All The UEFA EURO 2020 Games Match Threads

Turkey look like they played a game at midday. The Italians of all teams running rings around them. Good countering teams might do well against the Italians they’ve have to be good at defending themselves.

3-0 Italy.... if it wasn't already....game over.

I dunno if the Italians are good or the Turks just pish poor?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

I dunno if the Italians are good or the Turks just pish poor?

I mean this as a compliment but Italy look like a closely knit club team. They are a danger.

I expected better from Turkey, they billed as outsiders, dark horses well they look like no hopers judging by tonight

Good point from Ferdinand (I think it was him?) after the game. An Italian team without a 'star' player who everyone is looking to for something to happen. Just quick passing, good movement, hard work and capable defending. They look a good team and not being reliant on one or two players means you're less likely to fall apart given an injury or two.

Quoted from Maringer

Good point from Ferdinand (I think it was him?) after the game. An Italian team without a 'star' player who everyone is looking to for something to happen. Just quick passing, good movement, hard work and capable defending. They look a good team and not being reliant on one or two players means you're less likely to fall apart given an injury or two.

Yes, it was Ferdinand. It was an interesting point, very well picked up by your good self.

You don’t need your best eleven individuals on the pitch to win tournaments. You need your best team.

Think the format doesn't help. 24 teams down to just 16 means avoiding a heavy defeat gives you a chance of finishing third and qualifying in the group if you manage 3 points. Turkey looked happy to lose 1-0, and get their win in the next couple of games.

Quoted from GrimRob

Think the format doesn't help. 24 teams down to just 16 means avoiding a heavy defeat gives you a chance of finishing third and qualifying in the group if you manage 3 points. Turkey looked happy to lose 1-0, and get their win in the next couple of games.

Yes think I preferred the old format. Top 2 two teams from each group qualify and go straight to the quarter finals.

Really impressed with Italy last night. As much as Turkey’s coach got his tactics totally wrong, Italy played at a high tempo and on the front foot. My only concern with Italy going forward is they didn’t protect the ball as well as you normally get with Italy & some of their decision making in the final third wasn’t great.

You could see how a better drilled team could really damage Italy by hitting them on the counterattack with pace against an ageing centre back pairing. For example France with Kante doing his thing in midfield and the pace of Mbappe. A bit like how Chelsea have beaten Man City 3 times under Tommy Tuchal.

Last night might be the first example of how so many teams having home advantage will skew results in the group stage with some non-hosts having horrendous itinerary (e.g. Switzerland playing in Baku, Rome & then Baku again)