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The Dark Horses ready to charge in Germany

The Dark Horses ready to charge in Germany

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The majesty of major tournaments is not only limited to witnessing the favourites cruise their way to lifting the illustrious trophy but it is also about the unique moments when the underdogs cause memorable upsets against the higher-ranked teams.

By Filip Mishov

How can you forget Greece’s remarkable winning run at Euro 2004 or Iceland’s shocking elimination of England at Euro 2016 and more recently, Switzerland’s dramatic penalty shoot-out win, against France at Euro 2020? But who are this year’s underdogs and how they can upset the big guns? Find out all about them and their strengths as FotMob analyses one team per group who, on paper, has the lowest chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament.

The creative machine nicknamed ‘Szobo’ targeting further success with the Tricolours

The Magyars enjoyed an almost flawless qualifying campaign as Marco Rossi‘s squad remained unbeaten and thus, finished on top in a group which featured the likes of Serbia and Montenegro. Additionally, Hungary displayed quality at both ends of the pitch by boasting the best defensive record (only seven goals conceded) as well as the finest attacking record (16 goals scored). But the draw has not been kind to them as they are placed in Group A at the finals alongside hosts – Germany, the experienced – Switzerland, and the inspired – Scotland, which is undoubtedly one of the most competitive groups at the upcoming championship.

With Die Mannschaft being one of the favourites to go all the way, it leaves Hungary as one of the three national teams battling for the other spots in Group A, but only one of them has Dominik Szoboszlai in their ranks (check out his Premier League passing stats above). The newly-appointed captain is Hungary’s protagonist and undisputed leader after the legendary, Ádám Szalai retired and the Liverpool’s creative midfielder successfully led his country to Euro 2024. However, the 23-year-old is not the only force in a squad which boasts other young stars such as Milos Kerkez, who has had his breakout season in the Premier League with AFC Bournemouth, and experienced veterans like RB Leipzig’s duo – Péter Gulácsi and Willi Orbán to make a decent collective. Hungary’s playing style can be best described as a team who will outrun their opponents, get chances to score with Szoboszlai orchestrating the midfield, and they will never give up, as shown at Euro 2020 when they held both Germany and France to draws in the group stage.

The fiery Albanians aiming to upset the big guns

The Red and Blacks unexpectedly cruised in a difficult group in the qualifiers and completely defied the odds to finish on top, leaving the likes of Czechia and Poland behind them. However, when one takes a closer look at Albania’s squad everything becomes more logical as it is a mixture of experienced players (Berat Djimsiti), young stars (Kristjan Asllani) and late bloomers (Jasir Asani), led by the two-times UEFA Champions League winner and former Barcelona player – Sylvinho as head coach and the two-times Premier League winner and former Manchester City player, Pablo Zabaleta as his assistant.

With both, Sylvinho and Zabaleta being defenders in their playing days, they have built a formidable Albanian defence which conceded only four goals in eight matches during the qualifiers and only suffered one loss. At the other end, the Albanians boasted the joint-best attack too with 12 goals scored, epitomising the characteristics of a well-structured team. But despite their heroics in the qualifiers, they have been tasked with an extremely tough group at the final tournament in Germany which features the likes of reigning European champions – Italy, the rejuvenated Spain and the World Cup’s bronze medalists – Croatia. Given the magnitude of the challenge, it seems highly improbable for Albania to progress, but they were not meant to be in Germany in the first place judging by the predictions before the qualifiers, and their robust defence will be their trump card, while they will be hoping for Armando Broja to cause cause problems in the opposition box, in order to defy the odds once again.

Big Ben & co. looking to spoil the party in the ‘Group of Death’

The sturdy Slovenians must feel like one of the unluckiest teams in Europe as Matjaž Kek‘s squad was first drawn in a challenging group alongside Denmark in the qualifiers and then again with the Danes in the Finals. However, the upwardly mobile Slovenians are not to be underestimated and their Benjamin Šeško-led team can hurt anyone in group C.

With England, Denmark, and Serbia destined to vie for the top in group C, Slovenia are definitely the dark horse who will eagerly await the chance to pounce. Furthermore, they can consider themselves fortunate to have the in-form RB Leipzig‘s striker – Benjamin Šeško playing for, rather than against them. The 21-year-old is one of the most highly-sought forwards on the continent and the 193 cm tall Šeško has scored or recorded an assist in each and every Bundesliga‘s start since the end of January (check his shot map above). Additionally, the veteran – Josip Iličić is back in international fold after a couple of years away from the game and the 36-year-old was back with a bang in the friendly against Armenia, prior to the tournament. Last but not least, Slovenia scored the most goals (20) in their group in the qualifiers and conceded the least (9), which speaks volumes about their well-balanced squad with Jan Oblak between the sticks, Adam Gnezda Čerin as their most creative player in midfield and ‘Big Ben’ in attack, so the Slovenians will definitely be a threat in their first European Championship since 2000.

