Yesterday’s Euro matches were filled with excitement, especially for the English fans! Jude Bellingham scored a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time with an acrobatic goal, shattering Slovakian hopes. Despite this thrilling finish, the match fell short of expectations for those who see England as top contenders for the European title, but it was consistent with their previous performances. In my view, England is far from being the favorite in terms of performance, game plan, individual skills, collective dynamics, team spirit, and culture.

We’ll see how they fare against Switzerland, but it’s fair to say that Switzerland might be very confident at this moment!

The later game of last night, Spain vs. Georgia, went as expected, with Spain being dominant. The Spanish team went to showcasing the strong culture and game plan that as in previous matches, while Georgia relied on counter-attacks to challenge the opposite defenders. They managed to score without making any shots on target! 

In fact, Georgia finished the match with zero shots on target.

Watch out for this Spain team!

• France vs Belgium

Both teams have yet to find their rhythm in this Euro, showing poor and somewhat disconnected performances. Given this, I’d say France, with the individual talents of its list of players, is the favorite, despite their lackluster displays so far. France is one of the favorites to win the Euro due to the individual quality of its players, not their overall team strength in matches. At least, so far. Belgium has been disappointing in international competitions, with Lukaku still goalless and many inconsistent performances.

I predict France will advance, though without much brilliance.

• Portugal vs Slovenia

These two teams have vastly different strengths, with Portugal clearly being the favorite. Portugal has one of the best (if not the best) squads in the competition but has complicated things with constant changes in the team and system. The game against Georgia, though not decisive for qualification, created an unnecessarily tense atmosphere.

On Slovenia’s side, Oblak is a standout. He’s a goalkeeper I greatly admire for his calm demeanor, avoiding hysterical shouts at defenders or flashy saves just to be noticed, yet still being brilliant.

Barring any unexpected surprises or illumination candles, I predict a comfortable victory for Portugal with the following lineup:

• Diogo Costa 
• Cancelo 
• Rúben Dias 
• Pepe 
• Nuno Mendes 
• Palhinha 
• Vitinha 
• Bruno Fernandes 
• Bernardo Silva 
• Rafael Leāo 
• Cristiano Ronaldo

Go Portugal! 

Let the games begin!