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Its been a while since I last went to a football match. 479 days to be precise.

The last one was as about as good as it gets really. Marcelo Bielsas Leeds United in their promotion-chasing pomp, a sold-out Elland Road starting to believe it was actually going to happen after Luke Aylings best Tony Yeboah impression, and a 2-0 win in a Yorkshire derby.

That turned out to be the last weekend of regular, sold-out football across the UK. When promotion eventually arrived after a 16-year wait, agonisingly made three months longer, it was celebrated in living rooms and streets across Leeds. But the stands were empty.

I cling to the memory of that last match against Huddersfield like a comfort blanket. Theres a melancholic edge to it now when I think about leaving, looking out onto the empty pitch with an ominous feeling it might be the last time for a while, or how little I thought of Leeds great Norman Hunter walking past the press box with a brush of my shoulder, as happened most matches. Just over a month later, he died after contracting the virus.

Going out and staying out afterwards still remains the last Saturday night that felt normal. Like Arab Straps First Big Weekend in reverse.Ive been back to the same bars again since, albeit with masks, QR codes and two-metre distances. Its not the same.

Its been a long 479 days. Ive become depressingly accustomed to football as a purely televised spectacle. Leeds first season back in the top flight was pure joy, but despite watching every minute of every game live, I couldnt help but feel like Id kind of missed it.

Every weekend increasingly felt like Groundhog Day with the snippets ofCelestes Stop This Flameon Super Sundays indents gradually bludgeoning my psyche. Im still pretty sure every Sunday teatime across the various lockdowns was spent watching Manchester United play out a much-hyped but ultimately dire 0-0 draw naff all else to do though, might as well watch it.

Old colleagues could still get into the press box, while reduced capacity games came in fits and starts, but there were no real pangs of jealousy. It never looked as though I was missing out on the real thing. When I envisaged finally going back, I imagined a sell-out, the steel of the stadium vibrating, a deafening roar to meet the first kick-off after belting out Marching On Together. I imagined a Saturday. An actual one.

A fifth-full Hampden Park, with no-doubt disappointed and disinterested local neutrals robbed of a glamour tie, was not that.

But it was an opportunity not to miss. Ive seen Ukraine at every major tournament theyve ever competed in, having beenraised as a second-generation member of the diaspora. Most of my family holidays as a kid were spent following Zbirnya or Dynamo Kyiv with my dad and brother.

There were haphazardly arranged weekends away I was 15 when we didnt book a hotel and ended up sleeping in a doorway in Rome and letters to school explaining the cultural importance of going to Ukraines first and only World Cup appearance in 2006. When Valeriy Lobanovskyis Dynamo were in the UK, we were there. Be it Wembley, Old Trafford or Barry Town.

Even before the pandemic, the budget airline vibe of the continent-wide Euro 2020 didnt really appeal.

Seeing Ukraine, Poland and France get transformed for three weeks, whole cities commandeered by thousands of fans is what makes international tournaments special. Jetting in and out to Amsterdam and Bucharest didnt have the same appeal not least with potential periods of quarantining and all the additional logistics headaches. Id made peace with the fact that it wasnt going to happen.

But thanks to a stroke of luck, Ukraine were heading to Glasgow for their first knockout match since 2006. Suddenly there was nothing stopping me.

READ:Andriy Shevchenko: From national hero to Europes next top boss?

Andriy Shevchenkos men were exceptional in qualifying but disappointed come the tournament. A spirited two-goal comeback against the Netherlands kicked things off with a bang, but ultimately counted for nothing in a 3-2 defeat, while they were second-best in a 1-0 defeat to an irritatingly good Austria.

Only a narrow 2-1 victory over the lowest-ranked side in the competition, North Macedonia, was enough to see them sneak through as one of the better third-placed teams.

