Euro 2024

SIMPLY getting a team together is a miracle for this war torn nation.The people’s champions who play home games in Poland following the Russian invasion of their country.Ukraine’s dramatic play-off victory saw them qualify for the tournamentCredit: EPAQualified via a play-off victory over Iceland – England fans remember the stubborn Vikings only too well from Euro 2016 – Ukraine have Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and four Premier League players in their undoubtedly talented squad.From Chelsea’s erratic but gifted winger Mykhailo Mudryk, to experienced Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko; they are also managed by ex-Spurs and West Ham striker Sergei Rebrov.They will be most fans’ second team in Germany this summer.Manager: Sergiy Rebrov A ticket site recently named the former Tottenham striker the sexiest manager at Euro 2024. read more on the eurosGareth Southgate was fifth so read into that what you will.Rebrov is an ex-Prem starCredit: GettyKey man: Mykhailo MudrykThe Chelsea star is capable of great speed and great frustration. Still trying to justify the £62m price tag – but he scored the play-off winner that sent Ukraine through.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSLikely line-upHow they attackUkraine are expected to struggle despite being drawn into a group that is relatively straightforward with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania.Most read in Euro 2024They will line up in a standard 4-3-3 shape with a lot of structure to the way that they build their attack. Ukraine keep a solid structure and play combinations through their midfield to then attack spaceSix maddest moments at the EurosUkraine will generally be less possession-based in the way they attack and and instead will be more direct.We often see the ball played into the midfield before then going longer into the wide areas where the winger and full-back will work to overload the opposition.The ball is played from centre back into the midfield. The winger on the far side makes a movement inside and the full-back overlapsUkraine will routinely use longer passes to release runners into space.Their wide attackers like Mudryk and Arsenal target Tsygankov look to attack space from deep.Often their striker will drag defenders out of shape before before the wide men attack the space he has created.The striker make a run that drags defenders with him. Ukraine then push players into advanced positions to allow the man in possession to play behind the defenceHow they defendWe expect to see Ukraine play in a flexible manner defensively.Initially, as the opposition look to build their attack they will not press aggressively and will instead look to drop into a deeper block.This will change quickly if the opposition take a poor touch or make a poor decision as they are building the attack.As the Germans come out from the back Ukraine are not looking to apply any immediate pressure to the ballIf there is a mistake from the opposition then Ukraine will quickly adapt their approach.They are swift to move high up the pitch and defend aggressively as they look turn over possession.As the Germans make an error in possession – Ukraine push players forward and try to take advantage of thisWhen the opposition are in the more established attacking phase, Ukraine look to get players into deep defensive positions.They will be solid and well structured defensively and they will not press or break out from this block.Ukraine have all 10 outfield players behind the ball as they defend deep in a solid blockPredictionBelgium should top the group – then it is tough to separate the Ukrainians from Romania and Slovakia.The Ukraine vs Romania match could be crucial to who gets second place.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt’s hard to see them getting beyond the last-16.Latest oddsWilliam Hill have them at 100/1 to win the tournament and 11/10 to finish in the top two of Group E.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament. More

BACK after eight years away from big tournaments, Romania should be confident after topping their qualifying group by five points and going unbeaten.But there are few household names in the squad familiar to English fans.Romania could be dark horses after their incredible qualifying campaignCredit: EPABest known over here is Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin.He was signed by Spurs from mid-table Italian Serie A side Genoa in January, the centre-back claimed it was a move made “in his heart” after several other big clubs showed an interest.After making a steady number of appearances upon arrival in London, Dragusin found it hard to find first-team appearances.But at only 22, he is perhaps a signing for the future and will be given more game time next season.read more on the eurosManager: Edward Iordanescu His father Anghel managed them at the 1994 World Cup where they reached the last eight. Tough act to follow.Key man: Radu DragusinHas his work cut out trying to win a place in the team at club level but often players like this still turn it on at international level.Likely line-upHow Romania could look in their opening gamePredictionWith Belgium set to win Group E and Slovakia favourites to come bottom – it will be between Ukraine and Romania for second place.There is a chance they could face England if they finish third.