With UEFA Euro 2024 set to commence, we bring you the lowdown on Group 4, comprising Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia and England.
The UEFA Euro 2024 is all set to get underway in three days in Germany. The best teams from across Europe are all set to come together to compete to be able to lift the silverware on 14th July.
Group C comprises one of the favourites in England, who will be expected to go a long way in this tournament. On paper, they are the strongest in the group and should not have much trouble qualifying for the knockout rounds.
While people are not really expecting much from the likes of Slovenia, Demark, and Serbia, they do have some top-quality stars in their team and would love to take their team all the way to the final. Winning the Euro does require a lot and the majority of the time, experience is what matters.
But at times we have seen underdogs go on and create history. All three of the teams will first look to take down the giants in England and hope they can go deep into the competition. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the squads of all teams in Group C and tries to understand how things could pan out for them in Germany.
Group B – Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
Matches
June 16: Slovenia vs Denmark; Serbia vs England
June 20: Slovenia vs Serbia; Denmark vs England
June 25: Denmark vs Serbia; England vs Slovenia
Slovenia
No doubt Matjaz Kek’s team are underdogs in Group C. But they do have the potential to cause an upset or two. Qualifying for the Euro was considered to be a great achievement for them given this will only be their second-ever appearance at the continental tournament, having made their debut back in 2000.
While a last-place finish is what one would expect from Slovenia, they can surely surprise a lot of people given the amount of quality they have in their ranks. They are expected to stick to their tried and tested 4-4-2, which will give them a lot of defensive cover.
Their skipper Jan Oblak, who will take charge in goal at UEFA Euro 2024, will play a big part in how far they go. In attack, they have a young star in the in-demand Benjamin Sesko, who will be leading the line. He will be eager to announce himself to the world with an impressive outing in the Euros.
The game against Serbia will be the one to watch out for as both countries were a part of Yugoslavia back in the day. While they will surely want to win against Serbia, they will also hope to somehow make it out of the group. But it does look a bit too much to ask for given that it is their first major tournament in 14 years.
During the qualifying stage, they won seven of their ten outings. They only suffered two defeats and managed to keep things tight at the back as they only conceded nine goals and managed to find the back of the net on 20 occasions.
Key Players: Jan Oblak and Josip Ilicic
At 36, Ilicic has been recalled to the national team after being out of the international stage for a few years now. The attacking midfielder has a lot of experience which could come in handy in such a major event and his recent form is not bad either as he contributed towards 21 goals last term.
While Ilicic will look to make the difference up top in attack, their skipper Oblak will look to ensure they make it very difficult for the opposition to score goals at UEFA Euro 2024. Keeping a clean sheet will always keep them in the thick of things. The Atletico Madrid shot-stopper has done wonders at the club level for years and he will be hoping to take his national team a long way at UEFA Euro 2024.
Notable Omissions: None
Slovenia do not really have that big a pool of players to choose from, and the majority of the players who deserve to be in their squad have made it. While there isn’t a notable omission, Ilicic’s inclusion has come as a surprise to many. But, given his recent form, he surely deserves to be involved in their first major tournament in over a decade.
Denmark
Denmark are all set to enter UEFA Euro 2024 with a lot of expectations, having made it to the semi-finals of the previous edition of the tournament. They were knocked out at the hands of England, who are a part of their group this time around.
Kasper Hjulmand’s men will look to reach the levels they did back in 1992 when they went all the way and defeated Germany in the final. But, things do not really look that bright for them heading into Euro 2024. They finished bottom of their group in the FIFA 2022 World Cup despite having quite a few stars in their ranks.
While they might not have the firepower to go all the way, they should definitely aim to finish second in the group. Denmark not only have an opportunity to avenge the loss they suffered in the semi-final of Euro 2020 against England but they will also be going up against two teams (Serbia and Slovenia) who have never defeated them. As a result, a place in the knockout rounds is the minimum that the fans will expect from the team.
With Kasper Schmeichel in goal and the likes of Simon Kjaer and Andreas Christensen in front of him, they do have a lot of experience at the back and it could come in handy against a team like England. While they do have quality players in the midfield as well as attack, the defence is what will decide how far they go this time around.
Key Players: Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund
Denmark will rely heavily on their backline to ensure they make it out of the group but they need composure in the centre of the park and more importantly, someone who can score goals which is why the Manchester United duo are going to be very important to their chances.
While Eriksen did not really get enough game time at Manchester United last season, he has a lot of experience under his belt and will bring a lot of composure to their midfield. On the other hand, Hojlund had an impressive debut season where he found the back of the net 16 times and will look to build on it when he leads the line for his nation at UEFA Euro 2024.
Notable Omissions: Matt O’Riley
O’Riley’s absence from Kasper Hjulmand’s squad has come as a huge surprise. The 23-year-old had a sensational 2023/24 season on the back of which he has attracted a lot of attention, as he had 37 goal contributions (19 goals, 18 assists) in his 49 outings.