Had they performed better, they would have had to face Italy or the Czech Republic, while it was only Swedens injury-time winner against Poland that set up a clash between the blue & yellow brethren. Had Poland completed their comeback against Sweden, Ukraine wouldve been eliminated, while if it remained a draw it would have meant facing Spain.

Somehow, not only were Ukraine through, but they faced opposition they had a chance against. Sweden was a good omen, too; the last clash between the two nations was among the most joyous occasions in Ukrainian football history as a 36-year-old Shevchenko scored twice in a comeback 2-1 victory at the sold-out Olympiyskiy in Kyiv in the Euro 2012 opener.

Until this year, Shevas brace were the only goals Ukraine had scored in a European Championship. The only game that didnt end in defeat. Now Ukraines greatest player was hoping to have the same influence from the dugout.

I was there, donning an old blue & yellow Leeds away shirt, and thanks to a ton of messages, tweets and posts in Leeds Facebook groups, was made aware Id been spotted on telly, peering over Sheva in the nervous final minutes. The shirt fits quite a bit tighter nine years on, but I had to wear it again as a lucky charm.

After four hours of trains over the Ribblehead viaduct and incredible views of the North Yorkshire countryside, I was in sun-soaked Glasgow. As I schlepped through town to give my Ukrainian contact cash for the ticket he sorted me, the streets and outside seating of all the bars and restaurants were full of blue & yellow shirts. Scottish authorities denied fans from Ukraine and Sweden the ability to fly in, but thousands of UK-based fans like myself were able to make it.

Id hoped to meet fans from the sizeable Ukrainian community from Bradford at a beer hall theyd booked out, but by the time Id sorted my ticket and dropped my stuff off at my cheap hotel, England-Germany was about to start. I wasnt sure how seriously to take the note on my ticket telling me to arrive at Hampden Park two hours before kick-off, but I headed there anyway to watch the early evening kick-off in a sports bar not far away.

From the 15-minute train out, or the short walk around the Mount Florida suburbs, youd barely be aware there was a game on that night. Im agnostic when it comes to England, but I didnt want to miss Leeds Kalvin Phillips on the big occasion.

There was a novelty in watching Englands biggest win in 25 years in a little pool hall in Glasgow but, save for a couple of old blokes straight out of Still Game sat in front of me supporting Germany, it wasnt exactly hostile. Pockets of England fans werent made to feel unwelcome.

It was disappointing to arrive at the ground having missed out on any real sense of build-up, but Id have a chance for that after the match, right? Wrong I hadnt bargained for the stricter restrictions north of the border and 11pm curfew on pubs. Not to mention the classic mistake of forgetting off-licenses up there cant sell booze after 10pm.

Sitting alone in the ground no food, no drinks for an hour, looking across to the opposite stand with a few stray bodies didnt exactly scream huge knockout game. Such a sparse attendance brought back memories of Leeds lowest moments of the Ken Bates era. Southend in the Carling Cup, anyone?

But eventually I found a couple of fans I knew, and the Ukrainian fans clustered together in one end, ignoring the social distancing guidelines, to make the most of the occasion and create as good an atmosphere as could be expected in their end of the ground.

The experience wasnt what I remembered it, but Id forgotten what it was like to get a panoramic view of the whole pitch and a better view of each sides shape and the tactical thinking behind them. The match wasnt a classic; it had a cagey play-off feel, with neither side taking risks and focusing on minimising mistakes. But it was hard-fought and competitive, and there were genuine moments of quality in the set-up for both of Ukraines goals.

For the myriad ways in which the whole experience was made immeasurably worse by the restrictions, the thrill of seeing a move develop and end with the ball in the back of the net remains just as pure, the celebrations just as good. Not least a 121st-minute match-winner, the second-latest goal in Euros history, nodded in by Dnipro strikerArtem Dovbyk after a perfect cross whipped in by Manchester Citys Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Extra-time had been an attritional bloodbath, and you fear for Ukraines legs when it comes to facing England, but Dovbyks header instantly became an iconic moment in Ukrainian football, destined to be replayed in years to come.

