Has Euro 2020 lived up to your expectations?
Mark Ogden: I had low expectations because of the workload of last season and the strange format of the game in 11 cities across Europe, and the tournament hinges on my pessimistic outlook. But nobody remembers the group stage and it's all about the knockout games, so I hope that Euro 2020 will really come alive after the 16th round. The 24-team format means a huge gap between the top teams and the outsiders, then you have a seeding system that has led to Group F being placed in France, Germany and Portugal with three potential winners, so of course there is There is room for improvement in terms of the format. The absence of a single host has also felt a disconnect so far, but it will be better than now as knockout games between top teams always generate memories and excitement.
Julian Lawrence: As much as I've loved every game, even the boring ones, I can't help but feel a little overwhelmed with the quality we've seen so far. I don't think the level has been very good in most tournaments. We've seen moments of brilliance here and there, and some of the best bits of the game, but overall I'm a little disappointed. I expected more but would probably do best in the knockout stages. All the top teams are there, all the big players will want to perform when it matters the most. The real quality is about to come.
James Ollie: Yes. Increasing the squad size to 26 enabled greater rotation to address signs of fatigue but in any case, the standard of football has been good. The COVID-19 cases have been minimal and perhaps the fear of Christian Eriksson made us all realize that we should enjoy the moment a little more. The tournament is worse overall for the bloated format, but despite this there was still plenty of intrigue in the group stage, most obviously in Group F with Portugal occupying all four positions during the final 90 minutes on Wednesday. However, the draw for the 16th round is unbalanced as a result.
Tom Hamilton: There have been some amazing goals and amazing individual performances. While there have been some dull matches, the overall quality has been high. Wales is a lot of fun to watch, while everything Denmark (and Christian Eriksson) has done has won the hearts of many in the aftermath. We are yet to see the best of England, Portugal and France, while Italy and Belgium come out of the block. The Netherlands can still surprise us all and reach the final, while Spain and Germany are still a bit unpredictable. The cross-Europe outlook has also recovered – despite various logistical nightmares with travel restrictions – while VaR has also not been entirely shocking. The lack of danger has been the only drawback in the group stages, with teams being able to qualify from third place which certainly required some UEFA modifications.
Rob Dawson: The danger of having a big tournament after such a long season was that the focus would be on teams working hard to beat in an effort to grind the results, but the group stages intended to attack quite a bit. Italy, Belgium and Portugal have all scored seven goals in their three matches while the Netherlands have scored eight goals and have had even more enjoyable games that will make you want to switch off. Hopefully this will continue in knockout games when the big teams face off and energy levels are at a premium.
Which of the bigger teams has the most room for improvement?
Lawrence: This has to be England. I don't know how one can be excited by what we've seen so far. We haven't seen even 50 percent of what this team can do. If Gareth Southgate finally finds the right formula, this super-talented team has a lot more to offer than the three average performances we've seen so far. England was left only with the individual genius of Raheem Sterling or Jack Grealish.
Ole: Spain may have beaten Slovakia 5–0, but that result had a huge impact on their opponents' side and a ridiculous goalkeeping performance from Martin Dubravka. In his first two group games, he dominated the ball but did little with it and striker Alvaro Morata needs to shake himself off some sort of introspection that is affecting his performance. England and Germany also need to find a better overall balance, but their rivalry's history - and a partisan 45,000 crowd at Wembley - will certainly sharpen the mind.
HAMILTON: Germany has been unpredictable and is floundering between being ruthless and fickle. To the shine of their 4–2 victory over Portugal, they also had a lame performance against France and a 2–2 draw against Hungary saw them perform at their best and worst. They are still weak from behind, and although they look far better at 3-4-3 than at four in defence, there are opportunities for opposition. They are more dominant when Thomas Muller and Leon Goretzka are on the field, but this is a team still trying to gel. Jamal Musiala needs to devote more time to the game while he needs to put some dynamics in that midfield. Joachim Lo is leaving Germany's job after this tournament and his team will have to improve a lot if he is to bid a winning farewell.
