EURO 2020 is in full swing!And it’s been another frantic day, with Portugal leaving it late to beat Hungary before France saw off Germany.
England got their campaign off to a winning start thanks to Raheem Sterling’s strike against Croatia.
While Portugal’s Joao Cancelo is out of the tournament after testing positive for Covid-19.
Royal Ascot special 🏇🎩
Follow all of the latest news, build up and updates below…
MATS POINT
France beat Germany 1-0 at the Allianz Arena in the biggest game of Euro 2020’s opening round of fixtures.
The Tricolores opened the scoring just after 20 minutes when Paul Pogba delivered a wonderful ball to Theo Hernandez down the left flank and he hammered a low cross into the penalty area.
Mats Hummels got his body position all wrong and turned the ball past Manuel Neuer into his own net.
The reigning world champions thought they had doubled their lead on two occasions in the second half.
First, it was Kylian Mbappe who beat Neuer with an incredible curling shot from the edge of the box but was caught offside.
Then Pogba slid the ball down the right flank for Mbappe, who then switched with Karim Benzema.
Benzema hit the back of the net but that goal was also ruled out as the Paris Saint-Germain superstar was offside before producing the assist
NOT KEANE
Former Celtic midfielder Roy Keane has questioned Scotland’s quality ahead of their Euros clash with England on Friday.
The ITV pundit analysed where it all went wrong for Steve Clarke’s side on Monday afternoon as Patrik Schick’s double downed the Scots on home turf at Hampden.
The R.O.I. legend casted his doubts over some of the defending on show.
And the Manchester United hero reckons England will be rubbing their hands ahead of their Group D clash at Wembley – insisting they should ‘smash them’.
He said: “He is bound to make one or two changes. We mentioned the other night, Scotland have got some very good players, with quality, but in the wrong areas of the pitch. You need them up the top end. You need them in terms of goalscorers.
“If you are England you will be rubbing your hands together with Scotland coming to town.
“You will be thinking let’s smash them. It will be a great occasion, a great game”
MAGUIRE UPDATE
Manchester United star Harry Maguire has stepped up his training for England but is still likely to miss Friday’s clash with Scotland.
Maguire is recovering from an ankle ligament injury, but was put through his paces by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.
The centre-back’s ongoing injury prevented him from playing in the Europa League Final against Villarreal.
The 28-year-old also had to sit out of England’s Euro 2020 opener against Croatia
SANCHO UPDATE
Manchester United could seal the transfer of England international Jadon Sancho by the end of the week.
That is according to The Times, as Borussia ‘Dortmund believe that a deal could be finalised next week’.
And Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that ‘United’s camp have been in contact with Sancho over the weekend’.
Negotiations with Dortmund on a potential €95m (£81m) price, bonus details and payment structure will continue in the next few days.
But United’s initial £60m won’t be enough to complete the transfer for the winger, who has joined the Three Lions at Euro 2020
RONALDO HISTORY
Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo has made history in Euro 2020.
Ronaldo scored a brace against Hungary at the Puskas Arena and sealed a 3-0 victory for Portugal.
The star forward’s first goal of the night made him the competition’s all-time leading scorer.
The 36-year-old ace broke Michel Platini’s record and became the first ever player to net 10 goals in the Euros.
After his second goal, the Portuguese superstar took his grand tally to 11
10 – Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first player in European Championship Finals history to score 10 goals in the competition, overtaking Michel Platini’s record of nine, all of which he scored in the 1984 edition. History. #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/j89tNODaTv— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 15, 2021
GERMANY VS FRANCE BENCH
Germany: Leno, Trapp, Halstenberg, Sule, Klostermann, Koch, Gunter, Neuhaus, Can, Volland, Werner, Sane.
France: Mandanda, Maignan, Lenglet, Zouma, Digne, Kounde, Tolisso, Lemar, Giroud, Dembele, Coman, Ben Yedder.
TEAM SHEETS ARE IN!!!
We are now set for the biggest Euro 2020 game of the first round of the group stage fixtures.
Germany are going to clash with reigning world champions and fellow group of death occupants France at the Allianz Arena.
Germany XI: Neuer, Rudiger, Ginter, Hummels, Kimmich, Kroos, Gosens, Gundogan, Havertz, Gnabry, Muller
France: Lloris, Pavard, Kimpembe, Varane, Hernandez, Pogba, Griezmann, Kante, Rabiot, Mbappe, Benzema
RON A ROLL
Portugal defeated Hungary 3-0 at the Puskas Arena in their Euro 2020 opener.
The reigning European title-holders struggled with a strong opposition who had a goal disallowed as Szabolcs Schon was caught offside.
But Fernando Santos’ side broke the deadlock in the last 10 minutes of the match when Raphael Guerreiro beat Peter Gulacsi on 84 minutes.