But upon seeing the videos of people celebrating in the streets of Kyiv, I couldnt help but recall the famous line from Irish columnistCon Houlihan: Italia 90? I missed it I was in Italy at the time.

After the adrenaline rush of the late winner, it was quite a comedown to return to central Glasgow one of the most fun, alivecities Ive been to on previous visits resembling a ghost town, offering no alternative but to go straight back to the little room of my hotel. I couldnt even get a battered Mars bar, let alone a pint.

The post-match experience was a reminder of how dismal the times were living through are. A window into a world in which property developers turn every last city centre corner into flats and subsequently extinguish any signs of nightlife.

It was a genuine privilege to be there to witness Ukraines victory. It was much better than nothing. But getting a taste only made me more desperate for the real thing. Roll on next season, packed-out grounds, and matchdays that last from the morning until the early hours again.

By Nestor Watach

McCoist: I look at missed opportunity Euro 96 with regrets and fondness

Away Days: River Plate, sh*t football and angry taxi drivers

Can you name the top scorer at every European Championship since 1992?

England fans have nothing to complain about we blame Sterling & Southgate

Read the original post:
Away Days: 479 days later, a trip to the match at last; now I want the real thing - PlanetFootball

Italy is hoping this is the start of a new golden generation after missing the World Cup three years ago; Austria is hoping its current golden generation can reach the Euro quarterfinals for the first time ever. The Euro 2020 Round of 16 continues with the top team from Group A against the runner-up from Group C. Read on for our Italy vs Austria prediction, preview and viewers guide.

LONDON, England (Reuters) Italy stormed into the last 16 scoring more freely than in past European Championships, but it is their near-impenetrable backline that makes them favourites to beat Austria in Saturday's knockout game and head deep into the tournament.

Italy won their first two games 3-0 - after never netting three before at the Euros - then also beat Wales 1-0 in their final group fixture despite resting senior players.

A solid Italian defence is nothing new.

So-called "catenaccio" (doorbolt) backlines from the 1960s and 1970s made Italian club teams feared opponents and gave the nation a reputation for defence. "The perfect game would end 0-0," Italian journalist Gianni Brera famously quipped.

Now the Italy defence is again one to be feared.

In three Euro 2020 games, the Azzurri have faced only 12 shots, on or off target.

Further back, Italy have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 11 matches in all competitions, going 1,055 minutes - 17 hours and 35 minutes - without conceding since a Donny van de Beek goal for the Netherlands last October.

One more clean sheet will see them equal their record of 12 consecutive games without conceding, set between 1972 and 1974.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has had little to do all tournament, could overtake Walter Zenga's record of the second-longest run without conceding 936 minutes on Saturday. Dino Zoff's all-time record of 1,143 unbeaten minutes could then be in reach.

Alongside his national run, no goalkeeper kept more clean sheets than Donnarumma's 14 in Serie A in 2020-21.

This is Austria's first appearance in the knockout stages of the Euros, and their first in the knockouts of any major tournament since the 1954 World Cup, when they reached the semifinal. So they will be keen to make an impression.

Fiery striker Marko Arnautovic is more than happy to ruffle some feathers, but Italy's rearguard will relish the competition.

One worry coach Roberto Mancini does have is over the fitness of Giorgio Chiellini. He and Leonardo Bonucci are normally Mancini's go-to centre-back partnership, with the club teammates possessing 214 Italy caps between them.

But there is plenty of experience a key component of an Italian backline in reserve. Francesco Acerbi, who played alongside Bonucci while Chiellini had a long injury layoff in 2019-20, is capable of seamlessly stepping in.

In knockout rounds, it is often the best defences that emerge victorious, given the nerves of the occasion stemming free-flowing, attacking football.

