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Tournament debutants Wales and Northern Ireland will go head-to-head on Saturday evening for their Round of 16 clash at the Parc des Princes.

The match will be Wales’ second all-UK game of the tournament, following their 2-1 loss to England in the group stage.

Making the event even more of a British love-in, the Premier League’s Martin Atkinson will officiate the match. Atkinson will be familiar with many of the 46 players in the two squads, with all but five playing their club football in England.

One of those five is, of course, Gareth Bale.

The Real Madrid forward is the tournament’s top scorer, tied on 3 goals with Alvaro Morata. Bale also ranks first for attempts on target (11), but Wales aren’t just a one man team as Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey leads the way with assists (2).

Wales are also the tournament’s top scoring side, scoring six times in the group stage.

Northern Ireland’s stats, meanwhile, do not make for fantastic reading. Michael O’Neill’s side rank last in ball possession (34%), pass completion (68%), number of passes (432) and total attempts (17).

With one win and two defeats, Northern Ireland qualified for the Round of 16 as the fourth and final third-placed side.

A 1-0 defeat to Poland in their opening Group C match was followed up with a 2-0 win over Ukraine and a 1-0 loss to World Champions Germany. That scoreline could’ve been a lot worse but for a number of great stops from goalkeeper Michael McGovern.

Northern Ireland’s main strength is at the back, where they’ve only conceded twice so far in the tournament. Moreover, they’ve only conceded one goal in the first half in one game in their last 22.

One suspects that Northern Ireland will back, allow Wales to have possession, in the hopes of hitting them on the break. Kyle Lafferty will hope to help in that endeavour as he aims to get off the mark in France, while fans will be hoping to get their first sight of Will Grigg at the Euros.

Possible XI

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The Round of 16 at Euro 2016 gets underway on Saturday afternoon with Switzerland taking on Poland at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Both sides finished as runners-up in their respective groups, reaching the knockout stages of the competition for the first time in their history.

Switzerland finished with 5 points in Group A.

A 1-0 win over Albania in their opening match was followed by a 1-1 draw against Romania and then a goalless draw against the host nation.

Granit Xhaka has stood out as one of the top Swiss performers, winning two Man of the Match awards in his opening two matches. Only Germany’s Toni Kroos has completed more passes than the 283 managed by Xhaka in the group stages.

Head coach Vladimir Petkovic praised his side’s efforts after keeping a clean sheet against France. “We played well and held firm. We’re through, we can rest up and it’s for other sides to push to play against us.”

“We played Poland in a friendly and they’re a good side,” he added.

Poland were one of only four teams to amass 7 points in the group stage. Level on points with Germany, Poland had to settle with second place in Group C due to an inferior goal difference.

A 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in their opening game was followed up with a goalless draw against the World Champions. Kuba Blaszcykowski’s excellent strike sealed a 1-0 win in their final group match.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny started Poland’s opening match but a thigh injury has kept him out of action since. Lukasz Fabianski stepped in for the next two matches, keeping clean sheets in both.

Impressive 19-year-old Bartosz Kaputska will miss the game through suspension, having picked up bookings in Poland’s last 2 group matches.

Despite being tipped by many as a potential contender for the tournament’s Golden Boot, Robert Lewandowski is yet to find the back of the net at Euro 2016. The Bayern Munich striker scored 13 times in qualifying and will be looking to rediscover that form quickly.

Significantly, Poland are yet to concede a single goal at Euro 2016.

History favours Adam Nawalka‘s side as well; they’ve lost just once to Switzerland in the nations’ ten previous matches.

Possible XI

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The Red Devils can't topple Italy, who have already secured Group E top spot, but will qualify as runners-up and face the winner of Group F if they secure at least a point in Nice.

Defeat would see Marc Wilmots' men drop to third and left waiting on their third-place ranking, while Sweden would clinch second. A draw for the Swedes is unlikely to be enough to haul them into the third-place qualifying positions and defeat would certainly end their tournament along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's international career.

