After almost two years of non-stop club football, we can finally take a deep breath. As much fun as it has been, a few months without Chelsea to worry about is healthy for all parties; players, coaches and fans alike. It gives everyone a chance to sit back and enjoy the glow of a well-earned Champions League trophy and a potentially seismic summer transfer window.
Heck, with life returning to normal in many ways, we might even forget about football entirely as we begin to get outside and socialize for the first time in forever. Just kidding. Football never sleeps, and the Euros—now a year overdue—are upon us. You won’t be seeing those groovy new home kits for a few more months, but you can certainly watch some Blues in action. Chelsea will be the most-represented club in the tournament, with a whopping 17 players suiting up for 10 different countries. Watching Blues play in any other kit is always a bit jarring, but the real fun starts when teammates become opponents. In the group stage alone, there are six matchups featuring blue-on-blue action.
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Let’s preview (and predict) each contest, starting from the beginning:
England vs. Croatia
When: Sunday, June 13
England: Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Mason Mount
Croatia: Mateo Kovacic
A rematch of the World Cup semifinal to kick off both sides’ tournament should make for an intense and probably chaotic affair. England has loads of talent all over the field, so long as you don’t look at the centerbacks and goalkeepers. Despite not featuring in pre-tournament friendlies against Austria and Romania, all three of Mason Mount, Reece James and Ben Chilwell should feature heavily.
James is the shakiest bet to start, with Gareth Southgate possibly opting for the more veteran presence of Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier to act as training wheels for an underwhelming centerback partnership. Mount seems to be as highly rated by Southgate as he has been by Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel. The young midfielder should be a mainstay as a workhorse playmaker supporting a talented but as-yet-undefined set of attacking players. Chilwell needs only to beat out Luke Shaw for the starting left back role. He could stake an even firmer place in the team by playing as a left wingback if Southgate opts to play a back-three to employ quantity in lieu of quality in defense. That more cautious approach would be great news for James, as well, as his newfound versatility could make him the perfect option as a right centerback in that theoretical back three.
Mount will have to cope with the combative and robust Mateo Kovacic in the middle of the park. Kovacic missed a sizable chunk of the final stretch of the season through injury, but did have a meaningful impact on Chelsea’s last few matches, including replacing Mount late in the Champions League final.
After being a bit-part player in Croatia’s run to the World Cup final in 2018, Kovacic is now one of the key contributors in a midfield that pretty much picks itself at this point. Expect to see Kovacic alongside Marcelo Brozovic and Luka Modric, as the former two do all the heavy lifting for the aging Real Madrid superstar. Croatia’s major issue is that its midfield is easily the strength of the squad. There are decent options up top—including Ante Rebic, Ivan Perisic and Andrej Kramaric—but the lack of a dominant focal point like Mario Mandzukic in attack could be a problem. At the back, things are pretty grim, with self-proclaimed “greatest defender in the world” Dejan Lovren pairing with Atletico Madrid’s Sime Vrsaljko as the only two notable names. Kovacic is obviously unlikely to offer much help scoring goals, so expect him to be doing a healthy bit of emergency defending to cover for a rickety back line.
Prediction: 3-1 England
England gets all three points and three goals to boot. Croatia struggles but manages to claw back one goal thanks to some Modric magic.
France vs. Germany
When: Tuesday, June 15
France: Olivier Giroud, N’Golo Kante, Kurt Zouma
Germany: Kai Havertz, Antonio Rudiger, Timo Werner
The highlight of the group stage from a Chelsea perspective or otherwise. Germany has a lot to prove after a catastrophic meltdown at the last World Cup, and arrives with a semi-revamped squad that may have just a few too many veterans in its ranks.
The starting line-up that Joachim Low trots out in this match may very well dictate Germany’s fate in the tournament as a whole. Fans should be concerned if all of the usual suspects—Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller—all start the first match. Germany desperately needs to close the book on its 2014 World Cup winners, who have arguably become more of a toxic clique than a source of wizened leadership in the dressing room.
One excellent way to avoid that fate could be to instead field three Champions League winners in Antonio Rudiger, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. All three have been mainstays in Low’s team for a while now, and could be the catalyst for a German renaissance after a three-year trough of self-examination (no, not that kind, Joachim!) and retooling. One of the unique traits of this German squad is its lack of definite strikers with Kevin Volland being the only out-and-out center forward. Whether that’s just the product of a weak set of strikers in the national set-up or a hint at a specific tactical plan remains to be seen, but it at least suggests that both Havertz and Werner will be relied upon to score a handful of goals a piece if Germany intends to make a meaningful run in the tournament. Rudiger will do what he does and be excellent at it, for better or worse. Just have all the French attackers start the game with face masks on.