Protected brilliantly by Jorginho in midfield, and with the ever-reliable Donnarumma behind them, Italy's backline is set up to make any opposition struggle. Austria must hope for a rare off day if they are to have any chance of springing a surprise.

Read the original post:
Italy vs. Austria Prediction/Preview: Can The Azzurri Keep Their Scoreless Streak Alive? - The18

1) Belgium (up 2)

Were presented with the toughest of tests in the last 16 in the shape of the reigning champions, Portugal, but won a surprisingly feisty encounter 1-0 thanks to Thorgan Hazards sumptuous strike. The veterans Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Thomas Vermaelen (combined age: 100 years) coped admirably with everything Portugal threw at them in the kind of game they may have lost a few years ago. We had to show an incredible mentality, Roberto Martnez said. Everything was about being disciplined and tactically astute. That is what a winning team needs. The injured Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard may miss out against Italy but Belgium feel they have a squad that can cope with that.

The 2-0 win against Germany was vindication for Gareth Southgate and his tactics. True, England did not create many chances before Raheem Sterling scored the opener but neither, frankly, did Germany and once England were in front there was no stopping them. The back three worked well and so did having Jack Grealish spring from the bench in the second half. They now have to play away from Wembley for the first time as they face Ukraine in Rome but Harry Maguire said they are ready: We dont get carried away. If you dont play to a level you will get punished. If we dont perform we will lose.

Gone was the fluency from the group stage so Italy had to rely on their willpower to get past Austria, winning 2-1 at Wembley after extra time. Perhaps the many changes before the third group game had unsettled Roberto Mancinis team and perhaps the selection of Marco Verratti ahead of Manuel Locatelli was a little negative. But through they are and Federico Chiesa did everything possible to secure a starting place against Belgium in the quarter-finals with a scintillating substitute appearance and a goal 25 years after his father scored at the Euros.

What a rollercoaster ride it has been for Luis Enrique and Spain. There were the two opening draws, the two missed penalties, the abuse of lvaro Morata and his family and then the release in the shape of a 5-0 victory against Slovakia. The last-16 game against Croatia packed a lot in too with Unai Simns horrible mistake, Spain being 3-1 up with five minutes remaining yet still having to play extra time, and finally Moratas goal and a 5-3 win. It seems as if all this has got the group of players closer together and that can only work in their favour. Now Switzerland await.

The 4-0 win against Wales felt like the first game of the Euros where Denmarks focus was completely on the football. Of course this championship will always be about Christian Eriksen, and his teammates will want to win every single game, every single tackle for him, but the players now sense a chance that they can go very far indeed in this tournament. That has, at least from the outside, felt secondary until now. It was impressive how the team responded to losing two starters, Yussuf Poulsen and Daniel Wass, and carried on as if nothing had happened. One of the replacements, Kasper Dolberg, scored twice.

The Swiss had gone out in the last 16 in the past two tournaments and they were expected to depart again at the same stage given they were facing the world champions, France. However, Vladimir Petkovics side were outstanding as they took the lead and responded to missing a penalty that would have put them 2-0 up to take the game into extra time and penalties. The striker Haris Seferovic, oft-criticised, now has three goals in the tournament, two of them coming against France.

This is a dream, the best game of my life, said Tomas Holes, who gave the Czechs the lead against the Netherlands, a game they won 2-0 to set up a quarter-final meeting with Denmark. The Czechs have been extremely organised and there is danger up front in the shape of Patrik Schick, who also scored against the Netherlands. The Dutch were so poor after the sending-off of Matthijs de Ligt that it is difficult to judge how good the performance was but Holes could not have been more pleased. Tactically we played a great game when it was 11 v 11 and 10 v 11, he said. We never gave them any space to play and we were rewarded. We played as a team and with some great individual performances.

