The 2024 European Championship has reached its knockout stages, with several unexpected results in the group phase. Traditional favorites like England, France, and the Netherlands underperformed, while teams like Croatia and Serbia failed to make it past the preliminary rounds. Despite these surprises, the round of 16 has seen some dominant performances.
In a surprising turn of events, Switzerland defeated the defending champions Italy 2-0, setting up a quarter-final clash with England. England narrowly escaped an early exit against Slovakia, thanks to Jude Bellingham's last-minute equalizer and Harry Kane's extra-time goal.
Germany showed their strength by beating Denmark 2-0 and will face Spain in the quarter-finals. Spain has been dominant, easily overcoming Georgia in their previous match. This upcoming match will be a significant test for Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Austria, considered a dark horse, has impressed by topping the so-called Group of Death D. They will face Turkey in the round of 16, with the match scheduled to take place in Leipzig. Turkey, despite a heavy defeat against Portugal, managed to secure their place in the knockout stage with victories over Georgia and the Czech Republic.
Another exciting round of 16 match is between France and Belgium in Düsseldorf. Both teams had underwhelming group stages and are looking to redeem themselves. France, despite their struggles, will rely on their strong defense, while Belgium will count on their attacking prowess led by Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku.
Portugal, the 2016 European champions, are set to face Slovenia, a team with little experience at this level. Portugal is the clear favorite, but Slovenia's surprising victory over Portugal in a recent match adds an element of unpredictability.
- The 2024 European Championship is being broadcast by multiple networks including ARD, ZDF, RTL, and MagentaTV in Germany, and beIN SPORTS in other regions. Fans can also follow live commentary on various platforms.
- Austria's match against Turkey will be broadcast on TF1 and BeIN Sports 1. The match between Portugal and Slovenia will be available on M6 and BeIN Sports 1. France's clash with Belgium can be watched on TF1 and BeIN Sports 1 as well.
- The winner of the Austria vs Turkey match will face the winner of the Romania vs Netherlands match in the quarter-finals. Similarly, the victor in the Portugal vs Slovenia game will go up against the winner of the France vs Belgium match.
