European Cup Group B Tour At 0:00 on June 16, Beijing time, the 2024 European Cup Group B opened with a shot. The first match was Spain vs Croatia. The teams in Group B are Spain, Croatia, Italy and Albania, which can be called the group of death. In this tour, the author will analyze the teams in Group B one by one to help you understand them comprehensively.
Spain: Can the young storm return to its former glory?
World ranking: 8
The best record of the European Cup: 3 times winning
Results of the last European Cup: Top 4
Spain won the European Cup for three times in 1964, 2008 and 2012, ranking first with Germany. In the four years from 2008 to 2014, they won two European Cups and one World Cup, and were also dominant in the national team at that time. However, as the glorious generation grows old, Spain has also experienced a war of humiliation. In the 2014 World Cup, they lost to the Netherlands in a big ratio of 1:5. San Cassi, who once stood on the top of the world goalkeeper, also had to overcome his old age. The lonely eyes of a generation of goalkeepers also made countless fans feel distressed.
Rodriguez from Manchester City Since then, Spain has gone through a period of decline, and its lineup has also been changing like a young man. Winning the championship of the European League of Nations in 2023 is their first step to the world. This young Spanish team is gradually rising. Young players such as Yamal and Cuba are growing rapidly. Pedri can also take on the important task. Roderi, who plays for Manchester City, is the middle beam of the current team, and Morata has also been selected successfully.
In this European Cup, Spain was assigned to Group B, with defending champion Italy and runner up Croatia in the 2018 World Cup, which can be called the group of death. However, as long as the team plays normally, there is no problem for the team to qualify. Interestingly, the first battle of this group will be the match between Spain and Croatia. These two teams are exactly the teams in the final of the UEFA in 2023, when Spain won the championship over its rivals.
Italy: The civilian lineup lacks star flavor, and everything is possible
World ranking: 9
The best record of the European Cup: two championships
Results of the last European Cup: Champion
Italy is a traditional power. It has won the European Cup twice and the World Cup four times. However, although they won the championship of the last European Cup, it is not too bad for this team to say that it is the worst one in recent years. The team was double killed by England in the qualifying match, and then drew with its direct competitors, Northern Macedonia and Ukraine. Finally, it won the qualification of directly qualifying for the European Cup by virtue of the goal difference advantage.
At present, this team is more or less ordinary and lacks star flavor. Apart from Donaruma, the lineup has no highlights. The midfielder Lucatelli failed to be selected, while Fazioli, who had been suspended for seven months for gambling, was included in the list. Coach Spalletti intended to replace this team with younger blood, so Chiellini and Bonucci, the heroes who won the last European Cup, were also not selected, because Mobile, Bellardi, Bellotti, etc. were also lost for various reasons.
Of course, although the lineup is flat, it may not be impossible to create miracles. In the final of the last European Cup, Italy defeated England through penalty shoot out with a civilian lineup. However, they failed to qualify for the World Cup in the same way. If we had to add a comment to this team, it would be "anything is possible".
Croatia: Modric's swansong veteran with rich experience
World ranking: 10
The best record of European Cup: the top 8
Results of last session: Top 16
Looking at the European Cup alone, Croatia's record is not outstanding, but their performance in the World Cup will definitely impress the fans. In 2018, the Croatian team united and won the second place in the World Cup, creating a brilliant moment in the history of the national team. However, in the European Cup, they only reached the last eight with the first result in the group match in 2008, but they also stopped here. At present, they have not won the European Cup knockout.
The last performance of Modric contest Speaking of the Croatian lineup, I believe we will not feel strange, veteran Modric is still the core figure of this team, which will also be his swan song in the competition! At the age of 38, we still have to question whether he can play well in the fierce competition. Pericic is still the top shooter, but his physical strength and injury will inevitably affect his speed of drawing the sword. As the golden generation gradually fades out of sight, Croatia's overall lineup has also been greatly affected.
Croatia, which specializes in all kinds of insubordination, will not be underestimated even in the death group. They have extremely strong tenacity to make world fans remember themselves. They are not afraid of strong opponents in the World Cup battlefield, and can drag opponents into overtime or even penalty kicks. They have rich experience in psychological warfare. Any strong team will have a headache when they meet them. In the European Cup, qualifying is the best record before, and a breakthrough is a victory in the knockout phase.
Albania: Tough, not to be underestimated or qualified judges in groups
World ranking: 66
The best record of European Cup: group match
Results of the last European Cup: not participated
Albania is undoubtedly the weakest player in this group, and has also become the battleground of three strong teams. They were selected for the first time since the European Cup in France in 2016, but they also stopped here. This European Cup is their second time to enter the competition. It can be said that every step is to create history without psychological burden. Maybe their ultimate goal is to win the next game. But if this team is defined as fish belly, it would be too belittling the enemy. In the preliminary stage, they beat Poland and the Czech Republic to win the first place in the group by themselves, almost leaving Levandovsky without the last competition to play. It is enough to prove that they are not soft persimmons, and anyone can come here.
Aslani for Inter Although Albania does not have world-class superstars, their squad includes some players who have performed well in the top European leagues. Aslani, who plays for Inter, and Jim Siti, who comes from Atlanta, have added some chips to the team. Their physical quality and tenacity are not poor, and the playing method of defensive counterattack is also very suitable for grabbing points in the big game. As the weakest team in this group, although the probability of passing the line is not great, to a certain extent, their battle results may directly affect the situation of passing the line.
Looking forward: Spain breaks through the siege of Albania and becomes a judge
According to the latest odds offered in the lottery, Spain's winning odds are 7/1, which is the most promising in Group B. Italy is 12/1, Croatia is 22/1, ranking 2-3 in the group, Albania is 500/1, the weakest, and at the same time, it ranks the bottom of 24 teams. This group is an absolute death group. For Spain, the number one hot player, every game is a tough one, with an extremely good defensive Italy, a very resilient Croatia, and a surviving Albania. The results of the three teams against Albania may become a major factor in the qualification.
In addition, in terms of the schedule, the venues for both Spain and Italy are very close, so the overall schedule is relatively friendly. In contrast, the schedules of Croatia and Albania need to be changed repeatedly, and Albania is the national team with the longest transition time in this group.
The specific schedule is as follows:
At 00:00 on June 16, Spain vs Croatia, Berlin Olympic Stadium
At 03:00 on June 16, Italy vs Westphalia Stadium in Dortmund, Albania
At 21:00 on June 19, Croatia vs Hamburg Hokes Park in Albania
At 03:00 on June 21, Spain vs Italy Gelsenkirchen Feltins Arena
At 03:00 on June 25, Croatia vs Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Italy
At 03:00 on June 25, Albania vs Dusseldorf Crystal Entertainment Arena, Spain
(Sina Lottery)
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