Euro 2016 Opponent Watch (Group E - Sweden, Belgium & Italy)

**DeLorean** · 07/05/2016, 8:46 AM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Kompany on pitch makes anytime team immeasurably better.

Is that still the case though? Obviously he still makes Man City immeasurable better because they only have Mangala or Demichelis to fall back on, but Alderweireld and Vertonghen's standard of defending this season has been far superior to anything Kompany has produced since pre-2013/14 season I would say.

**Closed Account** · 07/05/2016, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Is that still the case though? Obviously he still makes Man City immeasurable better because they only have Mangala or Demichelis to fall back on, but Alderweireld and Vertonghen's standard of defending this season has been far superior to anything Kompany has produced since pre-2013/14 season I would say.

Yes Belgium are well stocked for centre backs, less so at full back where Toby and Jan have been playing

**DeLorean** · 07/05/2016, 12:18 PM

Good point, kind of forgot Alderweireld plays full back for them too.

Darmian gone off injured early on at Carrow Road.

**paul_oshea** · 07/05/2016, 12:58 PM

Get them all injured!!! De bruyne has really fizzled off again. Hopefully it stays that way.

For anyone wanting to get even mroe excited about the Euros and who are already fairly disenchanted with the big leagues club football look at the video on the Guardian website. Totally reaffirms my great respect and admiration of billic too. Even if he as arrogant about Ireland during the Euros.

**Stuttgart88** · 07/05/2016, 1:02 PM

Can something fizzle off?

**Closed Account** · 07/05/2016, 7:16 PM

Belgium captain Vincent Kompany had been ruled out of Euro 2016 with thigh injury. #EURO2016

**NeverFeltBetter** · 07/05/2016, 9:08 PM

What's happened to him in the last few years? - http://www.transfermarkt.com/vincent...n/spieler/9594

**tetsujin1979** · 11/05/2016, 9:37 PM

Swedish squad announced: http://svenskfotboll.se/landslag/her.../trupp-em2016/

Patrik Carlgren (AIK Fotboll AB)
Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa SK)
Robin Olsen (FC København)
Ludwig Augustinsson (FC København)
Andreas Granqvist (FC Krasnodar)
Pontus Jansson (Torino FC)
Erik Johansson (FC København)
Mikael Lustig (Celtic FC)
Victor Nilsson Lindelöf (SL Benfica)
Martin Olsson (Norwich City FC)
Marcus Berg (Panathinaikos FC)
Jimmy Durmaz (Olympiakos FC)
Albin Ekdal (Hamburger SV)
Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig)
John Guidetti (RC Celta de Vigo)
Oscar Hiljemark (US Palermo)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain FC)
Emir Kujovic (IFK Norrköping FK)
Kim Källström (Grasshoppers Club Zürich)
Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland AFC)
Oscar Lewicki (Malmö FF)
Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moskva)
Erkan Zengin (Trabzonspor AS)

**TheBoss** · 12/05/2016, 1:11 AM

One of the weakest Swedish squads to enter a tournament imo. They always had good strength over the years but that seems to have gone. Analyzing them, they look weaker than Poland and Bosnia. I saw both of their playoff games against Denmark, they looked pretty average in truth but Ibra was essentially the reason they went through, his quality compared to the others was clear to see. On seeing that squad, I think Ireland will win the game if not draw but certainly can't see that Sweden side win against Ireland.

**tetsujin1979** · 12/05/2016, 11:20 AM

Belgian squad announced: https://twitter.com/BelRedDevils/sta...01484317376512

**DeLorean** · 12/05/2016, 11:36 AM

A bit more on the Sweden squad here-

(Would this be a better thread for these posts? Just a suggestion.)

**tetsujin1979** · 12/05/2016, 2:36 PM

(posts moved)

Sweden's Kujovic aims to step out of Zlatan's shadow at Euro 2016: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soc...-idUKKCN0Y3105

**Closed Account** · 12/05/2016, 3:04 PM

Italian squad will be name in 2 steps:
Training camp 18 - 21 May 2016
Monday, 16th May 2016
Announcement of the called-up players in the evening
(This first phase will not see the participation of players involved in domestic cup finals (players from AC Milan, Juventus, Paris Saint Germain, Manchester United and Anderlecht)

Pre-European Championship training camp and ITALY vs. SCOTLAND friendly
Monday, 23rd May 2016
Announcement of the called-up players in the evening

**Closed Account** · 16/05/2016, 6:04 PM

(to be clear, all the players that will play in coppa italia final or other finals around the globe, are not in the list, it's a provisional list used also to evaluate possible surprises for the 23 going to the euros)
KEEPERS: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta).
DEFENDERS: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Armando Izzo (Genoa), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), Lorenzo Tonelli (Empoli)
MIDFIELDERS: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Davide Zappacosta (Torino).
FORWARDS: Fabio Borini (Sunderland), Citadin Martins Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Graziano Pellè (Southampton).

**Duggie** · 17/05/2016, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

(to be clear, all the players that will play in coppa italia final or other finals around the globe, are not in the list, it's a provisional list used also to evaluate possible surprises for the 23 going to the euros)
KEEPERS: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta).
DEFENDERS: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Armando Izzo (Genoa), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), Lorenzo Tonelli (Empoli)
MIDFIELDERS: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Davide Zappacosta (Torino).
FORWARDS: Fabio Borini (Sunderland), Citadin Martins Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Graziano Pellè (Southampton).

i defo think we should be looking to get something out of the italy game. decent side but nothing brilliant. el shaarawy has been in good form the last few months upfront, Candreva at Lazio aswell. Insigne from napoli, all nice tidy players but i'd be looking for at least a point in this game. Nothing upfront that should have us shaking.

**Duggie** · 17/05/2016, 12:41 PM

look at all the different clubs spread over euope in the swedish squad. would love to see a bit more of that in our own other than the usual england.

**tetsujin1979** · 28/05/2016, 5:20 PM

Belgium came from behind to beat Switzerland 2-1.
There was some comical defending for the Swiss opener: https://streamable.com/aubl
Lukaku with the equaliser: https://streamable.com/juho
de Bruyne with the winner after the Swiss had a man sent off: https://streamable.com/quua

**SkStu** · 28/05/2016, 6:38 PM

Seven minute highlights here. They are vulnerable at the back but lethal on the break.

http://sportyhighlights.com/switzerl...um-highlights/

**tetsujin1979** · 29/05/2016, 11:19 AM

Italy playing Scotland tonight in a friendly in Malta. Strachan looking to play a lot of inexperienced players, so it might not be the best game to judge the Italians