Assignment 1: Achieved.
That’s right, people. Forget the hate stream against Gareth Southgate on social media. Forget the draw with Scotland. Forget the negativity. England are taking part in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, and they have done so in a comfortable way.
Seven points, three clean sheets and hardly any sweat. Judging by the Twitter attack, you would think that the three lions had made a real Turkey (by the way, not my surprise package, but please do not check here).
The Boys / Chloe Knott – Danehouse / Getty Images
Now all England supporters can watch Group F’s final take place on Wednesday night and speculate on which of the four nations they would rather face. No matter which team finishes second in Group F, the accident will be killed by Southgate’s soldiers on Tuesday, June 29 – a fate I’m sure they’ll all be desperate to avoid.
But who should England prefer to tackle? 90min evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of all four of the three lions’ possible opponents in the Euro 2020 round.
Faran / BSR Agency / Getty Images
Strengths
We start with the current group leaders and, incorrectly, the world’s legitimate masters. So yes, they are pretty good. The French players seem comfortable to sit back, soak up the pressure and then counter at the fastest speed you have ever seen.
Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba live on a frightening wavelength, and although the offside flag has sometimes robbed them, there are more goals in this team than the statistics suggest. They are the favorites for a reason.
Weaknesses
Okay, so the forward line is still scary, it has not changed. But there are areas of weakness in the squad. If Juventus flop Adrien Rabiot starts in midfield, and his backup is Bayern bit star Corentin Tolisso, we have to assume that there is some depth behind Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
Rabiot’s inclusion indicates a lack of depth / Matthias Hangst / Getty Images
The defense does not seem waterproof either, and with Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez on the slopes, this backline is not invincible. Perfect for a team with a wealth of creative midfielders and wingers …
Tournament format – Well, France did not fly out of the blocks in a flash, but they did not at the 2018 World Cup either, so we can not read too much into it, I fear. But a draw with Hungary showed that they were not impenetrable, and when they had to turn the game around, they struggled to transfer possession to real chances.
Do we want them? Not on a Tuesday month. Someone except France.
Exploding on the European Stage / Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
Strengths
“Under forces, did you just say ‘Robin Gosens’?” The Atalanta star is one of world football’s most frequent and potent wingers, and he has finally provided proof of that on the international stage. He and Joshua Kimmich are the key to Germany’s attacking wing-back system, and if you defend too narrowly against them (or play Nelson Semedo), you will be punished.
However, it is not just far away where Germany is stacked. If you have so much central power in Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan, that you can afford to stick Kimmich as a wingback, you are more blessed than most nations in world football.
Weaknesses
Germany first stumbled upon this formation ahead of Euro 2020, and there have been some dental problems. They are incredibly susceptible to counterattack and could have conceded four or five against France.
Captured / Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
This naivete was exploited by Portugal, who sucked up the pressure and then beat them at the break to open the scoring. It did not turn out to be costly in the end, but a pattern has begun to emerge.
Tournament format – The initial defeat against France was not filled with promise. Even if it was just a 1-0 loss, they never really looked to score, and they could have been beaten. The 4-2 victory against Portugal has taught us what we all knew: never write off Germany.
Do we want them? Only a fool would ever want to challenge the Germans in a battle to the death, but somehow they are one of the more tempting prospects right now. This is not Germany before, and they can be obtained at.
Among the goals – as always / BSR Agency / Getty Images
Strengths
Portugal have been given the go-ahead for success, having lifted the trophy in France just five years ago. That plan has been built on, as they now have a harvest of attacking stars that they could only have dreamed of in 2016.
Like Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva are all very familiar enemies of English supporters, and we are all too aware of exactly what they can conjure up in a second. Oh yes, and they also have an old guy named Cristiano Ronaldo. Harmless, right?
Weaknesses
They may have some of the most dangerous strikers on the planet, but coach Fernando Santos does not know how to use them (it must sound very familiar to some frustrated England supporters). His defensive style of football stifles these stars and has resulted in two largely obsolete performances.
The defensive, underdog drawing no longer suits this Portuguese team, and they seem to be caught between wanting to attack and having to stick to their stiff playing field. Semedo is also a huge weak link on the right back – target him, and Portugal can crumble.
Tournament format – The early form indicates that these players do not thrive out there. It took 84 minutes to grind Hungary down, and they were then completely knocked out by Germany. Their performance against France will be a great indicator of what this team really can do – time will tell.
Do we want them? Do we want Ronaldo to make a tap-in, a nod and a penalty, whip off his shirt and break our hearts? No, not really. But they are not the scariest defending champions in history, that’s for sure.
Spurad på / Tibor Illyes – Pool / Getty Images
Strengths
No matter who you are, extreme organization can take you into the depths of international tournaments. You have a better chance of sneaking into the later stages by being defensively solid and determined, than trying to blow the team away with free-flowing football (note, England fans).
Hungary has been given the desire, solidarity and organization to disrupt the rhythm of the larger teams and make life difficult, while at the same time having a certain attacking threat against hitting them in the counter. It is efficient, but not always sustainable, as we soon found out …
Weaknesses
Hungary has flourished in front of their home crowd so far, and it can not be argued that the packed Puskas Arena encouraged them to claim a draw against world champions France. But that luxury will be ripped off and turned upside down if they become second, when they travel to London to play England at Wembley Stadium.
The fans will not be there to cheer on them / Alex Pantling / Getty Images
Away from the external factors, the starting lineup lacks quality, especially compared to the other teams in the death group. The last five minutes against Portugal were also proof that when the head falls, their superhuman desire can not stop the flow of superior talent.
Tournament format – The result line in Hungary’s 3-0 defeat against Portugal does not tell the whole story. They were in that game until the deadlock was broken in the 84th minute, which triggered a major collapse. 1-1 with France was a much better reflection of their contribution to this tournament.
Do we want them? It would be classic England if they were to be blessed by the gods and draw Hungary in the next round, only to then lose 2-1 and suffer the ultimate humiliation at home. I would rather be beaten by France, to be honest.
