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Group C: Slovenia 1 - Denmark 1
Perhaps the most surprising result of the tournament for me so far based on how the game seemed to be going. I thought Denmark was phenomenal in the first half, dominating possession and playing some lovely combinations all across the pitch the leave the Slovenians chasing shadows.
In particular, the relationship between the Danes' front three of Rasmus Højlund, Jonas Wind and Christian Eriksen was fluent, with Højlund pinning himself against the center halves, Wind acting as a reference point to ping quick one-twos off of and Eriksen finding the ball in the most dangerous pockets of space in the final third.
Eriksen's opening goal was storybook stuff, returning to the Euros three years after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch at the 2021 tournament. The goal was as marvelous as the moment, as Eriksen met Wind's backheel flick with a gorgeous chest control and a clean right-footed finish. Eriksen's celebration was wonderful, and it really seemed the Danes would be able to coast to a victory with the slick football they were playing.
But Slovenia was able to equalize against the run of play. Aided by a massive deflection, left back Erik Janza of the Ekstraklasa's Gornik Zabrze thumped home the leveler with fewer than 15 minutes to play. The goal should change the entire complexion of the group. Denmark looked to be cruising toward the knockout stages as the second placed finisher in Group C. With Slovenia stealing a result, now whichever nation produces the most favorable result against Serbia will be favorites to advance.
What a time for Slovenia. Their first Euros appearance since 2000 while Luka Doncic represents his homeland in the NBA Finals. Janza's goal, by the way, came in the 77th minute. Perhaps a good omen for the Dallas Mavericks as they look to complete the biggest comeback in NBA history.
Group C: England 1 - Serbia 0
Nothing beats a prescient meme. The 2024 Euros were off to a goal-rich start, but that wouldn't stop Gareth Southgate's side, one of the favorites to win this tournament, from cooking up a drab affair. There is something missing with this England team despite the copious talent on offer. While Southgate's side does score a lot of goals in general, they typically don't come in the biggest of matches. Maybe it is the plain white kit that fails to inspire, as England look like Slovenia in more ways than one on Sunday.
England edged the possession battle but Serbia actually had more shots in the match (6 to 5, 11 being the lowest shot total in a Euro match since at least 1980). Serbia wasn't exactly threatening but there was always a pervasive belief they would find a way to spoil England's day.
Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka were rather tame out wide and Trent Alexander-Arnold's debut as a full-time midfielder didn't look much different than if England had set up in a five back system that saw TAA as a right wing back who moved inside in possession. He's a technically skilled player but a tactically ambiguous one as a central midfielder alone. The most impressive part of the team was the center half partnership, with Marc Guehi and John Stones looking firm, if not fully fit.
Jude Bellingham got the goal here, as if anyone else would have. It was clear during his first season at Real Madrid that he was born with the satanic blood that powers Los Blancos to unfathomable, undeserved victories. If Bellingham was somehow able to invoke that devil magic consistently for England, then it might just be powerful enough to overcome whatever witchcraft is currently preventing Harry Kane from winning a major trophy.
Serbia was far from blown away in this match, and with Denmark and Slovenia drawing, there is a small crevasse for them to break through to the knockout round in their first ever Euros appearance as an independent nation.
Group D: Netherlands 2 - Poland 1
We have our first super sub of the tournament, and it is a man who is no stranger to the role. During the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina, Dutch striker Wout Weghorst came on the pitch in the 78th minute and scored in the 83rd. Then he scored again 10 minutes into stoppage time to stun the Argentines and force extra time.
On Sunday, Weghorst did it again, entering the game in the 81st minute and scoring in the 83rd to win this match for the Oranje. Holland needed it, too, because this was a match full of wasted opportunities. Cody Gakpo scored the opening goal off a deflection and generally played a great game attacking from the left, but Memphis Depay and Xavi Simons were poor, and Weghorst's direct style of play was an immediately effective contrast.
It was a heartbreaker for Poland, which was just trying to hang on to a draw after the Dutch quickly erased their early lead in the opening half hour. Poland's star striker Robert Lewandowski missed the match after he tore a bicep muscle, and with his availability for the second group stage fixture in doubt, the Polish are already very much up against it with a game versus France still to play.