But what else is there to know ahead of the final round of Group E matches?

Team news

Tottenham star Mousa Dembele is unlikely to be risked by Belgium after picking up an ankle injury during the weekend win over the Republic of Ireland

For Sweden, Mikael Lustig remains sidelined with a groin injury, while Marcus Berg could replace John Guidetti up front alongside Ibrahimovic.

Possible XI

Sweden XI: Isaksson; Johansson, Lindelof, Granqvist, Olsson; Larsson, Lewicki, Kallstrom, Forsberg; Ibrahimovic, Berg

Belgium XI: Courtois; Ciman, Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Vertonghen; Witsel, Nainggolan; Carassco, De Bruyne, Hazard; Lukaku

The Republic of Ireland almost certainly need a win to qualify for the knockout stage at Euro 2016, but will they be able to claim three points against what is expected to be an under-strength Italy side?

Two wins in two have guaranteed Antonio Conte’s side top spot in Group E, with a 2-0 victory against a talented Belgian outfit in their opening game ranking among the most complete displays at the tournament so far.

With nothing to play for the likes of captain Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Daniele De Rossi will almost certainly be handed a breather. There is plenty of strength in depth in Italy’s squad, with young talent including Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernadeschi surely keen to make an impression.

But the decision to rest key men could almost certainly give Martin O’Neill’s side a chance to nab a famous upset. Can they recreate the impressive first half they showed against Sweden, or will it be a repeat of the abject fare they offered up against Belgium?

Team news

Conte is expected to rest several of his most important players in Lille but will retain the 3-5-2 that has brought him such success in the opening two games.

Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian is likely to return to the starting lineup after being replaced by Alessandro Florenzi, though this time may be deployed at centre-back alongside West Ham’s Angelo Ogbonna.

Juventus striker and Crystal Palace target Simone Zaza is set to take Graziano Pelle’s place in the frontline.

Ireland’s key fitness concern is over Stoke forward Jonathan Walters, whose industrious presence in the frontline was severely missed when he sat out the 3-0 defeat to Belgium with an Achilles injury.

Walters took part in training on Monday and is expected to feature in some capacity though assistant manager Roy Keane expressed doubt that he could complete 90 minutes.

Possible XI

Italy: Sirigu, Barzagli, Ogbonna, Darmian, Motta, Bernadeschi, Sturaro, Insigne, Florenzi, El Shaarawy, Zaza

Ireland: Randolph, Coleman, O’Shea, Clark, Brady, McCarthy, Whelan, Hendrick, Hoolahan, Walters, Long

English eyes will be firmly set on the Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday night when Hungary take on Portugal and Roy Hodgson may just be willing Cristiano Ronaldo and company towards a sizeable victory.

After failing to top Group B England will face the runners up of Group F, which could be any of Hungary, Austria, Iceland or Portugal. With the latter having proven to be the Three Lions’ bête noir since the turn of the century Hodgson would doubtless hope that Portugal either top the group or finish third.

To top the group Fernando Santos’ side would have to beat Hungary, one of Euro 2016’s surprise packages after victory over Austria and a late draw with Iceland. Competing at their first international tournament in 30 years Hungary have proven themselves to be tough nuts to crack, and Europe has already seen how frustrated Ronaldo can become if he doesn’t make an early breakthrough.

By kick-off Portugal will know whether a draw is enough to see them through as a third-placed side but, even if they did make it to the last 16 on three points, it would constitute an extremely poor start to the tournament if the Seleccao were winless after three games.

Team news

For Portugal the problem is crystal clear. Solving it may be a more significant issue. No side managed as many shots on goal (37) in the opening two rounds of fixtures as Fernando Santo’s, but the sum total of their endeavours was one goal from Nani.

The Fenerbahce winger has formed an unnatural front two with former Manchester United team-mate Ronaldo in Portugal’s opening games but Fernando Santos may now have no choice but to consider Eder, the only natural number nine in the squad but with a record of just 3 goals in 28 caps.

