Cristiano Ronaldo, Goran Pandev, Jude Bellingham, Patrik Schick, Wojciech Szczesny, Denzel Dumfries, Italy, Portugal, Austria, North Macedonia and others have their names already on history books and it’s just a games each at the UEFA European Championship.
Dutch players celebrate against Ukraine. Photo Credits: Twitter/ Georginio Wijnaldum
The European Championship got underway on Friday and the excitement has started to increase in multiple, as more games are being played. So far history has been made, and dreams has been shattered.
It began with Italy’s 3-0 win over Group A rival, Turkey. Roberto Mancini’s side extended their impressive record of not conceding to nine games. Goals from Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and a Merih Demiral’s own goal were all needed to secure the biggest win, on the opening day in the history of the European Championship.
It followed with Wales taking on Switzerland in Baku. Both sides have shared the victory in their two previous meetings that preceded and on Saturday, they also shared the points after Kieffer Moore’s second half header canceled out Breel Embolo’s opener in the other match of Group A.
Mario Gavranovic thought he had won it for the Swiss after ghosting into the six-yard area and scooping a left-footed strike past Ward in goal. However, it wasn’t meant to be as he was penalised for offside in the build up to the goal.
Italy now lead the way with three points. Switzerland and Wales on a point each while Turkey, remain bottom after the game one.
In Group B, Denmark and Finland took centre stage in a match that saw Danish Midfielder Christian Erikson collapse but before half time and had to be taken to the hospital. Play was abandoned for almost an hour before it was confirmed his condition is stable.
Play however resumed later in the evening and Joel Pohjanpalo scored the only goal in a 1-0 Finland win. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg saw his penalty and chance to level matters for his side denied by Goalkeeper, Lucas Hradecky.
Belgium ran out 3-0 winner in the other Group B game with Russia. Romelu Lukaku scored a brace, becoming the fastest player to reach 60 international goals, taking 93 caps. Thomas Meunier, who replaced the injured Timothy Castagne was also on target for the Belgian Red Devil’s.
Belgium are first on the standings after their big win. Finland also on three points while Denmark and Russia occupy third and fourth places respectively. Timothy Castagne has been ruled out for the rest of the Euros.
Kalvin Phillips ran the show for England, as they got their Euro campaign off to a winning start at the expense of Croatia. The Leeds United Midfielder teed up Raheem Sterling for the game’s only goal three minutes before the hour mark. The 1-0 win means England also kept their first clean sheet in an home game against Croatia.
Jude Bellingham, 17, becomes the youngest player to appear at the European Championship, after replacing Harry Kane in the closing minutes of the game.
Goran Pandev scored as North Macedonia marked their first appearance at a major tournament. Photo Credits: Twitter/ UEFA EURO 2020
North Macedonia made history as they mark their first ever appearance in a major tournament in a 3-1 loss to Austria on Sunday evening. Gladbach defender, Stefan Lainer opened the scoring but Goran Pandev, equalized as he becomes the second oldest player to score in the European Championship.
Second half goals from substitutes, Michael Gregoritsch and Marko Arnatovic took the game beyond Igor Angelovski men as Austria recorded their first-ever win in the European Championship.
The other Group C game between The Netherlands and Ukraine has been rated the best game so far in the tournament, and the score line did not disappoint.
After a goalless first half, the Dutch led 2-0 before the hour mark thanks to goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Wout Weghorst. However, Adriy Shevchenko men fought back to level at 2-2. Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk with the goals.
The game them went on to be the highest scoring game in the history of the Euros, when the first half had ended goalless, as Denzel Dumfries, who set an unwanted record of missing two big chances in a single European championship match atoned for his errors, scoring what proved to be the winner to hand Frank de Boer side their first win at the Euros since 2008.
Austria are in first place in the Group followed by The Netherlands. Ukraine and North Macedonia fit into third and fourth respectively.
Czech Republic beat Scotland by two goals to nothing thanks to a Patrik Schick’s brace, in which the second is a Puskas contender and the furthest distance, 49.7 yards, from which a goal has been scored on record at the European Championship since 1980.
Patrik Schick scored a worldie and a half against Scotland. Photo Credits: Twitter/ UEFA EURO 2020
The Czech’s lead the way, on better goal difference than England. Croatia are third after their narrow loss to England and Scotland, after waiting 23 years are rocked bottom after the first group games.
In Group E, Poland Goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny become the first Goalkeeper to score an own goal at the European Championship to give Slovakia an early lead. Torino Midfielder, Karol Linetty drew Poland level shortly after the break.
Grzegorz Krychowiak becomes the first player to be send off at the Euro 2020, after getting a second yellow for a late foul on Jakub Hromada. Milan Skriniar won it for Slovakia, firing into the net after Marek Hamsik headed into his path from a corner. 2-1 it finished in Saint Petersburg.
In the other group game, Spain dominated but we’re held in a goalless draw with Sweden. It would have been more disastrous for Krasnodar striker Markus Berg had scored from close range, when teed up by Alexander Isak. Spain also had their fair share of the chances though with Alvaro Morata a culprit on several occasions.
Surprisingly, Slovakia leads the way after matchday one with Spain and Sweden tied on a point each. Poland are fourth after losing in the first game.
And in the last group, the group of death, Hungary looked to have starved Portugal in the first game of the group but Cristiano Ronaldo and co. feasted toward the ending of the game. Hungary frustrated Portugal all game long and even thought they had scored, only for Schon to be rightly penalised for offside.
But Portugal wasn’t meant to be denied maximum points and Raphaël Guerreiro put them in front six minutes from normal time and Cristiano Ronaldo from the spot and a beautiful finish after a team play scored Portugal’s second and third of the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two vs. Hungary and he is now the top scorer in the history of European Championship. Photo Credits: Twitter/ Faisal HQ
Cristiano Ronaldo is now the outright top scorer in the history of the European Championship with 11 goals, while he also becomes the oldest player to score two goals in a single European Championship game.
Portugal also recorded the fastest time to score three goals in the history of the Euros, and are unbeaten in all of their 14 games against Hungary, winning 10 and drawing four. While Cristiano Ronaldo also becomes the first and only player to score in five different Euros.
In the other group game, Mats Hummels scored Germany’s first ever own goal to give France a 1-0 win in the much anticipated heavyweights clash. The Borussia Dortmund defender diverted a Lucas Hernandez’ cross past Manuel Neuer in goal just after 20 minutes played.
The German looked the better side but could not fashion an equalizer as they recorded loss in their opening game of an European Championship tournament in their history. They are third on the log with Portugal leading the pack after their 3-0 win over bottom side, Hungary.
Second group games commences later today with Finland battling Russia, Turkey taking on Wales and Italy lock horns with Switzerland.
Afolabi Kehinde Hassan
