Following the debut of the first major teams, including host nation Germany, the Euro continues with the third day on Sunday. On the schedule is the first match of France’s group (Group D), featuring the Netherlands against Poland.
Touted as one of the favorites to lift the Henri-Delaunay trophy on July 14, England will also begin its campaign against Serbia. In the same group (Group C), Denmark, the surprise semi-finalist of the last edition, will challenge Slovenia earlier in the day (Beirut’s time).
16:00: Netherlands vs. Poland
This fixture features two future opponents of the French team and will undoubtedly interest their supporters. In Hamburg, the Dutch and the Poles will clash to symbolically take the lead in the group (on beIN Sports). Ronald Koeman’s men, eliminated in the round of 16 by the Czech Republic in 2021, aim to be front-runners again. However, they face several uncertainties regarding the fitness of key players and will be without their midfield orchestrator, Frenkie de Jong.
Poland, the last team to qualify in this group via the playoffs after a very challenging qualification campaign, starts this Euro with low expectations. Michal Probierz’s team, the lowest-ranked of the four nations in the group (28th in the FIFA rankings), will try to make a statement from this first match to possibly aim for a best third-place spot. However, they will be without their star player, Robert Lewandowski, who is out for the first game.
19:00: Slovenia vs. Denmark
Can the surprise team of the 2021 edition pull it off again? Sandwiched between a match in the French group and England’s highlight game, the match between the Danes and the Slovenians in Stuttgart might not attract the most attention, but it’s worth watching. Denmark, semi-finalist three years ago after an incredible campaign but struggling since, hopes to rediscover its success and carefree play to embark on another memorable journey.
To do so, the team needs to start with a win against Slovenia, on paper the weakest team in the group, qualifying for only the second time in its history at the Euro (after 2000). However, the Slovenians have a key player in goal to fend off Danish attacks: Jan Oblak, captain and undisputed starter. The Atlético Madrid goalkeeper will be crucial to any potential success for his team.
22:00: Serbia vs. England
England will play its first minutes in this Euro against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. Powered by a talented generation (Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka) and experienced leaders (Kyle Walker, Harry Kane), the Three Lions aim to make a strong start and set themselves up in the best conditions to claim their first major trophy since 1966.
On the other side, Serbia, qualifying for the Euro for the first time since the breakup of Yugoslavia, positions itself as an outsider. Led by former Marseille player Dragan Stojkovic, the Serbians can rely on well-known football figures like Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Dusan Tadic, and Aleksandar Mitrovic, who form the backbone of the team.
