, holding them to a 2-2 draw until extra time loomed, wherein they scored again to take the game 3-2 and send the Portuguese home. Absolutely unstoppable now, they rampaged to a 2-0 victory over Spain and claimed their first European Championship trophy. It wouldn't be their last. As someone once said (a Romulan I think), other matters drew us away, but make no mistake: we are back. And they were. Well, not quite. Perhaps they were saving themselves, because over the next four years they would win not only their second Euro but also their first (but not only) World Cup. However they did not qualify for the next two tournaments, which meant the next we saw of them was 1996. It would herald a golden age in French football, as they re-established themselves as one of the crown princes of European foot-thing-game. Drawn in Group B with Spain, Bulgaria and Romania, they must have sniffed contemptuously at the competition, taking Romania 1-0, drawing 1-1 with Spain (at this time entering their own Golden Age) and completing a successful group performance that took them to the top by beating Bulgaria 3-1.

Once again, the French were on the march and it seemed nobody could stand in their way. They "did an England" on the Netherlands, holding them to a 0-0 draw after extra time and forcing a penalty shoot-out, which they won 5-4, then having this reversed when they came up against the Czech Republic in the semi-finals, losing that penalty shootout 6-5. How England must have chortled, especially with the tournament having been held there, the scene of France's final defeat at Old Trafford coming only three days after the English had been humbled by Spain at Wembley. It's not so bad when you don't go down alone maybe. Not that France, unlike England, were content to settle for what could have been, oh no. They made sure the new millennium ushered in their ascendancy as, as already related, 1998 saw them crowned World Champions and two years later they were on their way to a second European trophy.

They found themselves in Group D with the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic, and set about atoning for their near-miss in '96, smashing Denmark 3-0, the Czechs 2-1 and then suffering their first defeat of the tournament since 1960 when the Dutch beat them 3-2. Still enough to have them qualify as second in the group, and once they were through they were taking no prisoners. They again took Spain 2-1, sent Portugal home again after a late Zidane penalty gave them a 2-1 victory and after struggling against the penalty shoot-out masters Italy in the final, ensured the Azzurri would not be able to pull that trick as they instead levelled in the 92nd minute to make it 1-1 and then unleashed the golden goal on Italy in extra time, taking it 2-1 and winning their second European title. Nobody could doubt that France were the undisputed kings now, not just princes, of football, and not just European football either.

They haven't missed a single tournament since, and in 2004 they were drawn in Group B alongside England, Switzerland and Croatia. England, their first opponent in the group, felt the familiar heartache of penalty loss, if not an actual shootout, as both France's goals not only came from the spot but in extra time, and they ran out 2-1 winners. They were actually lucky to draw 2-2 with Croatia though, one of their goals courtesy of the other side, and then they beat the Swiss 3-1 to top their group. In the knockout stages though they were swiftly, um, knocked out by the eventual winners, Greece, a 1-0 defeat that sent them home, no doubt grumbling and asking who these Greeks thought they were, and did they not know who France were? Well, if they had a point to prove they did not manage to do it in 2008. Drawn in Group C with Netherlands, Romania and Italy, they stuttered and misfired all over the place, being held to a 0-0 draw with Romania, battered 4-1 by the Netherlands and finished off 2-0 by Italy, ending up, so far as I can see for the first time, at the bottom of the group. How humiliating for the former World and European champions!

Was the famous France fading then? Well, in 2012 they were in Group D with England, Ukraine and Sweden, and drew 1-1 with England but then beat Ukraine 2-0 and were beaten 2-0 by Sweden, but this still allowed them to qualify second in the group. They were swiftly defeated by Spain 2-0 and sent home, but in 2016 things began to take an upswing and French football was looking much healthier, as two years later they would again be world champions, and this particular Euro tournament was held on their home ground. They had poor opposition really, drawn in Group A with Switzerland, Albania and Romania. They set to with a will, beating Romania 2-1 thanks to a late penalty, Albania almost holding them to an unexpected 0-0 until again two late penalties scored within minutes of each other gave them the victory, and in their final game they drew 0-0 with Switzerland to go through at the top of their group. They beat us 2-1 and then, no doubt to the delight of England, who had been kicked out of the tournament by them only a week earlier, sent Iceland home with a thumping 5-2 defeat. Another old enemy was despatched with clinical ease as they breezed past Germany 2-0, to end up facing Portugal in the final. Unfortunately for them, though the match went to extra time at 0-0, Portugal scored in extra time to take the title and deny France a third European crown.

As reigning world champions again, they entered the 2020 tournament and found themselves, for the first time, in Group F, but with somewhat familiar opposition in Germany and Portugal, as well as Hungary. No doubt riding high and attempting a double title bid, to have both the World Cup and the European Cup on the shelves at Versailles or wherever, they lashed into Germany, cutting them down 1-0. Well, kind of not really, as the only goal they scored wasn't scored by them but by a German, but they still won. Perhaps a little embarrassed at that and determined to do better, they, um, drew 1-1 with Hungary and again with Portugal, no doubt determined to exact revenge for their ignominious exit from the previous Euros, but it ended 2-2, with three of the four goals penalties!  Relatively poor performances from both Germany and Portugal however ensured France topped the group, and in the next stage they came up against Switzerland, who put a stop to their gallop.

Essentially, the Swiss also "did an England" on France, forcing a penalty shootout, though their game ended a thrilling 3-3 after extra time. The penalty missed then was by, of all people, the man rated France's best player, Kylian Mbappe, who is today ranked as one of the best not only in France or Europe, but the world. Just shows, we can all have an off day. So France were beaten 5-4, and their attempt to hold both crowns was over.

Perhaps because of their failure (despite winning twice and also having two World Cups - "two Eur-os and two World Cups, doo-da! Doo da!" - obviously translated into French) France have been looked on as something of a broken flush this year, and it's true to say they have hardly set the tournament alight as they had been expected to. Nevertheless, like England in ways, they've put their heads down, ground their teeth and made it through, if in less than scintillating style.

Drawn in Group D with Austria, Poland and the Netherlands, they beat Austria 1-0, but only due to an own goal, however France did have the ball in the net themselves not once but twice, both ruled out by VAR. One was offside and other judged to be hand ball, though there was massive controversy over how that decision was arrived at, basically a computer telling the ref this happened and so you have to award handball and disallow the goal. Oh, and in a really nasty collision with the shoulder of an Austrian player, Mbappe's nose was broken. Who nose what can happen on a football pitch? Sorry: just masking my horror. Sorry again. Heh.

France 1 - Austria 0
Points: 3
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 2

They next took on the Netherlands, and this was where things really began to slow down. Some chances, a few shots but no real action to get excited about. No controversial decisions, and really you'd have to say a fairly pedestrian and boring nil-all draw.

France 0 - Netherlands 0
Points: 1
Points total: 4
Position in Group: 2

France's final match saw them play Poland, and at least there was excitement here. Mbappe, who had not played in the previous game, was back on the field, and in fact scored the penalty that put his team ahead. But so too as was Polish legend Robert Lewandowski, soon to retire. Both men took penalties, but the Polish one was the more controversial. Lewandowski skipped and hopped up to the spot, causing the French keeper to come off his line, so the penalty had to be retaken even though the keeper had saved it. Again the big Pole did his hop, skip and jump routine but this time, possibly wary of again coming off his line and moving too soon, the keeper stayed where he was as Lewandowski netted what will probably be his last ever goal for his country, drawing the match but sending an already homebound Poland to the airport while France topped the group and move on.

