Match previews

WITH Belgium expected to beat Finland in the other Group B clash, Russia know a draw against Denmark will probably be enough to finish as runners-up.But Denmark won’t make it easy for the 2018 World Cup hosts as they need three points to have any chance of progressing.
Kasper Schmeichel is hoping to lead Denmark to victory against RussiaCredit: AP
It promises to be a huge game in Copenhagen and it’s live on BBC at 8pm this Monday.

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What’s the form?
Russia had a nightmare start to Euro 2020 when Belgium hammered them 3-0 in their opening match on home soil.
But Stanislav Cherchesov’s team quickly redeemed themselves with a solid 1-0 victory against Finland in their second game.
Russia will need to be even more organised when they take on Denmark as their opponents require a win to keep their European hopes alive.
Kasper Hjulmand’s side were devastated when team-mate Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during their tournament opener against Finland.

The game was abandoned but resumed the same evening as the Finns won 1-0, although it’s impossible to judge Denmark after Eriksen’s medical emergency.
The Danes looked decent against Belgium in their second match, taking the lead inside 120 seconds before Kevin De Bruyne scored twice to secure a 2-1 win.
Neither side managed to win their qualifying group, with Russia picking up eight wins from ten and Denmark managing four wins from eight.

Who’s in and who’s out?
Both teams are expected to play their strongest teams as they search for three points.
Eriksen is the only absentee from either squad, although there are six players at risk of picking up a one-match ban.
Russian stars Dmitri Barinov, Georgi Dzhikiya and Magomed Ozdoyev and Danish regulars Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen and Daniel Wass will miss the next round if they recieve a booking.
“No matter what, we shall go out there and try win the match. It is going to be an unbelievably hard match against Russia. They are a good team. We shouldn’t force anything. We all know how hard it is to force things, and we should keep a level head and prevent mistakes. It is going to be a good, long game again.”Kasper Hjulmand, Denmark manager

Watch out for…
Ex-Chelsea star Yuri Zhirkov.
The 37-year-old is still playing, despite leaving Stamford Bridge a decade ago.
He featured in Russia’s opener but was replaced by Zenit star Daler Kuzyayev for their victory against Finland.
Zhirkov may not feature against Denmark but playing in the tournament is still a superb effort for a man that made his international debut SIXTEEN years ago.

If the game’s rubbish…
Meet Katrine Friis, Andreas Christensen’s girlfriend.
The couple have been together for several years, with Katrine recently watching her bloke lift the Champions League with Chelsea.
Andreas Christensen’s girlfriend Katrine Friis
Fancy a punt?
Get all your Euro 2020 ante-post tips with our tournament betting guide HERE.
Match odds

Yussuf Poulsen to score first 7/1 @ Betfair
Denmark to win 4/6 @ Paddy Power
Russia to win 19/5 @ William Hill

*All odds correct at time of publication
Romelu Lukaku dedicates goal to Inter Milan team-mate Christian Eriksen as he scores for Belgium against Russia More

FINLAND are hoping to pull off a famous victory when they face Belgium in St Petersburg.The tournament rookies know three points will secure their place in the last 16, with a draw also giving them a great chance of progressing.
Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne are hoping to fire Belgium to European gloryCredit: Getty
But Belgium will be keen to make it three wins from three and are favourites for the game on BBC at 8pm this Monday.

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What’s the form?
To say Belgium’s form is good would be an understatement.
Roberto Martinez’s side hammered Russia 3-0 in their opening game thanks to a brace from Inter Milan forward Romelu Lukaku.
And even though they conceded within 120 seconds against Denmark, they fought back to win 2-1 in Copenhagen.
Belgium have been formidable on the European stage since their shock exit to Wales in 2016, winning all ten of their qualifiers.

