BERLIN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- On June 29, the knockout round of the 2024 European Football Championship will officially begin, and 16 teams will continue to attack the Delaunay Cup.
Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and other strong teams gather in the top half, who will stand out? Can England, who had a sluggish performance in the group stage, still reach the final? Austria, Turkey, Romania, which team has the most "dark horse" potential?
The peak showdown and the continuation of the grievances will usher in the answer in the next 15 days.
Who can break out of the "top half of death"?
The top half of the knockout round is full of highlights, with four quarter-finals including Spain vs. Georgia, Germany vs. Denmark, France vs. Belgium and Portugal vs. Slovenia.
In the group stage, Spain and Germany were the strongest teams. Spain are the only team to have won three in a row and kept a clean sheet in all three matches. The host team, Germany, won 2 and drew 1 in 3 games, scoring 8 goals, and is the team with the most goals.
Spain and Germany, who are on hot form, will face each other in the quarter-finals if they can beat their respective opponents. Objectively, there is a huge difference in the strength of the Georgian team and the Spanish team, and I am afraid it will be difficult to cause too much trouble for the "Bullfighting Army".
Germany will face a big challenge if they want to beat Denmark in the semi-finals of the last European Championship. Jonatan Taji's yellow card suspension and Rudiger's injury have stretched the 'German's backline. However, the Danish midfielder Julmann also accumulated yellow cards and was suspended, which is also a big loss. Whoever can better exploit the holes in the opponent's lineup will have the upper hand on the field.
The clash between France and Belgium was a repeat of the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Few could have predicted that the two top-three teams in the world would meet early in the round of 16. Looking at the group stage, both teams had a weak attack, scoring only two goals and failing to finish top of the group. France's number one star Kylian Mbappe has suffered a nasal injury and has not yet found his best form. Lukaku was blown three goals, and his mentality was greatly affected, which was the biggest problem for the Belgian team.
Since 2018, the two teams have met twice, and the French team has won both times, giving them a psychological advantage. France defender Yu Parmecano said: "The French team often beat the Belgian team, we have no pressure. ”
Belgium defender Meunier said the team had to be positive against France: "We need to be very aggressive and our confidence hasn't gone away. If we can beat France, we can start again. ”
Whoever wins, France and Belgium, is likely to face Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo (Cristiano Ronaldo) in the quarter-finals. After locking up the top spot in the group ahead of schedule, Portugal lost to Georgia in the final round of the group stage. Although they failed to enter the knockout stage with a winning attitude, the main team rotated significantly, and their fitness and form were restored. Portugal have more than enough attacking weapons to crack Slovenia's low post defense.
Another highlight of the game is whether Ronaldo can usher in his first goal of this European Championship. The Portuguese superstar topped the list of all players with 12 shots in three group games, but still failed to find the back of the net. Once Cristiano Ronaldo successfully scores, he will set a new record for goals in six consecutive European Championships.
Can the second half of the district give birth to a super "dark horse"?
Compared to the brutal top half, the bottom half is much friendlier to the teams. The four quarter-finals are Romania against the Netherlands, Austria against Turkey, England against Slovakia and Switzerland against Italy.
The three traditional powerhouses in the semi-zone, England, Italy and the Netherlands, did not perform well in the group stage, which also gave the other teams hope to "go black to the end".
Although England topped the group with one win and two draws to advance to the knockout round, the luxurious attacking line composed of Kane, Bellingham, Saka and Foden only scored two goals, and the game was even more lackluster. After the 0-0 draw with Slovenia in the final round of the group stage, England fans booed the players to express their displeasure.
The "Three Lions", who are aiming to win the championship, must perform better in the knockout round. With Phil Foden temporarily absent due to family matters, England manager Gareth Southgate will need to adjust his attacking mix in the quarter-finals against Slovakia, with Palmer expected to be in the starting line-up. Whether or not the team's attack can make a positive difference will determine how far England can go.
'I know we weren't at our best in the first three games, but it's a good opportunity to get us back on track.' Bellingham said.
If they can make the cut, England will face the winner between Italy and Switzerland. The Swiss were unbeaten in the group stage and even came close to beating Germany at one point, showing an efficient and quick counter-attack. Swiss coach Jaquinn was full of confidence: "The draw against Germany gave us a lot of confidence and we are not worried about playing against Italy. ”
While Italy had a mediocre performance in the group stage, any team that underestimated the defending champions who made it to the knockout stages is likely to pay the price. "No team wants to play against Italy, we have a glorious football history and this is a team that won't give up." Italy striker El Shaarawy responded. However, Italy's main central defender Calafiori is suspended for accumulating yellow cards, which may adversely affect the team's defense.
The Dutch team, who qualified as third in the group, unexpectedly "blessed with a blessing in disguise" and avoided the major teams in the knockout round. Romania won the group, but they were somewhat unlucky to face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. However, the "Yellow Roses" have proven with their results that they are capable of going further. With a 'world-class' backline led by Virgil van Dijk, the Dutch will be looking to defend the dignity of their traditional powerhouse.
Austria beat France and the Netherlands in Group D to top the knockout rounds. Turkey also performed well with two wins and one loss. Two teams with an open style of play are expected to contribute a wonderful offensive battle in the quarterfinals.
With Austria, Turkey and Romania in the same semi-zone, there is a chance to produce a "dark horse" team that will reach the semi-finals. The opportunity to make history is already in front of them. Who can seize the opportunity? Let's wait and see.