France 1 - Poland 1
Points: 1
Points total: 5
Position in Group: 1

France therefore qualify for the knockout stages and will face Belgium, then assuming they beat them it will be either Switzerland or Italy. Can they do it for a third time? Well, the talent is there but they'd need to up their game, considering how relatively poorly they've played up to now. Personally, my money is on Spain, but you don't care about that.

Recap
Beat Austria 1-0, drew 0-0 with Netherlands and drew 1-1 with Poland
Points total: 5
Goals for: 2
Goals against: 1
Position in Group: 1
Won 1, drew 2
Result: Go through to next round
Next opponent: Belgium

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Georgia: Not a huge amount to write about this small nation really, as this was their first ever time to qualify for the Euros, so there's no history to look into. Georgia itself is of course part of the former Soviet Union, one of the breakaway republics that sprouted up when the Berlin Wall fell in 1990 and after suffering the oppression of communist Moscow for over almost seventy years, the newly-independent Georgia chose, unlike many of the ex-Soviet countries, to pursue a western-led democracy. Russia doesn't like this of course and so Putin sent the troops in to occupy parts of it in 2008. Apparently, they're still there today. Again, like many of its now-satellite and independent republics, Georgia was a "vassal state", as it were, ot the Soviet Union and so technically competed in the first thirty years of the Euros under that banner, but in deference to their independence and lack of desire to be reminded of their past, and as it would be pointless anyway, we'll only cover their participation under their own name and flag.

Which, as I say, leads us rather quickly to this year, as Georgia qualified for the Euros for the first time, assigned to Group F along with Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic, surely a daunting prospect for the new kid on the bloc. Sorry. Their first match ended as everyone expected, with a large victory to Turkey, who beat them 3-1, though at least Georgia got to score their first ever goal in a European competition, which must have meant a lot to them. They provided good entertainment, and the match featured one of the goals of the tournament, though not from Georgia.

Georgia 1 - Turkey 3
Points: 0
Points total: 0
Position in Group: 4

Their next match saw them score their first penalty, and hold the experienced Czechia to a 1-1 draw, earning themselves their first point of the tournament.

Georgia 1 - Czechia 1
Points: 1
Points total: 1
Position in Group: 4

For their final match, the debuting nation stunned the Euros, scoring first against Portugal (in the second minute in fact) and then adding a penalty in the second half to send the fans into delirium both in the stadium and no doubt at home, securing for themselves a very unlikely progression to the knockout stages as they took third place. Fair play to them.

Georgia 2 - Portugal 0
Points: 3
Points total: 4
Position in Group: 3

So, against all the odds and expectations, and making anyone who had a flutter on it with Paddy Power a stack of money, if anyone thought to do such a thing, Georgia, on their debut appearance in the Euros, who had surely hoped for little more than not to disgrace themselves too badly, progress into the knockout stages, where they will meet Spain tomorrow, and, with the greatest of respect to them, you can't see them coming out of that one winners. Spain haven't lost a single match and have qualified top of their group, are, like France, both previous European and World champions, and you'd imagine they will put Georgia to the sword. Should the unlikely, even the impossible happen (remember, nobody gave Leicester a chance in 2015/16) then they will have another mountain to climb, facing either the Netherlands or Romania. But even if, as we all expect, their first Euro journey ends tomorrow, they can hold their heads high and be proud of themselves. Not many small nations like that can claim to have done what they have done, and they're a credit to their country.

Recap
Lost to Turkey 3-1, drew with Czechia 1-1, beat Portugal 2-0
Points total: 4
Goals for: 4
Goals against: 4
Position in Group: 3
Won 1, drew 1, lost 1
Result: Go through to the next stage
Next opponent: Spain

[Trollheart]

Just a quick note, in case someone cares. It was obvious that with 24 teams to write about I would never manage to get this completed, or even close, before the knockout games began. So when one of the new entries coincides with a knockout stage game, I'll update the information to include that match and the results, however I won't be going back and updating ones that have already been posted up to tonight, only those which are affected and which have not been posted by now.

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Germany: As everyone knows, from the 1960s until the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany was divided into two countries, the communist-controlled East Germany and the democratic West Germany. Both had football teams and indeed it may be that East Germany competed for the Euros, but to my knowledge they never qualified, whereas West Germany did, almost every time the tournament was held. Up until 1991 then, they competed as West Germany and after that just as Germany, with both East and West united. So in this article I'll be concentrating on both West Germany and Germany, and making  no distinction between the two. From what I read then, Germany (then West Germany) as one of the "sulkers", let's call them, were opposed to the creation of the Euros and did not take part in the first three, but when they did qualify they let everyone know they were a force to be reckoned with.

1972 was the first time they did get into the competition (ironically, perhaps, the same year as the Olympics were held in Berlin and 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists in Munich) and West Germany beat Belgium 2-1 in the semi-finals and went on to face the Soviet Union in the final, winning it 3-0 and taking their first European trophy. For a team debuting in the competition that's pretty phenomenal; even France had to wait till their second attempt to achieve such a thing. Mind you, West Germany had already been world champions after they won the 1954 World Cup, and two years after this tournament (the 1972 Euros) they would lift the trophy again, going on to win the World Cup an incredible four times (so far) and the Euros three. 1972 to 1990 then could be seen as the Golden Age of German football, when they seemed unstoppable, winning both trophies twice within that period.

Their next appearance was in 1976, where Yugoslavia held them to a 2-2 draw in the semis but were undone by two late goals in extra time, allowing West Germany to take the match 4-2 and meet Czechoslovakia in the final, where the game again ended tied after extra time, 2-2, and went to a penalty shootout. The West Germans lost out 5-3, but would be back in 1980 when they would again confirm their status as football gods. This time the group stages had been instigated, as the tournament had expanded to twice as many teams, and West Germany were in Group 1 with the Netherlands, Greece, and the team that had thwarted them in the last final, Czechoslovakia. They immediately exacted revenge on the Czechs, beating them 1-0 and going on to defeat the Netherlands 3-2 (all three of their goals scored by the same player) and were held to an unlikely 0-0 draw with Greece, but qualified top of their group. There were at this stage no semi-finals; the winner of each group went through to the final and West Germany met Belgium in a replay almost of the 1972 semi-finals, a match which ended with the same score, 2-1 to West Germany and they were again crowned kings of Europe.

As I said, two years later they were world champions again, and riding high they qualified for the 1984 tournament, this time facing rising stars Spain, Portugal and also Romania. This would not be the easy group the previous one had been, and to some extent you could probably characterise it as the Group of Death. West Germany found out  how much things had changed since last time when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Portugal, beat Romania 2-1 but were defeated by Spain 1-0 and sent home. This was the first time West Germany had failed to get out of their group, and as defending champions that must have been seen as particularly shocking, but they were back in 1988, again in a kind of Group of Death, Group 1 with Italy, Denmark and Spain. Determined that things would be different this time, and eager to restore their tarnished reputation, they held Italy to a 1-1 draw, beat Denmark 2-0 and exacted revenge on Spain by beating them 2-0 to qualify at the top of the group. However in the semi-finals they came up against an in-form Netherlands team (which boasted, at the time, the current head of the national team today, Ronald Koeman) and went down to a late goal, losing the game 2-1. It was still a better performance than the last time, but they must have been disappointed at not getting to the final. Their time was coming though.

