With Euro 2020 getting underway on Friday 11th June, naturally at All Leeds TV we'll be monitoring the progress of our seven Leeds United representatives throughout the tournament, both previewing and reviewing each match day for each individual player. Expect to be signposted in the direction of all the relevant fixtures, and inundated with the appropriate facts and figures to properly prepare you for an entertaining month of international tournament football.
Match Day 1
The tournament itself begins in Rome on Friday 11th June, with Turkey taking on Italy in an 8pm kick-off, to be shown on BBC One after the opening ceremony.
Afterwards, the games involving Leeds United representatives are as follows;
Saturday 12th June Group A: Wales v Switzerland (2pm BBC One)
Sunday 13th June Group D: England v Croatia (2pm BBC One) Group C: Austria v North Macedonia (5pm ITV)
Monday 14th June Group D: Scotland v Czech Republic (2pm BBC One) Group E: Poland v Slovakia (5pm ITV) Group E: Spain v Sweden (9pm BBC One)
Tuesday 15th June Group F: France v Germany (8pm ITV)
Wales v Switzerland - Tyler Roberts
Wales reached Euro 2020 by finishing as runners-up in their qualifying group, containing Azerbaijan, Croatia, Hungary & Slovakia. Going unbeaten at home, Ryan Giggs' side lost only two of their eight matches, away to Hungary and World Cup finalists Croatia.
Tyler Roberts played only 34 minutes in total for the Dragons during qualifying, and has only completed a full ninety minutes on two occasions since, in a 1-0 Nations League victory over Bulgaria and a 3-0 friendly defeat to England. Roberts has thirteen caps to his name prior to the tournament, but is yet to score for his country.
The Welsh warmed up for the tournament with a goalless draw against Albania, following a 3-0 defeat to World Champions, France. Roberts was an unused substitute for the loss in Nice, but did start the final warm-up game in Cardiff; completing 71 minutes as one of two central strikers for Robert Page's side.
Wales are the first Home Nations side to feature at Euro 2020, getting underway on Saturday 12th June versus Switzerland in Baku. The Swiss are ranked 13th in the FIFA World Rankings (four places higher than Wales), and qualified as winners of a difficult qualifying group containing Denmark, Georgia, Gibraltar & Republic of Ireland.
Switzerland head into the tournament in fine form, having registered back-to-back friendly wins over the USA (2-1) and Liechtenstein (7-0).
Roberts is likely to start on the bench for Wales, but could get his chance in the closing stages if the scoreline remains tight. The 22-year-old will no doubt be hoping to bag his first senior international goal at this summer's tournament.
England v Croatia - Kalvin Phillips
Gareth Southgate's side sailed through qualifying in typically English fashion, winning all but one (a 2-1 defeat to Czech Repbulic) of their eight group games, registering home-and-away victories over Bulgaria, Kosovo & Montenegro.
Kalvin Phillips made his Three Lions debut in September 2020, and therefore was not involved during the qualifying stages for this tournament. However, he has been heavily involved in the recent World Cup 2022 Qualifier's, completing the most minutes of any outfield player in Southgate's squad thus far.
England warmed up for the Euro's with back-to-back 1-0 friendly wins over Austria and Romania, with Phillips collecting his eighth senior cap when completing 45 minutes against the latter.
England start their Euro 2020 journey at Wembley on Saturday 13th June, as they face the beaten finalists of the 2018 World Cup, Croatia. The Three Lions are ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings, ten places above the side that knocked them out in the World Cup semi-final's three years ago.
Croatia, qualifying as group winners from the same group as Wales, warmed up for the tournament with a 1-1 draw at home to Armenia, before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Belgium.
Competition is strong for a starting position in the centre of England's midfield, but one can definitely expect Phillips to feature at the tournament. The Wortley-born midfielder has been handed the number fourteen shirt, and is highly thought of by Southgate and his staff. But, will he start the opening game at Wembley? Our money, naturally, is on Phillips to play a pivotal role in bringing it home!
Austria v North Macedonia - Ezgjan Alioski
North Macedonia qualified for their first ever European Championships in dramatic fashion, via the play-off's, having finished third in their qualifying group behind Poland & Austria. In the play-off's, Igor Angelovski's side navigated their way past both Kosovo and Georgia to secure their spot at a major tournament for the first time in their history.
Ezgjan Alioski scored one goal and registered four assists in qualifying (missing only two games), and is one of the most important players for his national side, alongside veteran skipper Goran Pandev.
The affectionately-named Gjanni, featured in every minute of North Macedonia's two warm-up fixtures, grabbing a goal in a 4-0 win over Kazhakstan, and an assist in a 1-1 draw with Slovenia. Alioski has 42 caps to his name prior to the start of Euro 2020.
North Macedonia begin the Euro 2020 campaign in Bucharest on Sunday 13th June versus Austria. The Lions are possibly the biggest underdogs at this summer's tournament, sitting 62nd in the FIFA World Rankings, with their opening-day opponents, Austria ranked 23rd.
Austria finished as runners-up to Poland in qualifying, beating North Macedonia home and away by an aggregate 6-2 scoreline, and are therefore naturally favourites.
Franco Foda's side followed up that 1-0 defeat to England last week, with a goalless draw at home to Slovakia to complete their warm-up fixtures.
Scotland v Czech Republic - Liam Cooper
Steve Clarke guided Scotland to a first major tournament since 1998 via play-off's, after finishing third in a qualifying group containing Belgium, Russia, Cyprus, Kazakhstan & San Marino. Scotland edged past both Israel and Serbia in the play-off's, both by means of penalty shoot-out victories.
