By Ssekamatte Allan Mabiriizi Simonsen Michael
Euro 2024 provided further evidence of the narrowing gap between football aristocrats and so called minnows when, Georgia, the lowest ranked team at the event upstaged former winners Portugal 2-0 in a group F tie to book a round of 16 date with Spain. The first time qualifiers who are coached by former French international Willy Sagnol matched Portugal, who are ranked 68 places above them by world football governing body Fifa, on all important metrics.
Group E’s 1-1 draw between Slovakia and Romania was more predictable because the sides are almost of equal strength and lie number 45 and 47 in global rankings. But their place in the knock out rounds is a massive victory given their lowly ranking compared to Ukraine (24) who tumbled out on goal difference owing to a 0-3 defeat to Romania on match day one.
Neutrals hoping to see a first time winner will be disappointed that the more football changes, the more it remains the same – all the continent’s top ten ranked nations all qualified for the knock out rounds which commence on Saturday with Murat Yakin’s hard as nails Switzerland battling Luciano Spalletti’s thrice winners Italy at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
Still, all sixteen teams in the knock out rounds can take solace in the patchy form of top three pre-tournament favourites England, France and Germany who between them won just four out of their combined nine group games. England scored just two goals, the same tally as France who found the net through an own goal and Kylian Mbappe Lottin penalty.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Die Mannschaft were more emphatic in dismissing Scotland 5-1 but they too needed a 92nd minute leveller to stave off imminent defeat to Switzerland. Put another way, there are no outright favourites. Not anymore.
France’s Monday date with Belgium is the most mouthwatering tie on paper as the two sides are ranked second and third in the Fifa rankings. Les Bleus manager Didier Deschamps will consider it punishment for his team’s failure to convert territorial supremacy into all three points in the final group D tie with Poland which ended in a 1-1 draw handing group leadership to Ralph Rangnick’s impressive Austria whose own 3-2 victory over Holland helped secure a more winnable fixture against Turkey.
RESULTS
Slovakia 1-1 Romania,
Belgium 0-0 Ukraine,
Georgia 2-0 Portugal,
Czechia 1-2 Turkey
FIXTURES
SATURDAY
Switzerland v Italy,
Germany v Holland
SUNDAY
England v Slovakia,
Spain v Georgia
MONDAY
Portugal v Slovenia,
France v Belgium
TUESDAY
Romania v Holland,
Austria v Turkey