Euro 2020 Group E – Team by Team Preview, Fixtures, Betting, Group Table

Euro 2020 Group E – Team by Team Preview, Fixtures, Betting, Group Table, Euro 2020’s Group E has several sides that can take the top spot.

The four that will contest it are Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden.

Each side has noticeable flaws that can be exploited by the opposition on any given day.

POLAND

Poland enters this tournament with the same squad they always enter tournaments with – Robert Lewandowski and the other guys.

However, that view is unfair on Poland.

Their side may rely on Lewandowski, but the quality is visible across the pitch in Paulo Sousa’s setup. 

Six players scored 30+ goals across Europe's top five divisions, Champions League and Europe league in 2020/21.

Only Robert Lewandowski hit 40+. 🤜 🤛 pic.twitter.com/L7khevYGLP

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 31, 2021

Mateusz Klich and Piotr Zielinski will look to improve upon impressive seasons at their respective clubs.

They will provide the midfield engine for the Eastern European side.

Centre-back Jan Bednarek and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will be the key defensive options for Sousa’s Poland but there is a considerable lack of adequate depth when compared to the bigger sides in the tournament.

Nonetheless, their first-choice eleven should do enough to progress.

SLOVAKIA

Slovakia entered the European Championships via the Nations League play-offs.

They beat both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to earn their spot.

However, their results are very up-and-down, and their star names are not enough for consistency.

Marek Hamsik, Milan Skriniar, Ondrej Duda and Martin Dubravka are all part of the current Slovakian core.

Their goalscoring threat is quite low with just 15 goals in 18 games since 2019.

The squad is not strong enough to offer a huge threat to the rest of Group E.

SPAIN

Spain, on the other hand, has brought a strong side to the Euros, albeit an underwhelming 24-man strong side.

Star defender Sergio Ramos was snubbed due to a lack of match fitness while Eric Garcia got in after making half as many appearances as the former.

Spanish boss Luis Enrique has brought the French-born Aymeric Laporte in from the international wilderness, called up the exceptional Marcos Llorente, and assembled an all-star midfield, but the forwards lack options.

Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno looks set to lead the line for the three-time European Championship winners, but Alvaro Morata does not inspire confidence and most of the options have not had consistent spells of good form this season.

Their recent stalemate against Portugal in Madrid is a clear example of their struggles in the final third.

Regardless, La Roja is a clear favourite to win this group and have a home advantage for their games.

SWEDEN

Finally, we come to Sweden.

The Swedes are bringing one of the oldest sides to the European Championships this summer with an average age of 29.2.

Their goalkeeping options inspire as much confidence as their backline would – not a lot.

Their most exciting play will take place on the wings and through the middle, where the best of their talents resides.

Emil Forsberg and Dejan Kulusevski are available on either side of their centre-midfielders while Robin Quaison, Jordan Larsson, Marcus Berg, and Alexander Isak can all play through the middle.

Sweden has failed to beat many of the heavy hitters in Europe over the recent years but poses a strong threat to their competition in Group E.

Group E Fixtures:

Poland v Slovakia Monday, 14th June 17:00.

Spain v Sweden Monday 14th June 20:00.

Sweden v Slovakia Friday, 18th June 14:00.

Spain v Poland Saturday, 19th June 20:00.

Sweden v Poland Wednesday, 23rd June 17:00.

Slovakia v Spain Wednesday, 23rd June 17:00

Betting