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Magic6 Predictions: Euro 2024 Lineup 1

June 13, 2024

Magic6 predictions: Euro 2024 Lineup 1

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The first matches of Euro 2024 are coming up and we want you to be well prepared. That’s why we like to give you an insight into the teams that will be taking part, so you can make smart predictions using our Magic6 app. No fuss, let’s dive right in!

Germany – Scotland

On Friday 14 June at 21:00, Germany and Scotland will meet at the Allianz Arena for their first match in Group A of the 2024 UEFA European Championship.

After three disappointing international tournaments in a row, Germany will be hoping to finally achieve success at this tournament. The fact that it is a home game gives Julian Nagelsmann and his team a big advantage and they will aim to get off to the best possible start.

But they will face a Scottish team playing freely. Scotland have had an impressive qualifying campaign, including a deserved victory over Spain. This has qualified them as one of the outsiders for Euro 2024 and a positive result against the hosts could set them up for the knockout stages.

Match info

Date: Friday 14 June 2024
Time: 21:00
Location: Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany

Germany team insights

There was a notable increase in German players in the latter stages of the national season, with Wirtz returning from injury and immediately on form and Havertz emerging as a real match-winner for Arsenal. Julian Nagelsmann has plenty of attacking options at his disposal and will have to see how to get the best out of his younger players.

Defensively, the German team still looks a bit shaky and much will depend on the form of Antonio Rudiger, who has become the focal point in a rearguard that has changed regularly in recent years. Both full-back positions have not had the desired consistency, with Benjamin Henrichs, Maxi Mittelstadt, Joshua Kimmich and Jonathan Tah all playing at different times.

Germany’s success in their opening match might well depend on how well they handle the Scottish pressure in midfield. If they can overcome that obstacle, they certainly have the attacking players who can break through the Scottish defence.

Scotland team insights

Scotland may not have the big names in key positions that their opponents will have on 14 June, but there is a certain determination and team spirit that could make Steve Clarke’s team do well.

Scott McTominay, who may be brought in to score a goal, and John McGinn will probably never give up, but the team lacks a real goal scorer. Che Adams will take the starting spot after Lyndon Dykes was injured, but he has yet to prove he can convince at international level.

Defensively, Ryan Porteous has become an important part of the back line, he was always present during their qualifying campaign. However, the defence is not unbeatable and Scotland are expected to play mainly with five defenders.

Germany – Scotland vs.

Date	Score	Location
07/09/15	3-2	Hampden Park, Glasgow
07/09/14	2-1	Allianz Arena, Munich
10/09/03	2-1	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
07/06/03	1-1	Hampden Park, Glasgow
28/04/99	0-1	Weserstadion, Bremen
24/03/93	1-0	Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow

Spain – Croatia

On 15 June, Spain begins its UEFA European Championship 2024 campaign with a match against Croatia at 18:00.

Spain were the leaders in Group A during the qualifying campaign with only one defeat. The only disappointing result was on the second matchday, when Scotland won 2-0. However, Spain retaliated by winning 2-0 themselves.

The current Spanish team is not as experienced as their predecessors, with only two players (Jesús Navas and Morata) with more than 50 caps. However, they have an exciting group of young players, including Lamine Yamal, who can make a difference in the upcoming matches.

Croatia finished second in Group D, one point behind eventual winners Turkey. They suffered two defeats, one at home and one away against Wales. However, they did have the group’s top scorer, Andrej Kramarić, who scored four goals.

Both teams know that the best third-place teams advance to the knockout stages. If there is a losing team, they will remain optimistic as there is still a chance to go through.

Match info

Date: Saturday 15 June 2024
Time: 12:00
Location: Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany

Spain team insights

The Spanish national team has had some bad luck lately ahead of upcoming matches. They have currently failed to win two matches. They surprisingly lost to Colombia at West Ham Stadium, followed by an exciting 3-3 draw against Brazil in Madrid.

During their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, Gavi, a promising player, suffered an ACL injury while playing against Georgia. Due to this injury, he may miss the upcoming finals. Despite this, Manchester City’s Rodri remains Spain’s most valuable player.