Be patient Lewa, a new playmaking force is on the way

The Polish Eagles did not fly high in the qualifiers and the Robert Lewandowski-inspired squad had to work hard in order to secure their fifth-consecutive appearance at the European Championships. The ice-cold Poles edged an intense penalty shoot-out in the UEFA Nations League A’s play-off final against Wales, in Cardiff, to book a ticket for Germany, and they find themselves in the very competitive Group D alongside 2022 World Cup runners-up – France, the Netherlands, and Austria.

Despite boasting an attack which featured the likes of Arkadiusz Milik (injured and will miss the Euros) and Robert Lewandowski (probably injured, and will miss Poland’s opening game), supported by Piotr Zieliński behind them, efficiency is not one of Poland’s strengths as they scored only 10 goals in eight qualifying matches end finished the qualifiers with a neutral goal difference, but somehow, they always find a way to carve out positive results and make it to the final tournaments.

However, with Sebastian Szymański coming off of a class season with Fenerbahçe SK in the Süper Lig where the attacking midfielder recorded double-digits in terms of goal contributions, the 25-year-old will definitely help to take off some of the attacking burden and also, aid the creativity in the side for the captain, Lewandowski to have more space and chances to score. Also, with Wojciech Szczęsny between the sticks plus Jan Bendarek paired with Jakub Kiwior in front of him, the Poles will try to crave out a positive result once again and progress from the group stage despite the strong competition.

Romania’s unpredictability makes them the perfect dark horse in group E

The dangerous Romanians are back at Euro 2024 after missing the previous edition and the head coach, Edward Iordănescu can be extremely proud of their qualifying campaign as they finished on top in a group which also featured Switzerland. Also, the Radu Drăgușin-led defence conceded only five goals in ten matches, which was the best defensive record in their group and is one of Romania’s biggest strengths going in to the finals. However, Romania’s attack (16 goals) is not one to be underestimated as only the Swiss (22) scored more goals in their group and with the son (Ianis) of the legendary, Gheorghe Hagi acting as an advanced playmaker in the XI, they pose a threat going forward. Additionally, they had four different goal scorers with two or more goals in the qualifiers, which adds to their unpredictability.

Romania have been drawn in Group E alongside the favourites – Belgium, the pacy Ukrainians and the robust Slovakians which makes it a pretty demanding group, but the Romanians have already surprised the Swiss in the qualifiers and despite the fact that their ranks feature only a few players from Europe’s top 5 leagues, they make a compact team which can defend really well and be potent in attack. It is hard to see them go far in Germany, but be sure, they will aim to mess up Ukraine and Slovakia’s calculations, with Belgium expected to top the group.

Kvaradona’s heroics key to Georgia’s chances at Euro 2024

The Crusaders narrowly missed out on a place at Euro 2020 and the Georgians were determined to seize their chance this year and join the party in Germany. You could see the burning fire in their eyes when they hosted Greece in the UEFA Nations League C’s play-off final in Tbilisi back in March when again, a penalty shoot-out decided the winner, and sent Georgia to their first-ever major tournament.

The legendary, Willy Sagnol is at the helm and even though his players will be the only debutants at Euro 2024, the Frenchman possesses all the necessary experience gained from representing Les Bleus to translate it in the dressing room. The main protagonist in the Georgian squad is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and his Robin is Georges Mikautadze who ended the season as one of the most efficient players in Ligue 1, despite playing for a struggling and now, relegated side in FC Metz (see his shot map below).

Sagnol favours patient build-up play in possession and offers lethal counter-attacking play out of possession with Chakvetadze, Kvaratskhelia, Mikautadze and Zivzivadze all looking to exploit as well as attack the free space with their pace. In a group featuring the likes of Portugal, Türkiye, and Czechia, the Georgians are the obvious outsiders, but they have shown their quality against better-ranked teams in the qualifiers. Given that they have blown Norway’s chances of qualifying with a draw and then, were alongside Spain and Norway as the only sides to take points off of Scotland, they have proved their credentials to be among the big guns and they will surely aim to ruin Türkiye and Czechia’s plans in Group E with Euro 2016 winners, Portugal expected to take top spot. And finally, their opponents will have to find a way to put at least one past their brilliant goalkeeper – Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was one of the best shot stoppers in La Liga over the past season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The Dark Horses ready to charge in Germany

The majesty of major tournaments is not only limited to witnessing the favourites cruise their way to lifting the illustrious trophy but it is also about the unique moments when the underdogs cause memorable upsets against the higher-ranked teams.