1992 saw them in Group 2 with the Netherlands, Scotland and something called the CIS, the Commonwealth of Independent States, which apparently was a sort of hodge-podge of former Soviet republics when the Soviet Union itself was dissolved after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Following its reunification with its eastern neighbour, of course, West Germany was now Germany, but call it what you will, the country was a massive footballing power and had no intention of going home early this time. They faced CIS in their first game, and things were not going to plan as they fell 1-0, but in the last minute the new, revitalised Germany scored to draw the game 1-1. Hardly the start they had intended though, and they did much better against Scotland, 2-0 to the Germans and they were facing their old enemy from the 1988 semi-finals. Unfortunately for them, lightning struck twice and they were beaten 3-1 by the Dutch, but this was not enough this time to send them home, and they qualified second in their group, meeting Sweden in the semis, whom they beat 3-2 then failing to beat Denmark in the final, losing 2-0.

1996 was the one though. Seeded in Group C with Russia, Italy and the Czech Republic, they beat the Czechs 2-0 and the Russians 3-0, then though held to a nil-all draw by Italy still qualified top of their group. In no mood to be stopped, they powered past Croatia 2-1, then broke English hearts as they fought out that 1-1 draw with a penalty shootout which they won 6-5, and on into the final where they met the Czech Republic, who held them to a 1-1 draw until extra time, when Germany scored the golden goal to take the match, and the title. This was their third European trophy, which nestled very comfortably beside the three World Cups they had already won.

The new millennium, however, would perhaps signal the slight decline of German football, as though they would take the world trophy again in 2016, this would be the last European title they would win, to date, and the last time they would get out of the group for eight years. Seeded in Group A with Portugal, Romania and England they struggled against a good Romanian side, barely managing a 1-1 draw, beaten 1-0 by England (how the English must have loved that!) and going down in a humiliating 3-0 loss to Portugal, ending as bottom of the group, enforcing an early exit for the first time since 1984, and the next tournament would not be much better for them, drawn in  Group D with the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Latvia, they were again frustrated by the Dutch, barely managing a 1-1 draw, a surely disappointing and poor 0-0 draw with Latvia and ending with a 2-1 drubbing by the Czechs, leaving them third in the group and on the way home. Two exits in eight years must have stung the former European and World champions, but they were about to leave those dark days behind forever.

Drawn in Group B with Austria, Poland and Croatia, 2008 saw them take Poland down for 2-0, lose 2-1 to Croatia but beat Austria 1-0 to qualify second in the group. In the quarter-finals they took revenge on Portugal for their exit from the 2000 tournament, defeating them 3-2, squeezed out a last-minute goal in the 90th minute to beat Turkey, also 3-2, in the semi-final and advanced to the final, where they were once again thwarted by Spain, a single goal settling it and giving the Spanish the title.  Germany would have its revenge, of sorts, when Spain would be humiliatingly dumped out of the 2014 World Cup after a 5-1 thrashing by the Netherlands and a 2-0 defeat to Chile while Germany would go on to win it. But for now, there was 2012.

Drawn in Group B with two of their old nemeses, Portugal and the Netherlands, as well as Denmark, Germany must have been expecting a hard time getting out of the group, and maybe looking at dealing out a little retribution too. They started this by taking Portugal 1-0 and the pushing past the Dutch 2-1. Revenge must have been sweet: both their enemies dealt with. That left Denmark, and they made it a trio of wins by taking them 2-1 to qualify top of their group. In the quarter-finals they came up against Greece and beat them comprehensively, running out 4-2 winners and heading on to meet Italy, who beat them 2-1. To their intense annoyance, probably, Spain went on to win their second title, beating Italy 4-0. 2016 was good for them too: drawn in Group C with Poland, Northern Ireland and Ukraine, they must have fancied their chances, and they were right. After taking Ukraine 2-0 and drawing with Poland 0-0 they finished off a, let's be honest, not incredibly impressive performance, given the weak opposition, with  nevertheless a victory as they beat Northern Ireland 1-0, qualifying at the top of their group again.

In the knockout stages they came up against Slovakia, and rolled over them 3-0, gleefully exacted revenge on the Italians in the quarter-finals for their 2012 exit as they played out a 1-1 draw after extra time, winning the resultant penalty shootout 6-5 and sending the Italians home while they advanced to the semi-final. Here they met - if my calculations are correct, for the first time in a Euro game - France, and fell at the final fence, losing 2-0. That left one tournament before the current one, and of course they qualified for this too, ending up in Group F with the team responsible for their failure the last time, France, their old enemy Portugal, and Hungary, who, again, I think, were facing them for the first time, certainly in a group game. France, defending champions,  rubbed it in by beating them 1-0 in their first game, and whether or not this stung them to action, they went on to defeat their other traditional enemy, Portugal, 4-2, and drew 2-2 with Hungary, to go through second in the group. England, however, were out for some revenge of their own, and knocked them out of the tournament with a 2-0 defeat, going on to face Italy in the final, though losing out to that old curse of theirs, the penalty shootout.

Germany, therefore, were once again looking to prove themselves as the 2024 tournament rolled around, and selected in Group A with Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland, they set about demolishing the Scots with a 5-1 drubbing, the only Scottish goal coming from a German player, leaving the poor Scots reeling and in serious trouble, but showing the world that Germany were in no uncertain terms back, kamerad!

Germany 5 - Scotland 1
Points: 3
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 1

It was the turn of Hungary next. As I said, so far as I can see anyway, this was only the second time these two teams had met at the Euros, at least in the group stages, and Germany proved the juggernaut everyone expected them to be, powering past the Hungarians who never even had a shot, the game ending with another victory to the Germans. Don't mention the war.

Germany 2 - Hungary 0
Points: 3
Points total: 6
Position in Group: 1

Germany's final match saw them take on Switzerland, who bossed the game and looked to be heading for a famous victory when the Germans - remember Jack Charton? Never count the Germans out - came back with an unlikely goal in the 92nd minute to level it and go through top of the group, as everyone had thought they would anyway.

Germany 1 - Switzerland 1
Points: 1
Points total: 7
Position in Group: 1

So, to nobody's surprise, Germany march on into the knockout stages, where they will meet Denmark, and if they can get past them, which seems more than likely, and England beat Slovakia, then there could be a meeting of the old enemies again in the semis. Either way, Germany have to be one of the favourites and you would expect them to keep marching on. A fourth European title? Don't rule it out.

Recap
Beat Scotland 5-1, beat Hungary 2-0, drew with Switzerland 1-1
Points total: 7
Goals for: 8
Goals against: 2
Position in Group: 1
Won 2, drew 1
Result: Go through to next round
Next opponent: Denmark

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Hungary: In total contrast to the mighty Germany, Hungary have rarely qualified for the tournament, though they were one of the teams in the early ones. Their first participation was in the second one held, 1964, where they held off Spain in the semi-finals till an extra time goal made it 2-1, and then did something similar in reverse in the third place play-off, 1-1 with Denmark until the Danes forced extra time and Hungary scored twice more, winning the match 3-1. They didn't qualify for the next tournament but in 1972 they did, and this time were beaten 1-0 by the Soviet Union in the semi-finals, and lost the third place play-off 2-1 to Belgium.

That was it for them for forty-four years (so I was correct when I said, in the article on Germany, that they had only come up against Hungary twice) until 2016, when they actually qualified top of their group, surprisingly ahead of both Portugal and Austria, and indeed Iceland, beating Austria 2-0, drawing 1-1 with Iceland and drawing also with Portugal in what looks to have been a thrilling 3-3 draw. In the knockout stages though they became very much unstuck, going down 4-0 to Belgium. They were back in 2020, but in a real Group of Death faced both former champions France and Germany, as well as Portugal, a serious mountain to climb. A mountain they fell off, going down 3-0 to Portugal, managing a 1-1 draw with France and fighting out a 2-2 draw with Germany, but ultimately they ended up bottom of their group and progressed no further.

