Know your Euro 2020 groups: Group F – The Group of Death

We have less than a week before the commencement of the 16th edition of the UEFA European Championship, Euro 2020.

This summer’s tournament promises to be a highly exciting one with some really good teams competing.

There were doubts regarding the availability of spectators owing to the Covid-19 pandemic but it has been confirmed that fans will be present in all matches.

Just like in 2016, there are 24 nations that have been drawn into six groups of four teams each. Group F has three elite football powerhouses in world champions France, reigning champions Portugal and three-time winners Germany along with Hungary.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the toughest group of the tournament, hence rightfully called, the “Group of Death”.

Hungary are in the kind of position Costa Rica were in the World Cup and it will truly be a miracle if they manage to get a single point from any of their three games.

Now, let’s take a detailed look at the teams in Group F.

GROUP F – FRANCE

The world champions qualified for their 10th European Championship and eighth in succession by topping their group with 25 points out of a maximum 30.

Les Bleus have won the Euros twice with their first coming in 1984 thanks to Michel Platini’s exploits. Their second triumph came in 2000 under the captaincy of their current manager and courtesy of a David Trezeguet Golden Goal in the final against Italy.

FRANCE TEAM INFO

• Manager- Didier Deschamps
• Captain- Hugo Lloris
• Key Players- Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema
• FIFA Ranking- 2
• First match of the tournament- vs Germany on June 15

France’s squad for the tournament

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Mike Maignan (Lille)

Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Clement Lenglet (Barcelona), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea), Lucas Digne (Everton), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Leo Dubois (Lyon), Jules Kounde (Sevilla)

Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus),  Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham Hotspur), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich)

Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Ousmane Dembele (11), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach) 

GROUP F – PORTUGAL

Portugal surprisingly finished second in their qualifying group behind Ukraine but it was enough to take them to their eighth European Championship.

Their best Euro appearance came in the previous edition in France when they won it thanks to a goal from Eder in extra time against the hosts.

PORTUGAL TEAM INFO

• Manager- Fernando Santos
• Captain- Cristiano Ronaldo
• Key Players- Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias
• FIFA Ranking- 5
• First match of the tournament- vs Hungary on June 15

Portugal’s squad for the tournament

Rui Patricio (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Rui Silva (Granada)

Nelson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Pepe (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Jose Fonte (Lille), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Nuno Mendes (Sporting CP)

Joao Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Danilo Pereira (PSG), William Carvalho (Real Betis), Renato Sanches (Lille), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), Sergio Oliveira (Porto), Joao Palhinha (Sporting CP)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Andre Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt), Rafa Silva (Benfica)

GROUP F – GERMANY

Germany won their qualifying group ahead of Netherlands to make it to their 13th successive European Championship.

Along with Spain, Die Mannschaft are the most successful team in the history of the Euros, having won it thrice in 1972, 1980 and 1996.

GERMANY TEAM INFO

• Manager- Joachim Low
• Captain- Manuel Neuer
• Key Players- Toni Kroos, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller
• FIFA Ranking- 12
• First match of the tournament- vs France on June 15

Germany’s squad for the tournament

Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Bernd Leno (Arsenal), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Monchengladbach), Robin Gosens (Atalanta), Niklas Sule (Bayern Munich), Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig),Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund), Robin Koch (Leeds United), Christian Gunter (Freiburg)

Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich),Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Florian Neuhaus (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Monchengladbach), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich),

Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Timo Werner (Chelsea), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Kevin Volland (Monaco)

GROUP F – HUNGARY

Hungary qualified for their fourth and second successive European Championship by staging a remarkable comeback in their playoff final against Iceland.

The Magyarok’s best display at the Euros came in their inaugural appearance in 1964 where they finished third.

HUNGARY TEAM INFO

• Manager- Marco Rossi
  
• Captain Adam Szalai
• Key Players- Peter Gulacsi, Adam Szalai, Willi Orban
• FIFA Ranking- 37
• First match of the tournament- vs Portugal on June 15

Hungary’s squad for the tournament

Peter Gulacsi (RB Leipzig), Denes Bidusz (Ferencvaros), Adam Bogdan (Ferencvaros)

Adam Lang (Omonia), Akos Kecskes (Lugano), Attila Szalai (Fenerbahce), Attila Fiola (Fehervar), Wlli Orba (RB Leipzig), Loic Nego (Fehervar), Gergo Lovrencsics (Ferencvaros), Endre Botka (Ferencvaros), Bendeguz Bolla (Fehervar)

Adam Nagy (Bristol City), Tamasz Cseri (Mezokovesd), Andras Schafer (Dunajska Streda), Laszlo Kleinheisler (Osijek), Daniel Gazdag (Philadelphia Union), Roland Varga (MTK Budapest), David Siger (Ferencvaros), Kevn Varga (Kasimpasa)

Adam Szalai (Mainz), Filip Holender (Partizan), Roland Sallai (Freiburg), Nemanja Nikolic (Fehervar), Szabolcs Schon (FC Dallas), Janos Hahn (Paks)