Will the third match after Group C and Group D be a charm for any teams facing each other down on Euro 2024 Group A Match Day 3? Come along with us, and let’s find out what kind of chances each team has tucked in their pocket!
Euro 2024 Group A Match Day 3 will see Switzerland take on Germany and Scotland, riling it up with Hungary. With Germany leading the pack to win the group, maybe even the tournament, the remaining three teams will likely be hoping to place, advance from the group stage, and stay in the game.
Who will dominate the field? Who will score? Who will defend? Here’s a closer look at all the potential thrills, failures, and successes awaiting the players on Match Day 3.
Euro 2024 Group A is packed tight, with four teams competing hard and heavy, down and dirty, for the continental Championship title. Day 3 matches will be turning points on every team’s journey to the next round or back home.
Two German-speaking nations, Germany and Switzerland, will give each other more than tongue lashings on one of the two countries’ home turf. This match will be closely watched in both nations, and excitement levels will go through the roof!
While Switzerland is not considered a major challenger to Germany, it has failed to qualify only once in the last five UEFA Euro championships. Therefore, Switzerland should not be counted out.
While Hungary doesn’t have the strongest squad, they are considered the strongest contenders against Germany in Group A. They will return to international competition after a surprising miss for World Cup qualification in 2022. This will be their third consecutive continental competition appearance.
Scotland will have some catching up to do, and even an upset is far from a long shot. They are coming off a string of seven defeats in nine games, none of which were decisively won.
Let’s take an in-depth glance at how the two teams playing each other size up in the ring.
Germany has the advantage of playing on home turf, and Switzerland will have to compensate with a swift and flexible game plan. Playing in Frankfurt, the match will be hot and heavy, as Switzerland has beaten Germany in their last three meetings, often with high score counts on both sides.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s strategy is a bit unclear since Germany, as the host country, did not have to play qualifying, only friendly games. He is a big fan of the attacking style, preferring to put his opponents on the defensive.
Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin’s usual formation is 4-2-3-1. Yakin is expected to employ that reliable strategy in the match against Germany, despite frequent experimentation during qualifying rounds, where Switzerland finished behind Romania.
Scotland hopes to advance to the knockout stages, but it will have to fight hard to beat Hungary and brighten its odds. If it can repeat some of its qualifying performances, it will have a shot.
This will be Hungary’s fifth appearance in UEFA Euro, with their last bout in 2020. Scotland has made it to the finals four times, with a last bout in 2020. So they are pretty evenly matched in that comparison.
Hungary’s best showing was third place when the World’s Fair still existed in 1964, whereas Switzerland’s best showing was more recent—2020, when they made it to the quarter-finals.
Hungary Head Coach Marco Rossi will lead with a back three, relying on core players to attempt to be both attacking and defensive. The Tartan Army will combat his strategy with a 3-4-2-1 formation, though it will be no big surprise if they switch it up to 5-4-1 if the opposition is fierce. This will allow them to benefit from skilled midfield and full-back players.
It’s hard to say which is the underdog in the Switzerland-Germany match. Switzerland has won its last three games against Germany, but Germany is playing on home turf. Because Germany is tipped higher to win the entire championship, we’ll possibly say Switzerland.
Switzerland has shown a lot of promise during qualification. If the squad, which will remain the same as during the qualifying runs, can keep up the same pace of scoring they have in the past three matches with Germany, something unexpected could happen.
Scotland vs. Hungary is a monumentally easier call. Scotland is undoubtedly the underdog in this match, but Hungary has a stronger team and performed better in its qualifying bid.
Of the nine times Scotland has played Hungary, Hungary won four matches and Scotland three. In their last three games, of which Scotland has won two, Hungary failed to score twice and Scotland just once.
Hungary was undefeated in its qualifying run, while Scotland placed second in the group qualification, behind Spain.
Nico Schlotterbeck, Toni Kroos, and Ilkay Gundogan are the key players for Germany. Shlotterbeck is a center-back, and Kroos is a midfielder with a penchant for tackling and long balls. Gundogan is a versatile midfielder considered a primary playmaker and a goal threat.
Angus Gunn, Scott McKenna, and Lawrence Shankland will lead the charge for Scotland. Mckenna is a defender, Gunn has been Scotland’s number-one goalkeeper throughout qualifying, and Shankland is a striker who has recently displayed some of his finest form.
On the Hungary side, the top players are Peter Gulacsi, Laszlo Kleinheisler, and Martin Adam. Gulacsi is a goalkeeper, Kleinhiesler is an attacking midfielder and winger, and Adam is a forward.
Players to watch on the Swiss team are Nico Elvedi, Remo Freuler, and Zeki Amdouni. Amdouni is Switzerland’s Golden Boot contender, and Elvedi functions as both a center-back and right-back, while Freuler is the top tackler.
Historically, UEFA Euro host countries have only won the championship three times since the first competition in 1960. Germany has no distinct advantage there. France’s loss in 2016 was particularly devastating because they made it to the final championship game as a host country, only for Portugal to steal the trophy away.
If Germany wins Group A as expected, they could end up playing Denmark or England in the Round of 16, depending on who the runner-up of Group C turns out to be.
The runner-up of Group A will play the runner-up of Group B, and the third-place winner will play the winner of Group B, E, or F.
Whatever the outcome, thrilling action awaits you on Euro 2024 Group B Match Day 3!
