So, we’ve all had time to process Leicester City’s incredible Premier League triumph and it’s now time to shift our attention to France, where 24 teams have gathered to battle it out and crown Europe’s best football nation!
France will be kicking things off against Romania tonight and the excitement will be more than enough to provide adrenaline needed for Malaysian fans to stay up and catch the opening game at 3.00AM.
But can we really sustain it for the next one month. In an ideal world, we’d love to. But of course, reality sucks. At some point, you’ll be forced to pick and choose certain games. So to makes things easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of games you cannot afford to miss. If you’re only going to watch 9 Euro 2016 group stage games, these are the ones you’d want to keep an eye on!
TURKEY vs CROATIA
Date: 12th June 2016
Location: Parc des Princes, Paris
Time: 9.00 PM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 841/821 (ASTRO)
Reason: These are two teams with plenty of attacking prowess. Turkey will be spearheaded by Arda Turan and Hakan Calhanoglu, who is widely recognized as one of the best free-kick takers on earth these days. Croatia on the other hand, have a gem of a midfield trio in Luka Modric, Matteo Kovacic as well as Ivan Rakitic. They’ve also got Mario Mandzukic upfront, which only adds to the excitement. Expect plenty of goals in this tie!
BELGIUM vs ITALY
Date: 14th June 2016
Location: Stade de Lyon, Lyon
Time: 3.00AM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 841/821 (ASTRO)
Reason: You’ve got a traditional powerhouse in Italy, even if nothing much is expected of them in this tournament. Then you’ve got a massive, massive darkhorse in Belgium, with the likes of Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne leading their squad. It’s a big game for both sides and they’ll be eager to get off to a good start. But for neutrals, this game will feature a plethora of seasoned big names across European football – what more do you need for an exciting game of football?
FRANCE vs ALBANIA
Date: 16th June 2016
Location: Stade Velodrome, Marseille
Time: 3.00AM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 841/821 (ASTRO)
Reason: There’ll be a lot of pressure on France to win this one comfortably, so you can expect Didier Deschamps’s men to go for the jugular against Albania. When they do go gung ho, there’s enough talent in this squad convert chances into goals. Griezman, Martial, Gignac (who has been banging in goals for fun with Tigres in Mexico) as well as Giroud, who looks a difference player with the national team. For football romantics, there’s value in watching newcomers Albania strut their stuff on the international stage against a side that’s heavily being tipped to win Euros! And remember, Albania did beat Portugal during the qualifiers.
ENGLAND vs WALES
Date: 16th June 2016
Location: Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens Agglo
Time: 9.00 PM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 841/821
Reason: We don’t need to explain this one, do we? Two United Kingdom countries, fantastic rivalry and of course, Gareth Bale. It’s a no brainer, really. In case you aren’t convinced, this game won’t be about points. It’s about bragging rights, it’s about victory. Excitement galore!
GERMANY vs POLAND
Date: 17th June 2016
Location: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Time: 3.00 AM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 841/821
Reason: Historically, both countries are intertwined. There’s a mouthwatering clash about this rivalry and also because it pits two sides that know each other quite well. Poland’s leading star Robert Lewandowski plies his trade in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and he’ll be determined to get one over his club teammates. On paper, it’s a pretty good Polish side and as favourites, the pressure will be on Germany. There’s a reason why pundits think there could be an upset on the cards, with this one.
ITALY vs SWEDEN
Date: 17th June 2016
Location: Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
Time: 9.00 PM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 841/821 (ASTRO)
Reason: Now this is a clash between a side that’s predominantly known for its defensive prowess and a side that prides in having one of the most prolific as well as charismatic strikers of our generation. Italy’s chances of making it out of the group will be pinned on this fixture, but a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic could potentially spoil the party. He’s spent the summer flirting over a potential move to Man Utd, but this is a man who is always in complete control. He knows the world is watching him. He knows it’s probably one final chance to make it count on the international level. And he knows Italy are a fantastic side, defensively. But he also knows he’s good enough to make a difference. What a tie!
PORTUGAL vs AUSTRIA
Date: 19th June 2016
Location: Parc des Princes, Paris
Time: 3.00 AM
Channel: 841, 821 (ASTRO)
Reason: You’d obviously want to catch Cristiano Ronaldo in action at some point and this is probably the best game to do so. Austria are no pushovers, they’ve got a really decent side. David Alaba, who mainly plays as a left-back for Bayern Munich, will feature in midfield for the Austrians and he’ll be looking to dictate play alongside Marko Arnautovic of Stoke City. In defence, they’ve got Christian Fuchs, who was part of Leicester City’s title-winning team and has plenty of experience under his belt. It won’t be easy for Ronaldo and Co and it wouldn’t surprise me if Austria sneak three points from this tie.
CROATIA vs SPAIN
Date: 22nd June 2016
Location: Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Time: 3.00 AM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 841/821 (ASTRO)
Reason: Folks in Spain are billing this one as Spain vs Spain ‘B’, for reasons that are pretty apparent. Croatia’s midfield is essentially made up of players that have evolved into becoming masters of the Spanish style of football. Modric and Rakitic are absolutely indispensable to Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. Kovacic, though not a regular for Los Blancos, is slowly adapting to life in La Liga, and will certainly be a key player for the Croats. There’s a lot of talk about Spain transitioning into a more direct team and it won’t be surprising to see them win their first two games. But this tie will be a real test for their credentials.
SWEDEN vs BELGIUM
Date: 23rd June 2016
Location: Stade de Nice, Nice
Time: 3.00 AM (Malaysian Time)
Channel: 842/822 (ASTRO)
Reason: Besides obvious reasons (Zlatan and Belgium’s wealth of talent), this game could also be enticing because of the dynamics of Group E. Italy’s final group game will be against Republic of Ireland – a tie they are expected to win comfortably. And assuming Italy win one either one of their matches against Belgium and Sweden, it would effectively send them into the knockout round. That would make the competition for second spot close and this tie could very well determine it. But even if the dynamics don’t evolve in that manner, the other obvious reasons are good enough for you to bookmark this tie!
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