EURO 2020 Fantasy Fixture Analysis – Matchday 1
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Despite the Fantasy Premier League season coming to an end, all of us at TSZ towers still have plenty of fantasy related content to bring you over the coming weeks as we immediately turn our attention towards international football upon the launch of EURO 2020 Fantasy. Seven matchdays of fast and furious action over a timespan of one month that commences with Turkey vs Italy on June 11th and concludes with the final at Wembley on July 11th. Whilst of course we hope that football finally comes home, bringing to an end 55 years of hurt for England, we’re also planning to help all of our readers in your respective quests to bring ‘fantasy’ football home by winning this EURO 2020 Fantasy competition.
Matchday 1 sees some mouth-watering fixtures for European football fans to enjoy. The standout match of the round has to be between 2018 World Cup winners France and three-time European champions Germany in Group F, widely dubbed as the ‘group of death’ for good reason with reigning European Championship holders Portugal also in this group. Elsewhere, Spain host a Sweden side who have won their last four international fixtures including friendlies, whilst England host Croatia at Wembley, the team who knocked them out of the 2018 World Cup in the semi-finals. However, the fixtures we focus on are the ones that appeal from a fantasy football perspective as we aim to highlight the most appealing assets based on the difficulty of their assignment on Matchday 1.
MATCHDAY 1 FIXTURES
Friday 11th June
Turkey v Italy (20:00)
Saturday 12th June
Wales v Italy (14:00)
Denmark v Finland (17:00)
Belgium v Russia (20:00)
Sunday 13th June
England v Croatia (14:00)
Austria v North Macedonia (17:00)
Netherlands v Ukraine (20:00)
Monday 14th June
Scotland v Czech Republic (14:00)
Poland v Slovakia (17:00)
Spain v Sweden (20:00)
Monday 15th June
Hungary v Portugal (17:00)
France v Germany (20:00)
ITALY SET TO GOBBLE UP TURKEY?
Italy have not suffered defeat since back in September 2018, a run of 25 international fixtures (including friendlies). They have also won their last five competitive matches without conceding and are rightly considered the favourites to win Group A. Roberto Mancini’s side face Turkey in the opening match of the tournament and this could provide the perfect opportunity for the Azzurri to make their mark on the competition early on, with Turkey having conceded 19 goals over the course of their last ten fixtures and recording just one clean sheet over that period.
Unsurprisingly, forward Ciro Immobile (€10.0m) will prove a popular selection for many EURO 2020 fantasy managers on Matchday 1. However, other Italian players also make a case for selection. Lorenzo Insigne (€8.5m) comes into the tournament off the back of 19 goals and seven assists in Serie A for Napoli this season and despite operating mainly as part of a front three for Italy, Insigne has been classed as a midfielder. Another midfielder worth considering based on their excellent club form is Juventus star Federico Chiesa (€7.0m) who has netted 12 goals already in 2021, whilst goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (€5.5m) provides huge clean sheet potential when taking into account that Italy conceded just four goals over the course of their 10 qualification games.
PORTUGAL HUNGARY FOR GOALS
In a stacked Group F, reigning European champions Portugal will see their Matchday 1 fixture with Hungary as an ideal opportunity to make their mark and put three points on the board early on. Goal difference could be a factor as to what position they finish in the table and therefore it would be no surprise if Portugal see the Hungary match as a game they can not only win, but a game they can rack up a significant number of goals.
It will take a brave EURO 2020 Fantasy manager not to select Cristiano Ronaldo (€12.0m) in their side. The 36-year-old superstar has scored the most goals in the history of the European Championships and racked up 11 goals for Portugal in qualifying. Despite having already scored 103 goals for his country, Ronaldo has shown no signs of his appetite waning this season and heads into EURO 2020 off the back of having netted 36 times in all competitions for Juventus in 2020-21.
However, Ronaldo is perhaps surprisingly not the most selected Portuguese fantasy asset. That honour falls to defender Ruben Dias (€6.0m) with 43% of managers currently owning the Man City centre-back. Portugal conceded just six goals in their qualification campaign, keeping five clean sheets and owners of Dias will be confident of a clean sheet against Hungary. Also, be sure to consider midfielder Bruno Fernandes (€10.5m) who heads into the tournament after recording 28 goals and 17 assists for club side Man Utd this season. However, be aware that Fernandes is likely to be overruled when it comes to taking direct free kicks and penalties with Ronaldo in the side.
RUSSIA NO HAZARD FOR BELGIUM
Whilst the injury to Kevin De Bruyne (€10.5m) has forced many fantasy managers to take a step back and reconsider when it comes to owning Belgium assets, Roberto Martinez still boasts a plethora of quality players within his side. The Red Devils face off against Russia on Matchday 1 and even if De Bruyne misses out in that match, Belgium are still well worth their weight in potential fantasy football gold both in defence and attack. Not only were they the highest scorers in qualifying having found the net 40 times over the course of 10 games, Martinez’s men conceded just three goals over the same period of fixtures. An appealing stat for anyone looking at goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (€6.0m) or centre-half Toby Alderweireld (€5.5m) as Belgium defensive cover.
Forward Romelu Lukaku (€11.0m) has accumulated an incredible 37 goals in his last 35 appearances for his country and is understandably tipped to increase this tally vs a Russia side who have shipped 11 goals from their most recent five international fixtures. Whilst Lukaku is currently owned by a sizeable 40% of fantasy managers however, one equally dangerous asset who has gone very much under the radar is Eden Hazard (€10.0m). Injuries have dogged the midfielder’s two seasons at Real Madrid so far and the 30-year-old has yet to show the form that saw him establish himself as a star at former club Chelsea. EURO 2020 could be the perfect platform for Hazard to do just that and with an ownership percentage of just 4%, Matchday 1 may just see the skilful wideman establish himself as the ultimate differential selection.
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