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSLatest oddsWilliam Hill have them at 11/8 to finish in the top two of their group and 125/1 to go all the way and win Euro 2024.How they attackRomania set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape in this tournament.And as with so many other teams in Germany, they play out from the back through short deep combinations.They have strong technical players and they understand how to rotate and move in the midfield to create passing angles to play through the opposition press.Meet the ten Wags ready to stun at Euro 2024As Romania build out, the full-back stays wide, the midfield moves with one dropping deep and the advanced midfielder fills the gapThe midfielders for Romania are technically strong and comfortable receiving the ball when facing their own goal.They will take the ball in deep areas under pressure and typically play one or two touch football to play through and break lines.They are not particularly organised at times though as they rely on quick combinations to try to move the ball forwards.Northern Ireland are pressing high. Romania play quickly and then back to find the deepest midfielder in spaceWhile the build-up is generally effective from the Romanian’s in deep positions, they are less effective when the ball is in the final third.At times they struggle to find solutions to break down teams that are organised and effective against the ball.Northern Ireland set up in a strong defensive block. Romania have no focal point striker and as such the opposition can defend comfortablyHow they defendRomania do not use a high defensive line and they will instead drop into a medium or deep defensive block.They can struggle with maintaining their block and players can be dragged out of position.This will be dangerous in this tournament as good players will take advantage of these spaces.One of the midfielders comes forward to form a three in attack. This movement then creates space that can be played into.When the opposition are in possession in these kind of situations, Romania struggle against the ball as they do not have an effective or organised way of defending. This allows the opposition to find ways to play through or around their defensive block easily.READ MORE SUN STORIESRomania are in a medium block but their defensive shape is flat and narrowWhile they are not an effective unit when it comes to defending higher up the pitch, they defend and work well close to the Romanian goal.The midfield will collapse back to defend centrally and force the opposition wide.Switzerland are in possession in the Romania half. All ten outfield players for Romania are deep and compact to try to defend the threat More

WAYNE ROONEY has revealed he smashed a TV and wrecked the drug testing room immediately after England beat Wales at Euro 2016.The Manchester United legend, 38, was part of Roy Hodgson’s squad that were humiliatingly knocked out by Iceland eight years ago.Wayne Rooney raged in the drug testing room after England’s win at Euro 2016Credit: ReutersRooney revealed an Arsenal cult hero was aCredit: GettyThe highlight of England’s tournament came 11 days before that infamous last-16 tie when they claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over rivals Wales.Coming from a goal down, Daniel Sturridge netted in added time to hand the Three Lions a memorable win.But Rooney, who captained the side, was then left furious shortly after the full-time whistle as his run of being selected for drug testing continued.Sitting in a room with Wales’ Aaron Ramsey, an Arsenal midfielder at the time, Rooney began trashing the room in anger.READ MORE ON WAYNE ROONEYSpeaking to The Times, he said: “A weird thing was that at every game in that tournament I was selected for the drugs test.”I was fuming. They say it’s a random process but somehow every single time it was me.”He went on to add: “I was so annoyed after the Wales game that I smashed the testing room up.”One of the Welsh lads was in there — Aaron Ramsey I think — and I just went ‘sod this’ and the TV went. Everything. I smashed the lot.Most read in FootballEURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERS”I got a bill for it. And another Uefa warning.”Euro 2016 would be Rooney’s fifth and final major tournament with England as they crashed out in the second round with a 2-1 loss to Iceland.Roy Keane’s death stare to Wayne Rooney has fans ‘howling’ after Man Utd legend reveals he sleeps with hairdryer onMeanwhile, Wales progressed through to the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Portugal.Ex-Man Utd man Rooney has returned to management after being appointed Plymouth boss last month.But he will remain on punditry duties during this summer’s Euros as he prepares to be on BBC’s broadcast.Earlier this week, he insisted Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite should have made Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad.He said: “The fans have been crying out for Gareth to make these exciting decisions.”I would have liked to seen Branthwaite in the squad. He’s had an excellent season at Everton.”Wales’ Aaron Ramsey, left, was in the drug testing room when Rooney smashed the TVCredit: Getty Images – GettyPLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament. More

SLOVAKIA qualified automatically as runners-up behind Portugal and boast a decent spread of high-profile names in the squad.Captain Milan Skriniar joined French giants Paris Saint-Germain last summer but does not always feature for the Qatari-owned club.Slovakia could be dark horses at Euro 2024Credit: EPAAt least keeper Martin Dubravka will go to Germany with plenty of game time behind him having filled in between the posts for injured Nick Pope. Fellow keeper Marek Rodak is with Fulham but is mainly limited to cup games at Craven Cottage.This will be their third successive Euro finals and in France 2016 they advanced to the knockout stage where they were beaten by Germany.Manager: Francesco Calzona Has spent the last four months combining his role as Slovakia chief with the manager’s job at Napoli.read more on the eurosFrancesco Calzona has been burning the candle at both endsCredit: GettyKey man: Martin DubravkaWill travel to Germany with plenty of practice behind him. Newcastle’s first-choice keeper Pope suffering a dislocated shoulder is at least good news for Slovakia’s man.Likely line-upSlovakia’s defence is marshalled by the vastly experienced Skriniar.Along