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Andriy Shevchenkos side march on, beating Sweden 2-1 in their last-16 encounter after Artem Dovbyk scored the winner in the last minute of extra time. They were much improved on the poor performance against Austria in their last group game and they frustrated the Swedes with their deep defending and quick counterattacks. The win came at a cost though with several players injured, including the captain, Andriy Yarmolenko, and it remains to be seen if he is fit to face England in the quarter-finals. With this performance and commitment, our team has deserved the love of the whole country, a pleased Shevchenko told uefa.com after the game.

The champions went out at the last-16 stage, paying the penalty for finishing third in their group and facing Belgium in their first knockout game. They were not terrible in that encounter but neither did the result feel harsh. It is rare to see Fernando Santos and the rest of the team as tactically flummoxed as they were in the 4-2 defeat against Germany, with Bernardo Silva hooked at half-time, and there were several players who looked below their best after draining club seasons, Bruno Fernandes only one of them. Cristiano Ronaldo did his bit, scoring five goals, but they could not defend their title.

They did what they had to which was to get out of the group and nearly more. There was a sense that Croatia were getting better and better as the tournament progressed. They were a class above Scotland in their final group game and then produced a magical comeback against Spain to take the game into extra time. They had chances to go ahead before finally succumbing 5-3. The coach, Zlatko Dalic, was criticised back home but said he would continue in the role and try to take the nation to the 2022 World Cup. We have nothing to be ashamed of, he said. We made some simple mistakes, which you cant afford against the likes of Spain because they will punish you. But its part of growing up.

Franco Fodas side can be proud of themselves. Austria had never progressed from the group stage of a European Championship but they did so here and then pushed Italy all the way in the last 16. Few had given them a chance against Roberto Mancinis swashbuckling side but they took the game into extra time and rallied once they went 2-0 down, too. In the end, Italy held out for a 2-1 win but Foda remarked: Even after 2-0 behind the team kept believing. That was very impressive. We had a good dynamic. Defensively we were very solid.

What a strange tournament for the world champions. They emerged from the group of death as winners and were given a last-16 tie against Switzerland, only to implode and go out on penalties. The game against Switzerland showed just how small the margins are at this level. Switzerland equalised in the 90th minute through Mario Gavranovic and even after that Kingsley Coman hit the bar in regulation time. I am responsible when things go badly, Didier Deschamps, the manager, said. I am with them, they are with me. We will need time to manage this.

Sweden dominated the second half against Ukraine, in which Emil Forsberg hit the bar and a post, and looked to have enough in the tank to put pressure on their last-16 opponents until the defender Marcus Danielson was sent off early on in extra time. Just before that, the coach, Janne Andersson, had made a triple substitution to try to win the game. This is brutal, he said after Ukraines winner in the 120th minute. Overall, Sweden will be pleased with their performance, with Forsberg in particular having an outstanding tournament.

Joachim Lws 15-year reign in charge of the Nationalmannschaft ended with a whimper. Germany started brightly against England at Wembley but faded in the second half and did not threaten particularly after the home side had gone ahead (apart from the good chance gifted to Thomas Mller). Lw will be criticised for some strange substitutions towards the end (is Emre Can really the answer when you are chasing a game?) and, apart from the scintillating win against Portugal, this was a poor tournament for Germany. They will be better under Hansi Flick.

Won all their three games in the group stage and looked in a decent position to go far in the tournament but folded like a house of cards once Matthijs de Ligt was sent off eight minutes into the second half against the Czech Republic. Frank de Boer failed to reorganise his troops and on the pitch the players lacked belief. On Tuesday De Boer left his post, saying: The pressure is only increasing and that is not a healthy situation for me, nor for the squad. Georginio Wijnaldum scored three goals and Denzel Dumfries had a good tournament but this feels like a lost chance for the Dutch.

There was to be no repeat of the heroics from 2016 and they were well beaten by Denmark. Wales started well in their last-16 game but seemed to run out of steam after about 25 minutes and could have no complaint about the result. Rob Page has done well as an interim coach and said after the defeat: Were a young group, well bounce back and move forward. Weve just said to them: Youll become bigger and better for this experience. The biggest stars, Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, did not produce against Denmark and maybe a season of bit-part roles at their clubs caught up with them in the end.