Finland, meanwhile, are a bit more difficult to assess.
They won their first match against Denmark but it’s impossible to judge them on that performance after Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest.
And Markku Kanerva’s team weren’t awfully impressive against Russia, losing 1-0 in St Petersburg.
The minnows deserve their place in the tournament, however, winning six of their ten qualifiers.
“We created more against Russia, but the final pass was still not ideal. We need to improve on that. The players are in good spirits and we will do everything to get something out of the last group game. We all know the quality of the Belgium team and are well aware that we are facing a really tough task.”Markku Kanerva, Finland manager

Who’s in and who’s out?
Reports claim Martinez will start Kevin De Bruyne, Alex Witsel and Eden Hazard in a bid to get the trio match fit.
Despite already qualifying, the ex-Everton boss is expected to put out a strong team as he wants to win every game.
Thorgan Hazard is at risk of suspension, along with Finland players Glen Kamara, Robin Lod, Tim Sparv and Daniel O’Shaughnessy.
But Kanerva cannot afford to rest those four stars as Finland need to play their strongest team to stand any chance of getting a result against the Belgians.
“It’s prestigious to win the group, so that is something we are definitely going for. Sure, the next phase might be easier if you’re not the group winner, but in football there can always be surprises. At the World Cup we seemed to have a tougher time against Japan than against Brazil. You can’t try to calculate these things, you just always have to play to win.”Thibaut Courtois, Belgium goalkeeper

Watch out for…
Lukaku’s left foot.
The ex-Manchester United star has been in superb form during the last 12 months, scoring 24 Serie A goals to inspire Inter to the title.
And after his double in Belgium’s first match, he’ll be keen to cash in against the Finns and move into pole position for the golden boot.

If the game’s rubbish…
Meet Kevin De Bruyne’s wife Michele Lacroix, the mother of the Belgian midfielder’s three kids.
The couple are believed to have got together in 2014, when KDB was playing for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.
Kevin De Bruyne’s wife Michele LacroixCredit: Instagram @lacroixmichele
Fancy a punt?
Get all your Euro 2020 ante-post tips with our tournament betting guide HERE.
Match odds

Romelu Lukaku to score a hat-trick 12/1 @ Betfair
Finland to win 10/1 @ Paddy Power
Teemu Pukki to score first 9/1 @ William Hill

*All odds correct at time of publication
Romelu Lukaku dedicates goal to Inter Milan team-mate Christian Eriksen as he scores for Belgium against Russia More

IT’S all to play for in Bucharest as Ukraine and Austria can both qualify for the knock-out stages of Euro 2020.Victory for either side will guarantee them a spot in the Last 16 but a draw would leave one of them praying for third-place redemption.
Marko Arnautovic is back for Austria after serving a one-match banCredit: AP
The game will be one of the most intriguing of the tournament yet and takes place on ITV at 5pm this Monday.

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What’s the form?
Austria have made an indifferent start to their campaign, beating North Macedonia 3-1 but failing against Holland.
The Dutch made Franco Foda’s side look like amateurs as they strolled to a 2-0 win.
Austria’s 2021 form has been dreadful, winning just one of their seven games this year – and that was against the Faroe Islands.

Ukraine, meanwhile, have impressed, narrowly losing 3-2 to Holland in their opener and beating North Macedonia 2-1 last time out.
Andriy Shevchenko’s team did well in qualifying, finishing top of a group that contained defending champions Portugal and tournament regulars Serbia.
Ukraine also won both of their warm-up games for the Euros against Northern Ireland and Cyprus.
“We have it in our hands to reach the round of 16. Marko Arnautovic will be back for our ‘final’ against Ukraine. We will be ready.”Franco Foda, Austria manager

Who’s in and who’s out?
Austria’s talisman Marko Arnautovic is back after serving a one-match ban for his controversial goal celebration against North Macedonia.
Foda is expected to go with a full strength side, although David Alaba, Daniel Bachmann and Stefan Lainer are all a yellow card away from a ban.
Ukraine stars Mykola Shaparenko and Serhiy Sydorchuk are also at risk of suspension, but Shevchenko must treat the game as a knock-out and pick his strongest team.
“We haven’t done anything to make people too proud of us just yet. Love and hate are just a step apart. It’s great we gave [our fans] some excitement but now we have to prepare for our final [group] match with cool heads.”Georgiy Bushchan, Ukraine goalkeeper

Watch out for…
Andriy Yarmolenko’s post-match press conference.
The Ukrainian winger jokingly mocked Cristiano Ronaldo by asking for Coca-Cola and Heineken to sponsor him.
Ronaldo hit the headlines earlier this week when he moved two Coca-Cola bottles out of shot and implored people to drink water instead.
Yarmolenko is also good value on the pitch and could be the man to inspire Ukraine to victory against Austria.