Dani Carvajal and Aymeric Laporte are valuable assets in defence and Unai Simón is expected to remain Spain’s number one goalkeeper. Spain’s success in their opening match may depend on how well they control the midfield, as Croatia have strong players here.

Croatia team insights

However, Croatia’s squad has a number of experienced players. In their last game, seven players had more than 50 caps. Among them are midfielders Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović and Mateo Kovačić, along with Kramarić, who is expected to lead their line-up.

Modrić, who turns 39 later this year, will once again have to set Croatia’s game. With Joško Gvardiol as backup, they should be able to give Spain a tough game.

Spain – Croatia against each other

Date	Score	Location
18/06/2023	Croatia 0-0 Spain	De Kuip, Rotterdam
28/06/2021	Croatia 3-5 Spain	Parks Stadium, Copenhagen
15/11/2018	Croatia 3-2 Spain	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb
11/09/2018	Spain 6-0 Croatia	Estadio Martínez Valero, Elche
21/06/2016	Croatia 2-1 Spain	Stade Matmut Atlantique, Bordeaux
18/06/2012	Croatia 0-1 Spain	PGE Arena, Gdansk

Poland – Netherlands

On 16 June 2024, Poland and the Netherlands face each other at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany, for the European Championship match.

Poland performed disappointingly during the qualifying campaign, finishing third in Group E behind Albania and the Czech Republic. They had to qualify for the tournament via the play-offs and beat Estonia in the semi-finals before needing penalty kicks to beat Wales. It has not been a strong period for Poland and Euro 2024 could be a tough tournament for Michał Probierz and his team.

The Netherlands finished second in Group B and suffered two defeats against France, with whom they were seeded in the tournament proper. But their qualification for Euro 2024 was never really in question, as the Dutch managed to win the other six group matches, securing their way to Germany.

Match info

Date: Sunday, June 16, 2024
Time: 15:00
Location: Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany

Poland team insights

Poland do not have many well-known names in their team, but there are a few that will look familiar to fans of English football. Jakub Kiwior and Matty Cash could both be part of the team and are currently playing in the Premier League. Jan Bednarek and Jakub Moder will also be familiar names to the south coast, as Southampton and Brighton have these players in their squads respectively.

The biggest name is undoubtedly Robert Lewandowski, the Barcelona striker who has been Poland’s talisman since his debut in 2008. With 82 goals in 148 games for his country, Lewandowski has broken many records for Poland and he may even have to shine to see his team advance to Euro 2024.

Poland’s success at Euro 2024 could well depend on how well they can support Lewandowski. Their match against Austria will be crucial, but any points they can pick up against the Netherlands and France will help their cause immensely.

Netherlands team insights

The Netherlands have one of the most outstanding teams at Euro 2024, but it remains to be seen whether they have the mentality to win a big game.

At least with Koeman as coach, they have a leader who has won everything there is to win. He hopes to transfer that experience to the pitch to bring glory back to Dutch football. There are plenty of leaders on the pitch, with players like Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake and Frenkie de Jong all having the ability to save games for their team.

However, there are concerns about the lack of attacking power at the other end of the pitch. Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo are good options, but neither has ever shown the lethal consistency of a top striker – although it should be noted that Depay is only six goals away from surpassing Robin van Persie as the Netherlands’ top all-time scorer.

With France ahead, a win in this match could be vital and with successive defeats, they will have to fight for their lives to qualify for the eighth finals.

Poland – Netherlands against each other

Date	Score	Location
22/09/22	0-2	Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw
11/06/22	2-2	De Kuip, Rotterdam
18/11/20	1-2	Slaski stadium, Chorzów
04/09/20	0-1	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam
01//06/16	1-2	Energa stadium, Gdansk
04/06/00	1-3	Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne

Serbia – England

England coach Gareth Southgate will probably be relieved that his team has been placed in Group C, where they are the highest-ranked team. But the fact that they have been named as favourites for the tournament means there is no room for complacency and the pressure to succeed is even greater.

Unfortunately, England’s preparations for the tournament have not gone smoothly. They have won just one of their last five matches, losing embarrassingly 1-0 to number 72 Iceland at Wembley and scoring just six goals in that period.

On the other hand, Serbia, led by legendary midfielder Dragan Stojković, have also had their share of struggles, with just four wins in their last 11 matches – although they beat Sweden 3-0 in their last friendly.