Rafa Silva was then brought down by Willi Orban inside the box and Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot just three minutes later.
Ronaldo sealed the victory with a fine effort in the second minute of stoppage time
GETTY IMAGES
DALE OF THE TAPE
Sheffield United ace Aaron Ramsdale has replaced Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson in England’s squad.
Henderson was ruled out by Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate due to a hip injury.
Ramsdale was part of the England Under-19 squad that won the 2017 European Championship and has 15 caps under his belt for the Under-21 side.
The 23-year-old shot-stopper has yet to earn a senior cap and is unlikely to make his debut in Euro 2020 as he will be the third choice behind Everton ace Jordan Pickford and West Brom’s Sam Johnstone
HJULMAND SLAMS UEFA
Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand criticised UEFA and its protocols after Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest.
UEFA rules allow a game to be postponed for 48 hours due to coronavirus but the same didn’t apply when Eriksen collapsed on the pitch against Finland.
Hjulmand said: “Coronavirus allows you to postpone a match for 48 hours. A cardiac arrest obviously does not. That, I think, is wrong.
“There is learning here. It was not the right decision to continue playing. The boys showed so much strength by going out and playing on.
“But I do not think it was the right thing to give us and the players the choice to go out and finish play on Saturday or Sunday.
“I felt that the players – and us close to them – were put under that pressure and were given that dilemma. It was a hugely difficult situation to be in.
“The only real leadership would have been to put the players on a bus and send them home and then deal with it after.
“You don’t necessarily find good leadership in the protocols. Good leadership can sometimes be to lead with compassion”
FOR PETE’S SAKE
Manchester United hero Peter Schmeichel revealed that UEFA threatened Denmark with a 3-0 defeat if they failed to complete their match against Finland after Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest.
Schmeichel spoke to GMB: “They said the players insisted on playing. I know that not to be the truth. Or that’s how you see the truth.
“They were left with three options. One was to play immediately and get the last 50 minutes played. The next one was to come in yesterday at 12 noon and finish the 50 minutes.
“And the third option was to forfeit the game and lose 3-0. So, you know, work it out for yourself. Is it the players’ wish to play? Did they have any choice really? I don’t think they had.
“And as you can hear from [Sunday’s] press conference, the coach seriously regrets putting the players back on the pitch”
“FEARED THE WORST”
Finland captain Tim Sparv feared that Denmark star Christian Eriksen was “going to die”.
Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest during the Danish national team’s Euro 2020 opener against Sparv’s nation.
The former Southampton player told CNN: “That picture that I still have in my head, that’s so disturbing. You really feared the worst.
“You thought that he was going to die. It was very, very emotional and we’re just so happy and glad that he’s doing fine”
JOAO CANCEL
Manchester City star Joao Cancelo has been ruled out of Euro 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19.
Cancelo has been replaced by Manchester United loanee Diogo Dalot in the Portugal national team.
The full-back tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday and is “doing well” after being placed in isolation.
The reigning European champions said: “In accordance with the COVID-19 protocol defined by UEFA before the Euro 2020 matches, all players and members of the entourage underwent RT-PCR tests on Saturday.
“The results, with the exception of Cancelo, were negative”
GETTY IMAGES
HUNGARY VS PORTUGAL SUBS
Hungary: Lang, Kecskes, Nego, Cseri, Dibusz, Edmundsson, Siger, Varga, Bogdan, Nikolic, Schon, Bolla
Portugal: Fonte, Moutinho, A Silva, Lopes, R Silva, Sanches, Neves, Goncalves, Rui Silva, Felix, Oliveira, Mendes
TEAM SHEETS ARE IN!!!
Hungary: Gulacsi, Botka, Orban, At. Szalai, Viera, Kleinheisler, Nagy, Schafer, Fiola, Ad. Szalai, Sallai
Ronaldo: Patricio, Semedo, Dias, Pepe, Guerreiro, Pereira, Carvalho, Fernandes, Silva, Ronaldo, Jota
HEND-ING THERE
Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has been ruled out for the rest of Euro 2020 due to a hip injury but Jose Mourinho still believes he will become a “phenomenal” player.
Mourinho told The Times: “I think they [England’s trio] are good goalkeepers. I don’t think they are phenomenal goalkeepers or, in Dean Henderson’s case, not yet phenomenal. When I say not yet, I say he will be.
“I met him at United when he was a kid and I always remember him asking me to go on loan. He was saying when I come back, I come back to be the No1.
“He told me that when he was the fourth choice. He is a kid with an incredible self-confidence and I think he is ready”
WHAT’S ON
Today marks perhaps the most exciting day of the Euro 2020 group stage with the group of death in full action.
Underdogs Hungary, who had the misfortune of joining three of the tournament’s biggest favourites, will take on Portugal in one-and-a-half hours at the Puskas Arena.
