Euro 2020 Preview (Group C - Austria / Netherlands / North Macedonia / Ukraine)

Team: AUSTRIA

Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020_squads#Austria
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/teams/8--austria/

Captain: Julian Baumgartlinger
Key Players: David Alaba; Marcel Sabitzer; Aleksandar Dragovic
Potential Breakout Player: Sasa Kalajdzic
Notable Absentee: N/A

Best Historical Finish: Group Stage (2008; 2016)
Minimum Expectation: Second Round
How Far Could They Go: Second Round

Fantasy Football Sleeper Option: Sasa Kalajdzic (FWD - 7.5m)

Austria have qualified for their second Euros (third appearance overall having previously made the tournament in 2008 as a co-host), but struggled through the qualification campaign with three losses in their ten games finishing 2nd to Poland. Their international pedigree is from an entirely other era having made a couple World Cup semifinals (1934; 1954) in the early days of international football. .

In 2016 they were a young team, but there will be a number of their higher profile players returning from that side to maintain/take key roles in the 2021 version. Austria's best player remains Alaba but his supporting cast is much better this time around with his role in the team now being more ably supported as the likes of Sabitzer has taken a leap forward to stardom and with a highly promising crop of younger players like X. Schlager, Baumgartner, Laimer, Lazaro and Kalajdzic having greatly enhanced reputations for top tier teams in the German Bundesliga.

Their coach has been with the team since 2018 and will be keenly aware of his squad and their capabilities. They will likely lineup up in 4-2-3-1 formation with A. Schlager in goal Lainer/Friedl as the fullbacks with Dragovic/Hinteregger as the CB pairing. The midfield is a great area of strength with Laimer and X. Schlager sitting deeper whilst Alaba, Sabitzer and Baumgartner offer creative impetus behind the giant Kalajdzic. Having the likes of Baumgartlinger, Arnautovic, Lazaro, Ilsanker and Gregoritsch as reserves gives the Austrian a far deeper team than the other so called 'smaller' teams at the tournament. 

The Austrians disappointed in their last trip to the Euros but this more seasoned bunch supported by the aforementioned promising talent appears primed to be better this time around. They should advance from this group possibly even in 2nd place no less. Unfortunately for them, the way the bracket unfolds thereafter though is highly unlikely to favour any further progress.

Team: NETHERLANDS
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020_squads#Netherlands
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/teams/95--netherlands/

Captain: Georginio Wijnaldum
Key Players: Frenkie De Jong; Memphis Depay; Matthijs De Ligt
Potential Breakout Player: Owen Wijndal
Notable Absentees: Virgil Van Dijk (injury); Jasper Cillessen (COVID-19)
Best Historical Finish: Winner (1988);
Minimum Expectation: Second Round
How Far Could They Go: Semifinals

Fantasy Football Sleeper Option: Owen Wijndal (DEF - 4.5m)

The Netherlands almost unfathomably did qualify for the last Euros, have a storied Euros history with this their 10th qualification, winning previously in 1988 with that Marco Van Basten goal and securing 3rd place on four separate occasions. Qualification was fairly straightforward this time around finishing 2nd to Germany and well ahead of Northern Ireland. Qualification success built on the credible 2nd placed finish in the inaugural UEFA Nations League restoring Dutch pride after consecutive failures to qualify for major tournaments (Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018). 

Their players ply their respective trades across the biggest European clubs and they are also as is typical for the Dutch will bring a whole host of highly promising youngsters along for the ride.Unlike prior generations where elite CFs were in no short supply beyond Depay, the likes of L. De Jong and Weghorst are largely unproven at international level. The CB position despite being rocked by the absence of Van Dijk is an area of strength with De Ligt and De Vrij (arguably the best CB in Serie A for the most recently concluded campaign) and the midfield options are also tremendous. Unlike Dutch teams of previous eras, they go into the tournament lacking superstar names but the squad is littered with talent and for most of this group they are either in their prime or yet to enter it.

Their coach (Frank De Boer) is a major source of concern, with a succession of failures post-Ajax in club management, with his ascension to the position due to Koeman's secondment to Barcelona. The Dutch team identity of the 4-3-3 will largely be expected with a probable lineup Krul in goal behind a defensive quartet of Dumfries, De Vrij, De Ligt and Wijndal. The midfield trio of Wijnaldum, F. De Jong and De Roon/Klaassen stacks up favourably to most any combination they will face. The trio in attack will likely be Depay and Berghuis flanking Weghorst. Having some promising youngsters like Gravenberch, Koopmeiners, Malen and Timber will mean the Dutch have cover in each position.