Dawson: England. The feeling before the tournament was that Southgate had their strength in the attack with all the options they had, but that has not been the case. They have been solid and organized with midfielders Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, who sat in front of the back four and scored no goals in the group stage, but were largely on foot going forward. England have the pace and skill in every forward areas, and in Harry Kane, one of the best finishers in the world, but too often they look slow and predictable.
Ogden: England. Spain were extremely weak in Group E, but Luis Enrique's team is in transition and went into the tournament without great expectations. It's a different story with England, who have scored just two goals in three matches and haven't shown a single aggressive nature that you would expect from a team with such a top-class forward. England qualified as Group D winners, so they have achieved their primary objective, but will have to step up their game to go much further.
Which under-the-radar players have been affected before?
Hamilton: There have been some excellent unsung heroes. Danny Ward of Wales and Tomas Váklik of the Czech Republic have both been excellent on goal. Germany's Robin Gossens, Netherlands' Denzel Dumfries, Austria's Stefan Lenner, Ukraine's Mykola Matvienko and Finland's Paulus Arazuri have impressed behind. Italy's Manuel Locatelli has had a great tournament in midfield, while Denmark's Mikel Damsgaard, Switzerland's Breel Embolo, Wales' Kiefer Moore and Czech Republic's Patrick Schick have done well.
Dawson: Dumfries. Frank de Boer has drawn much criticism in the Netherlands for his decision to play with a back three instead of 4-3-3, but the system worked largely due to the threat of an attack posed from the right-wing by Dumfries. is. He has already scored twice and could have scored more and anyone facing the Netherlands in the knockout rounds will have to come up with a plan to counter his raiding runs.
Ogden: In terms of attacking players, it has really been a case of the usual suspects with Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Luka Modric, but some of the lesser-known players in the back have good tournaments too. Martin Hinteregger has been solid defensively and is a threat to advance for Austria, while Domagoj Vida has had another good tournament with Croatia. And while Scott McTominay is best known as a Manchester United midfielder, his performances at centre-back for Scotland have been impressive and have shown he has the ability to train to be a defender in the long run.
Lawrence: I would say Alexander Isaacs and Locatelli. Both have had great seasons with their clubs - Real Sociedad and Sassuolo - but there is more to shine the way they did in this competition. 21-year-old Isaac is slightly younger than 23-year-old Locatelli but both have shown so much talent, confidence and character. They are the stars to be made.
Ole: Billy Gilmour was not on the radar of anyone who has seen Chelsea on a few occasions, but the 20-year-old nonetheless excelled in the biggest game of his life as Scotland held England at Wembley. It was devastating for him that a positive COVID-19 test ruled him out of the group-defining game against Croatia, but the midfielder has several big days ahead. Honorable Mention to Dumfries of the Netherlands and Locatelli of Italy.
Which teams do you expect to fight the finals on July 11th?
Ogden: France and England. Despite winning just one of their Group F games, France are still top of the toughest class and they still haven't hit top gear. As for England, if they can beat Germany's weakest team for years in the next round, they have a clear chance of reaching the final.
Lawrence: France will reach the final. They are in the tough half of the draw but this team thrives in a big game setting. They will be strong physically and mentally after lifting the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with their experience in the finals and runner-up performances as hosts at Euro 2016. On the other side of the bracket, I think the winner of England vs. Germany will go into the final round of 16. I am choosing Germany.
Ole: France may have won only one match, but they still top the toughest group and have a lucrative draw against Switzerland in the round of 16. From there it gets more difficult, but they have the depth of talent to move up through the gears. The England vs Germany winners would be looking to make the final from the bottom half but the Netherlands are arguably in better form than the two.
HAMILTON: It's still difficult to see France behind, but Italy, Belgium, Germany and England could still enter the party. Spain and Portugal seem to be falling short in attack and defence, respectively. While Netherlands have started well, I think they will go into the knockout stage. France is still the favourite, and I think we can see them play England on 11 July.
Dawson: Despite England's issues, they are on a good side of the draw and could reach the final if they overtake Germany in the round of 16. France will meet him there.