By Filip Mishov

How can you forget Greece’s remarkable winning run at Euro 2004 or Iceland’s shocking elimination of England at Euro 2016 and more recently, Switzerland’s dramatic penalty shoot-out win, against France at Euro 2020? But who are this year’s underdogs and how they can upset the big guns? Find out all about them and their strengths as FotMob analyses one team per group who, on paper, has the lowest chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament.

The creative machine nicknamed ‘Szobo’ targeting further success with the Tricolours

The Magyars enjoyed an almost flawless qualifying campaign as Marco Rossi‘s squad remained unbeaten and thus, finished on top in a group which featured the likes of Serbia and Montenegro. Additionally, Hungary displayed quality at both ends of the pitch by boasting the best defensive record (only seven goals conceded) as well as the finest attacking record (16 goals scored). But the draw has not been kind to them as they are placed in Group A at the finals alongside hosts – Germany, the experienced – Switzerland, and the inspired – Scotland, which is undoubtedly one of the most competitive groups at the upcoming championship.

With Die Mannschaft being one of the favourites to go all the way, it leaves Hungary as one of the three national teams battling for the other spots in Group A, but only one of them has Dominik Szoboszlai in their ranks (check out his Premier League passing stats above). The newly-appointed captain is Hungary’s protagonist and undisputed leader after the legendary, Ádám Szalai retired and the Liverpool’s creative midfielder successfully led his country to Euro 2024. However, the 23-year-old is not the only force in a squad which boasts other young stars such as Milos Kerkez, who has had his breakout season in the Premier League with AFC Bournemouth, and experienced veterans like RB Leipzig’s duo – Péter Gulácsi and Willi Orbán to make a decent collective. Hungary’s playing style can be best described as a team who will outrun their opponents, get chances to score with Szoboszlai orchestrating the midfield, and they will never give up, as shown at Euro 2020 when they held both Germany and France to draws in the group stage.

The fiery Albanians aiming to upset the big guns

The Red and Blacks unexpectedly cruised in a difficult group in the qualifiers and completely defied the odds to finish on top, leaving the likes of Czechia and Poland behind them. However, when one takes a closer look at Albania’s squad everything becomes more logical as it is a mixture of experienced players (Berat Djimsiti), young stars (Kristjan Asllani) and late bloomers (Jasir Asani), led by the two-times UEFA Champions League winner and former Barcelona player – Sylvinho as head coach and the two-times Premier League winner and former Manchester City player, Pablo Zabaleta as his assistant.

With both, Sylvinho and Zabaleta being defenders in their playing days, they have built a formidable Albanian defence which conceded only four goals in eight matches during the qualifiers and only suffered one loss. At the other end, the Albanians boasted the joint-best attack too with 12 goals scored, epitomising the characteristics of a well-structured team. But despite their heroics in the qualifiers, they have been tasked with an extremely tough group at the final tournament in Germany which features the likes of reigning European champions – Italy, the rejuvenated Spain and the World Cup’s bronze medalists – Croatia. Given the magnitude of the challenge, it seems highly improbable for Albania to progress, but they were not meant to be in Germany in the first place judging by the predictions before the qualifiers, and their robust defence will be their trump card, while they will be hoping for Armando Broja to cause cause problems in the opposition box, in order to defy the odds once again.

Big Ben & co. looking to spoil the party in the ‘Group of Death’

The sturdy Slovenians must feel like one of the unluckiest teams in Europe as Matjaž Kek‘s squad was first drawn in a challenging group alongside Denmark in the qualifiers and then again with the Danes in the Finals. However, the upwardly mobile Slovenians are not to be underestimated and their Benjamin Šeško-led team can hurt anyone in group C.

With England, Denmark, and Serbia destined to vie for the top in group C, Slovenia are definitely the dark horse who will eagerly await the chance to pounce. Furthermore, they can consider themselves fortunate to have the in-form RB Leipzig‘s striker – Benjamin Šeško playing for, rather than against them. The 21-year-old is one of the most highly-sought forwards on the continent and the 193 cm tall Šeško has scored or recorded an assist in each and every Bundesliga‘s start since the end of January (check his shot map above). Additionally, the veteran – Josip Iličić is back in international fold after a couple of years away from the game and the 36-year-old was back with a bang in the friendly against Armenia, prior to the tournament. Last but not least, Slovenia scored the most goals (20) in their group in the qualifiers and conceded the least (9), which speaks volumes about their well-balanced squad with Jan Oblak between the sticks, Adam Gnezda Čerin as their most creative player in midfield and ‘Big Ben’ in attack, so the Slovenians will definitely be a threat in their first European Championship since 2000.