Hungary need just a draw to be assured of a top two place and are almost certain to continue with the 4-5-1 formation that brought them such success in their opening games.

Once more the most significant question for Bernd Stock will be who leads the line. Tamas Priskin was the preferred option against Iceland but failed to find the net, potentially opening the door for a return for Adam Szalai, who scored the opener in victory over Austria.

Possible XI

Portugal: Rui Patricio, Vierinha, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Guerreiro, Quaresma, William Carvalho, Joao Moutinho, Andre Gomes, Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo

Hungary: Kiraly, Fiola, Guzmics, Lang, Kadar, Gera, Nemeth, Nagy, Kleinheisler, Dzsudzsak, Szalai

Omotaday:
will it be shown on gotv?

Group D concludes on Tuesday night with Croatia taking on current holders Spain at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux. Croatia’s sole victory against Spain was a 2-0 friendly triumph in 1994

Spain’s emphatic 3-0 win over Turkey sealed their qualification into the Round of 16, although first place is not quite wrapped up yet. A win for Croatia would see them finish as group winners, while a draw would be enough to guarantee second place.

If Czech Republic fail to beat Turkey in the group’s other match, kicking off at the same time, Croatia would still finish at least second regardless of their result against Spain.

Nolito was given another start following a disappointed performance in Spain’s first game. The Celta forward repaid the faith shown in him by Del Bosque by bagging a goal and and an assist, while striker Alvaro Morata scored a brace. David Silva and Andres Iniesta also starred in a perfect performance.

The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run at the Euros to 14 matches, setting a new record. Spain have conceded just one goal in their last 18 hours & 18 minutes of football at the tournament.

Croatia squandered an opportunity to wrap up qualification after giving away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Czech Republic in one of the tournament’s most entertaining matches. Ivan Perisic opened the scoring before Ivan Rakitic doubled the lead for Croatia.

The game was marred by some crowd trouble from a section of Croatian fans who threw flairs onto the pitch.

Speaking after the game, Croatia manager Ante Cacic insists that Luka Modric’s withdrawal against Czech Republic was just a precaution. “Luka Modric is just tired and had a stretched muscle problem,” Cacic said post-match. “Luka is the most important player for us.”

Croatian trio Mateo Kovacic, Modric and Rakitic all play club football in Spain and will be very familiar with their opposition.

Should either side finish second, they’ll face confirmed Group E winners Italy at the Stade de France on June 27.

Possible XI

Croatia: Subasic, Srna, Jedvaj, Vida, Strinic, Badelj, Kovacic, Brozovic, Rakitic, Perisic, Mandzukic

Spain: De Gea, Juanfran, Sergio Ramos, Pique, Alba, Busquets, Koke, Iniesta, Lucas Vazquez, Morata, Nolito

Group D concludes on Tuesday night with Turkey and Czech Republic facing off at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The two sides traded away wins during qualifying for the tournament.

Czech Republic come into the game on the back of one of the matches of the tournament against Croatia. Starring down the barrel, the Czech side fought from 2-0 down to draw the match 2-2 in stoppage time. Despite being completely dominated, substitute Milan Skoda’s headed effort got his side back into the match.

The comeback was sealed in the 94th minute when Tomas Necid scored a penalty. The match was interrupted for a few minutes in the second half by Croatian fans throwing flairs onto the pitch.

Depending on the result of Croatia’s match against Spain, which kicks off at the same tie, a win for Czech Republic could see them finish the group in second place. And while a draw would be enough for Pavel Vrba’s side to finish third, it would almost certainly not be enough to see them qualify for the next round.

Michal Kadlec, Tomas Necid, Tomas Sivok and David Pavelka all play their club football in Turkey and will be familiar with their opposition. Czech Republic will be without their captain Tomas Rosicky, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a thigh injury.

Should Czech Republic finish second, they’ll face confirmed Group E winners Italy at the Stade de France on June 27.