The Dutch always go into tournament with major expectation and this should be no different, a deep run is inherently possible with this group. A major challenge for them could come as early as the Round of 16, which should they win the group will very likely see them faceoff against the 3rd placed Group F team (France/Germany/Portugal). 

Team: NORTH MACEDONIA
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020_squads#North_Macedonia
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/teams/59205--north-macedonia/

Captain: Goran Pandev
Key Players: Goran Pandev; Enis Bardhi; Ezgjan Alioski
Potential Breakout Player: Elif Elmas
Notable Absentees: Ilija Nestorovski (injury)
Best Historical Finish: N/A
Minimum Expectation: Qualifying (Already achieved)
How Far Could They Go: Group Stage

Fantasy Football Sleeper Option: Stefan Ristovski (DEF - 4.0m)

North Macedonia are debutants, having began competing in UEFA competition as one of the independent nations which were formerly part of Yugoslavia. They had a solid qualifying campaign finishing 3rd behind Poland and Austria, but their presence at the tournament is down to their success in the UEFA Nations League where they emerged as winners of the Group D (lowest tier) section. Throughout their history they have earned creditable draws against the likes of England, Italy and the Netherlands, but soon after qualification they earned their greatest result beating Germany earlier this year in a World Cup qualifier in Germany no less. 

The former Yugoslavia has spawned a number of smaller nations, which all benefit from the rich talent of Eastern Europe and North Macedonia, despite not having had the historical success have developed some good players in recent history with the stars aligning nicely for this tournament. With just two clean sheets in qualifying, they do show a propensity to concede but have quality getting forward and can get goals from a variety of sources. Elmas is one of the brighter, under-the-radar  players in Europe, Pandev has quality (albeit aged) and Bardhi is a sensational set-piece taker. 

Their coach has been with the team since 2015 and has already achieved tremendous success with group as they have grown into quality competition in UEFA. The team has an identity and will almost certainly lineup up in 5-3-2 formation with Dmitrievski in goal behind a defense of Ristievski, Musliu and Bejtulai. The wingbacks of Alioski and Ristovski will play key roles as well the midfield trio of Ademi, Bardhi and Elmas who all have experience in European continental club competition. Trajkovski and Pandev will be the men charged with causing goal threat, albeit the absence of Nestorovski is a big blow to this squad.

North Macedonia are the minnows of this group make no mistake but they have enough to trouble teams and may sneak a result. The possibility of advancing from the group is remote but not impossible. Irrespective of the result, qualification is a massive success for them and they are unlikely to embarrass themselves.

Team: UKRAINE
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020_squads#Ukraine
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/teams/57166--ukraine/

Captain: Andriy Pyatov
Key Players: Oleksandr Zinchenko; Ruslan Malinovskyi; Andriy Yarmolenko
Potential Breakout Player: Viktor Kovalenko
Notable Absentees: Andriy Lunin (non-selection); Viktor Kovalenko (injury)
Best Historical Finish: Winner (1960 as part of the USSR); Group Stage (2012; 2016)
Minimum Expectation: Second Round
How Far Could They Go: Second Round

Fantasy Football Sleeper Option: Oleksandr Zinchenko (DEF - 5.5m)

Ukraine have qualified for their second Euros (third appearance overall, consecutively at that, having previously made the tournament in 2012 as a co-host), with a sensational qualifying campaign unbeaten and topping a group including Portugal and Serbia. Rather surprisingly despite a massive changing of the guard (only 5 players return from the 2016 squad), Ukraine have only included 1 player who was a part of their historic 2019 Under 19 World Cup winning squad. The squad always seems to have issues given the fiery rivalry between their two largest clubs Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv, who between them contribute more than half of the squad (17/26).

Historically the strengths of Ukraine's team has been the familiarity of the defensive line, whilst the personnel have changed the results have remained as a new backline developed familiarity and only conceded just four goals in their eight qualifying games (just 1 in to games against the vaunted Portuguese). They do not lack for creativity with Malinovskyi and Yarmolenko in the squad but defensive solidity will be the key to their chances of advancing.

Their coach (you may have heard of him Andriy Shevchenko) has been with the team since 2016 and has taken the Ukrainian program forward with limited resources and significantly bringing down the average age of the team. The team has an identity and will almost certainly lineup up in 3-5-1-1 formation with Pyatov likely in goal behind a defense of Matviyenko, Mykolenko, Kryvtsov and   The wingbacks and midfield should be Zinchenko, Karavayev, Steparenko, Shaparenko, Tsygankov whilst Malinovskyi will play just behind Yaremchuk.

Ukraine were abysmal at Euro 2016 and would surely be determined to put that right. Ukraine should have enough to advance from this group even possibly 2nd which would set up a matchup against the winner of Group A (likely Italy/Switzerland/Turkey), but can probably not expect much more.

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