Contenders

The dusk has settled on Euro 2024’s group rounds. Croatia and Hungary bowed out early, despite their robust efforts, missing the cut for the top sixteen. While traditional powerhouses like Italy and England sailed through alongside Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal, some teams lucked out more than others. We’ll dive into the details with Opta stats to pinpoint the unlucky lads and the fortuitous frontrunners of this phase. UNLUCKY LOSERS Croatia Dive into Croatia's saga: they lead in expected goals yet falter,…

Despite the nail-biting group stages of Euro 2024 being behind us, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane still nurse ambitions of clinching the Golden Boot. But who else could soar in the goal-scoring charts? The tournament has been a spectacle, with underdog tales featuring Austria and Georgia, and sizable disappointments from England, France, and the Netherlands. Now, with 16 teams vying in the knockout phase, the chase intensifies. Players like Mbappe, Kane, and Cristiano Ronaldo eye not just the trophy but potentially snagging…

Under the keen stewardship of Luis de la Fuente, Spain has soared to the zenith of their group at Euro 2024 by capably dispatching Italy. Despite daunting anticipation about their group's level of challenge, Spain swiftly dismantled mighty opponents; a dominant 3-0 victory over Croatia was followed by a tight 1-0 win against Italy this Thursday. Securing the summit of Group B with a match yet to be played, a self-inflicted goal by Riccardo Calafiori nudged Spain past the current champions. In their recent clash in…

Pat Nevin harbors a sly optimism regarding Scotland's chances as the unexpected champions at Euro 2024. This week, the buzz centers around Hampden Park. Here, Steve Clarke's squad will clash with Finland in a friendly before venturing to Germany for their tournament opener against the robust host team on June 14. It's been a stretch since Scotland savored victory against the Germans—a drought dating back to a 1999 friendly where Don Hutchison netted the lone goal. Major tournaments have historically seen them come up short…

Dan Ndoye and Stefan Posch were the stars as Napoli suffered a disappointing defeat at home in Serie A. Bologna clinched a 2-0 victory with quick goals, extending Napoli's winless streak to five games. Ndoye scored first in the ninth minute, followed by Posch's header just three minutes later. Napoli missed a chance to score from a penalty, denied by Bologna's goalkeeper. With this win, Bologna temporarily rose to third place with 67 points, surpassing Juventus. Meanwhile, Napoli finds themselves in eighth place…