Be patient Lewa, a new playmaking force is on the way

The Polish Eagles did not fly high in the qualifiers and the Robert Lewandowski-inspired squad had to work hard in order to secure their fifth-consecutive appearance at the European Championships. The ice-cold Poles edged an intense penalty shoot-out in the UEFA Nations League A’s play-off final against Wales, in Cardiff, to book a ticket for Germany, and they find themselves in the very competitive Group D alongside 2022 World Cup runners-up – France, the Netherlands, and Austria.

Despite boasting an attack which featured the likes of Arkadiusz Milik (injured and will miss the Euros) and Robert Lewandowski (probably injured, and will miss Poland’s opening game), supported by Piotr Zieliński behind them, efficiency is not one of Poland’s strengths as they scored only 10 goals in eight qualifying matches end finished the qualifiers with a neutral goal difference, but somehow, they always find a way to carve out positive results and make it to the final tournaments.

However, with Sebastian Szymański coming off of a class season with Fenerbahçe SK in the Süper Lig where the attacking midfielder recorded double-digits in terms of goal contributions, the 25-year-old will definitely help to take off some of the attacking burden and also, aid the creativity in the side for the captain, Lewandowski to have more space and chances to score. Also, with Wojciech Szczęsny between the sticks plus Jan Bendarek paired with Jakub Kiwior in front of him, the Poles will try to crave out a positive result once again and progress from the group stage despite the strong competition.

Romania’s unpredictability makes them the perfect dark horse in group E

The dangerous Romanians are back at Euro 2024 after missing the previous edition and the head coach, Edward Iordănescu can be extremely proud of their qualifying campaign as they finished on top in a group which also featured Switzerland. Also, the Radu Drăgușin-led defence conceded only five goals in ten matches, which was the best defensive record in their group and is one of Romania’s biggest strengths going in to the finals. However, Romania’s attack (16 goals) is not one to be underestimated as only the Swiss (22) scored more goals in their group and with the son (Ianis) of the legendary, Gheorghe Hagi acting as an advanced playmaker in the XI, they pose a threat going forward. Additionally, they had four different goal scorers with two or more goals in the qualifiers, which adds to their unpredictability.

Romania have been drawn in Group E alongside the favourites – Belgium, the pacy Ukrainians and the robust Slovakians which makes it a pretty demanding group, but the Romanians have already surprised the Swiss in the qualifiers and despite the fact that their ranks feature only a few players from Europe’s top 5 leagues, they make a compact team which can defend really well and be potent in attack. It is hard to see them go far in Germany, but be sure, they will aim to mess up Ukraine and Slovakia’s calculations, with Belgium expected to top the group.

Kvaradona’s heroics key to Georgia’s chances at Euro 2024

The Crusaders narrowly missed out on a place at Euro 2020 and the Georgians were determined to seize their chance this year and join the party in Germany. You could see the burning fire in their eyes when they hosted Greece in the UEFA Nations League C’s play-off final in Tbilisi back in March when again, a penalty shoot-out decided the winner, and sent Georgia to their first-ever major tournament.

The legendary, Willy Sagnol is at the helm and even though his players will be the only debutants at Euro 2024, the Frenchman possesses all the necessary experience gained from representing Les Bleus to translate it in the dressing room. The main protagonist in the Georgian squad is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and his Robin is Georges Mikautadze who ended the season as one of the most efficient players in Ligue 1, despite playing for a struggling and now, relegated side in FC Metz (see his shot map below).

Sagnol favours patient build-up play in possession and offers lethal counter-attacking play out of possession with Chakvetadze, Kvaratskhelia, Mikautadze and Zivzivadze all looking to exploit as well as attack the free space with their pace. In a group featuring the likes of Portugal, Türkiye, and Czechia, the Georgians are the obvious outsiders, but they have shown their quality against better-ranked teams in the qualifiers. Given that they have blown Norway’s chances of qualifying with a draw and then, were alongside Spain and Norway as the only sides to take points off of Scotland, they have proved their credentials to be among the big guns and they will surely aim to ruin Türkiye and Czechia’s plans in Group E with Euro 2016 winners, Portugal expected to take top spot. And finally, their opponents will have to find a way to put at least one past their brilliant goalkeeper – Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was one of the best shot stoppers in La Liga over the past season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.