Euro 2024

RONALD KOEMAN’S Netherlands finished second to France in qualifying, losing to Didier Deschamps’ men 4-0 and 2-1 during their campaign.They will have to improve before meeting the French again in Leipzig on June 21.The Netherlands lack the firepower of some powerhousesCredit: GettyBut they got off to a good start in their group with a 2-1 win over Poland thanks to Wout Weghorst’s late goal. The former Barcelona boss, who won this tournament as a player in 1988, has overhauled the playing style since returning for his second stint in charge of the national team.RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons is definitely one to watch out for after a fine season in the Bundesliga, while Virgil van Dijk finding his form once again is a huge boost.Their record against bigger nations, losing to Germany and Italy in the last year on top of those defeats to France, is a concern.read more on the eurosManager: Ronald KoemanKoeman was the scourge of England and Graham Taylor in 1994 when he escaped a red card in a qualifier, then went on to score.Now Holland boss, he led them to second in their qualifying group behind France. Koeman inherited a talented squad from Louis van Gaal after their impressive run to the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals and will be aiming to go further in Germany this summer.Ronald Koeman was appointed boss of the Netherlands last yearCredit: RexKey man: Virgil van DijkFrenkie de Jong may well have been the man the Dutch were pinning their hopes on until he lost his race to be fit for the tournament.Most read in Euro 2024With the Barcelona man gone, it will be more important than ever to stay tight at the back and Liverpool stalwart Van Dijk will be key to that.Van Dijk is the key man in the Dutch teamLikely line-upKoeman is likely to go with three at the back, with his talisman Van Dijk in the heart of the defence.Stefan de Vrij will probably get in ahead of Micky Van de Ven and Matthijs de Ligt based on experience.De Jong pulls the strings in midfield and is vital to their play but could be replaced by PSV’s Joey Veerman after losing his batte to be fit.Up front, Wout Weghorst often keeps big hitter Memphis Depay out the team and can provide to focal point of attack and gives the Netherlands the option to play the odd long ball.The Netherlands are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formationHow they attackOf all of the teams in this summer’s upcoming tournament the Netherlands are the most difficult to judge in terms of their chances of winning it all. While they have real quality in their squad they still have questions surrounding their depth in key positions and the way in which they are set up by coach Ronald Koeman.Expect to see the Netherlands look to begin their attack from the goalkeeper with a patient and possession-based build-up.By carefully staggering their positioning, they are then able to play through the lines.Scotland try to press high but the Dutch play through with comfortable one-touch passingThe Dutch will typically build in the first third of the pitch through patterns of play and one or two touch passes to break through the lines.Then when they move into the middle and final thirds, their structure can start to fall apart.In these cases, they start to rely on individual qualities of their players.Daley Blind is a master at keeping hold of the ballThe Dutch push foward in numbers as they squeeze the opposition and skillful players drag defenders out of positionAs they attack into the final third in particular we start to see more dynamic movement.They squeeze the opposition into the final third but there are gaps in the structure for the Dutch as players freely moving into one each other’s zonesThe likes of Memphis Depay, if he plays, Cody Gakpo and Simons in particular will be key for the Dutch in effectively breaking down opposition defences.Gakpo makes a late run into the area to finish off the move and scoreHow they defendFrom a defensive perspective, we would expect to see the Dutch defend across the midfield in a medium block.They will not typically look to press overly high.Instead they will allow the opposition to come out from the first line before then blocking the pitch as they try to enter into the middle third. Germany are coming out in possession of the ball. The Netherlands are positioned in a 3-4-3 against the ball that will protect the centre of the pitchThe key for the Netherlands against the ball in this tournament will be to try to protect the centre of the pitch. When the opposition do try to play down the wide spaces and into the final third we then see the Dutch quickly slide their defensive block across to block off any opportunities.Germany have played quickly and the near sided central defender and midfielder for the Dutch will then quickly look to engage and try to win the ball back wideThere can at times be issues for the Dutch with their defensive structure when they allow spaces centrally and between lines