Euro 2020 team profile: Group E – Poland, Sweden and Slovakia
POLAND
Head coach: Paulo Sousa (Portuguese)
Captain: Robert Lewandowski
Most capped player: Robert Lewandowski (118)
Top scorer: Robert Lewandowski (66)
FIFA ranking: 21
European Championship appearances: 3 (first in 2008)
Best run: Quarter-finals in 2016
Group rivals: Spain, Sweden, and Slovakia
Key players: Robert Lewandowski, Wojciech Szczesny, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Kamil Glik, Maciej Rybus, Przemasław Frankowski, Arkadiusz Milik, Krzysztof Piątek, Bartosz Bereszynski.
Status: Poland are a solid side. They have one of the best strikers in the world in the person of Robert Lewandowski.
They have also found a quality in Paulo Sousa and with the Portuguese at the helm, they will be hoping to better their best-ever European Championship result of a quarter-final exit at the hands of Portugal in 2016, this year.
Verdict: Expect them to rival Spain for the top spot or finish second at worst.
READ: Who are the Golden Boot Favorites Ahead of the Euros?
SWEDEN
Head coach: Janne Andersson (Swede)
Captain: Andreas Granqvist
Most capped player: Anders Svensson (148)
Top scorer: Zlatan Ibrahimović (62)
FIFA ranking: 18
European Championship appearances: 7 (first in 1992)
Best run: Semi final (1992)
Group rivals: Spain, Poland, and Slovakia.
Key players: Martin Olsen, Andreas Granqvist, Victor Lindelöf, Mikael Lustig, Emil Forsberg, Albin Ekdal, Alexander Isak Robin Quaison
Status: Since taking charge of Blågult in 2016, Janne Andersson has overseen the renaissance of the Swedish national football team. He steered them to a first World Cup tournament in 12 years winning a UEFA Nations League group with both Russia and Turkey in it.
Sweden have been a solid group and are capable of scaling through the group with Spain, but they must pass through, not only the overwhelming group favorites but a very tough Poland team that is also more than capable of going the mile.
Verdict: Expect them to rival Spain for the top spot or finish second at worst.
SLOVAKIA
Head coach: Štefan Tarković (Slovak)
Captain: Marek Hamšík
Most capped player: Marek Hamšík (126)
Top scorer: Marek Hamšík (26)
FIFA ranking: 36
European Championship appearances: 2 (first in 2016)
Best run: Round of 16 (2016)
Group rivals: Spain, Poland, and Sweden
READ: Euro 2020 team profile: Group E – Spain
Key players: Marek Hamšík, Milan Škriniar, Juraj Kucka, Róbert Mak, Stanislav Lobotka, Michal Ďuriš, Róbert Boženik
Status: Making only their second appearance in the European Championship, Slovakia will be having it all to do as they battle with some of Europe’s best-placed teams.
They will be looking to better their achievement of 2016 when they lost 3-0 to Germany in the last 16 round, in their first-ever appearance at the Euros. There’s no hiding the fact that they’re faced with a daunting task.
Verdict: Expect them to finish bottom of the group.
Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.