Despite all his heroics for Celtic from the centre of the park, he has missed out on the opportunity to play for his country at a major event. O’Riley could have been a great option for them from the bench, and his absence might be felt when they have someone who can create chances and score goals from midfield.
Serbia
Serbia are all set to feature in back-to-back major tournaments for the first time since regaining independence in 2006. They did not really have the best of World Cup campaigns as they could only manage a point in three outings and will be eager to do better in their very first European Championship.
Dragan Stojkovic has a lot of quality at his disposal, and his team surely possesses the ability to cause a few upsets. They have high-profile forwards in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic and a star creator in Dusan Tadic.
Serbia have other star players who will also have a big say on how things pan out for them. They did not really have the best of qualifying campaigns as they finished second to Hungary who defeated them both home and away.
While it resulted in a lot of criticism for Stojkovic, he will be eager to make a point at UEFA Euro 2024. But it won’t be easy because they have never defeated England or Denmark, they have only won once against Slovenia. As a result, they do need to punch above their weight to gain direct qualification to the knockouts.
Key Players: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Dusan Vlahovic
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has had a sensational season with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, the 29-year-old midfielder was involved in 44 matches and he ended up contributing towards 29 goals (12 goals, 17 assists). While he is surely enjoying life in the Middle East, the Serbian will now be focused on giving his all at UEFA Euro 2024.
He will be a key figure for them not just in the midfield but also in the dressing room. He will try to ensure they end up dictating the pace of the game on most occasions. Apart from the midfield general, Vlahovic will be the other key player for Serbia. While the 24-year-old did not light up the world, he still had 18 goals last season and he will be a constant threat for the opposition.
Notable Omissions: None
The Serbian squad does not really have any surprise. All the players who were expected to make it to the final cut are a part of it, and they will now be focusing on squaring up against England in their first outing.
England
The Three Lions have made great progress under the leadership of Gareth Southgate over the years. They were in the final of UEFA Euro 2020 but ended up on the losing side against Italy. Despite all their efforts they have not won a major silverware in years and will be eager to end that wait in Germany this time around.
They have one of the best squads at the tournament and are one of the favourites to lift the title on 14th July. While their squad had a few major surprises, there is enough quality at their disposal to go past any team on their day.
England were drawn in the same group with defending champions Italy for Euro 2024 and they managed to comfortably finish top of the group with eight wins and two draws. While the qualifying campaign did go according to plan, the Three Lions just suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat to Iceland days before the start of Euro 2024.
They will have to get it together and start dominating the opposition from the start if they want to end their title drought. With Harry Maguire not recovering in time for the continental tournament, Southgate does have a few big decisions to make before heading into the first game.
Key Players: Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham
Foden and Bellingham both had exceptional seasons for their respective clubs last season. The Manchester City star led them to their fourth successive Premier League, while Bellingham managed to win the La Liga and the Champions League trophy in his debut season with Real Madrid. Both players have enjoyed a lot of success of late and if they carry on playing in a similar fashion at UEFA Euro 2024, England can surely go a long way.
Notable Omissions: Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has not really done enough during the 2023/24 campaign to make a case for himself. As a result, he is absence from the final squad is understandable, although his exceptional pace and his ability to step up in important moments is something England could miss.
Grealish’s absence is another big decision that Southgate has taken. While he has quite a few options to choose from on the left flank, the Manchester City forward could still have come in handy as he can dribble past anyone with ease and more importantly, has the ability to maintain possession.
Potential Underrated Difference Makers
Jonas Wind
The 25-year-old striker is expected to pair up with Rasmus Hojlund in attack for Denmark. While Hojlund will have the limelight, Wind could be the one who actually ends up making a difference. He has enjoyed a great season with Wolfsburg and will now be looking to have a big impact at the Euro. He found the back of the net on 12 occasions and even had eight assists last term and if Denmark were to advance, he will surely have a big say.
Marc Guehi
Guehi is not really an underrated player, although he is still very new at the international stage. And with Harry Maguire out injured, the 23-year-old could be their go-to man in defence. His performances at the back will have a huge impact on the overall squad.
If the backline can cope well without the Manchester United centre-back, their attack and midfield has the quality to take them all the way. But, for all that to happen Guehi will need to produce the goods on a consistent basis.
Likely to Qualify: England and Denmark
Given the kind of progress they have had under Gareth Southgate, England will surely be one of the teams that make it out of the group. They have way too much quality in their ranks to get eliminated in the group stage and are expected to at least be amongst the last four teams.
Denmark might not have been at their very best in the recent past but they have experience in their ranks and will most likely finish second in the group behind England to secure the automatic qualification spot.
While the team finishing third could also book a place in the knockout stage, this might be one of the two groups which won’t see a third team qualifying because neither Slovenia nor Serbia seem to have it in them to go beyond the group stage.