with Dubravka and midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, they have a strong spine from which to build around.Most read in Euro 2024Lukas Haraslin is a threat from the wing and Ivan Shranz on the opposite flank has a decent goalscoring record for Sparta Prague.Striker Robert Bozenik was linked with Brentford a few years ago and is a solid technician leading the line.Jack Wilshere, Gordon Strachan and Jurgen Klinsmann answer quickfire questions ahead of Euro 2024How Slovakia could line up in GermanyHow they attackIt is no mean feat for a country like Slovakia to have qualified for three Euros finals tournaments in a row.But they are likely to find it difficult to get out of the group stages again this time around.As with many other teams in this tournament, we believe that Slovakia are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 system and although they have real quality in some positions, they are lacking depth in others.They will look for opportunities to play forward relatively quickly.Slovakia are not overly structured in their build-up and will look for opportunities to play into the midfield quickly to progress the ballAs they move the ball into advanced positions the fact that they are not looking to retain possession of the ball will see Slovakia be more direct in passing into space to have runners attack.Slovakia look to break Austria down and commit players to make runs from deeper positionsAs Slovakia move the ball into the wide areas they will look to generate opportunities through crosses into the area. When they have the ball wide we will typically see them push players forward to try to attack the penalty area and look to overload the opposition defensive line.With the ball in the wide area Slovakia push players high as they look to take advantage of the ball crossed into the penalty areaHow they defendWhen they are in the defensive phase of the game, Slovakia do not typically look to press aggressively or engage the ball in the higher positions.Instead they will drop off to form more of a medium defensive block ahead of the ball.As Norway are in possession of the ball in their own penalty area we see the defensive block from Slovakia drop off and allow the Norwegians time and space to build their attackThe big issue that Slovakia have out of possession is that they can often leave spaces for the opposition to take advantage of between the lines. While they are not overly aggressive in terms of pressing high they are also not compact and well structured with their defensive shape. This is something that the opposition can take advantage of.Norway are in possession just inside their own half. Once again there is no direct pressure on the ball and the opposition have players in pockets of space between the lines that can be exploitedOften we see the Slovakians struggle with the opposition play quickly to release players who are making forward runs from deeper areas.With no pressure on the ball and no compact defensive structure these moments can be dangerous for Slovakia.Austria attack wide and the Slovakian defensive structure is not strong. A simple pass into the striker allows the midfield runner to make an aggressive run to break the last linePredictionSlovakia face a tough ask to overcome Belgium, Ukraine and Romania to finish top of their group and face a third-placed team.A more likely route would be to nick second and play the runners-up from the group containing France, the Netherlands, Austria and Poland.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn truth, the last 16 is probably the best they can hope for.Latest oddsWith odds of 500/1 on William Hill, Slovakia are rank outsiders to lift the trophy. More

GARETH SOUTHGATE is under no illusions coming into this competition – it is win or bust.The Three Lions have never had a better opportunity to end their 58-year wait for a major international trophy given the talent and experience they have in their armoury.England have what it takes to win the EurosCredit: GettyYet with the tag as tournament favourites, the Euro 2020 finalists arrive in Germany off the back of some mixed form that will concern Southgate.With that comes selection headaches aplenty and big positional decisions to be made with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham.The pressure is on, and if not now, then when?Manager: Gareth SouthgateThe former Crystal Palace and Aston Villa defender has been England manager for eight years, and has come closer to any of his recent predecessors to finally ending the trophy drought.read more on the eurosSouthgate was appointed interim manager of the senior side in September 2016 to replace Sam Allardyce, who resigned from the job after only 67 days in charge.Since then he has led England to fourth place at the 2018 World Cup, quarter finals of the 2022 World Cup, and losing the final Euro 2022 to Italy on a penalty shoot-out.And this could be his last hurrah, as his existing contract expires at the end of this year.And Southgate has paused any fresh discussions with the FA about a deal that would take him to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.Most read in Euro 2024Inside England’s stunning five-star Euro 2024 base with robot waiters that will cost £800,000Gareth Southgate is heading into his fourth tournament as England bossCredit: GettyHarry Kane once again led the way in qualifyingAfter his penalty miss in Euro ’96 and agonising defeat in the final on penalties last time out, surely his Euro luck must change.Key Man: Jude BellinghamArguably the best player on the planet right now. His world class performances at Real Madrid give England the perfect platform to dominate big games.Young stars set to shine at Euro 2024Jude Bellingham has cemented his place in the teamLikely line-upSouthgate doesn’t experiment much, so the team is certain to play 4-2-3-1, with many of the players locked in.The only real doubts are