Worldies, own goals, late drama, golden oldies and super subs… MATT BARLOW reviews a thrilling Euro 2024 group stage and picks his XI of the tournament so far
There were own goals and wonder goals. There were script-changing late goals. Records were shattered, hearts broken and noses busted in the group stage of Euro 2024.
There were bright shiny newbies and great golden oldies. Unlikely heroes burst from the fringes.
There were pink kits and pretzels, armies of tartan, invasions of orange. Blaring car horns of late-night celebration, doner kebabs and mighty steins of ale.
There was John McGinn’s Bavarian prancing and Wreck-it Ralf’s renaissance, his Austrians all tanked up on Red Bull philosophy.
There was Christian Eriksen’s opener, a Danish fairytale before the Group of Snooze sent its audience to sleep.
Ralf Rangnick's Austria team have caught the eye during the entertaining group stages
Croatia legend Luka Modric became the oldest scorer at the Euros at the age of 38
SPRINTING AND STROLLING
The fashion for high-octane football played at a relentless pace without time for over-coaching produced early contests of carefree fun strewn with errors.
Thirty of the 81 goals came in the first half an hour of games.Quite right too, in the land that led the gegenpressing revolution and set us off down this road. At the vanguard, the High Priest of the high press Ralf Rangnick and his exhilarating Austria team of perpetual motion.
Caution prevailed in England’s group but others laden with stars found it heavy going against those with a plan and a determined attitude, and Group E — which Romania won but everyone finished on four points — concluded in a state of inertia.
Perhaps that’s the double-edge of the third-placed qualifiers.
One win all but gets you through so teams take early risks, but Scotland and Ukraine never recovered from hammerings in their opening games.
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