Euro 2020 Match Previews and Picks for Thursday, June 17

The games at the 2020 Euros are coming hard and fast with three more matches scheduled for Thursday. One of the tournament favorites Belgium is back in action for their most difficult match of the Group Stage while the Netherlands and Austria meet after both won their opening match. Let’s take a closer look at the three games on tap for Thursday.

Ukraine vs. North Macedonia, Group C

With both teams suffering a loss in their opener, both teams will be desperate for a result in this match. Ukraine’s late comeback against the Netherlands turned out to be for naught when they gave up a late winner. Meanwhile, North Macedonia played well but was out-classed 3-1 by Austria in their Euros debut.

To their credit, North Macedonia did look like they belonged on this stage during their match against Austria. They managed to get a goal and even looked like a threat to steal a winner when the game was tied 1-1. However, the fact that they yielded two goals in the final 15 minutes is a concern. The Macedonians need to make more of an effort in the midfield to win possession and not get pinned deep for large stretches. They lack world-class quality in the final third, so North Macedonia will need as much possession as possible to help manufacture scoring chances.

With Ukraine, the question is what team will show up. Will it be the team that was on its heels for most of the game or the team that stormed back late with two quick goals. The Ukrainians managed just 37% possession against the Netherlands, although that was enough to take eight shots, five of which were on goal. The likes of Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko looked dangerous when Ukraine was able to get possession in the attacking half of the field. Those two offer Ukraine’s best chance to create opportunities if they can get more possession and not wait to fall behind to get on the front foot.

Ukraine is a heavy favorite in this game, but they looked unconvincing in their first match. Meanwhile, North Macedonia will have a little confidence after holding their own against Austria and finding the back of the net. Look for the Macedonians to bear down and find a way to get a result against the Ukrainians.

Prediction: 1-1

Denmark vs. Belgium, Group B

With heavy hearts and distracted minds, Denmark will face Belgium on Thursday after Christian Eriksen collapsed against Finland in their tournament opener. After Eriksen was rushed to the hospital, the Danes fell to Finland 1-0, leaving them desperate for a result against Belgium. Meanwhile, the Red Devils were convincing in a 3-0 win over Russia and will be favored to get a similar result on Thursday.

Before the tournament, Denmark likely assumed that they would take three points against Finland. Since that didn’t happen, the Danes need at least a draw to keep hope alive heading into their final match. Unfortunately, they could be distracted by what happened to Eriksen, for which no one would blame them. It also must be mentioned that Eriksen is arguably the team’s best player. Without his passing and playmaking skills in the midfield, the Danes could struggle to create chances in a game in which they are already overmatched talent-wise.

Meanwhile, perhaps the most impressive part of Belgium’s win over Russia is the Red Devils weren’t even at full strength. Kevin De Bruyne didn’t play and Eden Hazard only made a cameo appearance off the bench. Nevertheless, the Belgians dominated the match and still have a lot of room to get better as the tournament moves along. When the Red Devils get De Bruyne and Hazard on the field together, they’ll be even more dangerous, especially given the form of striker Romelu Lukaku.

At first glance, Denmark looks to be in serious trouble heading into this match with everything that’s happened. But the tragedy surrounding Eriksen and the fact that he’s now stable and upbeat should be a load off the mind of the Danes and bring them together. Look for Denmark to play a great team game and play strong defensively, enabling them to get a much-needed point against Belgium.

Prediction: 1-1

Netherlands vs Austria, Group C

Believe it or not, this will be the first match of the tournament between two teams that won their first match. Of course, the Netherlands will still be considerable favorites despite some issues in their 3-2 win over Ukraine. On the other hand, the Austrians will feel great coming off their first win at a major tournament since 1990, especially knowing that a win or draw would send them to the Knockout Stage of a major tournament for the first time since 1954.

The Dutch will surely have mixed feelings about their first match. They failed to capitalize on so many scoring chances in the first half but did eventually find the range in the second half with captain Georginio Wijnaldum stepping up to score the opening goal. However, the Netherlands perhaps should have scored more than three goals in the match. They will also be concerned about how quickly things fell apart defensively after making a pair of substitutions to their backline. The hope is that Matthijs de Ligt can return to the lineup after missing the first match to help shore up Holland’s defense.

As for Austria, the 3-1 result against North Macedonia is a little misleading. The game was very much in the balance with 15 minutes left, as the Austrians should have done more to capitalize on scoring chances early in the match. They will also be without striker Marko Arnautovic, who is suspended for the match after insulting a player from North Macedonia during the first match. That will limit what Austria can do on the attack, especially since the Austrians will likely be more defensive-minded against the Netherlands, limiting their opportunities to create serious goal-scoring chances.

Assuming de Ligt returns to the starting lineup, the Dutch should be able to sort out their defensive issues. We already know that the Netherlands has the creativity to create chances. It’s just a matter of being able to finish in front of goal and not switch off defensively after briefly letting their 2-0 lead against Ukraine get erased. Austria will put up more defensive resistance than Ukraine, but the Dutch should eventually find a way to break them down.

Prediction: 2-1 Netherlands