France, the Netherlands and England will all need a point in the final round to secure their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024, without taking into account the third place calculations, but the big three are aiming for more than that. In Group D, after settling for a point from their match with the Netherlands, France, the 2022 World Cup runner-up, hopes to displace the “Orange” from the top, which the latter tops on goal difference after the match between them ended in a draw.
France will conclude their group stage campaign at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, where they will face Poland, who are in last place and have lost all hope of qualifying even among the four best third-placed teams, as a result of losing their first two matches, the last of which was against Austria 1-3, which made the latter guaranteed third place even if they lost to the Netherlands.
France have collected four points from the first two rounds, but have so far only scored one goal, a friendly against Austria. Mbappe is likely to participate today against Poland in a replay of the 2022 World Cup round of 16, when he scored a brace in a 3-1 win. Mbappe will need to wear a protective mask, as he did in Sunday’s training, and his teammates seem optimistic about his return to the team, including Aurelien Tchouameni, who is also returning from injury.
Rudiger’s injury is a major blow to Germany
Germany’s centre-back Antonio Rüdiger is in doubt for the Euro 2024 last 16 clash with Switzerland after suffering a muscle strain in the back of his right thigh, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Monday. The Real Madrid centre-back played the full 90 minutes of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland in Germany’s final Group A match, which saw them finish top of Group A and book a place in the last 16 in Dortmund on Saturday. Rüdiger’s injury is a major blow for Germany if he fails to recover in time, with the hosts also missing Jonathan Tah who is suspended after picking up two yellow cards.
England to prove themselves against Slovenia
England, runners-up last year, will also need a draw against Slovenia to secure qualification from Group C, where all four teams have a chance of reaching the last 16. After a hard-fought 1-0 win over Serbia, England were held to a lacklustre 1-1 draw by Denmark, leaving manager Gareth Southgate the target of widespread criticism and boos from fans after the second-round match. Record goalscorer Harry Kane was quick to defend Southgate, saying: “I can’t speak highly enough of Gareth and what he has done for this team and this nation. Where we were and where we are now as a national team, it’s a completely different story.” Asked if Southgate was the right fit for England, the Bayern Munich forward said: “Yes, he’s still the right manager. He will do what’s best for the fans and make the decision what’s best for the team. All I will say is we support him…” Kane believes it is better to face adversity early in the tournament and make adjustments than to make mistakes during the knockout stages. “We believe we can win it,” he said. “You can win the first two games, 3-0, 3-0, then get carried away, everyone says you are favourites, then you face some adversity in the first knockout game and you are out.” Elsewhere in the group, Denmark will be looking to secure qualification by beating bottom-placed Serbia on one point.
Denmark is in second place, tied with Slovenia, and is seeking to break the tie and achieve the victory that will allow it to advance to the next round.
Netherlands in a tough mission against Austria
The Netherlands will face a difficult task against an Austrian team aspiring to reach the final 16 for the second time in a row, in only its fourth participation in the continental finals. The date will be renewed between the two teams that faced each other in the group stage during the last edition in the summer of 2021, when the “Orange” emerged victorious with two clean goals scored by Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries, on their way to finishing the group in the lead before their journey ended later in the eighth final at the hands of the Czech Republic (0-2). . A draw may be enough for Austria to qualify among the top four teams in third place, which will make the match difficult offensively for the Dutch, according to what center back Virgil van Dijk expected, saying after the draw with France, “We all know that the match against Austria will be different for many reasons.” The rush will be great… We have to study how to hurt them. We will focus on that.” As for goalkeeper Bart Verbruchen, he said, “We certainly want to finish the group at the top, and if we win (against Austria), we will have a great opportunity to achieve that.”
Hungarian Varga out of danger zone
Hungary striker Barnabas Varga is out of danger after suffering “multiple fractures” to his face that could require surgery, the country’s football federation said, following a violent collision during the 1-0 win over Scotland in the third and final round of Group A matches at Euro 2016. The Ferencvaros striker was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after falling violently following a free kick in the 68th minute.
The 29-year-old landed hard on the back of his neck after colliding with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn’s elbow, and his teammates intervened to help him, forming a circle around him and spreading a brown sheet as he appeared unable to move. After a while, the medical team intervened to help him and evacuate him from the pitch, amid applause from the fans and players who were affected by what happened. “It was a confusing situation. What the players told me was that at that time Barney did not seem to be conscious. So everyone was very concerned about his condition and about the fact that the doctors arrived a little late, we can say that,” said Hungary’s Italian coach Marco Rossi. “Fortunately, we can now say that Barney is no longer in danger. He will probably undergo surgery in the next few hours because he has a fracture to his cheek and an eye socket.