who plays at left-back, where Luke Shaw will play if fit or if not it will probably be Kieran Trippier.And alongside Declan Rice in midfield where Kobbie Mainoo and Trent Alexander-Arnold will be the main contenders, along with Conor Gallagher.Much will depend on just how daring Southgate decides to be.How England could line up against SerbiaHow they attackFrom an attacking perspective we expect to see England dominate the ball this summer against almost every opponent. The move from Gareth Southgate to leave the likes of Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips out of the squad and to include the excellent Kobbie Mainoo will help England to dominate and control games. With this combined with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden moving from the wings into the channels and central spaces will create a lot of threat for opposition teams.Bellingham stays on the ball in front of a compact defence, then as Foden makes a run the pass is played with precisionDeclan Rice plays a key role centrally to progress the ball and moving the game forward.England are dangerous around the opposition area with clever movement from their attacking wide areas combined with composure and creativity.Saka and Foden will rotate and combine with Jude Bellingham in central spaces to drag defenders out of position consistently.Harry Kane is dangerous when dropping deep to create and England like to make runs to create space around the final third.Kane drops deep and the run from Saka forces the opposition narrow and creates space wide for Kane to switch the ball to WalkerThe big question in this England squad still surrounds who will play left-back.As Foden is likely to start on the left and come inside, Southgate will need someone to push forward to provide width on that side, as we get from Kyle Walker on the right.In deeper positions the likes of Declan Rice will progress the ball centrally but the movement of the wide attackers, who come inside to receive in pockets of space, is key in allowing this to happen.Rice is in possession and Saka drops inside to receive the ball, allowing Rice to move forwardThe key attacking focus will, of course, still be Kane leading the line.But he will be supported by key attacking players with plenty of creativity and flair.How they defendAs England are generally possession dominant in the vast majority of the matches that they play their defensive style has had to evolve to match. Typically, we see the English team under Southgate defend in a varied manner.Kane is a striker who can press and work in isolation against the ball and he will work on his own to slow and disrupt the opposition build up while allowing his team-mates to drop into a slightly deeper block.As soon as there is a trigger out of possession for England then they will push players to press to support Kane.Harry Kane drops deep to help press the oppositionItaly pass the ball away from the intended player and Foden is quick to support Kane with the pressAs soon, however, there is a trigger with an opposition player taking a poor touch or with the ball being passed backwards then we see England trigger to press more aggressively.The No 10 and the wide players quickly run high and the central midfielders get tight to their opponents to pin them back.England press man-to-man to pin the opposition back and look to regain the ball as high as they possibly canWhen England move to defend in this manner then they will work in a man-to-man way as they apply pressure to the opposition.The aim simple – to regain the ball as close to the opposition goal as possible… and as far away from their own.To protect the defence we are likely to see England use a medium to high defensive block to pin the opposition deepThere are questions around England defensively, especially on the left-side of the defence, so the Three Lions will look to defend as high as possible to keep the pressure off their defence.PredictionEngland are firm favourites to top the table after their very friendly draw, and would be set to play the best third placed team from Group D/E/F.SunSport reckon that it could be one of Austria, Czech Republic or Slovakia.Progressing from the last 16 would set up a predicted tie against Italy in the quarter-final on July 6.The game would be a rematch of the Euro 2020 final, which the Italians won on penalties.England could then play France in the semi-final, giving Harry Kane a chance to get revenge on Les Bleus after his missed penalty in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final.In the final, the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal could be the opponents.England will do well to equal their run to the final of Euro 2020Latest oddsEngland are leading contenders to win this summer’s competition in Germany with William Hill pricing them as 3/1 favourites.Glam WagsSince Colleen and Posh took Baden-Baden by storm in 2006, England’s Wags have made sure they don’t miss out on the Euros.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd today is no different – with boss Southgate encouraging the player’s wives and girlfriends to accompany them on major tournaments.But, with the Three Lions blessed with a lot of new talent in their squad, there will be plenty of newbies expected to travel to Germany this summer.Dutch beauty Laura Celia Valk is reportedly dating Jude BellinghamModel Laura has starred in Pretty Little Thing campaignsLaura has 350,000 followers on Instagram, while her TikTok page has 310,000 fans and over six million likesEllie Alderson is the partner of England striker Ollie WatkinsEllie has been in a romance with footballer Ollie Watkins since 2018Iris Law has been seen with Trent Alexander-ArnoldModel and actress Iris is the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie FrostReality TV star Dani Dyer will be a welcome addition to England’s Wags in GermanyJarrod Bowen and Dani got together in 2021 More