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

**MeathDrog** · 05/06/2016, 4:03 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Wales looked extremely soft through the middle for the first and last goal, the kind of goal Glenn Whelan would prevent.

Yeah just like he did last time we played Sweden..

**Charlie Darwin** · 05/06/2016, 4:04 PM

Sweden beat what is a pretty poor Wales team. I don't know how close that was to their full team, but I didn't see anything to say we don't have a chance.

**SkStu** · 05/06/2016, 4:25 PM

Having only watched the first half, I agree that our task doesn't seem any harder than it was a couple hours ago. Against Sweden - or Wales.

**MeathDrog** · 05/06/2016, 6:02 PM

Encouraging that Belgium conceded two at home against a team that are on the beach..

**DannyInvincible** · 05/06/2016, 8:21 PM

Can we really read much into these results though? If we can, then maybe we shouldn't even bother making the trip on account of our home loss to lowly Belarus.

**ifk101** · 05/06/2016, 8:27 PM

The Welsh performance today was akin to the fulfilling of media obligations with one word answers.

**tetsujin1979** · 07/06/2016, 9:22 AM

Italy beat Finland 2-0 with a penalty from Candreva, and a goal from de Rossi: http://www.espnfc.us/report?gameId=443445

**tetsujin1979** · 09/06/2016, 11:16 AM

Guardian profiles Jason Denayer, and some smaller penpics of other players in the Belgium squad: https://www.theguardian.com/football...anchester-city

**Deckydee** · 09/06/2016, 3:05 PM

Good Write up from the Belgian press. Says a LOT of great things about Ireland, especially the fans: http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/9090/Voetba...nian-WAG.dhtml

I would translate but I'm going home now

<MOD EDIT>
Few photos of player's partners that are slightly NSFW in that link - use your best judgement

**BonnieShels** · 10/06/2016, 1:41 AM

Nice touch there from HLN:

Originally Posted by HLN

Soldaten zijn we
ons leven Ierland toegewijd;
Velen kwamen
uit 'n land over zee.
Gezworen vrij te zijn,
niet meer 't oude koninkrijk
behoedt tiran of slaaf.
Beman vannacht d'enge kloof
Voor Erins zaak, pijn of striem
door kanonnen of geweren.
We zingen 't soldatenlied

**thischarmingman** · 13/06/2016, 12:36 AM

https://www.theguardian.com/football...eeze-euro-2016

Belgium are No1 in Europe but will they freeze once the going gets tough?

**NeverFeltBetter** · 13/06/2016, 8:54 PM

Italy have turned things a bit on their head with that win. Belgian forwards, Lukaku and Origi were criminally inept in front of goal tonight.

**seanfhear** · 13/06/2016, 9:05 PM

I shouldn't say this until after the Ireland/Belgium game but how come Belgium are not getting more (I am not basing this on just the Italian game) out of these players.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 13/06/2016, 9:23 PM

Wilmots trained his first eleven against an Italian style 3-5-2 during the week and the first string lost 0-4!

What a coach!

**Stuttgart88** · 14/06/2016, 9:38 AM

I saw Sweden yesterday. They were sh1t.

For all the talk of our poor game management defending a lead, Italy shipped two or three glorious chances, at least one or two being down to disorganised or clumsy defending.

They won 2-0.

That's football.