“Ask Italy’s players for their magic formula, and you might be disappointed in the reply. “This team has no secret,” insisted the midfielder Nicolò Barella after Wednesday’s demolition of Switzerland. “There’s just enthusiasm, on and off the pitch. This is a compact group.””
Nicky Bandini (quite rightly) lavishes praise on how Italy have started this tournament:
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Are France going to win this thing? The world champions are favourites, it would seem with very good reason. Here is some analysis of their opening win against Germany from Eric Devin:
“As familiar as we are with Paul Pogba’s exquisite passing, he also got through a mountain of work, stifling Thomas Müller and his teammates in the centre of the park and forcing the Germans to the flanks.”
While you are here, gorging yourself on our Euro 2020 coverage, please take a moment to read Jonathan Liew’s piece about how all of this comes together - and how you can help:
Can everyone just stop banging on about England v Scotland please? No, it would appear not. Here’s a thoughtful email from David Wall on how the match unfolded:
“Can I be the heretic and say that I didn’t think England were that dire, nor Scotland that good last night. Some of the analysis on ITV afterwards was ridiculous on both ends of the scale. After all, both Stones and Mount missed absolute sitters for England in the first half, and those were better chances that any Scotland produced. What Scotland did well was they turned the match into a high tempo / low control match, similar to club matches in England and Scotland. And rather than rising to match that, England tried (and failed) to lower the pace to the slower, more patient approach that had worked against Croatia. Unfortunately England aren’t yet good enough at that style to impose it on another team that don’t adopt it naturally.
“And paradoxically, it might actually do England good not to try to change back to the high tempo style for the rest of the tournament. International football is generally played with lower overall tempo, high control, and then bursts of urgency that overwhelm and break through the opposition. They did that well against Croatia, and it is what they will need to do in subsequent rounds (assuming they do qualify). Getting better at that style (and good enough so they would be able to impose it in a game like last night’s) is what is more likely to lead to a tournament win. Unfortunately it might also mean that Scotland don’t qualify. Croatia are good enough at that style to impose it. Although they’ve been underwhelming so far, I’d still not be surprised to see them dominate Scotland in their final group game.”
“There is no despondency inside Hungary, it would appear, despite the misfortune to be drawn in a group alongside three heavyweights, in the role of supporting punchbag.”
Andy Hunter looks ahead to Hungary’s meeting with the world champions, France, which is coming up in a couple of hours:
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Actually, before we preview today’s matches, my thoughts on last night at Wembley: I thought it was more a case of Scotland being excellent than England being poor. It hardly needs to be said that England had no automatic right to win the match. Their performance against a past-their-best Croatia was widely over-praised and last night, Gareth Southgate looked like a man under a bit of pressure in his post-match interview. The most impressive thing about Scotland, I thought, was that Steve Clark had clearly succeeded in getting his players to channel their passion into a top performance rather than letting things boil over on what was a hugely hyped occasion. Aside from one unnecessary foul by John McGinn, they simply went about their business, and made it very hard for England all night.
I thought it was a good match to watch, too, played at a good tempo, although that was possibly influenced by the dirge we’d had to endure earlier in the day, notably with Sweden v Slovakia. As goalless draws go, last night was significantly better than Sweden’s stalemate with Spain ...
Thank you, Tom. There are plenty of smiling Scots milling around in King’s Cross at the moment - and why shouldn’t they smile? Their team performed admirably against England, they have a point on the board, and Steve Clark’s men can dream of the last 16 ... I’ll start looking ahead to today’s matches, beginning with Hungary v France, which kicks off in Budapest in under three hours.
With that, I will be leaving you. The charming Luke McLaughlin is taking over the reins.
ITV have also been in touch. They also seem quite smug. Essentially lots of people were watching last night’s game. Viewership peaked with 20 million viewers and 79 percent share across ITV and STV, making the 0-0 the most-watched match of Euro 2020 so far. Poor fools.
While it is not quite the 27.5 million of us who sobbed into our pints during England’s World Cup semi-final against Croatia in 2018, ITV’s coverage from Wembley last night was also the most-watched football match since, averaging 18.4 million viewers for a 74 per cent audience share across ITV and STV.
Jared Evans has emailed in. He seems quite smug:
Just wondering if you’ve heard from Nick Ames, Paul Doyle, Andy Hunter, Jamie Jackson, Jonathan Liew and Louise Taylor? They all predicted Wales would be out in the group stages and of course that England would be in the semi-finals. Wondering if any of them would like to revise their predictions.
Given it is virtually impossible to not qualify for the last 16 of this tournament it probably was not wise to back Wales to fall so early. As for England, the less said the better.
Ben Fisher has written some nice things about Aaron Ramsey though.
If you prefer your your regular dose of Euros in audio form then Football Daily has you covered. Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jim Burke and John Brewin, with reaction from both Ewan Murray and Jonathan Liew at Wembley
I cannot go on bemoaning England’s failures. Not only is not good for my wellbeing but it is grossly unfair to Scotland. Fortunately the Guardian employ Ewan Murray, who is not only an excellent writer but is great at not being grossly unfair to Scotland.
Here is his take on the emergence of Billy Gilmour as a Scotland star.
There has always been a danger that Scottish excitement over Gilmour comes without detailed knowledge of his capabilities, given that Chelsea use him so sparingly. Only via nights such as this can a body of evidence be compiled. So far, so good. The ease with which he has transitioned into international football implies that he possesses some very special skills.
More than theme from Jonathan Liew. Who asks some questions in this piece that not many will like the answers to.
Here comes the bit where we knock down arguably England’s only legitimate world class player. It gets dark, but all will be forgiven when he scores a hat-trick on Tuesday night to set up a last 16 tie against Portugal. Sigh.
I am going to keep this coming. So here is a frank assessment of how both sides played from Jacob Steinberg:
For those of you who want to relive it, here is David Hytner’s report from Wembley last night:
As you might be able to tell I am absolutely refusing to acknowledge that England flop at Wembley. Well done Scotland, you came, you saw, you ran around London naked and returned home with a point.
Good morning everyone. Was there a game last night? Must have missed it. Still, England are looking good to qualify for the last 16. A nice draw against those Czechs and Gareth Southgate can start scheming for last 16 game against one of those inviting looking Group E teams. The England manager has played a blinder here, it is like 2018 all over again. Scotland? Still bottom of the group, I think.
Anyway, we move on. Today is real treat, we have each of the last three World Cup winners in action, plus the reigning Euros champions, the team they beat in the final of that tournament and the side that lifted the trophy in 2012 (some of those may be the same thing). Poland and Hungary are very much the ugly stepsister in this Saturday football feast, but they are no mugs either.
John McGinn, never heard heard of him?
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