Euro Cup 2020: Group F Preview
France is coming off a runner-up finish in Euro 2016 and their 2nd-ever World Cup title in 2018, and boasts ridiculous depth at every position, including the World's best young player in Kylian Mbappé. Is even being in the Group of Death enough to slow them down?
Germany
FIFA Rank: #12
Qualified as: 1st place in Group C
The Skinny
Germany is probably the nation most synonymous with success in football, but ever since scaling the mountaintop with their 2014 World Cup triumph, it's been dark days for Die Mannschaft. They did reach the semifinals at the last Euro Cup, but only after miraculously surviving a penalty shootout against an underdog Italy side. Then came the catastrophic 2018 World Cup, and the lower-profile, but equally-poor performance at the 2019 Nations League, in which they again finished last place in their group. It's not a stretch to say that these are the lowest expectations Germany have coming into a tournament in some time, but that might be just how they like it. With a roster still dripping with talent, a legendary manager who has announced this as his farewell tour, and three matches at home in Munich, surely this Germany squad is capable of some redemption.
The Best XI
Germany's struggles over the last 3 years are all the more inexplicable when you actually look at the names at their disposal. Manuel Neuer, one of the all-time greats at goalkeeper, still commands things from between the sticks, and has two veterans at CB in front of him, Dortmund's Mats Hummels and Chelsea's Antonio Rüdiger, the latter of whom was a crucial piece of his team's Champions League triumph. Germany have very few bona fide fullback options, but versatile midfielders Emre Can and Joshua Kimmich have spent time there, so they get the nod in my lineup. Ilkay Gündogan is coming off his best season yet for Manchester City, and he'll lead a midfield flanked by two stalwarts in Real Madrid's Toni Kroos and Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka. As for attackers, chances are Germany will roll with Timo Werner, their best pure forward, but his spotty first season in the Premier League is enough to convince me they should go with the Bayern Munich trio of Thomas Müller with dynamic wingers Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry.
Hungary
FIFA Rank: #37
Qualified as: 4th Place in Group E; winner of Path A playoff
The Skinny
Four years after shocking the World by topping their Euro Cup group, despite being one of the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament, Hungary again pulled off a stunner, scoring two goals in the final 4 minutes of their playoff final against Iceland to snag a qualification bid at the death. The Magyars are again one of the lower-ranked teams in the tournament, and the only team to have finished lower than 3rd place in their qualifying group, but once again found a way. Their reward? A group with the last two World Cup winners and the defending Euro Cup winners. Woof. They must be wondering who at UEFA they made angry, but hey, if the last edition of this tournament taught us anything, it's don't underestimate the Hungarians, especially when they get two games at home in Budapest!
The Best XI
As if Hungary's job wasn't hard enough already, they now enter Euro 2020 without arguably their best player, Dominik Szoboszlai, as he picked up an injury. At least his RB Leipzig teammates Peter Gulásci and Willi Orbán, will be available, as will stalwart forward Ádám Szalai. Fenerbache's Attilla Szalai (no relation) helps anchor a deceptively solid back line, and Gergö Lovrencsics and Adam Nagy provide plenty of experience to the defense and midfield, respectively.
France
FIFA Rank: #2
Qualified as: 1st Place in Group H
The Skinny
If you're looking for the odds-on tournament favorite, here they are. It's not the defending Euro Cup champions, nor any of the nations playing co-host. It's the 2018 World Cup champions France, and though FIFA inexplicably doesn't have them as the #1 ranked team in the World, it's hard to see why anyone but them would be given top billing coming in to this tournament. Les Bleus won the last (and the ultimate) major tournament, yes, but they also boast an absurdly deep roster, feature a healthy blend of young talent and veteran experience, and tore through their qualifying group. France could become the first nation to ever do the World Cup-Euro Cup double twice in their history (they last completed it in 1998 and 2000), and given the heartbreaking way they lost in the last Euro Cup, honestly, who would put it past them?
The Best XI
See what I mean? There isn't a single manager in the World who wouldn't envy the options Dider Deschamps has at his disposal. And still, frustratingly, we likely won't see this sort of lineup because he'll stick to his more rigid, conservative style of play. If we're truly talking getting France's best players in the starting XI, though, I'm not sure how it can't be heavy in attack. A front four of golden boy Kylian Mbappé, a red-hot Karim Benzema, and the Barcelona duo of Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembélé is the stuff of dreams. France's back 5 very well could be the same that was trotted out in 2018, though I would swap in Clement Lenglet (also of Barcelona) at CB. As for midfield? Well, coming off his Man of the Match performance in the Champions League Final, N'Golo Kanté is arguably the best midfielder in the World at the moment. I went back and forth between who his partner should be, as Adrien Rabiot and Corentin Tolisso have been mroe consistent than Paul Pogba in the club season, but considering the pairing of Kanté-Pogba is undefeated, I have to go with that.
Portugal
FIFA Rank: #5
Qualified as: 2nd Place in Group B
The Skinny
The very last team we preview is the side that won it all last time out: Portugal. It still feels surreal that Portugal won the 2016 tournament, one in which they so clearly weren't the best team (they won just one match in regulation...ONE!), and yet, just refused to lose. Even in the Final, against hosts-- and favorites --France, after losing talisman Cristiano Ronaldo early in the match to injury. Now here's a scary thought: this year's version of A Seleção is even better. And I'm not sure it's even close. Where Ronaldo might be in the twilight of his career, he's joined this time by an influx of absurdly good young talent (and some familiar old heads, for good measure), and Portugal will be hungry to prove that their triumph last time was no fluke. The only problem? They've got an absurdly tough group, playing against two host nations and the tournament favorites. Call it karma for their ridiculously easy path to the final in 2016.
The Best XI
Much like France, any Best XI for Portugal should be absolutely maximizing their absurd amount of attacking talent. And again, like France, their manager's conservative style probably won't take advantage of that and I think it's a crime. Obviously Ronaldo will get the start at striker, but here's how good Portugal's attacking options are: once you get past Premier League player of the year finalist Bruno Fernandes, Liverpool super sub Diogo Jota, and Manchester City constant Bernardo Silva, there's not even room for young phenom Joao Felix. Not to mention Renato Sanches, Gonçalo Guedes or Andre Silva, who had breakout performances at the Euro Cup, Nations League, and Confederations Cup, respectively. And oh by the way, the options behind the attack aren't so bad either. Wolverhampton teammates Rui Patricio and Joāo Moutinho are veterans at goalie and midfield, and that back line includes fullbacks at Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, as well as, oh yes, reigning Premier League Player of the Year Ruben Dias.
Group Prediction
Though it breaks my Budapest-loving heart to admit it, there's just no outcome for Hungary other than 4th place. That said, I do think the Magyars could at least snag a point in front of their home fans, and Portugal seem the more likely culprits than France, especially since they enter into Budapest's unfriendly confines first. As for the other positions in this group? Expect madness. I just don't know how to separate the other three squads. I think France and Portugal are slightly better than Germany, but the latter gets them at home, and will be playing for their manager in his last tournament ever. I think they split odds all around, and Germany ends up topping the group by virtue of having the bigger win over Hungary. Portugal, just as they did in 2016, will sneak into the knockout stages despite not winning a single match.
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