Underdog nations set to steal the show at Euro 2016

Underdog nations set to steal the show at Euro 2016

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The lead up to EURO 2016 has seen unexpected nations book their place in the group stage of the tournament, with Wales, Poland, Austria, and Romania all poised to surprise and surpass expectations.

Outside 90’s Adam Pallotta explores each unlikely challenger and their chances of making a deep run into the competition.

Wales

Wales are on track to make the most of their first appearance in the European Championship, reinforced by a resolute defensive setup. They finished second to a star-studded Belgium team in qualification, losing just once and keeping seven clean sheets. The Dragons were given a fortunate draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina their only threat, but they played like an inspired team under manager Chris Coleman, who has embraced the #TogetherStronger campaign in full.

A lack of success in European competitions can be put down to the over-reliance on one or two players instead of a well-balanced, cohesive team. While the optimisms of the nation rest with Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, fellow internationals Aaron Ramsey, Ashley Williams, James Collins, and Joe Ledley are more than capable. Bale scored seven of Wales’ 11 goals and provided two assists, underlining his importance in attack.

They will need to compete against Russia, Slovakia, and England in the group stage, posing a much greater challenge. Russia and Slovakia are just as inexperienced as the Welsh, but boast similar strengths and confidence from their qualifier results. The match against England is tournament-defining, and highly-anticipated given the historical rivalry between the nations. If Bale lights it up, then a quarter-final berth should be a realistic target.

Poland

After two successive tournaments to forget, the third time could be the charm for Poland who lost only once and netted 33 times during the qualifiers. They finished second in the group by one point to heavyweights Germany, and made the most of their easy run with confidence-building wins  and a +23 goal difference.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski scored 13 goals throughout the qualifiers, equalling the competition record and doing his reputation no harm. The four-time Bundesliga winner has 34 goals in 75 international caps, and is on track to break the current Polish record of 48 held by Włodzimierz Lubanski. Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak is another important cog for the team through his defensive-mindedness and unwavering commitment to the tackle.

The ‘Bialo-czeroni’ has been grouped with Northern Ireland, Ukraine, and Germany, and while the Germans are expected to claim top spot, it is tough to predict which other nation will advance. Victory over Northern Ireland and Ukraine is no guarantee, but the requirement for Poland will be to not lose. They rely too heavily on their talisman in Lewandowski to stimulate his teammates, so they will likely struggle against more cut-throat opponents.


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Austria

Austria won nine of their 10 qualifiers, albeit in unconvincing fashion. The nation has struggled in recent years to find consistency in performances – starting the qualifying stage strongly before eventually fading out. Under manager Marcel Koller, Austria topped the group eight points ahead of Russia and secured their first direct Euro qualification. The goals were shared for Austria, with six players scoring two or more.

Former Sydney FC forward Marc Janko chipped in with seven goals during the qualifiers, and currently holds the record for the most international goals in the current squad (25). Stoke forward Marko Arnautovic was the x-factor in Austria’s run, and will likely end the Premier League season as his club team’s top goal scorer. The talent does not stop at the attack, with the versatile David Alaba and the steadfast Christian Fuchs involved in the defensive setup.

Austria will have stiff competition in qualifying for the last 16, in a group containing Portugal, Iceland, and Hungary. With Portugal likely to earn top spot given their talented list and European experience, Iceland will present the greatest challenge for second place. With their first fixture up against Hungary, they will hope a big win can put them in good stead for the more difficult fixtures.

Which side do you expect to make it the furthest at Euro 2016?

Romania

Romania has qualified for the Euro competition four times, but in three attempts they were eliminated recording a win. ‘Tricolorii’ enter with zero losses and only two goals conceded during the qualification stage, the best of any team. Five wins and five draws left them second behind Northern Ireland, much to the enjoyment of manager Anghel Iordănescu. Iin his third spell as the national manager, Iordănescu established a competent defensive strategy but lacked creativity and options when attacking, evident in three consecutive 0-0 draws.

While the attack is still unsure, Romania has reliability down back in veteran Razvan Rat. The 35-year-old has been capped 108 times and personifies the stability and reassurance in defence. Attacking-midfielder Alexandru Maxim is the go-to for creating chances in the final-third. The VFB Stuttgart player has made the No.10 role his own through fine dribbling ability and decision-making.

Romania will play in the opening fixture of the group stage, when they face hosts France. Albania and Switzerland are also within the group, and are much less problematic. Romania has not lost since June 2014, but it will take an almighty effort to keep this streak alive. They will need to vastly improve their ability to convert chances to goals if they are going to enter the round of 16 and beyond.

These pre-tournament dark horses have already met the lowest expectation in achieving qualification, and this is deserving of recognition. Few, however, are backing them to take giant strides into the latter stages. The truth is there are too many unknowns in these teams, and they lack the experience and quality to adjust to the grand stage. If they can escape their respective group, then an emulation of the Greek success in 2004 should not be discounted.

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