Turkey are still looking for their first points of the tournament, having lost their opening two matches without scoring a single goal. Although a place in the top two is out of reach for Fatih Terim’s side, a win would see them finish third on 3 points. That may or may not be enough to qualify for the Round of 16, as only 4 of the 6 third-place sides will progress.

Last time out, Turkey were on the wrong side of one of the performances of the tournament, suffering a 3-0 defeat to Spain. Burak Yilmaz showed his physicality up front and could be pain in the side of the Czech defence if selected. Neutrals will be hoping to see more of 18-year-old forward Emre Mor after his cameo appearance in Turkey’s first match.

Possible XI

Czech Republic: Cech, Kaderabek, Sivok, Hubnik, Limbersky, Plasil, Darida, Skalak, Dockal, Krejci, Lafata

Turkey: Babacan, Gonul, Topal, Balta, Erkin, Tufan, Inan, Ozyakup, Calhanoglu, Yilmaz, Turan.

European Championship debutants Northern Ireland take on World Champions Tuesday evening as Group C draws to a close.

Following their 2-0 victory over Ukraine, Northern Ireland are guaranteed a top 3 finish in their group. West Brom’s Gareth McAuley opened scoring in the 49th minute and Niall McGinn sealed the 3 points for Michael O’Neill’s team with a goal deep into stoppage time.

With only the best four third-place sides qualifying for the Round of 16, the job is not yet complete for Northern Ireland, who head into the match on 3 points, 1 behind both Poland and Germany.

Speaking after the game, O’Neill was full of praise for his side. “We’ve given ourselves a really good chance of qualification. When we came into the tournament, we knew we were in as tough a group as there is, and we wanted something to play for in the last game. We have a realistic prize at the end of the Germany game and that’s immensely pleasing. I’m just delighted for the players. It’s the proudest I’ve felt in a dugout. When you get a performance like that – which is pure commitment, pure heart – there’s nothing more you can ask for.”

Striker Josh Magennis said he is hoping his side’s performance against Germany can “stamp the players into Northern Ireland folk history”.

Germany come into the match on the back of a goalless draw with Poland.

Speaking after the match, German coach Joachim Low said: “I was quite pleased with our defence but our attack did not really create many chances. But neither did they. I did not start Gomez because the Polish central defence is strong in the air, so I wanted low passing with Gotze. Group stage matches are attrition battles. I expect more openings in the knock-out stages.”

Mario Gotze was once again used in the false-nine position, with Mesut Ozil playing in behind him. Andre Schurrle and Mario Gomez are other options should Low decide to change things up.

A draw will be enough to secure a top two finish for Low’s side. If Germany win and Poland beat Ukraine, the two nations will be tied on 7 points with their positions coming down to goal difference.

Permutations

All Germany need is a draw on Tuesday to qualify, and could even top the group with a point if Poland fail to beat Ukraine.

Joachim Low's side are not out of the woods yet - they will finish second if they draw and Poland win, and could even slip to third if they lose to Northern Ireland.

Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland side are guaranteed at least a third-placed finish in Group B, but must beat Germany to climb higher than that.

A shock win against Low's world champions would earn them top spot if Poland also fail to beat rock-bottom Ukraine, who are already going home.

Opta stats

These two nations have met 14 times previously, with Germany winning eight to Northern Ireland's two (D4).

Germany have won the last four meetings between the sides, scoring 14 goals and conceding just two in that run; prior to that run Germany were winless in five against Northern Ireland (D3, L2).

Germany beat Northern Ireland 4-1 in Belfast in their last encounter, a friendly back in June 2005. David Healy was the lone scorer for the Green and Whites, whilst the last German to get on the scoresheet was Lukas Podolski.

Northern Ireland's last victory against Germany dates back to 16 November 1983. They won 1-0 in Hamburg thanks to a goal by Norman Whiteside.

Although this is Northern Ireland's first European Championship, the two sides have met four times previously in qualifying for the tournament, winning twice each.

