A full menu of Matchday 3 drama awaits on Monday with more round of 16 places on the line.
We preview the action as Ukraine face Austria and North Macedonia play the Netherlands in Group C, before Finland take on Belgium and Russia visit Denmark to conclude Group B.
23:00: Ukraine vs Austria (Group C, Bucharest)
Ukraine need just a point to finish second in the section, but Andriy Shevchenko has ruled out chasing anything less than victory against Austria. “You won’t go far with such a mentality,” warned the coach, so expect the usual attacking approach from his team – with in-form captain Andriy Yarmolenko again leading from the front.
Yarmolenko has surpassed Shevchenko as Ukraine’s record holder for direct goal involvements during this EURO, his two strikes and one assist taking him to 42 goals and 21 assists overall, compared to 48 and 13 respectively for his predecessor. He will be hoping for more against an Austria side who would grab second spot with a win, in a game coach Franco Foda has described as “our final”.
Key stat: Roman Yaremchuk’s goal against North Macedonia was his fourth in his last five international matches for Ukraine. He will be relishing taking on an Austria team boasting just one clean sheet in their previous eight EURO final tournament games.
23:00: North Macedonia vs Netherlands (Group C, Amsterdam)
With the Netherlands already crowned as group winners and North Macedonia sure to finish bottom, both these teams know their fate. But there will be intrigue all the same as the impressive Oranje look to lay down another marker – this time with Donyell Malen and Ajax prodigy Ryan Gravenberch possibly handed starts.
Still only 19, Gravenberch is close to half the age of North Macedonia captain and talisman Goran Pandev, for whom this could be the very last international before retirement. Labelled a “sly fox” by Netherlands coach Frank de Boer, he and his team will want to exit this tournament on a high. In the words of De Boer’s counterpart Igor Angelovski, “We want to put on a real show.”
Key stat: The Netherlands are unbeaten in all four previous meetings with North Macedonia (W2 D2) and are aiming to win all three group matches at a EURO for the third time, having done so in 2000 and 2008.Who needs what? All the permutations
03:00: Finland vs Belgium (Group B, Saint Petersburg)
How big is this match? Just ask Markku Kanerva, who has described his team’s meeting with Belgium as “probably the most important game in Finnish football history”. Finland know that victory would secure their place in the last 16 and certainly have history on their side, having won four and drawn three of their last seven meetings with the Red Devils, whose most recent victory in the fixture dates back to 1968.
Belgium, meanwhile, lie top of the table after two eye-catching wins which leave them requiring a single point to finish first. “That’s something we are definitely going for,” says goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, with Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Axel Witsel tipped to make their first starts at EURO 2020.
Key stat: Belgium have won each of their last 12 EURO matches (qualifying and finals combined) but have never posted a 100% group stage record at any previous continental tournament. Their best effort so far was two wins out of three at EURO 2016.
03:00: Russia vs Denmark (Group B, Copenhagen)
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Denmark performed well against a much-fancied Belgium team on Thursday, Yussuf Poulsen notching the second-fastest goal in EURO history before their opponents recovered after the interval to win. That made it two defeats in two for the Danes, but Kasper Hjulmand’s charges still have everything to play for and can even finish as high as second.
Their home support will be willing them on to do just that, whereas Russia face their first major tournament fixture overseas since EURO 2016 – ending a sequence of seven games on home soil that began at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. With three points under their belts, however, Stanislav Cherchesov’s side are in the stronger position.
Key stat: Russia’s win against Finland on Matchday 2 was their first victory in seven EURO final tournament matches (D2 L4), while 1992 champions Denmark need all three points to have any chance of reaching the knockout rounds for the first time since 2004.
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