that can be exploited. They are missing a true defensively-minded player in the engine room and these areas can be taken advantage of by the opposition.It can leave gaps between midfield and defence that canny opposition can exploit.Hollandare positioned effectively across the width of the pitch but they have left space in the centre of their structure that can be usedPredictionIf the Dutch can win Group D, they’ll face the runner-up in Group F, which could be Turkey or Portugal.Then, they might meet Belgium in the quarter-finals, and could line up against England in the semis.If they finish second, which is likely given France’s formidable record in groups, they would be up against another runner-up – potentially Ukraine or Romania.Portugal could provide a huge stumbling block in the quarter-finals on that side of the draw where Spain, Italy and Croatia are all possible semi-final opponents.Latest oddsThe Netherlands are not among the group of favourites and a semi-final run would be a good finish.William Hill have them priced at 16-1.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
Wags and glam fansMikky Kiemeney, 24, is the long-term girlfriend of De Jong.She was a hockey player of some repute when she met the former Ajax star.De Ligt has been dating stunning model AnneKee Molenaar since 2018 and they tied the knot this year.Blind is married to Candy Rae-Fleur – a professional dancer who specialises in Jazz, street and modern dance.READ MORE SUN STORIESNathan Ake finally put a ring on it by marrying his long-term partner, Kaylee in a stunning ceremony in Majorca in 2022.And Van Dijk has two daughters with his wife Rike Nooitgedagt.Mikky Kiemeney is dating Frenkie de JongCredit: Instagram / @mikkykiemeneyFans are in agreement that Mikky is so fineCredit: Instagram @mikkykiemeneyThe couple have been together for several yearsCredit: Instagram @mikkykiemeneyMatthijs de Ligt is dating Annekee MolenaarCredit: Instagram @annekeemolenaarThe stunning model loves shares bikini picsCredit: Instagram @annekeemolenaarDe Light may have to wait until after the tournament for Annekee pankyCredit: instagram/annekeemolenaarKaylee Ake is married to stunning KayleeCredit: INSTAGRAM @kayleerm_Daley Blind’s Wag is a pro dancerCredit: Instagram @candy.rae.fleurRike Nooitgedagt has two kids with Virgil van DijkCredit: Getty More

THERE has been a major blunder at Euro 2024 as the wrong badge has been printed on Ukraine’s shirts.The Ukrainians are set to face Romania later today but could be wearing an inappropriate shirt due to the gaffe.The Belgium flag appears to have been printed instead of the Romania flagCredit: XThe team’s blue shirt for the match is supposed to have the two nation’s flags printed on the centre.The Ukraine flag has been successfully printed but Romania’s has not been so lucky.The Romanian flag has not been printed on the shirt at all in fact, as the Belgium flag has been printed instead.There is some similarity between the two flags as they both have yellow and red stripes.READ MORE ON EURO 2024Both flags have a third stripe – Romania’s is blue, but Belgium’s is black.The third stripe is too dark to be the Romanian flag and looks much more like a Belgium flag, as fans have pointed out on social media.One posted: “Someone at the Ukrainian FA has printed the Belgium flag on the team’s shirts for today’s game in Munich.”The only problem being that Ukraine are playing Romania today.”Most read in Euro 2024EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSA second commented: “Oh dear.”A third wrote: “Well, that’s unfortunate.”Jude Bellingham reacts to match winning England display in euro 2024 opener against SerbiaA fourth said: “Hopefully, someone can buy some paint at the last minute to solve the issue.”Another added: “Embarrassing.”The Group E fixture is set to kick off at 2pm, which means there is not a lot of time for the issue to be fixed.Belgium are also in the group and face Slovakia in their first match of the tournament at 5pm.The day’s action will be completed by the Group D fixture between France and Austria.Romania Euro 2024 guideFORMER World Cup quarter-finalists Romania are back after eight years without qualifying for a tournament.
They aren’t pretty to watch but they are effective and topped their qualifying group unbeaten ahead of Switzerland.
MANAGER: Edward Iordanescu
His father Anghel managed them at the 1994 World Cup where they reached the last eight. Tough act to follow.
STAR MAN: Radu Dragusin
Has struggled to win a first team place at Spurs but has been a stalwart at international level.
How Romania attack
Romania will play out from the back and play one or two-touch passes to break between the lines.
However, they can run out of ideas when faced with a low block.
How Romania defend
Romania do not tend to press high as a unit and their players can be dragged out of position up the pitch.
However, they are far more effective close to their own goal with the midfield dropping deep to support the back four.