Despite being a slight underdog, Serbia still have a number of game-enhancers, including former Southampton striker Dusan Tadic. However, England’s quality should be too much for Serbia. Although Southgate’s defence has been shaky of late, the ball winners in midfield, along with the dynamic Jude Bellingham backing up the attacking line with Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and even Cole Palmer, could lead England to victory.

Match info

Date: 16/06/2024
Time: 18:00
Location: Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Serbia team insights

Serbia have plenty of experience, with nine players in their squad having played more than 40 international matches. Mitrović, known to Premier League fans, now plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia’s top division. Tadić is still a virtuoso at Fenerbahçe after a successful time at Ajax, while Luka Jović has regained his form after a few difficult years. The current number one goalkeeper is Vanja Milinković-Savić, who faces competition from Đorđe Petrović, especially after excellent performances when he replaced Robert Sánchez at Chelsea. Defenders Srđan Babić and Nikola Milenković are also expected. Against a strong English team, the Serbian defence will have to give everything to stand a chance in their international careers. The once prized Sergej Milinković-Savić should also show his old form again.

England team insights

It is incredible to see how much has changed in just a few months. At the start of this season, no one could have predicted that Palmer would start in the opener of the English tournament. But now everything is different, as the former Manchester City academy player had a great debut season at Chelsea and finished second in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot, just behind Erling Haaland. Now the question for Southgate is where he should be drafted into the England team. Some think he will compete with Saka, who was also impressive, for a position on the right flank to support Kane, who is expected to start as first-choice striker. In other parts of the team, things are simpler, with Declan Rice as a regular defender and Jordan Pickford as the undisputed No 1.

Who will partner John Stones and Harry Maguire in England’s defence? Will Stones himself be fit for this match? The back line is undoubtedly the worry point for the Three Lions.

Serbia – England against each other

Date	Score	Location
03/06/2003	England 2-1 Serbia & Montenegro	Walkers Stadium, Leicester
13/12/1989	England 2-1 Yugoslavia	Wembley Stadium, London
11/11/1987	Yugoslavia 1-4 England	Crvene Zvezde stadium, Belgrade
12/11/1986	England 2-0 Yugoslavia	Wembley Stadium, London
05/06/1974	Yugoslavia 2-2 England	Crvene Zvezde stadium, Belgrade
11/10/1972	England 1-1 Yugoslavia	Wembley Stadium, London

Belgium – Slovakia

Belgium and Slovakia begin their Euro 2024 campaigns on 17 June in Frankfurt and both hope for three points to start positively.

Domenico Tedesco’s men ran easily through qualification, which has been their trademark in recent years. It is remarkable how well the Red Devils have managed to qualify for major tournaments in recent times. They topped their qualifying group for the last three European Championships and the last three World Cups, losing just one game in that period. However, that did not help them at the 2022 World Cup, when they were eliminated in the group stage. But the qualifying campaigns contributed immensely to Belgium being third in the world rankings, only behind Argentina and France.

For Slovakia, this is their third consecutive qualification for the European Championship. They finished second in their qualifying group behind Portugal, the only team Slovakia lost to in the tournament. The Slovaks have won a game in every group stage of the European Championship and qualified for the Round of 16 in 2016, but lost to Germany. Last time out at Euro 2020, they opened the group with a 2-1 win over Poland, but lost their last two matches – including a 5-0 defeat against Spain, eventually finishing third and missing the knockout stages on goal difference between the best-placed teams.

Match info

Date: 17/06/2024
Time: 18:00
Location: Frankfurt Arena in Frankfurt, Germany

Belgium team insights

Clearly, the second coming of Belgium’s Golden Generation has not quite lived up to expectations. Despite their years in FIFA’s top five, they managed only one third-place finish at a World Cup.

Some of the great players from this generation still shine, such as Kevin De Bruyne who showed his class at Manchester City after his injury, and Romelu Lukaku who dominated qualification for the European Championship. Adding young talent seems to help Belgium stay on level terms.

Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard are likely to compete for the spot on the left flank, while Johan Bakayoko will play on the other side of Lukaku and De Bruyne. In midfield, we can expect tough duels with Nottingham Forest’s Mangala and possibly Everton’s Aster Vranckx or Amadou Onana.