Originally posted here:
Euro 2020 power rankings: Belgium and England on the up for last eight - The Guardian

28 June 2021, 16:00 WAT

New Informate one hour wey don pass

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Karim Benzema score two goals against Portugal for dia last group match

France dey unbeaten inside dia last seven meetings wit Switzerland.

France vs Switzerland games don end for four draws and three wins in favour of Les Bleus [The Blues].

So wetin be di match prediction for Monday night Euro 2020 last-16 game between dis two sides?

France coach don warn im players make dem no "under-estimate" Switzerland

Didier Deschamps - wey dey hope to become di first man to win both di World Cup and European Championship as player and coach - say im team must "dey at dia best".

"We no go under-estimate dem and dis na knockout game so we gatz do everything we fit to make sure say we go smiles at di end of di match."

But Le Blues dey even struggle wit injury palava for im team ahead of dia Monday Euro 2020 last-16 match.

National Arena Bucharest go host France vs Switzerland round of 16 game by 20:00hrs.

Deschamps two left-backs - Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne - bin wunjure for dia final group game against Portugal.

For Monday game, French media feel say him go use new formation.

Tori be say Deschamps dey consider di 3-5-2 formation.

Dat go mean say im go include Benjamin Pavard and midfielder Adrien Rabiot for im line up and use dem as wing backs.

"Dem bin good team and dem get good attacking potential wit Seferovic, Embolo and Shaqiri."

Na so Deschamps wey be, 52 years tok.

France dey struggle wit di fitness of Digne and Hernandez, and dem don already rule out Ousmane Dembele.

Dis na sake of knee injury for di rest of di tournament, while Marcus Thuram and Thomas Lemar dey also nurse injuries.

Juventus player Rabiot dey also carry one small injury too.

But even wit dia many-many injuries, France na still big favourites to progress past a side wey neva reach di last eight of a major tournament in 67 years.

Di winner go face either Spain or Croatia for di quarter-final.

Key Swiss names wey dey in form

Switzerland reach di quarter-finals as one of di best third-place finishers for di group stages.

Swiss key players bin shine well-well for dia win against Turkey.

Liverpool Xherdan Shaqiri bin score two goals and find good positions to register seven shots.

Arsenal Granit Xhaka bin win possession eight times - a high for im side.

While midfielder Steven Zuber become just di third player for European Championship history to register three assists in one game.

Zuber don join Denmark legend Michael Laudrup and ex-Portugal playmaker Rui Costa.

Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic say:

"In di past couple of years we don play well against great sides.

"We need to play to our strengths. Against a side like France, if we both give 100%, e no go dey enough.

"Dem go gatz give 80% and we need to make di most of am."

Lawro prediction - Pogba go ginger France to win

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Di likes of Thomas Lemar and Lucas Digne a major doubts for France

Di Swiss good but dem struggle against Italy for di group stage and I dey expect a similar tin here.

France neva find their groove yet, or not for long spells of games anyway.

But dem top a difficult group and people like Paul Pogba shine wella for dem.

Im passing and his link-up play wit Kylian Mbappe dey very impressive too.

Switzerland get outside chance

Simon Gleave, wey be head of sports analysis, for Nielsen Gracenote say:

France begin di tournament as third favourites according to di Gracenote World Football Ranking.

And dem remain for that position as di tournament enta di knockout stage.

Before di knockout phase begin, France chance of winning Euro 2020 bin move up a little to 11.8%.

Switzerland dey ranked 15th in di world for di Gracenote World Football Ranking.

Dem dey similar level to Denmark before di Danes play Wales.

Di Swiss team chance of winning Euro 2020 don change from 2.5% pre-tournament to 2.7% now.

Wit France ranked third for di world by Gracenote, dem be strong favourites to progress to a quarter-final place.