This year they were in Group A, with again Germany but this time Switzerland and Scotland. Their first match saw them well beaten by Switzerland, 3-1, only avoiding ending at the bottom of the group due to Scotland's awful inferior goal difference thanks to that 5-1 thrashing by Germany.

Hungary 1 - Switzerland 3
Points: 0
Points total: 0
Position in Group: 3

Riding high on that demolition of Scotland (sorry Kay) Germany were in no mood to show mercy and thumped Hungary 2-0, maintaining their iron grip on the top of the group while Hungary slipped to the bottom thanks to the Scots grinding out a point in a 1-1 with Switzerland.

Hungary 0 - Germany 2
Points: 0
Points total: 0
Position in Group: 4

In their final game, they heaped further misery on a (again sorry Kay but) poor Scottish team, who didn't seem to be able to recover after the game that had laid them low,though having a total stonewall penalty not only turned away, but the stupid and obviously wrong decision not overturned by VAR didn't help. Nor did a last-minute goal by Hungary in the last minute of eight minutes of additional time, and where that came from nobody seems to know, but earning three points allowed them to rise to third position in the group, not enough to allow them to progress but still something. There was also a serious injury to one of their players, necessitating his removal from the pitch on a stretcher and his conveyance directly to hospital.

Hungary 1 - Scotland 0
Points: 3
Total points: 3
Position in Group: 3

That, then, ends the less than stellar performance of Hungary in the Euros, but at least they ended up with two goals and a few points to take home with them. We wish a speedy recovery to Barnabas Varga, and hope to see him, and Hungary, back in 2028.

Recap
Beaten by Switzerland 3-1, beaten by Germany 2-0, beat Scotland 1-0
Points total: 3
Goals for: 2
Goals against: 5
Position in Group: 3
Result: Eliminated from tournament

[Trollheart]

Italy: Another of the Big Four of European Football, Italy boast four World Cups and two Euro titles, though in fairness two of their four World Cups came way back near the time the competition was set up, in the 1930s, with their most recent being almost 20 years ago, in 2006. Another of what I've termed the "sulkers", it was 1968 before they entered or qualified, and that same year they took their first European title, rather like Germany and France also did on their debut. Now, this seems entirely crazy to me - and I did allude to it in one of the previous entries - but apparently it's true, and here is the proof. When a game had ended nil-nil and gone to extra time without being decided, a COIN WAS TOSSED to determine the outcome! Yeah. Really. I know. So you could lose a game based on whether you chose heads or tails. Unbelievable. But that's what happened in the semi-finals between Italy and the Soviet Union, when it ended 0-0 and Italy won the toss. Literally.

Even weirder, though apparently a coin toss (go on, say it,  you know you want to: tossers!) was enough to decide a semi-final, it wouldn't do for a final, and when that ended 1-1 after extra time between Italy and Yugoslavia, the final had to be replayed two days later, and this time Italy came out clear winners at 2-0, taking their first European title. Football was, then, you'd have to say, mad. It was another 12 years, 1980 before they qualified again, this time automatically as host nation, and ended up in Group 2 with England, Spain and Belgium. Their first game was a nil-all draw with Spain, then a 1-0 defeat of England and then another nil-all draw with Belgium. Hardly inspiring, you would have to say, but it allowed them to progress as second in their group. Perhaps showing how long they had been away, they then lost the third place play-off with Czechoslovakia, the game ending 1-1 after extra time and the subsequent penalty shootout providing a thrilling 17 shots, with Italy losing 9-8.

Italy missed qualification for the next Euros but returned in 1988, and found themselves in the very Group of Death with West Germany, Spain and Denmark. A 1-1 draw with West Germany, a 1-0 defeat of Spain and a 2-0 victory over Denmark put them through in second, where they met the Soviet Union in the semis and lost 2-0, memories no doubt recalled of their own 0-0 exit on the toss of a coin from the 1968 semi-finals. Revenge is a dish best served cold, comrade, or something. 1992 was the last year Italy failed to qualify for the tournament, so in 1996 they began an unbroken string of appearances that has lasted to today. Drawn in Group C with Germany, the Czech Republic and the no longer Soviet Union, Russia, and surely smarting from their 1988 defeat they took them down 2-1, going on to lose by the same score to the Czechs and finally draw nil-all with Germany, ending their adventures in Britain.

The new millennium was kinder to them though. Drawn in Group B with Belgium, Sweden and Turkey, they qualified top of their group after beating all three teams in their group; Turkey 2-1, Belgium 2-0 and Sweden 2-1. In the knockout stages they disposed of Romania 2-0, played out another 0-0 after extra time against the Netherlands in the semis, winning the penalty shootout 3-1 and advancing to meet France in the final, whom they held to a 1-1 draw until the French scored that all-important golden goal in extra time, winning the title. Things began to slide badly for them after that. In 2004 they never even got out of their group, drawing nil-nil with Denmark, 1-1 with Sweden and beating Bulgaria 2-1, while in 2008 Italy's fortunes began to tilt in their favour, as they qualified second in their group, beating the Netherlands 3-0, drawing 1-1 with Romania and beating France 2-0. This time though it was they who fell to extra-time penalties, as they faced Spain and lost 4-2 after the match had tied at 1-1. Spain would go on to win the tournament that year.

Encouraged no doubt by their performance in the previous Euros, Italy came back in 2012 and in a group they shared with Spain, Croatia and, um, Ireland, they drew 1-1 with Spain, the same against Croatia and expectedly beat us 2-0, which secured them second place. In the quarter-finals they came up against England, who held them to another 0-0 after extra time and were dispatched by a 4-2 penalty shootout, leaving Italy to stride on to face Germany in the semi-final and beat them 2-1, then Spain took their hope away as they crushed them 4-0 to take their second title in a row, the only nation, I think, to win two European cups back-to-back. In 2016 Italy were in Group E, again with us, Belgium and Sweden, beating Belgium 2-0, Sweden 1-0 and actually losing to us 1-0! Still allowed them to go through top of the group, where in the knockout stages they took revenge on Spain, defeating them 2-0 and ending eight years of hurt but, somewhat like England, fell foul of the penalty shootout as they faced Germany in the quarter-finals and came out 6-5 losers after a 1-1 draw after extra time. Interestingly, there were nine penalty takers on each side, and three of the Germans missed, though one more Italian missed, denying them progress in the tournament.

2020 was however to be the year for Italy, as they won their second European cup. A commanding performance saw them take Turkey for 2-0, Switzerland 3-0 and Wales 1-0 to qualify top of their group. In the knockout stages they met Austria and beat them 2-1 after extra time, took Belgium down also for 2-1 in the quarter-finals, turned the tables on Spain in the semis, really twisting the knife and cleansing the Italian palate as they fought them to a standstill and took the penalty shootout 4-2, sending Spain home as Italy marched on to the final. Here they met England and repeated their treatment of Spain by dragging themselves level for 1-1 before it went to a penalty shootout which Italy won 3-2, giving them their second European title.

It seems very odd to me that this renaissance (how appropriate) of Italian football should then coincide with such a poor performance at this year's Euros, but it would be wrong to say that Italy played anything like the team we had expected, just barely making it out of the group. This year they were drawn in Group B, with Spain, Croatia and Albania. On the face of it, a group they should have been expected to get out of easily, perhaps not topping due to the presence of Spain, but still, they should make a good showing. Here's how they fared.

The first shock was when Albania, against all expectations, scored first, in in fact the very first minute, setting the record for the fastest-ever goal scored in the Euros. The goal resulted from a poorly-timed throw by Italy, and was a serious mistake by the European cup holders. Though Italy quickly equalised and then went ahead to take the match 2-1, it wasn't anything like the walkover it should have been, and people began to mutter about Italy being a spent force.

