An Open Battle Rages in the “Group of Death” of the European Cup Competition
The national teams of Spain, Italy the defending champion, and Croatia are engaged in an open battle within the “Group of Death” as they seek a spot in the knockout rounds of the 2024 European Championship.
Completing this formidable group is the resilient Albanian team, who are determined not to be a mere filler team with no added value.
Spain is considered a strong contender to advance, having defeated both Italy and Croatia en route to winning the UEFA Nations League in 2023.
However, those tough matches revealed minimal differences between these three powerhouse teams.
Luis de la Fuente led Spain to their first major title since La Roja’s triumph at the European Championship in 2012, marking their third title in the continental competition.
With the dynamic young wingers Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) and Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Spain boasts two exceptional talents on the flanks, providing the speed and creativity that complement the high technical abilities of their squad.
However, “La Roja” still lacks a reliable goal scorer. Atletico Madrid’s center-forward Alvaro Morata has seen a dip in form in the second half of the season, yet he remains a likely candidate to lead the attack. Mikel Oyarzabal, on the other hand, impressed with a hat-trick in Spain’s 5-0 victory over Andorra on Wednesday.
Rodri, Manchester City’s defensive midfielder, brings stability and solidity to the lineup.
A friendly 3-3 draw with Brazil last March highlighted some of Spain’s strengths and weaknesses.
As for Italy, the reigning champions who defeated England to claim the title in the summer of 2021, they remain a formidable team despite their failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Former Napoli coach, Luciano Spalletti, took the lead of the Italian national team, Squadra Azzurra, last August following the unexpected resignation of Roberto Mancini, who moved on to manage the Saudi national team.
The squad, aiming for their third European title, features several players from Italian champions Inter, with playmaker Nicolo Barella being a standout.
Paris Saint-Germain’s French goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, a crucial player in Italy’s triumph in the previous tournament, remains a key asset for the team.
Similar to Spain, Italy lacks a top-quality striker. Genoa’s Matteo Retegui appears to be the best option to spearhead the attack, while Juventus’ Federico Chiesa will provide significant threat on the wing.
In turn, Croatia was eliminated in the quarter-finals against Spain in the last European Cup, but they have a mix of experienced players and young talent who may take it further on this occasion.
Croatia, led by Zlatko Dalic, who were the runner-ups in the 2018 World Cup and placed third in Qatar’s world cup two years ago, will try to give the 38-year-old veteran midfielder Luka Modric a wonderful farewell, as he plays his last continental tournament.
Osasuna’s Spanish striker, Ante Budimir, is having a good season, while Croatia can rely on Mateo Kovačić from Manchester City and Marcelo Brozovic from Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr in the midfield, and Josko Gvardiol in defense; thus all their lines appear integrated.
In contrast, Albania has no star names but is able to defend deep and wait for the right moment to counter-attack.
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