Today has three exciting encounters to look out for as the group stages start to take shape. Slovenia will be looking to earn maximum points against the Serbians who showed a lot of fight against England in the first round. Denmark will want to get the better of the tournament favourites England while the three-time champions Spain go head-to-head with the reigning champions Italy in the standout fixture of the day.
Here are SBN’s tips and predictions for today’s games!
39/10 Slovenia | Draw 51/20 | Serbia 7/10 (15:00)
Both Slovenia and Serbia will fancy their chances, going into this Group C tie. Slovenia came away with a surprising 1-1 draw against Denmark in their opening match. Their young star Benjamin Šeško impressed with his pace and power upfront, losing his marker on a number of occasions. Serbia, on the other hand, suffered a narrow 1-nil defeat to tournament favourites England. Despite a strong showing in the second half, they were unable to find the equalizer against Gareth Southgate’s men. Coach Dragan Stojković will be demanding a response from his team, especially from their attacking duo of Dušan Vlahović and Dušan Tadić. The race for qualification in Group C promises to be a tight battle and I think this one ends in a stalemate. For added value, back a draw, and both teams to score!
46/10 Denmark | Draw 51/20 | England 13/20 (18:00)
Round 2 in Group C has Denmark set to take on tournament favourites England at the Frankfurt Stadium tonight at 18h00. Denmark drew 1-1 with Slovenia in their tournament’s opening game, leaving them on 1 point, while England narrowly saw off Serbia 1-0 to top Group C on 3 points. Denmark will need an improved performance from their last game and need to be more aggressive in the final third as a win will put them in a suitable position to qualify for the next round. England has lost just 1 of their last 5 games with Denmark (in all competitions) which will give them confidence to go out and put on a performance worthy of another victory as a win will see them advance into the next round with a game to spare. Back England for the win.
11/10 Sapin | Draw 21/10 | Italy 51/20 (21:00)
Spain has entered a new era under manager Luis de la Fuente. La Roja has drifted from their classic “tiki-taka” style for a more dynamic approach, featuring young players like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. They are on a hot streak, winning seven straight competitive matches. Furthermore, they have secured a podium finish at the European Championship in three of the previous four editions of the tournament. The reigning champions, Italy, conceded with just 23 seconds on the clock on matchday 1. Despite the early scare, Gli Azzuri displayed a fighting spirit to eventually run out 2-1 winners against Albania and maintain a positive start to their title defense. It must be noted that Spalletti’s chargers did show some defensive frailties that Spain will be looking to exploit. I think Spain take this one!