6/16/24
Group D
Poland 1 vs. Netherlands 2

Oranje Weg too juicy for pallid Poland

Anthony Tomas, 8 min ago
Poland were defeated under the management of Michał Probierz for the first time, as a late Wout Weghorst winner gave the Netherlands a 2-1 win in Hamburg in Group D’s opening match at the 2024 UEFA European Championship.

Looking to capitalise on the absence of Poland’s talisman Robert Lewandowski, the Netherlands began brightly, and tested Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny within two minutes of kick-off, when Cody Gakpo tried to catch him out at his near post. Tijjani Reijnders then should have done better with the next opportunity, but after meeting Jerdy Schouten’s square pass inside the box, he failed to connect cleanly and his strike trickled narrowly wide.

Having soaked up the early pressure, Poland took the lead in the 16th minute through the man tasked with replacing Lewandowski. Adam Buksa climbed highest at the near post to head Piotr Zieliński’s corner beyond Bart Verbruggen’s reach for his seventh international goal. The Dutch were determined to make a rapid response, but Szczęsny was alert to a Virgil van Dijk volley before Memphis Depay twice fluffed his lines from close range.

The Oranje pressure finally paid off shortly before the 30-minute mark when Gakpo equalised with an effort from just outside the area, though a touch of good fortune was still required, as only a huge deflection off Jan Bednarek took it away from Szczęsny. Both sides had chances to go into HT ahead, but Jakub Kiwior’s strike was kept out by Verbruggen, before Gakpo and Depay both missed the target with the goal gaping.

Ronald Koeman’s men began the second half camped in Polish territory, but needed a counter-attack on 54 minutes to create their opportunity after the break, when a free-flowing move from their own area ended with Xavi Simons shooting just wide from 18 yards. That acted as a wake-up call for The Eagles, who forced errors from the Dutch defence and Verbruggen into a double save before the hour mark, as Kiwior and Zielinski took aim.

Poland seemed to be edging closer to equalling their points total from Euro 2020 thanks to stalwart Szczęsny thwarting a Denzel Dumfries effort after he linked up well with Depay down the right with 20 minutes to go, only for Netherlands to strike late on. Nathan Aké was afforded too much space on the right, and his deflected pass into the area fell kindly for Wout Weghorst, who applied a clinical finish.

Having seen their brave resistance finally crumble, Poland pushed for an equaliser but late Verbruggen saves mean they remain without a win at the Euros since 2016. Meanwhile, the 1988 champions have begun with a win at a third major tournament in succession.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)

Poland v Netherlands

6/16/24
Group C
Slovenia 1 vs. Denmark 1

Elect-Erik finishing sees Stuttgart spoils shared

Gregor Hynds, 9 min ago
Euro 2024’s opening Group C game saw Slovenia come from a goal down to claim a point against Denmark at the MHPArena in Stuttgart. However, the result leaves the Balkan side still looking for a first H2H win against their opponents (D2, L3).

Denmark also shared a qualifying group with Slovenia, so their psychological advantage was a very topical one. This was reflected in an opening 15 minutes that was largely played around Jan Oblak’s box, and Denmark soon got their breakthrough. A quick throw into the box was flicked on by Jonas Wind’s backheel, with Christian Eriksen chesting the ball down before firing low past Oblak to give his side a deserved lead.

Eriksen was nearly the provider of a second, as his low driven cross ricocheted off two defenders and went narrowly wide of the goal. Matjaž Kek’s men did have a few flurries into the opposition half, but their counter-attacks did very little to challenge Denmark’s backline prior to HT. And Denmark initially picked up where they left off in the second half, as they continued to control the possession and tempo of the game.

Slovenia did cause some problems in the box, with two long throws early in the half causing problems for Kasper Hjulmand’s side, as the Danish defence struggled to clear their lines convincingly. The Danes almost doubled their lead when Victor Kristiansen broke down the left wing and played a low ball onto the edge of the six-yard-box, with Rasmus Hojlund looking almost certain to score, but Oblak quickly got down and denied the young striker from point-blank range to keep Slovenia in the game.

Straight after that, Adam Gnezda Čerin had the chance to bring his side level with a header in the middle of the box, but he couldn’t guide the chance on target, as it went just past the right-hand side of Kasper Schmeichel’s goal. But just as the Danes were counting their blessings, the Balkan underdogs got their goal through Erik Janža, as his first time effort from outside the box took a deflection off Morten Hjulmand and flew past the helpless Schmeichel.

That goal flipped the game on its head, as Slovenia pursued a winner in the closing stages of the game, but despite their best efforts, they had to settle for a draw. Meanwhile, Denmark will be frustrated to drop the two points, as they had plenty of chances to kill off the game prior to the equaliser.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Christian Eriksen (Denmark)

Slovenia v Denmark

6/16/24
Group C
Serbia 0 vs. England 1

A screech or two as England are saved by the Bell

Ryan Fisher, 13 min ago
Jude Bellingham’s first-half header proved the difference in Gelsenkirchen, as pre-tournament favourites England got off to a tension-packed start at Euro 2024, withstanding heavy second-half pressure from a spirited Serbia side to run out 1-0 winners.

Finalists in 2021, Gareth Southgate’s charges enjoyed a dominant first 10 minutes with a sizable English contingent in full voice, and they deservedly drew first blood just short of the quarter-hour mark. Bukayo Saka tormented the Serbians down the right throughout the first half, and after being released by Kyle Walker, his cross was fortuitously deflected into the path of Bellingham, who arrived at the perfect time to power a header into the top corner.

Serbia had barely had a kick before conceding the opener, but they were almost gifted a highly unlikely equaliser on the 20-minute mark. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was selected in midfield alongside Declan Rice, sloppily lost possession in his own third and Aleksandar Mitrović let fly from the edge of the area, but his strike whistled wide of Jordan Pickford’s goal.

The Eagles certainly established more of a foothold from that point onwards, but clear-cut chances remained at a premium, though England themselves struggled for openings up to HT. That meant the contest sat finely poised at the interval, and Dragan Stojković’s men emerged a changed force after HT. The Serbians trapped England in their own half for long spells of probing possession, but breaking through the Three Lions’ backline to test Pickford was proving far more difficult.

England’s own struggles led Southgate to introduce Conor Gallagher and Jarrod Bowen from the bench, and the latter almost provided what would’ve been a decisive second goal. Bowen’s floated cross from the right was met by the previously anonymous Harry Kane, but the captain saw his close-range effort turned onto the bar by Predrag Rajković. At the other end, Serbia striker Dušan Vlahović then finally showed a glimpse of his talent, releasing a fearsome effort from 25 yards that Pickford tipped over as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

The Three Lions were under serious pressure as the final whistle neared, but their somewhat makeshift defence held firm, ensuring their quest to end a 58-year wait for silverware would get off to a winning start. One more victory would guarantee their place in the knockout stages, while Serbia face Slovenia in their next outing needing to avoid defeat to realistically remain in contention.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Jude Bellingham (England)

Serbia v England