As for the French, their battle will be more with their own complacency rather than with their opponents. The French team is easily the deepest in the tournament, giving Didier Deschamps a million different ways to outwit, outwork or simply overpower opponents. Honestly, I’d pick a second France squad made up of those who missed the cut to at least make the quarterfinals. Regardless, France’s best bet might be to continue on with something similar to what earned it a fairly straightforward World Cup win three years ago.
I’ll admit to some bias here, as running that winning formula back would mean a reprisal of starring roles for two Chelsea players in N’Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud. In 2018, Giroud grew into a starting role and somehow became France’s most important attacking player, despite not registering a shot on target for the entire tournament. His ability to carve out opportunities and angles for Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann solved what few problems France appeared to have in the early days of the tournament.
The reintroduction of Karim Benzema is the one real threat to Giroud’s ability to have a similar impact as he did in 2018, and Benzema’s presence in general is almost certainly a toxic one given his personal conduct and quotes about the difference in quality between him and Giroud. France loves a good old intrasquad bust up, and don’t be surprised if Benzema is at the center of it.
One person who you can guarantee won’t be involved in any bust ups, however, is Kante. The stakes are pretty simple here. If France wins the tournament and Kante plays the whole way through, he probably wins the Ballon d’Or at the end of the year.
The risk of him playing poorly is practically laughable at this point; the only real threat would be an annoying muscle injury, which seems to be a concerningly regular occurrence when Kante suits up for France. Against Germany, Kante will likely be hard to spot with Leon Goretzka presumably obscuring him from view due to his hulking frame. Regardless, expect him to be a thorn in the side of Werner and Havertz as they try to play between the lines and run the channels. Those are where Kante does his best work, and it will be interesting to see the Germans’ reactions to being on the receiving end of Kante’s domination.
As for Giroud, it’s still hard to say if he’ll be a major contributor this time around. He’s getting dangerously close to surpassing Thierry Henry as France’s all-time leading goalscorer, which is absolutely hilarious to think about. Unfortunately, there’s probably not much to say about Kurt Zouma, as he’s unlikely to see many minutes, partly due to his limited role under Tuchel. If France needs a set piece goal, maybe he’ll come through, but Deschamps has some great options at centerback who have already proven themselves in international play. I’d be happy to be wrong on this one though.
As for the match itself, don’t be surprised if Giroud starts on the bench. Benzema was called up for a reason, and it’s hard to think he’ll be there just to fill the striker quota. Against Germany in particular, a physically dominant set of centerbacks that will likely include Niklas Sule and Rudiger should force France to create chances from wider areas. Fortunately for them, they have some of the best wide players in the world. With Kante harassing the few deep-lying playmakers Germany has, I’d expect Havertz and Werner to either look stranded up top or spend too much time trying to regain control of the midfield to serve as threats on France’s goal.
Prediction: 2-1 France
A straightforward win to get France up and running, but with Germany looking more formidable than its limp 2018 version.
Denmark vs. Belgium
When: Thursday, June 17
Denmark: Andreas Christensen
Belgium: Michy Batshuayi (and Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, etc.)
Not nearly as much to get excited about here compared to the earlier matches. Denmark is just fine, but not nearly on Belgium’s level. One interesting thing to watch will be how Andreas Christensen handles being a relative superstar in a squad that lacks much star power. With Christian Eriksen’s status diminishing and very few notable attackers, a Champions League-winning defender (who had a sneaky incredible performance in the final) could be one of the few notable talking points in the rare moments commentators will mention Denmark rather than its more illustrious opponent.
Speaking of Belgium, I’d be lying if I said Michy Batshuayi was the biggest draw for Chelsea fans. Eden Hazard will be there, and you just get the feeling that he’ll get it together for Belgium in a way he never managed for Real Madrid, in a sort of perverse Gareth Bale impression. If that’s the case, do yourself a favor and tune into the Real Madrid Twittersphere. It’ll be a hoot. Apart from Hazard, it will be worth keeping an eye on Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea is still being linked with as a transfer target. Other points of interest include the presumably masked Kevin De Bruyne, the briefly-Chelsea affiliated Thorgan Hazard and the always contemptible Thibaut Courtois.
To bring it back to actual Chelsea players, Batshuayi could very well be a meaningful contributor to this team, albeit most likely as a sub. If he plays his cards right, he could produce another high-quality meme to go with his celebratory punt off the post and into his own face from the World Cup.
Prediction: 2-0 Belgium
Maybe a bit of a slow burn for Belgium as its stars of varying fitness levels try to piece it all together, but Denmark should be easy to dominate, albeit with a fair bit of defensive solidity.
England vs. Scotland
When: Friday, June 18
England: Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Mason Mount
Scotland: Billy Gilmour
We already covered England, but it’s worth considering how Gareth Southgate might iterate on his squad after seeing some more training and a competitive match for his actual full squad. If any of Mount, James or Chilwell don’t feature against Croatia, this should be a perfect chance to integrate them into the starting line-up against a Scotland side that should concede plenty of possession to England. It would let the Chelsea players get into a groove with their teammates.