Northern Ireland's two wins over West Germany in qualifying for the 1984 Euros remains the only occasion that a team has beaten Die Mannschaft home and away in a qualifying campaign.

Northern Ireland have only lost one of their last 14 internationals (0-1 v Poland in their EURO 2016 opener), winning seven and drawing six along the way.

Northern Ireland have never conceded more than one goal in their last 15 internationals. The last time their nets were rattled more than once was in November 2014 against Romania (0-2).

Seven of Northern Ireland's last 10 goals in competitive games have come from set-pieces (4 from corners, 3 from indirect free-kicks).

Possible XI

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European Championship debutants Northern Ireland take on World Champions Tuesday evening as Group C draws to a close.

Following their 2-0 victory over Ukraine, Northern Ireland are guaranteed a top 3 finish in their group. West Brom’s Gareth McAuley opened scoring in the 49th minute and Niall McGinn sealed the 3 points for Michael O’Neill’s team with a goal deep into stoppage time.

With only the best four third-place sides qualifying for the Round of 16, the job is not yet complete for Northern Ireland, who head into the match on 3 points, 1 behind both Poland and Germany.

Speaking after the game, O’Neill was full of praise for his side. “We’ve given ourselves a really good chance of qualification. When we came into the tournament, we knew we were in as tough a group as there is, and we wanted something to play for in the last game. We have a realistic prize at the end of the Germany game and that’s immensely pleasing. I’m just delighted for the players. It’s the proudest I’ve felt in a dugout. When you get a performance like that – which is pure commitment, pure heart – there’s nothing more you can ask for.”

Striker Josh Magennis said he is hoping his side’s performance against Germany can “stamp the players into Northern Ireland folk history”.

Germany come into the match on the back of a goalless draw with Poland.

Speaking after the match, German coach Joachim Low said: “I was quite pleased with our defence but our attack did not really create many chances. But neither did they. I did not start Gomez because the Polish central defence is strong in the air, so I wanted low passing with Gotze. Group stage matches are attrition battles. I expect more openings in the knock-out stages.”

Mario Gotze was once again used in the false-nine position, with Mesut Ozil playing in behind him. Andre Schurrle and Mario Gomez are other options should Low decide to change things up.

A draw will be enough to secure a top two finish for Low’s side. If Germany win and Poland beat Ukraine, the two nations will be tied on 7 points with their positions coming down to goal difference.

Permutations

All Germany need is a draw on Tuesday to qualify, and could even top the group with a point if Poland fail to beat Ukraine.

Joachim Low's side are not out of the woods yet - they will finish second if they draw and Poland win, and could even slip to third if they lose to Northern Ireland.

Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland side are guaranteed at least a third-placed finish in Group B, but must beat Germany to climb higher than that.

A shock win against Low's world champions would earn them top spot if Poland also fail to beat rock-bottom Ukraine, who are already going home.

Opta stats

These two nations have met 14 times previously, with Germany winning eight to Northern Ireland's two (D4).

Germany have won the last four meetings between the sides, scoring 14 goals and conceding just two in that run; prior to that run Germany were winless in five against Northern Ireland (D3, L2).

Germany beat Northern Ireland 4-1 in Belfast in their last encounter, a friendly back in June 2005. David Healy was the lone scorer for the Green and Whites, whilst the last German to get on the scoresheet was Lukas Podolski.

Northern Ireland's last victory against Germany dates back to 16 November 1983. They won 1-0 in Hamburg thanks to a goal by Norman Whiteside.

Although this is Northern Ireland's first European Championship, the two sides have met four times previously in qualifying for the tournament, winning twice each.

Northern Ireland's two wins over West Germany in qualifying for the 1984 Euros remains the only occasion that a team has beaten Die Mannschaft home and away in a qualifying campaign.

Northern Ireland have only lost one of their last 14 internationals (0-1 v Poland in their EURO 2016 opener), winning seven and drawing six along the way.

