As the UEFA Euro 2024 group stages draw to a close, fans across Europe have been treated to drama across the board. The pre-tournament frontrunners have stumbled into the last 16, while teams that have shone in years gone by have been unceremoniously dumped out. On the other side of the spectrum, underdogs have defied their lowly status to make it through to the knockout rounds, and they will be aiming to ensure that their fairytale runs continue into the latter stages.
So, with it being said and the group stage now being in the history books, let's take a look at three of the biggest shocks that have happened so far.
Austria Top Group D
Few could have predicted that Austria would finish at the summit of Group D, especially when pitted against past champions France and perennial contenders the Netherlands. Yet, the Austrians, led by their dynamic coach Ralf Rangnick, have defied expectations. Many people had them down as dark horses this summer following their impressive qualifying campaign, but no one could have predicted just how brightly they would shine on the grandest stage.
Led by the maverick Marko Arnautovic, Austria faced a tough test up first against back-to-back World Cup finalists France. Despite the difficult task ahead of them, they managed to impress albeit in a 1-0 defeat, with the only goal of the game coming from their own hands through Maximilian Wöber's own goal. However, they put things right in their second game, comfortably dispatching Poland by three goals to one, eliminating Robert Lewandowski's side in the process.
Their toughest test came in their final group game against the Netherlands. Austria were 3/1 underdogs in the clash but they that if they could avoid defeat, they would progress. Rather than seeking a point, however, Rangnick's side went for the victory, and they walked away with more than they could have ever imagined. Goals from Romano Schmid, Marcel Sabitzer, and a Donyell Malen own goal secured a 3-2 victory and as France failed to beat Poland, the Austrians topped the group.
Now, questions have risen as to how far they may go. A favorable second-round clash with Turkey awaits and should they win that, they will be through to the quarterfinals. They have become a team that everyone now wants to avoid, but will they end up with a maiden European Championship title on July 14th in Berlin?
Three Lions Falter
England headed to Germany this summer as the outright favorites to lift a first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. Despite several lackluster performances, they remain exactly that with sports betting onlineodds making them the +350 frontrunner ahead of Spain and France. However, they will need to buck their ideas up and fast if they are to live up to their lofty expectations.
It seemed like everything was going according to plan when Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham gave the Three Lons a 1-0 lead just 13 minutes into their opening game against Serbia. However, since then, the wheels have well and truly come off. England was dominated throughout the second half of that first foray into the competition, before being dominated once more against Denmark in their second game, eventually considering themselves extremely lucky to escape with a point.
Their final group game against Slovenia was another drab affair which resulted in a 0-0 draw. that was somehow enough for them to top Group C ahead of the Danes, setting up a second-round clash with Slovakia. After that, they may very well meet Utaly in the quarterfinal in a rematch of the Euro 2020 final from three years ago. That's a contest that England will certainly need to be on the top of their game to win, and whether they have it in them under Gareth Southgate remains to be seen.
Georgia’s Miracle Against Portugal
Arguably the biggest shock of the tournament thus far has been Georgia’s qualification for the last 16. When the tournament began, few gave the Georgians any chance of advancing beyond the group stages. Qualifying for the tournament was already a huge achievement, defeating Euro 2004 winners Greece to progress to their first-ever major competition. However, their performances under the bright lights have earned them plenty of admirers.
They were very unlucky to lose their opening game against Turkey before goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili announced himself to the world in a sensational display against the Czech Republic earning his side their first-ever point at the European Championships. However, it was their third and final game against 2016 champions Portugal that grabbed the headlines.
The Portuguese had already qualified as group winners with back-to-back victories in their opening two games and as such, they started a heavily rotated lineup to rest some legs. However, that lineup still consisted of captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. But it was Georgia's number seven Khvicha Kvaratskhelia that stole the show.
The Napoli man opened the scoring after just two minutes, sending the tens of thousands of Georgians in attendance into a frenzy. He was then crucial in earning a second-half penalty which was duly slotted away by Georges Mikautadze, the tournament's top scorer so far. That was good enough to earn a stunning 2-0 upset victory but not only that. As Turkey beat the Czech Republic in the other game in Group F, Georgia also shockingly qualified for the last 16 against all odds, and now they will be hoping to repeat the heroics against Spain in the second round.