Unfortunately for Mount, he will be rendered completely irrelevant from the first whistle to the last by the all-conquering Billy Gilmour, who will stand stalwart in the middle of the pitch doing a concerningly spot-on William Wallace impression.
That fever dream aside, there’s really no telling whether Gilmour will be a major player for Scotland in this tournament. It feels like this Euros might have come just a bit too early for him to be an established starter, especially with a cast of seasoned, top-flight midfielders around him. John McGinn and Scott McTominay are the standouts, but there’s a handful of other Premier League names in the squad, several of whom would be in direct competition with Gilmour for a starting role in central midfield. There would be nothing better than to see Gilmour be the breakout starlet of the tournament, but it does feel like this Euros came a year or two too soon for him really come into his own.
Prediction: 1-1 Draw
A maddening result for England that will feel like the victory of all victories for Scotland.
Italy vs. Wales
When: Sunday, June 20
Italy: Emerson, Jorginho
Wales: Ethan Ampadu
It’s tough to get a read on this Italy side. It isn’t light on talent, but it is light on players you want to watch. Even its presumptive goal scorers—Andrea Belotti and Ciro Immobile—feel like lukewarm propositions at best. If Italy is going to go deep in this tournament, which is feasible but unlikely, it will be pretty uninspiring stuff the whole way through. Very stereotypically Italian.
Of course, as Chelsea fans will be all too aware, no one provides “uninspiring stuff” quite like Jorginho. Now listen, Jorginho is good in his own unique way. He’ll more than likely be a positive contributor for Italy, but if he produces any personal highlights along the way, it’ll be a handful of penalties scored rather than any incredible feats of playmaking or technical skill.
As for Emerson, well…who knows? I have all sorts of opinions on players all over the game, but Emerson somehow defies my ability to have any meaningful feeling about him, good or bad. Manager Roberto Mancini seems to feel the same way, as he’s been selected with stunningly consistent irregularity. Emerson has played two full matches in a row for Italy only one time, back in November. Even in lead up to the Euros, he was not in the squad versus San Marino, and played 26 minutes against the Czech Republic. Expect his involvement to be equally spotty in the tournament itself. He’s another random player I wouldn’t be surprised to see score for no good reason, similar to his clinching goal as a late sub against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Wales is a similarly unexciting prospect, but with a far lower ceiling than Italy. Wales’ success will pretty much live or die based on Bale’s performance, which is always a sketchy horse to bet on. Of course, the Chelsea-centric draw here is Ethan Ampadu, whose stock has fallen precipitously after two consecutive underwhelming loan spells. Fortunately, Wales has been his safe haven for consistent top-level minutes, so he may be able to enjoy a nice run of fixtures where he can perhaps renew some people’s belief in him as a long-term player at the top level of the game. Be that at Chelsea or elsewhere. If he’s stationed in midfield against Italy, his battle with Jorginho will be worth watching, even if it’s likely to be a relatively soft stalemate.
This match, and really Group A in general, promises to deliver nothing of interest, even if something exciting happens. With all due respect, none of Italy, Wales, Turkey or Switzerland are likely to see so much as a quarterfinal. Of all the matches involving Chelsea players, this is probably the one I’d go ahead and schedule a haircut during. You won’t miss much.
Prediction: 1-0 Italy
Who cares?
Croatia vs. Scotland
When: Tuesday, June 22
Croatia: Mateo Kovacic
Scotland: Billy Gilmour
Last but not least, two sides we already covered. If Gilmour is picked, this could be an incredibly interesting watch as he tries to handle Kovacic’s intensity while disrupting Modric’s influence. There’s a world where Scotland progresses out of the group stage and Gilmour picks up accolades as one of the standout young players in the tournament. If that’s going to happen, this match would be the turning point.
I’m suspicious of Croatia. Its run to the World Cup final was full of good luck and close calls, and the squad is almost definitely worse than it was three years ago. Scotland isn’t particularly good, but it has a lot of pros who play at the type of level where you have to eke out wins against more fancied opponents in order to survive. I like Scotland’s chances in this match, with or without Gilmour, but the inclusion of Wee Billy G could make this one of the standout matches of the entire competition.
Prediction: 1-0 Scotland
Something, something, there can only be one, etc.
Quick note for Cesar Azpilicueta. Spain’s group includes Poland, Slovakia and Sweden, none of which include any Chelsea players or relevant links. I’m hoping Azpilicueta can get a well-deserved run of matches for his country, but I’m pessimistic if only because he’s been thoroughly overlooked for so long.
Here’s hoping we’ll be back after the group stage talking about how he’s dragging Spain through the competition through sheer force of will. Again, not optimistic, but seeing him out there at the top of the game where he belongs will be great viewing on its own. Hopefully Luis Enrique feels the same way.
Which match intrigues you the most? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!