Northern Ireland have never conceded more than one goal in their last 15 internationals. The last time their nets were rattled more than once was in November 2014 against Romania (0-2).

Seven of Northern Ireland's last 10 goals in competitive games have come from set-pieces (4 from corners, 3 from indirect free-kicks).

Possible XI

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Group B concludes with Slovakia taking on England on Monday night at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. England have won all three of the two sides’ previous meetings, the last being a 4-0 firendly win in 2009.

A win for Slovakia would guarantee them a place in the Round of 16. Depending on the result between Russia and Wales, who kick off at the same time, Slovakia could lose the match and still advance to the next round as one of the four best 3rd-place sides.

Despite currently topping the group on 4 points, England may still require a point to guarantee a top three finish.

Both sides come into the match on the back of massive victories. Slovakia recovered from their opening match defeat to Wales by beating Russia 2-1. Vladimir Weiss and Marek Hamsik stole the show, with the duo grabbing a goal and an assist each before half time. Denis Glushakov’s header denied Slovakia a clean sheet. Midfielder Ondrej Duda started the match as Slovakia’s lone-striker before being subbed off on 67 minutes.

Slovakia coach Jan Kozak praised two players in particular. “Marek Hamsik has been playing well for Slovakia for a very long time – he is one of the leaders of this team along with Martin Skrtel. His performance today was superb. He helped a lot in defence and scored a beautiful goal which was a major contribution to our victory.”

Roy Hodgson surprised many with his team selection for the match against Wales. The Three Lions were unchanged from the side which drew unconvincingly with Russia. After conceding to a Gareth Bale free kick, the England manager finally got the memo and brought on Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge at half time.

Vardy equalised for England just before the hour mark before Sturridge secured three points in stoppage time. 18-year-old Marcus Rashford was also given a run out, while his Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney continued to impress from midfield. Kyle Walker’s performance at right-back earned him the man of the Match award.

Harry Kane’s failure to score in each of England’s two opening games puts him at risk of being dropped, while another poor performance from Sterling will almost certainly see him replaced in the line-up by goalscorer Vardy.

Opta stats

England and Slovakia have met on three occasions previously, with England winning all three.

Seven of England's eight goals against Slovakia have been scored after the 60th minute.

England won 4-0 the last time these sides met in a friendly in 2009, with Wayne Rooney scoring a brace.

If Rooney plays, it will be his 20th game at a major tournament. Only Ashley Cole and Steven Gerrard have featured more times for England (22).

England's only previous game at Saint-Etienne's Geoffroy-Guichard stadium was a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.

England have had 21 more shots than their opponents over their first two games at Euro 2016 but have only scored one more goal.

Slovakia have never kept a clean sheet in a major tournament (six games).

Possible XI

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Russia and Wales face off in their final Group B match on Monday night at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse. History favours Russia in the two sides’ head-to-head record, but Leonid Slutsky’s team are still looking for their first win in the competition.

Russia lost their second group match 2-1 to Slovakia, leaving them bottom of the pile on 1 point heading into the fixture. A win for the Russians could see them finishing anywhere in the top 3 spots, depending on the result between England and Slovakia, who kick off at the same time. Four of the six sides who finish third in their group will advance to the Round of 16 stage. A win for Wales, meanwhile, would guarantee them a 1st or 2nd place finish.

Russia found themselves 2-0 down at halftime, with substitute Denis Glushakov’s 80th-minute goal proving nothing more than a consolation.

“Did we choose the wrong starting lineup? No, I wouldn’t say that because if the plan we had at the beginning had been executed, and if we had scored the first goal, it would have been a different game,” Slutsky said after the match.

“After we went behind, we had to change our plan, especially the system in midfield.”

Wales suffered late heartbreak at the hands of their old enemy England in their second game, conceding a 92nd-minute winner from Daniel Sturridge. Wales took the lead through a Gareth Bale free-kick, his second in as many matches, but sat deep and soaked up pressure for most of the match. Substitute Jamie Vardy had levelled things up just before the hour mark.