If the game’s rubbish…
Inna Yarmolenko will be cheering on her husband and his team-mates as they try to secure a place in the last 16.
The Premier League star married the fitness fanatic in 2011 and she’s been with him throughout his time at Dynamo Kyiv, Borussia Dortmund and West Ham.
Andriy Yarmolenko is married to InnaCredit: Instagram @yarmolkina10
Fancy a punt?
Get all your Euro 2020 ante-post tips with our tournament betting guide HERE.
Match odds

Marko Arnautovic first goalscorer 6/1 @ Betfair
Ukraine to win 5/2 @ Paddy Power
Austria to win 5/2 @ William Hill

*All odds correct at time of publication
Andriy Yarmolenko pokes fun at Cristiano Ronaldo as Ukraine ace asks Coca-Cola and Heineken for sponsorship deals More

WITH up to three teams qualifying from each group, very few Euro 2020 games are dead rubbers.North Macedonia’s match against Holland, though, is an exception to that rule as the tournament rookies have already been eliminated.
All eyes will be on new Barcelona star Memphis Depay – if selectedCredit: Getty
The Dutch have been excellent at the Euros so far and you can catch the form team in action on ITV at 5pm this Monday.

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What’s the form?
Holland have emerged as one of the favourites after a brilliant start to their campaign.
Frank de Boer’s side secured a 3-2 victory against Ukraine in their opening game thanks to a late goal from PSV wing back Denzel Dumfries.
They followed that up with a comfortable 2-0 win against Austria in Amsterdam.
Luck has certainly been on Holland’s side during their first two fixtures – but the same can’t be said for North Macedonia.

Little was expected of Igor Angelovski’s side having never appeared in a major tournament before.
But they have been competitive and, on another day, could have easily had a few points in the bag by now.
The North Macedonians lost 3-1 to Austria in their tournament opener and suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Ukraine last time out.
“In the second half against Ukraine we were the real North Macedonia, and showed that we deserved to be at the European Championship. This is how we should play against the Dutch. We want to put on a real show and hopefully pick up our first points of the tournament.”Igor Angelovski, North Macedonia manager

Who’s in and who’s out?
Both managers have a full squad to pick from.
Angelovski is expected to name his best team – including Leeds star Ezgjan Alioski and veteran Goran Pandev – as North Macedonia chase their first win at a major tournament.
Although Holland do not have any players at risk of being suspended if they pick up a yellow card, De Boer is still likely to rotate his squad.
Ex-Arsenal youngster Donyell Malen might get his chance and Manchester City defender Nathan Ake could feature.
“North Macedonia really deserve to be here. They have done very well, they are well organised. And then you have this sly fox [Goran] Pandev who really makes the difference. Great to see he still enjoys playing and can be important for his country. We can’t underestimate them.”Frank de Boer, Holland manager

Watch out for…
New Barcelona signing Memphis Depay.
The ex-Manchester United winger has joined the Spanish giants and will be keen to prove himself on the international stage ahead of his big move.
The 27-year-old has made an excellent start to the tournament, scoring in Holland’s 2-0 victory against Austria.

If the game’s rubbish…
Read about Nathan Ake’s fiancee Kaylee Ramman, who recycles plastic and makes fashionable bikinis.
Or Frenkie de Jong’s girlfriend Mikky Kiemeny, who’s been with the Barcelona midfielder since 2014.
Nathan Ake’s fiancee Kaylee RammanCredit: Instagram / @kayleerm_
Frenkie de Jong’s girlfriend Mikky KiemenyCredit: Instagram @mikkykiemeney
Fancy a punt?
Get all your Euro 2020 ante-post tips with our tournament betting guide HERE.
Match odds

Georginio Wijnaldum first goalscorer 11/2 @ Betfair
North Macedonia to win 10/1 @ Paddy Power
Holland to win 1/3 @ William Hill

*All odds correct at time of publication
Lyon star Memphis Depay works out in football training More