And later tonight we will get to watch the most highly-anticipated game of the first round of fixtures.
Germany and France are going to collide in what promises to be a highly entertaining encounter
‘FREEDOM’
Paul Pogba says he has more ‘freedom’ with France than he does at Man Utd.
Speaking to L’Equipe, he said: “It’s true that at Juve it was different from Manchester United.
“We were already playing with three midfielders [at Juve], in 5-3-2. I had the freedom, I had to be in the box, to attack.
“It was an obligation. In Manchester, I have the freedom to go into the box, but the priority is to play and defend.
“We [France] play in 4-2-3-1, also a diamond. I am a little more in the transmission, in the construction.
“But I have more freedom than in Manchester to enter the box, to make runs forwards.
“At the same time, when you have Griezmann, Kylian, you don’t want to enter their spaces, you don’t need to.“I would like [at Manchester United] to play more offensive [laughs]. To score fifteen goals per season is what I would like.
“But Patrick [Vieira] said it, we must put ourselves at the service of the collective.
“In Manchester, as in blue, the collective will always come before the player.”
‘WE WERE CONFIDENT’
Scotland captain Andy Robertson said both the country and the team were confident heading into their group stage opener against the Czech Republic.
But the host nation fell to a 2-0 defeat with Schick getting on the scoresheet twice.
Robertson said: “It’s hard to put your finger on it just now. Everyone in the country wanted to get off to a good start.
“We were confident, excited, and it comes down to not taking our chances.
“You can’t say we’ve not created, we’ve had some really, really good chances that we should have done better with. If you do better on that, then it’s a different game.
“It’s a tough lesson for us that at the highest level, at the best tournaments, you have to take your chances. Czech Republic did that, we didn’t.”
RON TOP
The legendary Cristiano Ronaldo is taking part in his 5th European Championships!
The football Icon has scored 104 goals for his country in 175 appearances.
And he helped Portugal win the competition back in 2016, but got injured early on in the final.
Eder stepped up to the plate and beat Lloris from distance!
🗓️ DAY 5… and it’s BIG 🤩Ronaldo set for record 5th EURO appearance vs Hungary before France & Germany lock horns! 🔥Reply with your excitement levels… 👇#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/VPGJEyQ37F— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 15, 2021
GERMANY TEAM GUIDE
Germany face France later on today in their Euro 2020 group stage opener!
FAMILY FIRST
Rio Ferdinand believes Christian Eriksen is unlikely to play football again after his cardiac arrest.
The 29-year-old was resuscitated on the field during Denmark’s Euro 2020 defeat to Finland on Saturday.
Medics confirmed that he ‘was gone’ before being given CPR and shocked with a defibrillator.
Eriksen is now recovering in hospital and provided a positive update reassuring fans that he ‘is fine under the circumstances.’
His collapse left the footballing world in shock including BBC pundit Rio Ferdinand who spoke of his emotions seeing Eriksen fighting for his life.
Speaking on his Vibe With Five Youtube show, he said: “I don’t think he plays again, I’ve got to be honest.
“If I’m him I’m not thinking about that probably, I’d just want to be healthy for the sake of my family really.”
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RICE: WEST HAM FORM GAVE ME FULL CONFIDENCE
West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has said that his fine form has given him full confidence for Euro 2020.
He said: “I did see the comments before the game (Croatia) and of course you don’t want to talk too much.
“You want to just go out on the field and show what you can do. I thought our gameplan was excellent.
“We – me, Mase [Mount] and Kalv [Phillips] – have been working on our distances and Mase and Kalv pressing and me sitting just behind them and allowing them to express themselves and having the freedom to do what they want and I think it worked really well on Sunday.”
Rice has taken confidence from his strong performance on Sunday in the win against Croatia.
He continued: “We knew we had to be at the top level and if I’d have had asked myself two years ago to go out there and perform at a high standard, of course I’d have gone out there and done it but maybe I’d have had some doubts.
“But on Sunday, in my mind, after the season I’ve had with West Ham and the performances I’ve had with England recently I had full confidence before the game that I could go out there and perform to a high standard and I think everyone did that.”
GREALISH NOT TRAINING
Jack Grealish is not part of training with the rest of the England team today.
According to Sky Sports, Grealish is in the gym doing some work on his own – but it is unknown whether it is injury related.
Dean Henderson dropped out of the squad not long ago, hopefully Southgate isn’t handed another injury worry.
BREAKING: HEND OF THE ROAD
Dean Henderson has been forced to WITHDRAW from England’s Euro 2020 squad with a hip injury.
Sheffield United stopper Aaron Ramsdale has been called-up as his replacement.
Henderson, 24, has returned to Manchester United after picking up a hip injury in training, with his Euros campaign over.
The Old Trafford stopper had been on the bench for the 1-0 win over Croatia.
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