Wales boss Chris Coleman praised his team for their spirited performance. “You can’t tell me my players deserved that – their effort and courage was fantastic. We expected them to have a lot of possession, but to lose it like that was gut-wrenching for our players and our supporters.

“This is a bitter pill to swallow but we’ve got to put it to bed quickly and move on to Russia.”

Possible XI

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raumdeuter:
You don see the answer here. Na like 2 disable fighting

Ibime:
You sef know the answer. . . . Irish team is also an EPL team.

Switzerland and France face off in their final Group A match on Sunday night at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. The host nation became the first team to qualify for the Round of 16 following their 2-0 victory over Albania. Switzerland are guaranteed to finish in the top 3 but would top the group with a win over the French.

Switzerland drew their second match 1-1 with Romania on Wednesday. Admir Mehmedi’s brilliant volley levelled things up after Stephan Lichtsteiner conceded an early penalty. Granit Xhaka picked up his second consecutive Man of the Match award for his dominating midfield performance.

Head coach Vladimir Petkovic has admitted that he missed Mehmedi’s strike. “I didn’t see our goal. I was looking to make a change at the time and I had my back to the action. I am told it was excellent and of course it was well deserved. Also, importantly today, our defence were excellent. OK, we gave away the penalty but other than that we didn’t let them have too many chances.”

“It would be nice to finish top, of course. There would be a lot of prestige to do that against the host nation. But second or even third … who knows what would work out easier in terms of the draw?”

France left it late for the second game in a row. Didier Deschamps started with Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann on the bench. Anthony Martial was handed a start but was hauled off at half time after failing to impress. Olivier Giroud spurned a number of opportunities and was spared humiliation when substitute Griezmann opened the scoring in the 90th minute. Dimitri Payet added a second with a trademark finish deep into stoppage time.

Deschamps still has a number of issues to iron out, although a clean sheet was welcomed. Much like the first game, the victory has temporarily papered over the cracks. With qualification assured, it remains to be seen whether or not France will rotate their squad for the match against the Swiss.

French supported will be hoping for a repeat of their clash at the 2014 World Cup, where France won 5-2.

Possible XI

Switzerland (4-2-3-1 formation): Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Schar, Djourou, Rodriguez; Behrami, Xhaka; Shaqiri, Dzemaili, Mehmedi; Seferovic

France (4-2-3-1 formation): Lloris; Sagna, Rami, Koscielny, Evra; Kanté, Pogba; Griezmann, Payet, Martial; Giroud

The second round of Group stage matches concludes with Portugal taking on Austria in Group F at the Parc des Princes on Saturday night. Both sides are looking for their first win in the tournament. The two sides have not met since a 1-1 draw in 1995.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo threw a temper tantrum following his side’s shock 1-1 draw with Iceland. The Real Madrid forward stormed off the field without shaking any opposition players’ hands before bad-mouthing his opponents in a post-match press conference.

Nani opened the scoring in the first half after poking in Andre Gomes’ cross, but for all their domination, Portugal couldn’t find a second goal. They were made to pay when a lapse in concentration lead to Bjarnason’s equaliser. One positive was the performance of midfielder Andre Gomes, who impressed with his passing and movement. 18-year-old Renato Sanches became Portugal’s youngest ever player at a major tournament after coming off the bench.

Austria were outplayed in their 2-0 defeat to Hungary, despite being classed as the group’s “dark horses”

Austria coach Marcel Koller was honest in his assessment of his side’s performance. “I’ve watched it again and it wasn’t our best game,” he told a press conference. “We had six or seven good chances, while Hungary had four and scored twice, and when you take your chances, it’s decisive.

“Our combination play also wasn’t good enough, which made it harder going forward, and for that reason we lost the game. Now what counts is standing up again, because we still have two games left. We have to clear our heads and get back on our feet so that we can be successful in the next game,” he added.