Italy 2 - Albania 1
Points: 3
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 2

Their next opponents were the old enemy, and Spain did them 1-0, with the Italians mostly on the defensive, as they would be for pretty much the rest of the tournament, and offering little in the way of ideas. The Golden Age of Italian football was beginning to tarnish, and questions were now asked also about their ability to progress into the next round, something that would have been taken for granted in the previous years. In fact, it had been twenty years since they had not progressed, but this looked like being another 2004.

Italy 0 - Spain 1
Points: 0
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 2

In their final group match it looked like the naysayers had got it right. A boring, uninventive Italy allowed Croatia to take the lead through a missed penalty but then a goal by Modric, and as eight minutes of extra time wound down painfully for the Italians and it looked a done deal that Croatia would go through, Italy found something in the locker and scored a last-gasp equaliser, allowing them to remain second in the table and progress to the knockout stages, something that the general consensus was they did not deserve, and were very lucky to have achieved.

Italy 1 - Croatia 1
Points: 1
Points total: 4
Position in Group: 2

Against all odds, then, a boring and undeserving Italy make it through to the next stage, where they are due to meet Switzerland. If they beat them - and this is by no means certain anymore - then they may meet England, assuming Kane's boys beat Slovakia. Another penalty shootout? Let's wait and see.

Recap
Beat Albania 2-1, lost to Spain 1-0, drew with Croatia 1-1
Points: 4
Goals for: 3
Goals against: 2
Position in Group: 2
Won 1, lost 1, drew 1
Result: Go through to next stage
Next opponent: Switzerland

UPDATE!
Beaten by Switzerland 2-0; Italy are out (and good riddance)

[Trollheart]

Netherlands: For a long time identified in both tournaments as Holland (I don't know what the difference is; Marie can tell us) the Dutch team have recently become known as the Netherlands, and are another great footballing power of Europe. Their first year to qualify was 1976, where they were beaten 3-1 by Czechoslovakia after extra time, but won the third place play-off - again after extra time - against Yugoslavia 3-2. They were back in 1980, drawn with West Germany, Greece and Czechoslovakia, beating Greece 1-0 but falling to the West German attack 3-2 before drawing 1-1 with the Czechs, sending them home. 1988 began an almost 20-year Golden Age for Dutch football, as they became European champions and a real power in football. Drawn in Group 2 with ourselves, England and the Soviet Union, they went down 1-0 to the Russkies but beat England 3-1 and us 1-0 to go through second in the group. In the semi-finals they revenged themselves on West Germany, beating them 2-1 and thrashed the Soviets 2-0 in the final, lifting the cup for the first and so far only time in their career.

In 1992 they got as far as the semis, drawn in Group 2 with Germany (no longer West Germany), Scotland and CIS, the remains of the Soviet Union. They beat Scotland 1-0, drew 0-0 with CIS and West Germany or just Germany, it was all the same to the Dutch, and they beat them again, this time 3-1 to top the group. In the semis though they suffered penalty shootout heartbreak, after a 2-2 tied game with Denmark, which the Danes took 5-4 on penalties. They wouldn't reach the semi-finals in 1996, being drawn in Group A with England, Scotland and Switzerland. They struggled to get out of the group, drawing with Scotland 0-0, beating Switzerland 2-0 but losing to England 4-1. They qualified as second in the group and again suffered the penalty shootout curse as France took it 5-4 after a 0-0 draw.

Into the twenty-first century they boldly marched, and with perhaps the motto "New millennium, new Netherlands", they topped their group which saw them beat the Czech Republic 1-0, Denmark 3-0, avenging their '92 exit at the hands of the Danes,  and France 3-2, paying the French back for that penalty shootout exit from the previous tournament.They went on to thrash the Former Yugoslavia (don't ask) 6-1, surely their biggest ever goal margin in a Euro competition, and met Italy in the semis, where once again the "p" word was their undoing, and after a goalless draw following extra time they lost 3-1 as Italy went on to lose to France in the final. In 2004 they were in Group D with Germany, Latvia and the Czech Republic. A 1-1 draw with Germany, a 3-2 defeat to the Czechs and a 3-0 victory against Latvia secured them second place, progressing to the knockout stages where they were able to dish out their own version of the penalty shootout curse to Sweden, drawing 0-0 after extra time with them and taking the shootout 5-4 to advance to the semi-finals, where they met Portugal, falling 2-1 to Ronaldo's mob.

Italy, Romania and France shared Group C with them in 2008 and they beat them all, Italy 3-0, France 4-1 and Romania 2-0 to top the group and meet Russia, who done for them after the match had been level at 1-1 in normal time, the Russians scoring twice in extra time to take the game 3-1. They did very poorly in 2012, ending bottom of a group that contained Germany, Denmark and Portugal, all of whom beat them: Denmark 1-0 and both Germany and Portugal 2-1 to send the Dutch home. They didn't qualify for the next tournament, and it might be said that Dutch football was on something of a decline by now, but as host nation in 2020 they made an effort, topping a pretty easy group as they beat Ukraine 3-2, Austria 2-0 and, um, North Macedonia 3-0. Their old enemies, the Czechs were waiting though to deflate their dreams of resuscitating  their former glory,beating them 2-0.

This year, then, they were in Group D with Austria, France and Poland, and began their fightback with a 2-1 defeat of Poland, demonstrating that the Poles were not the team they had once been, and might, like Italy, struggle to make it out of the group. The Netherlands, to be fair, weren't anything really special but they ground out the result.

Netherlands 2 - Poland 1
Points: 3
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 1

France were their next opponents, and though it was billed as a big match and one to watch, it really wasn't, as the two played out an uninspiring, chances-barren nil-all draw.

Netherlands 0 - France 0
Points: 1
Points total: 4
Position in Group: 2

At least their final match was a thriller, though an unexpected one as they took on a lacklustre (up to then) Austria whom France had easily beaten earlier. 3-2 was not the score we had expected, but the game had everything, including a last-gasp winner as it looked to be going for a draw. The result completely turned the table upside-down, placing Austria - who had not really been given much of a chance of going through at all - at the top and qualified, while the Netherlands slid to third, but somehow still go through for some reason. AJJ.

Netherlands 2 - Austria 3
Points: 0
Points total: 4
Position in Group: 3

So after what could not in fairness be called a classic performance, Netherlands squeeze through by the skin of their teeth. On the strength of what we've seen, it seems unlikely they have much of a chance of adding another European title to their lonely trophy cabinet, and next face Romania. If they can beat them, and Turkey go down to Austria, we may see a rematch of the last group game here between the two. Could be interesting.

Recap
Beat Poland 2-1, drew 0-0 with France, lost 3-2 to Austria
Points total: 4
Goals for: 4
Goals against: 3
Position in Group: 3
Won 1, drew 1, lost 1
Result: Go through to next round
Next opponent: Romania

[Trollheart]

And so into the knockout stages we go. No second chances, no nil-nils or draws deciding games. As they say, this is it.

Today's results

Switzerland 2 - Italy 0

In a truly disgraceful display by a team who really did not seem to care, this match was an embarrassing and humiliating exit for Italy, who never even came close. The Swiss, on the other hand, played out of their skins and deserved to go through. I shudder to think what the Italian press will have to say about it tomorrow, but the team should be ashamed of themselves: they've insulted their fans and let down their country. They never even tried. Arrivedurci, Italia! You will not be missed.

