We are just about a week away from the commencement of the 16th edition of the UEFA European Championship, Euro 2020.
This summer’s competition will see for the first time, cities from 11 different countries host matches.
There are some really good teams participating in the tournament and some great footballers who could make it quite a vibrant one.
Like in 2016, there are a few debutants in Finland and North Macedonia, both of whom are appearing in their very first major competition. There are 24 teams participating and they have been divided into six groups of four.
Group D of the tournament comprises one of the favorites England, 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia, Czech Republic and Scotland, who are featuring in their first tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
This isn’t the most dangerous group of all but there are some tricky matchups here. England might seem the favorites but on their day, the Croats can give them a run for their money.
The Scots and Czechs don’t seem pushovers either. So without any further ado, let’s take a more detailed look at the teams in Group D.
GROUP D – ENGLAND
The Three Lions have a great bunch of players who are capable of becoming the new “Golden Generation”. England finished top of their qualifying group to reach their tenth European Championship.
The Three Lions’ best showing in the Euros came in 1968 when they finished third. They had another semi-final appearance in 1996.
ENGLAND TEAM INFO
- Manager – Gareth Southgate
- Captain – Harry Kane
- Key Players – Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden
- FIFA Ranking – 4
- Prediction – Last 16 (if they win their group otherwise quarterfinals since their opponents could be France)
- First match of the tournament – vs Croatia on June 13
England’s squad for the tournament
Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Machester United), Sam Johnstone (West Bromwich Albion)
Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Conor Coady (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Reece James (Chelsea)
Declan Rice (West Ham), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
GROUP D – CROATIA
The Vatreni won their qualifying group to reach their sixth European Championship and fifth in a row.
Croatia’s best performance at the Euros is making the quarterfinals in their debut in 1996 and in 2008.
CROATIA TEAM INFO
- Manager – Zlatko Dalic
- Captain – Luka Modric
- Key Players – Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Andrej Kramaric
- FIFA Ranking – 14
- Prediction – Quarter-finals
- First match of the tournament – vs England on June 13
Croatia’s squad for the tournament
Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Simon Sluga (Luton Town)
Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Duje Caleta-Car (Marseille), Dejan Lovren (Zenit), Mile Skoric (Osijek), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Josip Juranovic (Legia Warsaw), Domagoj Bradaric (Lille), Josko Gvardiol (Dinamo Zagreb)
Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Marcelo Brozoic (Inter Milan), Nikola Vlasic (CSKA Moscow), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Miroslav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Milan Badelj (Genoa), Luka Ivanusec (Dinamo Zagreb)
Josip Brekalo (Wolfsburg), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Ante Rebic (AC Milan), Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
GROUP D – SCOTLAND
Scotland defeated Serbia in their playoff final on penalties to qualify for their third European Championship and first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
In their previous two Euro appearances, the Scots were eliminated in the first round although they had a relatively better showing in 1996 compared to 1992.
SCOTLAND TEAM INFO
- Manager – Steve Clarke
- Captain – Andy Robertson
- Key Players – Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Scott McTominay
- FIFA Ranking – 44
- Prediction – Group Stage
- First match of the tournament – vs The Czech Republic on June 14
Scotland squad for the tournament
Craig Gordon (Heart of Midlothian), David Marshall (Derby County), Jon McLaughlin (Rangers)
Stephe O’Donnell (Motherwell), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Grant Hanley (Norwich City), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal), Greg Taylor (Celtic), Declan Gallagher (Motherwell), Liam Cooper (Leeds United), Nathan Patterson (Rangers), Jack Hendry (Oostende), Scott McKenna (Nottingham Forest)
Scott McTominay (Manchester United), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Ryan Christie (Celtic), John Fleck (Sheffield United), Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), David Turnbull (Celtic), Ryan Fraser (Newcastle United), Billy Gilmour (Chelsea), James Forrest (Celtic)
Lyndon Dykes (QPR), Che Adams (Southampton), Kevin Nisbet (Hibernian)
GROUP D – CZECH REPUBLIC
The Czechs maintain their 100% record of qualifying for every European Championship since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. If we include the years they played as the latter, this is their tenth appearance.
As the Czech Republic, their best performance in the Euros is reaching the final in 1996 where they were beaten by the very first Golden Goal in senior international football from Oliver Bierhoff.
As Czechoslovakia, they won the tournament in 1976 in Yugoslavia, beating West Germany on penalties in which Antonin Panenka scored the spot-kick that has been named in his honor.
CZECH REPUBLIC TEAM INFO
- Manager – Jaroslav Silhavy
- Captain – Vladimir Darida
- Key Players – Tomas Soucek, Patrik Schick, Jakub Jankto
- FIFA Ranking – 40
- Prediction – Group Stage
- First match of the tournament – vs Scotland on June 14
Czech Republic squad for the tournament
Tomas Vaclik (Sevilla), Jiri Pavlenka (Werder Bremen), Ales Mandous (Sigma Olomouc)
Pavel Kaderabek (Hoffenheim), Ondrej Celustka (Sparta Prague), Jakub Brabec (Viktoria Plzen), Vladimir Coufal (West Ham), Tomas Kalas (Bristol City), Tomas Holes (Slavia Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague), Jan Boril (Slavia Prague), Ales Mateju (Brescia)
Antonin Barak (Verona), Vladimir Darida (Hertha Berlin), Lukas Masopust (Slavia Prague), Petr Sevcik (Slavia Prague), Jakub Jankto (Sampdoria), Tomas Soucek (West Ham), Alex Kral (Spartak Moscow), Jakub Pesek (Slovan Liberec), Michal Sadilek (Slovan Liberec)
Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), Michael Krmenčík (PAOK), Adam Hlozek (Sparta Prague), Matěj Vydra (Burnley), Tomáš Pekhart (Legia Warsaw)