France chance dey estimated at 66% wit Switzerland holding a 34% chance of pulling off a surprise.

France vs Switzerland Match facts

Head-to-head

Dis go be di fifth meeting between France and Switzerland for a major competition (Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016).

But di first for di knockout rounds. France dey unbeaten in such matches (W2 D2), dia most recent game finishg goalless at Euro 2016.

France

France don only lose one of dia last 17 matches for Euros and World Cups combined (W12 D4) - di Euro 2016 final against Portugal.

France neva lose a competitive match in over two years, dia last defeat come against Turkey for European Championship qualifier for June 2019.

Dem don win 14 times and draw five times since.

Tori be say France last unbeaten run for competitive matches na from 1994 to 1999, a 27-game run, dat time dia current manager Didier Deschamps play for 21 of them.

Antoine Griezmann don play for each of France last 51 matches, wey start on 31 August 2017 against di Netherlands.

Griezmann na di only player to make more than 50 appearances for a European country since dat date.

Switzerland

Switzerland don reach di knockout stages for each of their last four major tournament appearances (2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020).

Dem chop elimination for their first match afta di group stages in each of those previous three instances.

With im double against Turkey last time out, Shaqiri don become Switzerland all-time top scorer for major tournaments (Euros & World Cup) wit seven goals.

Im overtake Josef Hugi wey get six. Shaqiri na Switzerland joint-top scorer for European Championship matches wit three goals, and im dey tied wit Hakan Yakin.

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France vs Switzerland prediction - Euro 2020 Round of 16: National Arena match facts - BBC News

In the purely arithmetic sense, the soccer rivalry between England and Germany nearly is even. One side has won 13 games. The other has won 15. That does not feel at all lopsided, and yet still there is this revealing quote from legendary English striker Gary Lineker:

Football is a simple game, he said following one of the most consequential of those England defeats. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans win.

They played at the 2010 World Cup. Germany won. They played in the semifinals of the 1996 European Championship. Germany won. They played in the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup (below), the game that inspired Linekers quote. So you know the result.

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They will meet each other once again Tuesday in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020. This might seem like the worst of all possible scenarios for England, to meet their nemesis so early in a major championship, and yet it is among the more appealing one that confronted them as the final two games of Group F played out last Thursday.

Because the winner of Englands Group D was slated to face the runner-up from Group F in the first knockout game, the Three Lions could have been matched against reigning world champion France or reigning Euro champion Portugal. Only Hungary, ranked 40th in the world, would have been a more appealing opponent, but the Hungariansconceded a tying goal to Germany and were eliminated at the group stage.

So its England vs. Germany, probably the marquee game of the Euros round of 16.

There are so, so many reasons to watch:

Through the three games of group play, 21-year-old England forward Jadon Sancho has played a grand total of six minutes. One of Americas brighter soccer voices, David Mosse of Fox Sports and the State of the Union podcast, suggests that never would be the case for such a gifted player if he worked his day job in the Premier League.

They dont appreciate what they have there, Mosse said on last weeks podcast. Because they view everything through these Premier League goggles, and the fact that hes over there in Germany doing what hes doing to me, hes always been undervalued in that (England) setup.

In Mosses view, theres no way England coach Southgate (below left) would be keeping Sancho down if he played for, say, Manchester United rather than Borussia Dortmund.

Getty Images https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/e9/69/gareth-southgate-jadon-sancho-england_j2lqcyd4bndk15rkbv2i6n0zb.jpg?t=1414117250&w=500&quality=80

Sancho produced eight goals and 11 assists in Bundesliga games last season, and 37 league goals combined over his three full seasons as a pro. Mosse said his performances there place him just a cut below young European stars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Writing for BBC Sport, Germany legend (and former U.S. national team coach) Jurgen Klinsmann said, Everyone in Germany is surprised Jadon Sancho has not had more game time for England at Euro 2020 but they dont want to see that change on Tuesday.