Jan Vertonghen continues to lead the Belgian defence, but with younger players such as Wout Faes, Timothy Castagne and Arthur Theate around him. With Thibault Courtois’ absence through injury, it is still unclear who will defend the goal. Forest’s Mats Sels is in form, but Koen Casteels could also play. Luton’s Thomas Kaminski made his debut for the Belgian national team this season.

Slovakia team insights

Slovakia have proven to be a very capable team by winning seven of their eight qualifying matches against teams not named Portugal.

Although they lost Marek Hamzik through retirement, there is plenty of experience in this team, with many having played multiple European Championship finals.

Martin Dubravka and Milan Skriniar are back in the team and will be part of the defence, along with Norbert Gyomber. Juraj Kucka is currently 37 years old, so this will probably be his last major tournament. He forms a midfield with Ondrej Duda and Stanislav Lobotka. The defence is led by Milan Skriniar, who now plays at Paris St-Germain, so there is a strong core of experienced professionals in this Slovakian team.

Robert Mak did not make the selection, so Lukas Haraslin and Tomas Suslov could occupy the wings alongside Robert Bozenik in the striker.

Belgium – Slovakia against each other

Date	Score	Location
06/02/13	Belgium 2-1 Slovakia	Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges
20/05/06	Belgium 1-1 Slovakia	Stadium Antona Malatinskeho, Trnava
17/04/02	Belgium 1-1 Slovakia	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels

Turkey – Georgia

At the start of Euro 2024, Turkey were seen by many as the potential dark horses, but they vastly underperformed. Turkey finished bottom in Group A, losing all three matches against Italy, Wales and Switzerland. This time, Group F offers a good chance for Turkey, against Portugal, the Czech Republic and Georgia.

Georgia are a bit of an unknown as this is their first ever major tournament, and they will hope to make a name for themselves in Germany. Although they struggled during the qualifying campaign, Georgia scored in seven of their eight games, including the away and home match against Spain. So you can count on them to score, but winning might be too big a task.

Match info

Date: 18/06/2024
Time: 18:00
Location: BVB Stadium in Dortmund, Germany

Turkey team insights

Vincenzo Montella has led Turkey in just eight matches so far. He had to oversee the end of qualifying for Euro 2024 and he did so with two wins and a draw. But even in this short period, Montella has made his tactics very clear. What is not so clear, however, is who will play at certain positions.

Only three players have played in every Montella match and those are Ismaiol Yuksek, Kerem Akturkoglu and Baris Alper Yilmaz. But with a full squad, you would really only expect Akturkoglu to start. Ugurgan Cakir seems to be the preferred goalkeeper, while Merih Demiral should start in defence.

The midfield is slightly more predictable, you expect Hakan Calhanoglu and Orkun Kokcu both, with Arda Guler as a possible midfielder.

Up front, Kenan Yildiz is the man of choice and there is much hope that the teenager can take Turkey to a new frontier.

Georgia team insights

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the star player for Georgia. Although he normally plays as a winger for Napoli, he plays as a central striker for the national team. This change has brought much success, especially in the last three qualifiers in which Kvaratskhelia has scored four goals. He even scored a double in a draw against Scotland.

This change came when Georgian manager, Willy Sagnol, changed the formation to an attacking duo. It would be strange if he tried anything else, as this is what got him to the European Championship. Georges Mikautadze plays alongside Kvaratskhelia in attack and they work well together. Giorgi Chakvetadze will most likely be just behind them. They may even rotate and adopt a 3-4-2-1 formation, as they did against Montenegro.

Giorgi Mamardashvili is a reliable goalkeeper and can help the defence from time to time.

Turkey – Georgia vs.

Date	Score	Location
24/05/12	Georgia 1-3 Turkey	Red Bull Arena, Salzburg
07/02/07	Georgia 1-0 Turkey	Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi
30/03/05	Georgia 2-5 Turkey	Lokomotiv Stadium, Tbilisi
04/09/04	Turkey 1-1 Georgia	Şenol Güneş Stadium, Trabzon
21/08/02	Turkey 3-0 Georgia	Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium, Trabzon