Detailed Analysis of Round 3 of UEFA Euro 2024 and fixtures for Round of 16
UEFA Euro 2024 continues to entertain as 24 teams have completed the group phase, with 16 of them advancing to the knockout rounds set to begin on Saturday, June 29.
Some teams started all guns blazing, while others took a while before finding their feet in the tournament. There were some huge upsets and disappointments, with some teams achieving unprecedented feats, while some others underperformed.
Without further ado, let’s take a detailed look at Round 3 of games from Euro 2024.
Group A: Germany and Switzerland march on
Having won their first two games, Germany were all but through to the knockouts even before their match against Switzerland. It was all about final position in the table as the Swiss grabbed a first-half lead and looked like topping the group. However, Niclas Fullkrug’s 92nd minute equalizer meant Die Mannschaft would retain top spot.
Elsewhere, Hungary secured a dramatic last-ditch win to eliminate Scotland courtesy of a goal from Kevin Csoboth in the 100th minute to secure a win. However, they were eliminated too after teams from other groups overtook them in the best third-placed teams’ table.
Group B: Spain and Italy progress with ease
Spain continued their incredible start to Euro 2024 and rounded off the group stage with a narrow 1-0 win against Albania in their last game. They remain the only side to win all their games so far, and are also yet to concede at the tournament.
Italy qualified second from the group having achieved every result possible in their three matches. They secured a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Croatia courtesy of a wonder-goal from Mattia Zaccagni in the 98th minute to progress to the next round.
Meanwhile, both Croatia and Albania were knocked out after failing to register a single win at the tournament.
Group C: England’s top goal-shy group
With a total of seven goals across six games, this was the lowest-scoring group at the tournament. England’s opening 1-0 win against Serbia was the only win in those matches, with the other five ending as draws.
The Three Lions progressed after a dull 0-0 draw against Slovenia in their final group game with their forwards misfiring. Denmark did their best to overtake England on the last day but were held to a goalless draw by Serbia, who bowed out as the lowest-scoring side with just one goal in three games.
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Group D: Austria emerge as surprise toppers
Group D arguably had the toughest path for the teams involved, with all four teams possessing quality players and coaching staff. However, Austria claimed the top spot with a thrilling 3-2 win over the Netherlands in their final group game, with Marcel Sabitzer grabbing the winner.
Meanwhile, France and Poland ended up playing a 1-1 draw with Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski scoring a penalty apiece. As a result, Les Bleus qualified in second place, while the Dutch made it through as one of the best third-placed teams.
Group E: Ukraine make unwanted history
Akin to Group E, or the ‘Group of Death’ from the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, this group saw all four teams finish on four points at the end of Round 3. As a result, Ukraine were eliminated having bagged four points and became the first team in Euro history to suffer that fate.
Romania emerged as shock group-toppers after they came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Slovakia in their last game. They were first by virtue of goals scored, while Belgium finished second, and Slovakia squeezed through as one of the third-placed teams.
Group F: Georgia secures monumental result
The headliners of this round, let alone Group F – Georgia defeated Portugal 2-0 in a heroic effort as they scraped into the round of 16 as one of the third-placed teams. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s early goal and Euro 2024 top scorer Georges Mikautadze’s penalty did the trick as they defended until the final whistle and celebrated with profound joy.
Meanwhile, the other game had a rather heated ending as Cenk Tosun snatched a late win for Turkey, but players from both teams came together in clashes as Czech Republic ended the night down to nine men. Portugal topped the group owing to a superior goal difference, while the Turks took second place.
Teams and fixtures for Round of 16
Germany and Switzerland were the first two teams to qualify for the round of 16, with Spain and Italy joining them the following day. Group C saw England, Denmark and Slovenia progress in that order, while Group D saw an unlikely winner in Austria, followed by France and the Netherlands.
Group E had a unique finish, with all four teams tied on four points. However, Romania advanced as group winners with Belgium in second, while Slovakia qualified as the third-placed team. Group F rounded off the teams as Portugal topped the group followed by Turkey, with debutants Georgia in third place.
That said, let’s take a look at the schedule for the round of 16.
Sr. No. | Fixture | Date | Time (GMT) |
1 | Switzerland vs Italy | Sat, June 29 | 5:00 PM |
2 | Germany vs Denmark | Sat, June 29 | 8:00 PM |
3 | England vs Slovakia | Sun, June 30 | 5:00 PM |
4 | Spain vs Georgia | Sun, June 30 | 8:00 PM |
5 | France vs Belgium | Mon, July 1 | 5:00 PM |
6 | Portugal vs Slovenia | Mon, July 1 | 8:00 PM |
7 | Romania vs Netherlands | Tue, July 2 | 5:00 PM |
8 | Austria vs Turkey | Tue, July 2 | 8:00 PM |
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