England has scored just two goals in three games but finished first in its group with two wins and a draw. Reserve striker Marcus Rashford told ESPN that Sancho could be important in the Germany matchup because hes played a lot of football against them more than the rest of us. For a team lacking offensive spark, though, Sancho has a lot more to offer than just inside information.

Indeed, we could say that about any matchup in the Round of 16, even Sweden vs. Ukraine. If youre in it, youve got a shot.

But the point here is how favorable the bracket is for the winning team in England v. Germany.

The quarterfinal matchup for either the English or Germans will be the winner between Sweden (ranked No. 21 in the world) and Ukraine (No. 24). From there, it would be a semifinal game against either Denmark (No. 12) or the Czech Republic (No. 43).

The bracket looked truly enticing for the England-Germany winner when it was set after last Wednesdays games. The upset of the red-hot Netherlands squad by the Czechs on Sunday afternoon made it look like a wide-open door to the final.

Oh, and if the winner happens to be England, the semifinal and final games are slated to be played at Londons Wembley Stadium.

Getty Images https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/70/ee/euro-2021-bracket-rd-16-day-2-of-4_1g4lq3ave3qt1193xn6x6dkzrp.jpg?t=1387814298&w=500&quality=80

After Germany humiliated Brazil by a 7-1 margin at the 2014 World Cup on the Brazilians turf and went on to win the title over Argentina -- the German national team program became the model for the world. After Englands young talent fought into extra time in the World Cup semifinals in 2018, they were seen as an emerging power.

Each has been, in its own way, underwhelming during these Euros.

In a very difficult group, Germany came very close to missing the knockout rounds, only securing its spot when Leon Goretzka scored an 84th-minute goal to tie Hungary and secure a runner-up group finish.

In a possibly underrated group, England held Croatia, Scotland and the Czechs without a goal, but delivered only occasional sparks of offense, including at least three shots that struck the post and the two goals that led to finishing in first place.

But Germany beating England will mean something to a squad searching for an identity as it looks forward to a coaching change. England beating Germany will be celebrated as the first competitive triumph over a major European rival for itsyoung core of players, as well as a tonic for all those past defeats against the Germans in the biggest tournaments.

To find an England win over Germany on one of the biggest stages, one must travel all the way back to 1966, when the English won their only World Cup and did so by beating the Germans in the final. Sancho was 34 years from being born.

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Even if Sancho doesnt get on the field, there will be plenty of stars to see.

England striker Harry Kane was the winner of the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup and is the subject of transfer speculation involving Manchester City possibly paying $138 million to acquire him from Tottenham Hotspur. Young Phil Foden excelled for Manchester City, which won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, and Man City veteran Raheem Sterling has scored both of Englands goals in this tournament.

Germanys Kai Havertz (above), who scored the winning goal in the Champions League final for Chelsea, has struck twice in the Euros. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich is one of the worlds most versatile players. And Goretzkas return from injury could be the spark Germany needs to prevail.

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The coach who succeeded Klinsmann in charge of the national team after a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, Low (above) led the Germans to a runner-up finish at Euro 2008, to the World Cup semifinals in 2010, to the semifinals at Euro 2012 and then finally to the very top of the world in 2014.

The past few years have not been as glorious. Germany exited the 2018 World Cup by finishing last in its group behind Sweden, Mexico and South Korea. It was so close to take the same route home from this tournament.

Now 61, Low asked in March that Euro 2020 be his final competition in charge, though his contract was scheduled to run through the 2022 World Cup. Hansi Flick of Bayern Munich was hired in May to serve as the next coach once this tournament ends.

It is rare for national-team head coaches to serve as long as Low, but the continuity has worked. This is one last opportunity for him to reward the DFB the national federation for its loyalty.

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Euro 2021: Five reasons why England vs. Germany will be must-watch soccer - Sporting News