Well the tournament started nicely in Rome last night with an emphatic win by the Italians over a lethargic Turkey. I was surprised by how lacklustre the Turks were, they looked exhausted after 15 minutes. Italy were brilliant though in their pressing and attacking play. I expected much more from Turkey and they will need a huge reaction in their next match if they are going to progress from group A.
Wales V Switzerland Kick off 14oo - Baku Olympic Stadium - Live on BBC one - BBC Iplayer and S4C.
It's hard to say what type of tournament these teams will have but with Italy beating Turkey convincingly finishing second suddenly seems more realistic. Prior to yesterdays result I'd thought the best either Wales or Switzerland could hope for was finishing as one of the top highest third placed finishers. It's not that either of these teams are bad just that Turkey and Italy looked stronger, If Turkey don't play with more energy in their remaining games though they could well finish bottom of the table. It's not that Turkey lost that will buoy these two sides but that that they lost so heavily and looked so poor. Goal difference could play it's part in qualifying from this group. Even with that in mind though if either of these teams want to progress then they really need to win this one. Switzerland are unbeaten in their last 7 matches and had two creditable draws against Germany last year. Even when beaten it is usually by a tight margin, a 1 - 0 defeat to Spain last year being an example. The Swiss will rely on Xherdan Shaqiri's creativity. They have three French based players in their squad. Montpellier Goalkeeper Omlin is unlikely to start but Nice right back and Bordeaux left back Loris Benito could feature.
Wales are without their Manager Ryan Giggs as he faces allegations of assault against his ex-girlfriend. Gigg's former assistant Rob Page stepped in as Caretaker Manager in November 2020 after Gigg's arrest. Page seems to have the respect of the Wales squad though and his side, like Switzerland, are rarely beaten heavily. It's hard to see Wales having the same impact as they did in 2016 but with players like Bale, James and Ramsey they do carry a threat. If Bale is fit and in the mood then he should be the best player on the pitch. The Swiss have the more balanced squad, the Welsh the work ethic and team spirit. A narrow victory for either side here would be a huge result. It could be very close and go either way.
Frenchfooty prediction: Wales 1 V Switzerland 0
Denmark V Finland - Kick off 1800 from Parken Stadium, Copenhagen. Group B. Live on BBC One and BBC Iplayer
Denmark have the home advantage here and should be favourites against a Finland side who haven't won in their last 6 games. The Danes have the more established players with the likes of Schmeichel, Eriksen (pictured), Højbjerg and Poulsen. The Danes must Rue the fact they don't have a prolific striker. Poulsen is often preferred as a Winger and ex-Toulouse striker Martin Braithwaite has never been a prolific goal scorer. He was signed by Barcelona by necessity after injuries to other players.Meanwhile Nice striker Kasper Dolberg only weighed in with 6 goals for his club this season. Despite that the Danes do score goals, 27 in their last 9 games. The Finns themselves have a natural goalscorer in Teemu Pukki who has 30 goals for his Country. Will he get enough service though to add that during this tournament?
Frenchfooty prediction: Denmark 1 V Finland 0
Belgium V Russia - Kick off 2000 from Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg. Group B. Live on ITV and ITV Hub.
On paper Belgium should arguably be the tournament favourites. Courtois, De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku are good enough to play for any side. De Bruyne though is still recovering from the eye injury that saw him leave the Champions League final early and Eden Hazard has struggled with injuries at Madrid all season. Both are doubts for this game. Whilst still a fantastic side they have come up short in tournaments losing at the quarter final stages in 2016 and the semis of the World Cup in 2018 against a France side who didn't really have to get out of second gear. It will be interesting to see what kind of tournament they have here. They will be hoping to top their group and start with a win today against a Russian side struggling for form. The Russians have won just 3 of their last 9 games. Attacking midfielder Aleksandr Golovin enjoyed a good domestic season qualifying for the Champions League with Monaco. Russia always play a nice brand of football but Belgium should win here.
Frenchfooty prediction: Belgium 2 V Russia 0
I hear that the Wales v Switzerland match was dire and the Denmark match was disrupted by the Eriksen incident but Belguim were true to form. What are the prospects for the English & French teams?