Germany 2 - Denmark 0

The strangest match I ever did see, it was stopped before half-time as a massive thunderstorm threatened, and the ref called the teams off the pitch. At this point it was 0-0. but the Germans seemed to have been in the ascendancy. The delay lasted so long that the commentator noted that it seemed like it had been going on for two days! In the end, Germany ran out 2-0 winners, deserved ones too, and to nobody's surprise go forward to meet either Spain or (chortle) Georgia.

Tomorrow's matches

England v Slovakia: who expects England not to win this one? Well you never know, but they should be favourites.

Spain v Georgia: Can the debutantes pull off a famous victory? As Monty Burns once said, not bloody likely. If they do, I'll have to buy a hat and then eat it.

[Trollheart]

Poland: Poland would rank among the lesser teams in Europe. They have never won any major trophies, and have in fact only qualified for the Euros four times, including this one, and have only ever advanced beyond the group stages once, so it's hardly a history littered with honours, but let's look at it anyway. The first time they made it was 2008, where they faced Croatia, Austria and Germany. Beaten 2-0 by Germany, drawing 1-1 with Austria and losing 1-0 to Croatia was enough to send them home, but not enough to stop them coming back, as they did in 2012. This time their group opponents were the Czech Republic, Greece and Russia - not, you would think, the hardest group to get out of, but again they failed to do so, drawing 1-1 with both Greece and Russia and beaten 1-0 by the Czech Republic.

2016 was the only time they did anything, again in a relatively easy group which apart from Germany left them facing Northern Ireland and Ukraine. Their first ever victory came against Northern Ireland, 1-0, drew 0-0 with Germany and beat Ukraine 1-0, to progress, for the first and only time, into the knockout stages. Here they came up against Switzerland, and fought out a grim battling 1-1 draw which went to penalties after extra time, a shootout (their first ever) that they won 5-4, surely making them think this must have been their year? Portugal, however, had other ideas, but when they met Poland in the quarter-finals it was again another determined and dogged performance by the Poles, holding Ronaldo and Co, to, again, 1-1 after extra time, again forcing a penalty shootout. This may, I think, have been the only time one team was involved in two penalty shootouts after 1-1 and extra time in the one tournament. Unfortunately, it was here Poland's heroics ended, and Portugal took the shootout 5-3.

While it would be unfair not to laud their quite remarkable performance in the 2016 Euros, you would have to say that, on the strength of their previous results, normal service was resumed in 2020, when they finished bottom of their group, having gone down 2-1 to Slovakia, drawn 1-1 with Spain and beaten 3-2 by Sweden. This year they have had their moments, but never really looked likely to go through, and didn't.

Drawn in a difficult group with Austria, France and the Netherlands, their first match saw them face the Netherlands and indeed score first, but then Holland levelled and in the last few minutes took the game 2-1.

Poland 1 - Netherlands 2
Points: 0
Points total: 0
Position in Group: 4

Next up was Austria, and while they themselves did not play well in the tournament at first (though they would end up topping the group and going through) they began to show here that they had something to prove, and pretty much rolled all over Poland, leaving nobody in any doubt as to how the match was going to end.

Poland 1 - Austria 3
Points: 0
Points total: 0
Position in Group: 4

Before they bowed out though, Poland made a good effort to stop France being the third team in the group to beat them as they held them to a draw with a last-gasp penalty which, as related in the article on France, had to be taken twice. You'd have to say Poland bowed out with a flourish, but now out they did, leaving memories of 2016 far in the distance now.

Poland 1 - France 1
Points: 1
Points total: 1
Position in Group: 4

So as pretty much expected, given their poor record in the Euros and a fairly ageing team whose main man is due to retire, Poland go home after losing two of their matches and only drawing the last by virtue of a penalty, which in some ways should not have counted, as it was originally saved. In the end, the group turned out to be too hard for them to get out of, and they performed about as average as it seems they have almost always done, with one shining exception. Will we see them back in 2028? I wouldn't put too much money on it, now.

Recap
Lost to Netherlands 2-1, lost to Austria 3-1, drew with France 1-1
Points total: 1
Goals for: 3
Goals against: 6
Position in Group: 4
Lost 2, drew 1
Result: Eliminated from tournament

[Trollheart]

Portugal: Portugal are, of course, footballing royalty and one of the Big Four. They have one European title under their belts, but perhaps surprisingly as I check, have not qualified for the Euros every year, and in fact there's a great big gap of twenty years before we see them take part. They also have not done nearly as well as I thought they had in the World Cup, but nobody can deny they're one of the princes of European football, perhaps in some ways deserving of the phrase (which I just made up) "the Brazil of Europe". No? Have it your way then. At any rate, their first qualification came in 1984, where they were drawn in Group 2 with Spain, West Germany and Romania. That sounds like a difficult group to get out of, especially for a debutante, so it's surely to their credit that they drew with both West Germany (0-0) and Spain (1-1) and beat Romania 1-0 to progress in their first tournament. A marker of things to come? Well, in the semi-finals they held the mighty France to a 2-2 draw until extra time, when the French scored to take the game. This means, despite their exit, that on their first foray into the Euros Portugal held three of the Big Four to draws. Impressive.

They didn't qualify for the next two tournaments, but were back in 1996 in what must have seemed a far easier group, drawing 1-1 with Denmark, beating Turkey 1-0 and  Croatia 3-0 to again progress, this time at the top of their group. In the quarter-finals they met the Czech Republic, who  beat them 2-0, sending them home. Nevertheless, it must have been obvious by now that Portugal were growing to be a side worthy of respect, and would in fact soon join their Iberian cousins, West Germany (now Germany) and France as one of the Big Four. 2000 saw them again top their group, with a 3-2 victory over England, a 1-0 defeat of Romania and a comprehensive 3-0 demolition of Germany. Determined to stamp their mark on the tournament, they powered past Turkey 2-0, but were again undone by the French, whom they held to a 1-1 draw until those pesky frogs scored again in extra time, and Portugal were on the  plane home.


In 2004 they beat Russia 2-0, were beaten by Greece 2-1 and beat Spain 1-0 to advance and meet England, who held them to a 2-2 draw after extra time, but were sent home after Portugal took the penalty shootout 6-5, and Portugal moved on to take on the Netherlands, beat them 2-1 in the semis and so reaching their first Euros final, where they lost out to Greece 1-0, the Greeks winning their first, and so far only European title. It was time for Turkey to suffer another 2-0 defeat, this time in the group stages, when Portugal returned for the 2008 tournament, and the Czechs went down 3-1 but were beaten by Switzerland 2-0. In the quarter-finals, though, Germany took revenge for their 3-0 defeat by them in 2000 as they kicked them out of the tournament, beating them 3-2.

Things began to look much better for Portugal from 2012, when, although again taken down by Germany in their first group game (1-0) then went on to take Denmark 3-2 and the Netherlands 2-1 to qualify, this time for the first time in recent memory, only second, but still through to the next stage. In the quarter-finals they took the Czech Republic 1-0 and then fell victim to that curse of the Euros, the penalty shootout when, after a 0-0 draw after extra time with Spain, they lost the shootout 4-2. Portugal were building momentum though, and the next tournament would be their golden moment. It certainly didn't start out auspiciously, with a 1-1 draw with Iceland and a nil-nil with Austria followed by a 3-3 against Hungary only getting Portugal to third place, but for some reason that year third place was enough and they went through. Perhaps the footballing gods were smiling on them? Perhaps they had bet on them? Either way, finishing the lowest they had in a Euro group stage, Portugal nevertheless made it through to the knockout stages.

