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Getting Group D under way at Euro 2024, Poland and the Netherlands meet at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion on Sunday.
While the Poles sneaked through to the finals via a playoff, their opening opponents qualified comfortably and are now intent on claiming a second European title.
We say: Poland 0-1 Netherlands
Both teams’ plans have been waylaid by injuries, but they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves, given the quality of their other Group D opponents.
Without a prolific striker, the Netherlands still have potential scorers all over the pitch, so they should make the most of Poland’s attacking woes and take three points from their Euros opener.
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> How the Netherlands could line up against Poland
> How Poland could line up against the Netherlands
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Two Euro 2024 competitors with knockout aspirations in mind commence their Group C campaigns at the MHPArena on Sunday evening, as Slovenia and Denmark go head-to-head.
The teams convene in Stuttgart, where Matjaz Kek’s men will bid to finally win a match at the Euros finals, while their Danish foes seek to emulate their luminaries of 1992.
We say: Slovenia 1-2 Denmark
Throughout their qualifying competition and warm-up period, Slovenia showed that there are not to be taken lightly by any stretch, especially with the 6ft 5in Sesko ending the Bundesliga season as he means to go on with goals in seven straight matches.
However, Denmark had the Slovenians’ number last year and should certainly have the beating of Kek’s men in the middle of the park, so while it may not be pretty, Hjulmand’s men should prevail.
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> How Denmark could line up against Slovenia
> How Slovenia could line up against Denmark
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England‘s quest to banish the demons of Euro 2020 begins at the Veltins-Arena on Sunday night, as the Three Lions commence their bid for Euro 2024 supremacy against Group C foes Serbia.
Neither nation has lifted the Henri Delaunay Trophy aloft since the inception of the continental championships, and both Denmark and Slovenia will provide further stiff competition for the coveted knockout places.
We say: Serbia 1-2 England
As a third of Serbia’s qualifying goals came from headers – the highest ratio of any of the 24 teams at Euro 2024 – and England are without their aerial dominator in Harry Maguire, expect to see Jordan Pickford’s goal breached at least once at the Veltins-Arena.
For all of England’s lackadaisical attacking play against a backs-against-the-wall Iceland, though, Southgate can now put out a near full-strength XI and should see his troops rise to the occasion to put three points in the bag right away.
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> How England could line up against Serbia
> How Serbia could line up against England
> How England could line up for Euro 2024 opener: Gareth Southgate’s predicted XI