Leeds United captain Liam Cooper made his international debut during the qualifiers, and has collected a total of five caps prior to this summer's tournament. Having featured sporadically since making his debut in June 2019, alongside being handed the number sixteen shirt, his likelihood to be a starter for the Tartan Army is difficult to gauge.
Scotland's Euro's warm-up fixtures feature an impressive 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, in which Cooper completed 62 minutes, and a 1-0 victory over Luxembourg.
Scotland get their Euro 2020 underway on home soil, as they host Czech Republic in Glasgow on Monday 14th June. The Czech's are ranked 40th in the world, only four places higher than Scotland.
Jaroslav Silhavy's side qualified as the second-placed side in Group A, won by England, containing Kosovo, Bulgaria and Montenegro.
Czech Republic's pre-tournament warm-up fixtures resulted in a 4-0 away defeat to Italy, before a 3-1 victory over Albania in Prague.
Poland v Slovakia - Mateusz Klich
Poland qualified for Euro 2020 as runaway winners' of a qualifying group containing Austria, Israel, Latvia, North Macedonia & Slovenia, winning eight of their ten group games, and losing only once (away to Slovenia).
Mateusz Klich featured regularly for Poland in qualifying, and has two goals in his 31 senior international appearances prior to this summer's tournament.
Under new manager Paulo Sousa, the Poles drew back-to-back friendlies with Russia (1-1) and Iceland (2-2) in preparation for the Portugeuse's first major tournament in charge of the Eagles, with Klich coming through 70 minutes against the Russian's in Wroclaw.
Poland's kick-off in Saint Petersburg on Monday 14th June, as they face Slovakia. Sousa's side are ranked 21st in the FIFA World Rankings, fifteen places above their opening-day opposition, and boast one of the deadliest striker's in world football in Robert Lewandowski.
Meanwhile, Slovakia qualified through the play-off's, after finishing 3rd in their group behind Croatia and Wales. Slovakia disposed of both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (after extra-time) in the play-off's.
Stefan Tarkovic's side were held to draws at home to Bulgaria (1-1), and away to Austria (0-0) in their preparations for Euro 2020.
Spain v Sweden - Diego Llorente (& Rodrigo)
Spain sailed through qualifying, going unbeaten in all ten games, to win a group containing Faroe Islands, Malta, Norway, Romania and Sweden.
Both Diego Llorente and Rodrigo played their part in qualifying, with the latter scoring four goals in seven games, while Llorente was sent off during the final of his three qualifying group appearances. Both have featured fairly regularly (when available) for the national side since signing for Leeds last summer, despite both having an injury-hit first season in English football.
Llorente has eight senior caps prior to the start of Euro 2020, with Rodrigo boasting eight goals from his 25 senior international appearances.
Las Rojas warmed up for the tournament with a goalless draw against neighbours Portugal, in which Llorente made a late 11-minute cameo appearance, before a 4-0 win over Lithuania. Although Spain's preparations have been hindered by a coronavirus outbreak in camp, which initially sidelined Barcelona's Sergio Busquets, forcing Luis Enrique to call up four replacement players, including Rodrigo, to join the national sides training group for the tournament. The side that eventually put four past Lithuania was mostly made up of under-21's.
Since facing Portugal, Llorente has sadly tested positive for coronavirus, and will therefore miss Spain's opening group game at home to Sweden in Seville on Monday 14th June. Fitness allowing, Llorente may be fit for Spain's final group game against Slovakia on Wednesday 23rd June. And, one would imagine his chances of playing may impact on any potential chances for Rodrigo to feature, having originally missed out on a place in Enrique's provisional 26-man squad.
Sweden are ranked 18th in the FIFA World Rankings, twelve places below Spain, and qualified as runner's-up to Spain in Group F. The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in Solna with Rodrigo scoring for the visitors, while Spain romped to a 3-0 victory in Madrid, as the Spaniards took four points from six against Janne Andersson's side.
The Swede's preparations for the tournament went swimmingly, with back-to-back home wins over Finland (2-0) and Armenia (3-1).
France v Germany - Robin Koch
Germany qualified as winners of Group C, having lost only once in eight games (against the Netherlands), having recorded home-and-away victories over Belarus, Estonia and Northern Ireland.
Robin Koch made his competitive senior international debut for Joachim Lowe's side during their qualifying campaign, in a 4-0 victory of Belarus, and now has eight caps to his name prior to the start of Euro 2020.
Having featured regularly, when fitness has allowed, Koch played thirty minutes in the recent 1-1 friendly stalemate at Denmark. The German's then rounded off their preparations with a thumping 7-1 win over Latvia.
Germany's opening fixture at Euro 2020 is arguably the tie of the round, as Die Mannshcaft face World Champions France in Munich on Tuesday 15th June. Joachim Lowe's side are ranked an uncharacterstically low 12th in the FIFA World Rankings, meanwhile tournament favourites France are ranked 2nd.
France unsurprisingly topped their qualifying group, only coming unstuck against Turkey (who took four points from Didier Deschamps side), in a group containing Albania, Andorra, Iceland and Moldova.
The French head into the tournament firm favourites, World Cup 2018 winners and on the back of back-to-back 3-0 friendly wins over Wales and Bulgaria.
So, that's your preview of the first game week of the upcoming Euro's. Check back at the end of each round of fixture's to see how the boy's got on in our Euro 2020 Review's, and you can expect weekly preview's of each round of fixtures as well.
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Excellent lads...Calgary White...I'll be following you all Tournament until England win it ;) MOT