I'd like to say here they began to shine, but it doesn't seem that way, as they barely managed a 1-0 defeat of Croatia, having been held to a 0-0 draw and gone to extra time, but they struggled through and fought out that 1-1 draw and penalty shootout we spoke of in the previous article, beating Poland 5-3 and moving on to beat Wales 2-0 in the semi-final, till at last they stood at the zenith of their rather short Euros career, facing their old enemy, France, and determined to take revenge for their exit from the 2000 tournament, they held them to a 0-0 draw until finally scoring in extra time to take the match, and the title, for the first time. Portugal were European champions. Unfortunately for them, that was as good as it was going to get, and in 2020 they again barely managed to get out of their group, again qualifying in third place after hard games against Germany (beaten 4-2) and France (2-2), Hungary being the only team they beat in the group, 3-0. They were however quickly and unceremoniously dumped out of the competition by Belgium, who beat them 1-0, which brings us to here.

Still fancied as a team to fear (any team with Ronaldo in it has to be a team to fear) Portugal have yet to display the tenacity and grit that allowed them to become European champions even after a poor group performance, and this year they were in a relatively easy group, with Czechia, Turkey and debutantes Georgia, yet they made hard work of it. Their first match was against Czechia, and they should really have been expected to have gone past the Czechs in second gear, but it proved more difficult than they had hoped. Czechia scored first, the only response Portugal had to that being due to an own goal by Czechia, who then laboured to keep the Czechs at bay until the dying moments when they scored the goal that gave them the game.

Portugal 2 - Czechia 1
Points: 3
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 2

Perhaps having a scare over the last game, or perhaps because, historically, every time they've come up against them they've beaten them, Portugal added another defeat for Turkey who went down 3-0, one of these being an own goal, which leads me to make the comment that Turkey helped stuff themselves. Sorry.

Portugal 3 - Turkey 0
Points: 3
Points total: 6
Position in Group: 2

Their last match would be controversial and a thriller at the same time, and not for the reasons you might expect. Lowly Georgia, seen as cannon fodder and just an annoying obstacle to be brushed out of the way as the, um, mighty Portugal marched on, proved more stubborn than anyone could have thought. Immovable, in fact, as they scored first (in the first two minutes) and with Portugal unable to find an answer, and increasingly frustrated, feeling as if they were, no doubt, in an episode of The Twilight Zone, watched Georgia score a penalty, gaining themselves three unlikely points that even less likely put them through on their debut performance. Portugal were left to rue many missed chances, but had qualified anyway, so it was really only a temper tantrum by Ronaldo.

Portugal 0 - Georgia 2
Points: 0
Points total: 6
Position in Group: 1

So at the end of what could not be called in any way a commanding group stage performance, Portugal, as expected, go through and will meet Slovenia, whom they must be expected to beat, setting them up for a meeting with one of two old adversaries, Belgium or France.

Recap
Beat Czechia 2-1, beat Turkey 3-0, lost to Georgia 2-0
Points total: 6
Goals for: 5
Goals against: 3
Position in Group: 1
Won 2, lost 1
Result: Go through to next stage
Next opponent: Slovenia

[Trollheart]

Okay, okay! Where are me words and I'll eat them? This is for you, JJ.


Oops! Sorry. Forgot to edit.


DAMMIT!
 
Okay, all joking aside now...


(Yiz left it fuckin' late enough... wonder goal though by Bellingham)

[Trollheart]

Romania: Another of those teams who haven't qualified very often for the Euros, Romania, like the mighty Portugal, first managed it in 1984, but their performance was more that befitting a team coming into it for the first time. Famous, if for anything, for its region known as Transylvania, which provided the backdrop for some novel about vampires you probably haven't heard of, Romania's performance throughout the years in the Euros has been as dark and bleak as the eponymous count's castle, and with almost as little cheer. 1984 saw them finish bottom of admittedly a tough group, as they fell 2-0 to West Germany and 1-0 to Portugal, though to their credit they did hold Spain to a 1-1 draw. Spain, West Germany and Portugal! Talk about a Group of Death on your first try! It would be 12 more years before they'd come back, and not much would have changed for them.

Again caught in a deadly group, with Spain and France, their only hope of getting any points would seem to have been against their Balkans neighbour, Bulgaria, qualifying for the first time (they have only managed it once more since) but they couldn't even beat them, losing 1-0 and then 2-1 to Spain while France took them for 1-0 and they were on their way back to the dark woods again. 2000 would be their year, or at least the only year up to then in which they would qualify from the group, second in fact. In fairness, it wasn't an easy group, with Portugal, England and Germany to face, but for once they turned it on, holding Germany to a 1-1 draw, almost doing the same to Portugal until a last-minute goal took the match from them, leaving them to take it out on England, whom they also held to a 2-2 draw until they managed their own last-gasp goal, awarded a penalty in literally the last minute, and took the match to progress to the next stage for the first time ever. As so often happens though, in the knockout stages shit gets real, and Italy defeated them 2-0 to send them home.

Having failed to qualify for the 2004 tournament, they would at least not end bottom of their group in 2008, coming third as they drew 0-0 with France, 1-1 with Italy and were beaten 2-0 by the Netherlands. Old glories fading, such as they were, they missed the next one and were back in 2016 to prop up the table as they made a quick exit after defeats to France (2-1), um, Albania (1-0) and a 1-1 draw with Switzerland. They failed to qualify for 2020 and that leads us to here.

Rather surprisingly, they've ended at the top of their group, and progress on to the next stage. Could this be their year? Let's see how they got there. Their first match was against Ukraine, who they demolished 3-0, surprising everyone, not because Ukraine are rated so highly, but because the other match in the group between Belgium and Slovakia ended in a stunning and unexpected defeat for the Belgians, allowing Romania, for the first time ever in their history, to top their group, a position they held to the end.

Romania 3 - Ukraine 0
Points: 3
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 1

Their next match went more or less as expected this time, with Belgium out to show they were not a spent force or a bust flush or whatever term you want to use - I favour shite, but use your own - and smashed Romania 2-0, though superior goal difference still kept the group leaders where they were.

Romania 0 - Belgium 2
Points: 0
Points total: 3
Position in Group: 1

Their last match then was against Slovakia, who scored first and led for a while before Romania got a penalty and levelled the match, ending in a draw which allowed both teams to go through.

Romania 1 - Slovakia 1
Points: 1
Points total: 4
Position in Group: 1

So in a quirk of footballing fate (which did not affect Romania, who were through as leaders of the group), three of the four teams went through as they all had 4 points. Romania now advance to meet the Netherlands, who you'd have to fancy in that game. Even at that, if they go out Romania will still have made this their joint best result in Euro history, and who knows what might happen?

Recap
Beat Ukraine 3-0, beaten by Belgium 2-0, drew 1-1 with Slovakia
Points total: 4
Goals for: 4
Goals against: 3
Position in Group: 1
Won 1, lost 1, drew 1
Result: Go through to next stage
Next opponent: The Netherlands

[Trollheart]

Today's Matches and Results

England 2 - Slovakia 1 (aet)

Today was, for all English fans, the big one. Could their boys turn it on and make it through to the next round? Nobody gave Slovakia much of a chance, but then, England had hardly played out of their skins to get where they were. And so it proved that Slovakia scored first, shocking England, but not into action, and right up to the end it looked like they were going home as Slovakia pulled off an unlikely and legendary victory. However, in the 95th minute England, mostly bereft of ideas as usual, came up with the goods, their golden boy scoring. Jude Bellingham's overhead kick (though I must admit stuck in my craw) was a thing of beauty and drew the match, forcing extra time. Harry Kane then rose to almost twice his height it seemed to nod in what turned out to be the winning header. Slovakia never let up the pressure, to be fair, but once England equalised they looked dejected, and when Kane's goal went in, though their heads didn't drop, you couldn't see them scoring again. So England took the game, in what has to be described as a slice of fortune, and march on.