Read the full Romania Euro 2024 guide here, including predicted line-ups and latest odds

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ENGLAND must get the best out of Harry Kane in order to win Euro 2024, claims Jamie Carragher.The Three Lions skipper was a peripheral figure for large spells of his side’s 1-0 win over Serbia last night.Harry Kane endured a frustrating evening against SerbiaCredit: EPAPhil Foden looked to occupy many of the same spaces as Jude BellinghamCredit: ReutersBellingham bagged England’s winning goal in GelsenkirchenCredit: PAKane, 30, touched the ball just twice during the first half – playing on the fringes of the match.He eventually finished with 24 touches, one of which was a 77th minute header from substitute Jarrod Bowen’s cross, which was tipped on to the crossbar.In his column for the Telegraph, Carragher compared Kane’s output against Serbia to that of Erling Haaland at Manchester City.But the former England defender, 46, reckons that Gareth Southgate and Co will need more from Kane if they are to go all the way in Germany.READ MORE ON EURO 2024He also raised the issue of Southgate having to try to accommodate both Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham behind the Three Lions captain.”If Southgate persists with the same system for the rest of the tournament, his No9 will be heavily compromised,” wrote Carragher.”Possibly too much. Having come into the Euros with a Phil Foden conundrum, after one game Southgate has a Kane one.”In the first half, Kane registered just two touches of the ball. For a player of his class, that is deeply worrying.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”By full time that had risen to 24, showing that he was more involved in the second half – ironic given that England were less dominant in possession.”There is a tactical curiosity that when England played well, Kane was not involved at all. When they didn’t, he nearly scored and had more possession.”England player ratings: Jude Bellingham delivers masterful Euro 2024 performance but Phil Foden not at his sharpestEURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANYFoden was deployed off the left flank, with Bellingham occupying the main space behind Kane.This worked to good effect for England’s winning goal, with Bellingham crashing into the box to head home Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross after 13 minutes.Carragher went on to explain how in previous tournaments, Kane has dropped deep to pick up the ball before swivelling to look for pacey runners in behind including Saka, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford.This time around, however, only Saka is in the team to try to dart in behind.Carra went on to suggest that the likes of Anthony Gordon or Ollie Watkins could have been introduced from the bench to offer that kind of speed.While he also suggested that the inclusion in midfield of Trent Alexander-Arnold, in addition to the likes of Bellingham and Foden, left things too congested.He did, however, point to one famous example of an international boss making a comparable conundrum work – albeit with some of the world’s greatest, most experienced players.Carragher went on: “Southgate’s situation with this profile of the England squad reminds me of the decisions facing Vicente del Bosque with the legendary Spanish side which followed its World Cup success by defending the Euros in 2012.”Del Bosque had several players who all occupied the same position, and somehow had to accommodate Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas.”His solution was to pick them all, Spain winning the final without any recognised striker. Great players made it work.”England have a long way to go to warrant comparisons with one of the greatest international sides ever, but it is an example of how managers will ultimately be lured to ensuring they get all their best players on the pitch at the same time.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Short-term, I would expect Southgate to persist with Sunday night’s plan. But going forward, getting the most from Kane is the only way in which England can win the competition.”The Three Lions will return to action on Thursday at 5pm, when they face Denmark in Frankfurt.Trent showed he’s a central character for England… he deserves to keep spot, says Wilshere

THIS game felt a bit like an audition for Trent Alexander-Arnold in centre midfield, writes SunSport columnist Jack Wilshere.
I think he passed it and deserves another chance to show all the qualities that he can bring to the role.
I was pleased when I saw Trent in the starting line-up.
It’s a little bit braver than we have normally seen from Gareth Southgate and I like that.
It was: ‘Go on, go and play!’ It didn’t necessarily work out like that but that wasn’t Trent’s fault.
Southgate was experimenting with him in there, seeing if it worked.
If we get later in the tournament against the big teams, you will need someone who has played in there a few times and understands the position a bit.
The combination between Trent, Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka is a promising one.
You see Trent naturally drift over to that right side and receive it almost like a full-back.
It’s interesting what happens then with Walker.
He was still getting involved in and around the outside, which was good to see, and it was Walker who got forward to help create the Jude Bellingham goal.
That link-up is something we need to exploit more. We should probably have used it more last night as well.
At the start, he was a little bit shaky. He gave the ball away a couple of times, and one of them led to that decent chance for Aleksandar Mitrovic.
When he plays for Liverpool he comes inside. But it’s different when you’re in there from the start. It’s 360 degree pressure, from all sides.
I always found international football that bit quicker. You’ll often receive it with your back to the game and you’ve scanned, but you need to get more on the half turn to see what’s coming.
But it was difficult for Trent, especially in the first half, for him to show his range of passing. When you’re playing against a back five, with four in front, and they’re stubborn and just waiting . . . it is very hard.
There’s no space in behind, they’re very tight and organised.
And when the ball is going over your head, your job then becomes jumping on second balls, disrupting and trying to shield the big two up front.
Trent’s positioning was good and he made some good interceptions. I think he can — and should — hold on to the ball a bit more, draw the pressure, and then play the ball forward.
If someone comes to him, that frees up space for  someone else. And he and Declan Rice have the ability to find Bellingham and Phil Foden through the lines. I would like to have seen more of that. As the game opens up, Trent is a player who can pick the right pass.
Especially in transition, like he did with a lovely one down the side for Saka in the first half and another early in the second.
It was also good to see him get forward for a decent long-range shot.
But Trent was not helped by England’s performance in the  second half. We weren’t aggressive enough, we didn’t press well enough.
Trent’s audition lasted just under 70 minutes in the end. I believe  it is something Gareth should  persist with.
He is more than intelligent enough to work it out. And as the tournament goes on, I’m sure he will be fine in there. More