Know your Euro 2020 groups: Group E – How will Spain fare without Sergio Ramos?

With the Champions League final done and dusted, fans are now focused on Euro 2020. The 16th edition of the UEFA European Championship kicks off in less than a week.

This summer’s edition promises to be an exciting one with some really good teams taking part.

France, Portugal, Belgium and England might be the favorites but the likes of Italy, Germany and the Netherlands are also capable of doing something special in the tournament.

Like 2016, this year’s competition also has 24 teams who are drawn into six groups of four. Group E has got three-time winners Spain along with Poland, Sweden and Slovakia.

On paper, Luis Enrique’s side looks to be the favorites to take top spot here but the Poles must never be written off with some of the players they’ve got.

So without any further ado, let’s take a more detailed look at the teams contesting in Group E.

GROUP E – SPAIN

Spain went unbeaten throughout their qualifying campaign to qualify for their 11th European Championship.

Along with Germany, La Roja are the most successful nation in Euro history, winning the tournament thrice in 1964, 2008 and 2012.

SPAIN TEAM INFO

• Manager – Luis Enrique
• Captain –Sergio Busquets
• Key Players – Koke, Rodri, Aymeric Laporte
• FIFA Ranking – 5
• First match of the tournament – vs Sweden on June 14

Spain’s squad for the tournament

David de Gea (Manchester United), Robert Sanchez (Brighton and Hove Albion), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao),

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Diego Llorente (Leeds United), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Eric Garcia (Manchester City), Jose Gaya (Valencia), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City),

Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Alcántara (Liverpool), Ferran Torres (Manchester City), Rodri (Manchester City), Fabian Ruiz (Napoli), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Pablo Sarabia (PSG)

Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Pedri (Barcelona)

GROUP E – POLAND

The Poles qualified for their fourth successive European Championship by topping their group ahead of Austria. They amassed 25 out of a maximum 30 points, scoring 18 goals while conceding only five.

Poland’s best appearance at the Euros came in the previous edition where they reached the quarterfinals before being knocked out by eventual champions Portugal on penalties.

POLAND TEAM INFO

• Manager – Paulo Sousa
• Captain – Robert Lewandowski
• Key Players – Robert Lewandowski, Arkadiusz Milik, Piotr Zielinski
• FIFA Ranking – 21
• Prediction – Last 16
• First match of the tournament – vs Slovakia on June 14

Poland’s squad for the tournament

Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus), Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna), Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham)

Kamil Piatkowski (Rakow Czestochowa), Tomasz Kedziora (Dynamo Kyiv), Jan Bednarek (Southampton), Maciej Rybus (Lokomotiv Moscow), Kamil Glik (Benevento), Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria), Michal Helik (Barnsley), Tymoteusz Puchacz (Lech Poznan)

Pawel Dawidowicz (Verona), Kacper Kozlowski (Pogon Szczecin), Karol Linetty (Torino), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Lokomotiv Moscow), Mateusz Klich (Leeds United), Jakub Moder (Brighton and Hove Albion), Premyszlaw Placheta (Norwich City), Przemyslaw Frankowski (DC United), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli), Kamil Jozwiak (Derby County)

Arkadiusz Milik (Marseille), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Karol Swiderski (PAOK), David Kownacki (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Jakub Swierczok (Piast Gliwice)

GROUP E – SWEDEN

Sweden finished second in their qualifying group behind Spain to qualify for their seventh European Championship and sixth in a row.

The Swedes’ best appearance in a Euro tournament came in 1992 when they hosted the tournament. They reached the semifinals before being beaten 3-2 by eventual runners-up Germany.

SWEDEN TEAM INFO

• Manager – Janne Andersson
• Captain – Andreas Granqvist
• Key Players – Dejan Kulusevski, Alexander Isak, Emil Forsberg
• FIFA Ranking – 18
• First match of the tournament – vs Spain on June 14

Sweden’s squad for the tournament

Robin Olsen (Everton), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Genclerbirligi), Karl-Johan Johnsson (Copenhagen),

Mikael Lustig (AIK), Victor Lindelof (Manchester United), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborgs IF), Pierre Bengtsson (Vejle), Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen), Filip Helander (Rangers), Emil Krafth (Newcastle United), Pontus Jansson (Brentford), Marcus Danielson (Dalian Professional)

Sebastian Larsson (AIK), Albin Ekdal (Sampdoria), Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig), Gustav Svensson (Guangzhou City), Ken Sema (Watford), Victor Claesson (Krasnodar), Mattias Svanberg (Bologna), Kristoffer Olsson (Krasnodar), Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus), Robin Quaisson (Mainz), Jens Cajuste (Midtjylland)

Marcus Berg (Krasnodar), Jordan Larsson (Spartak Moscow), Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad)

GROUP E – SLOVAKIA

Slovakia qualified for their second straight European Championship by beating Northern Ireland in the playoff final.

The Slovaks made their Euro debut in 2016 and reached the last 16 before being beaten 3-0 by eventual semi-finalists Germany.

SLOVAKIA TEAM INFO

• Manager – Stefan Tarkovic
• Captain – Marek Hamsik
• Key Players – Milan Skriniar, Marek Hamsik, Martin Dubravka
• FIFA Ranking – 36
• First match of the tournament – vs Poland on June 14

Slovakia’s squad for the tournament

Martin Dubravka (Newcastle United), Dusan Kudiak (Lechia Gdansk), Marek Rodak (Fulham),

Peter Pekarik (Hertha Berling), Denis Vavro (Huesca), Martin Valjent (Real Mallorca), Lubomir Satka (Lech Poznan), Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan), Tomáš Hubočan (Omonia Nicosia), David Hancko (Sparta Prague), Martin Koscelnik (Slovan Liberec)

Jan Gregus (Minnesota United), Vladimir Weiss (Slovan Bratislava), Ondrej Duda (Koln), Tomas Suslov (Groningen), Laszlo Benes (Augsburg), Patrik Hrosovsky (Genk), Marek Hamsik (Goteborg), Lukas Haraslin (Sassuolo), Juraj Kucka (Parma), Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli)

Robert Bozenik (Feyenoord), Robert Mak (Ferencvaros), Michal Duris (Omonia), Ivan Schranz (Jablonec)