Spain 4 - Georgia 1

The gallant Georgia's heroics came to an end, as expected, as a juggernaut called Spain rolled all over them, though the debutantes shocked the European giants by scoring first, even if it was a forced own goal. After that, though they tried gamely, Spain were in command and in fairness the scoreline didn't flatter them, but Georgia deserve a lot of credit. We look forward to seeing them grace the competition again. For now though, Spain, as expected, storm into the next round and must still be seen as the odds-on favourites.

Tomorrow's matches

France v Belgium: Expected outcome? Depends on whether Belgium get up off their collective arses and play as we know they can. Also depends on which French team turns up. Who nose? Oh, I've used that one before haven't I? Let's see: will Belgium get a sniff? Will France be conk-ering heroes? Will I please stop now? Fair enough. I'd imagine France should take this one, but we'll see.

Portugal v Slovenia: Expected outcome? On paper Portugal should walk this, but they haven't played as we know they can, and football loves surprising us but I would be amazed if Ronaldo and the boys don't come out winners here.

[Trollheart]

Scotland: As an ardent Irish supporter and non-supporter of England, it's good to know I have Scotland to fall back on to support when, inevitably, our boys don't make it. So it's sad to see them consistently fall at the first fence. Not really sure why it happens, as they have the players, but the big occasions just seem to take all the fight out of them. And as I look now, my heart sinks as I see they have only qualified a total of four times for the Euros, this one not included. Sigh. Let's get on with it then. 1992 was their first successful attempt, and they never got beyond the group stage, falling to The Netherlands 1-0, Germany 2-0 but at least beating the CIS (former parts of the Soviet Union) 3-0, which must have given them something to cheer on the plane home. They qualified the next year too, but it would be a long time before they would do so again.

1996 was a little kinder to them, as they drew with the Netherlands 0-0, were beaten by hosts England 2-0 and managed to take Switzerland 1-0, but they still failed to get out of their group, and it would be another 24 years before they would manage it again. In 2020 they again faced "the auld enemy", the Sassenachs of England, with whom this time they managed to force a nil-all draw, though the Czechs beat them 1-0 and their Euro adventure was ended by Croatia with a 3-1 drubbing. Ah, at least they hadn't far to travel home this time I guess.

This year was probably their worst ever performance. They failed to get out of their group, as they have every time they qualify, but to call their first game a humiliating defeat is to be very kind indeed. How it must have stung. Coming up against an in-form Germany, they were absolutely thrashed 5-1, their only goal coming from a German own goal. It's no exaggeration to say that the Scottish camp must have felt like a funeral home after that debacle, and back home they would have been wearing black armbands and covering the windows with black drapes possibly, and maybe burning German flags too.

Scotland 1 - Germany 5
Points: 0
Points total: 0
Position in Group: 4

To their credit, they came out and gave it the old Edinburgh try, or something, for their next match against the Swiss, and leaving with a goal apiece is certainly less humbling than being beaten off the park with a big German stick. Plus it earned them a point, but then at the bottom of the table, that's not too much use to you. More importantly, it showed they were ready to fight and try to put the German demolition behind them, and I imagine the folks back home, and the fans, rallied and tried to will them on, even if it was a lost cause already.

Scotland 1 - Switzerland 1
Points: 1
Points total: 1
Position in Group: 4

Or was it? Hungary weren't doing so well either, so at this point it all rested on the final match. Who would go third and possibly have a chance of progressing? An absolutely ludicrous call by the ref denied Scotland their lifeline, a penalty they should most certainly have had, and Hungary scored in the last minute of eight additional, to destroy any chance the Scots had of even having a hope of getting out of the group.

Scotland 0 - Hungary 1
Points: 0
Points total: 1
Position in Group: 4

So once again Scotland were frustrated, though it has to be said the bedrock of their exit was laid with their first game. It's very hard to come back from such a massive defeat, and had they done better against Switzerland, and got that penalty, and the last game not gone on so bloody long, who knows? But the reality is that Scotland head home again, another chance to get out of the group gone. As someone here noted archy: whisht Jimmy ! We wuz robbed! And they were. But kind of also hoisted on their own petard. Or is it Picard? Yeah.

Recap
Beaten by Germany 5-1, drew with Switzerland 1-1, beaten by Hungary 1-0
Points total: 1
Goals for: 2
Goals against: 7
Position in Group: 4
Lost 2, drew 1
Result: eliminated from the tournament

[Trollheart]

Serbia: Another tricky one. They entered the Euros originally as part of Yugoslavia, but I've already decided - correctly, I believe - only to deal with countries which were previously part of other countries as of from the point they became independent, so I'm ignoring their participation as Yugoslavia. The first we see of them as Serbia then is 2000, but before that I do find this interesting. As Yugoslavia (I know, but listen) they qualified in 1992 but were suspended, obviously due to the atrocities going on in the Yugoslav War, and the next time the competition was held, 1996, they remained suspended, although at that point they were known as FR (former) Yugoslavia, and actually comprised Serbia and Montenegro.

In any case, it turns out that 2000 was the only year, apart from this one, that they qualified, and they did all right. Competing still as FR Yugoslavia (Serbia was not recognised as a separate entity until 2006) they played a thrilling 3-3 draw with Slovenia, also part of former Yugoslavia (though not FR Yugoslavia, don't ask me why) and also competing for the first time before this year, beat Norway 1-0 and held Spain to  3-3 for almost the entire match, Spain only winning by virtue of a last-minute penalty. Not bad at all guys! On they went, then, to face the Netherlands, where they learned the true meaning of a defeat as the Dutch crushed them 6-1. That was their last entry as FR Yugoslavia, and this year the first time they qualified as Serbia.

By some quirk of fate again paired with Slovenia in the same group, they did less well this time. Their first match saw them take on England, and though Kane and the boys far from bossed the game, they did enough to run out 1-0 winners.

Serbia 0 - England 1
Points: 0
Points total: 0
Position in Group: 4

Their next match saw a replay of the 2000 group stages as they came face-to-face with Slovenia again. Slovenia probably didn't even recognise them: weren't you FR Yugoslavia last time? And didn't we used to be int he same country? What happened, bro? Here you are, calling yourself Serbia and hating our ex-cousins the Croats? What's it all for? Oh and by the way, while I've been distracting you we've just scored! In your FACE! And in fact Slovenia looked to be about to take the match till Serbia pulled a last-minute goal out of the hat and forced a draw, surely leading Slovenia to slink away muttering, you've changed man. Not cool. Not cool at all.

Serbia 1 - Slovenia 1
Points: 1
Points total: 1
Position in Group: 4

And so to their last game, which saw them face a not at all in-form Denmark, the resultant nil-all draw sending them home, though perhaps they may have taken some small comfort from the fact that Slovenia's draw with England also had them on the plane. Doubt they spoke much to each other though. Old hatreds die hard.

Serbia 0 - Denmark 0
Points: 1
Points total: 1
Position in Group: 4

Probably the least impressive record of appearances at the Euros then, Serbia, on their first outing under their new name, failed to progress but have impressed with their football. They certainly weren't just there to make up the numbers, and if they qualify next time we'd hope to see them go further. For now though, it's back to the Balkans for them.

Recap
Lost 1-0 to England, drew 1-1 with Slovenia, drew 0-0 with Denmark
Points total: 1
Goals for: 1
Goals against: 2
Position in Group: 4
Lost 1, drew 2
Result: Eliminated from the tournament