At the European Championship, all national teams have already played their first matches, and after the first round, Outside 90 analyst Joel Fruci decided to talk more about his observations after the first matches.
Favorites had a tough time, but did not stumble in the opening round
Tournament hosts France had to work hard in the opening match against Romania. The Romanians fought fiercely throughout the match, and only a fantastic Dimitri Payet goal in the final moments brought the French victory 2-1 and three points.
Like the Romanians, Czech footballers also caused nerves for the Spaniards. Pavel Vrba's team's defense held strong for 89 minutes, while the attacking line created opportunities at the opponents' goal. The Czech national team lacked very little until that point, and it was taken away by a superb pass from Andres Iniesta to Gerard Pique in the 89th minute and the latter's goal.
Germany also did not have easy matches against Ukraine. Shkodran Mustafi scored in the 19th minute, leading the defending champions in front. The Germans had to wait until the last moments of the match for their second goal.
Belgium thought too highly of themselves
Ranked second in FIFA rankings, the Belgian national team was considered one of the favorites before the championship. With players like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Toby Alderweireld, and Thibaut Courtois in their ranks, the Belgians were eager to start their golden era in the championship.
However, in the first matches of the championship, the Belgium national team was defeated by Italy, who not only prevented the opponents from creating chances but also scored two goals to beat the Belgians 2-0. The defense line composed of Juventus players expertly shut down Romelu Lukaku, who was completely invisible in these matches.
The stars of the Belgian national team seemed average, and Marc Wilmots will have to solve his team's problems before the second round matches. The loss in the first round brought unexpected problems to the Belgians, and with the team failing to defeat the Irish in the second round, the hopes of the Belgians in these championships may diminish to a minimum.
UEFA actions will be scrutinized
After the bloody clashes between England and Russia fans, UEFA decided to punish the Russians by imposing fines and threatening to remove them from the tournament if such incidents are repeated.
UEFA leaders faced criticism for not doing enough to reduce violence within the stadium boundaries. They were criticized for not taking appropriate actions to separate fans of one team from their opponents, thus reducing the possibility of conflict in the stadium.
UEFA took serious actions against Russia, but if the fans of this country do not stop their inappropriate actions, will UEFA keep its word and oust the Russian national team from these championships?
All set for the matches of the British national teams
Even before the European Championship, the match between Wales and England was one of the most intriguing and talked-about group stage matches.
The first match only increased the intrigue in this meeting - England, after a draw with Russia, now must win, while Wales, after a victory against Slovakia, controls the situation in the group. A victory against the "big brothers" would not only guarantee a place in the knockout stages but also complicate the position of the England national team.
This will be the 102nd match between these national teams, but none has been as important as the current match. The Welsh national team is unlikely to have a better opportunity to defeat their main rivals.
Andres Iniesta's abilities still amaze us
Will this player's game ever deteriorate? Even at the age of 32, he still stands out for his skills on the field. In the first round, his superb pass to Gerard Pique brought victory and three points to the Spanish national team.
Spanish dominated the entire match, and in the next round the Spanish national team and Andres Iniesta will face the Turkish national team, who, after a loss to the Croats, must win to advance further.
There will be no easy matches for the Spanish in this championship, and Andres Iniesta will have to continue to demonstrate his mastery.
Debutants had different outcomes
With an increased number of teams in the European Championships this year, four debutants made it to the tournament - Iceland, Northern Ireland, Albania, and Wales.
In their debut matches, these national teams had different outcomes - Albania and Northern Ireland lost their matches 0-1, while Wales debuted with a 2-1 victory against Slovakia. However, most talked about were the Icelanders, who managed to earn a point playing against group favorites Portugal.
In the second round, these national teams will face stronger opponents, but the debutants are determined to prove that they deserve to be in the European Championship.