Both sides will be hoping for major improvements in the upcoming match. Austria will be without the suspended defender Aleksandar Dragovic after he his sending off against Hungary.

Match stats

Portugal are currently unbeaten in four matches against Austria (W1 D3). Their last meeting was back in October 1995 (1-1 in a Euro Qualifier) whilst Austria's last victory was in November 1979 (2-1 in Lisbon, Euro Qualifier).

Three of the last four meetings between these sides have ended in a 1-1 draw (1-0 Portugal in 1994); neither team has managed to score more than once during this time.

Austria have conceded exactly once to Portugal in each of their last five matches against them.

Portugal and Austria are playing each other in the finals of a major tournament for the very first time.

Austria registered a 9-1 win over Portugal in a World Cup qualifier in September 1953; they have never managed to score more in a single game (also 9-0 vs Malta 1977).

Cristiano Ronaldo will become Portugal's outright most capped player if he features in this match; he's currently level with Luis Figo (127).

Ronaldo has now had 34 direct free-kick shots in major tournaments for Portugal (World Cup and European Championships); he hasn't scored with any of them. He attempted 10 shots versus Iceland; four more than anybody else across the opening round of group games. However, only one of those efforts was on target.

Austria come into this game having lost three of their last four matches (including friendlies, W1 L3). That win came against Malta.

Portugal have only claimed one victory in their last five games (D3 L1) played at major tournaments (World Cup and European Championships).

Austria have never kept a clean sheet at the European Championships; conceding at least once each of their four games.

In fact, Austria have gone 13 games without a clean sheet at a major tournament, last keeping one against Algeria at the 1982 World Cup.

Portugal had 26 shots in their opening game; the most of any nation across the first round Euro 2016 matches.

None of Austria's last 28 shots at the European Championships have found the back of the net.

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Belgium will be keen to bounce back from their opening game loss at the hands of Italy when they face the Republic of Ireland on Saturday. Marc Wilmots' team were the favourites going into the team, but Antonio Conte out foxed them and ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.

They will be keen to get back on track and register their first points of the tournament, and a win is crucial if they are to make it out of a group that includes Sweden. The manager has refused to abandon his attacking philosophy after one loss, and is set to deploy the same tactics – which were criticised by Thibaut Courtois – against the Republic of Ireland.

Martin O'Neill's had to settle for a point against Sweden in their opening encounter and will be looking to put in a similar performance against Belgium on Saturday. They looked like they were going to grab all the three points, but a late own goal from Ciaran Clark cancelled out Wes Hoolahan's stunning striker in the first-half.

The Republic of Ireland are behind 5-4 in the head-to-head between the two nations, but both their previous encounters in the Uefa European Championships ended in draws.

What manager's say

Marc Wilmots (Belgium): "Even if we lose two games it won't change our philosophy. Even if you think I should. There is no lack of confidence, certainly not. One-one would have been more deserved (against Italy). One team played football, the other didn't. What I want is attacking football and we have the DNA to play that game."

Martin O'Neill (Ireland): "Belgium are a really fine side, really fine. Individually they are as talented as any side in the competition. They are very dangerous anyway, but even more so now they are a bit of a wounded animal. They will cause us problems so we have to show the same spirit and determination again and try and play as strongly with the ball as we did the other night.

Possible XI

Belgium: Courtois; Ciman, Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Vertonghen; Witsel, Naingolan; Hazard, Fellaini, De Bruyne; Lukaku.

Rep. of Ireland: Randolph; Coleman, O'Shea, Keogh, Brady; McCarthy, Hendrick, Whelan, McClean; Hoolahan; Long.

Spain and Turkey go head-to-head on Thursday night at the Stade de Nice with the current holders looking to secure a place in the Round of 16. Turkey last beat La Furia Roja in 1954.

Turkey lost their Group D opener 1-0 to Croatia thanks to Luka Modric’s superb long-range volley just before half-time. It could have been worse for Fatih Terim as Croatia hit the woodwork on three occasions.

Arda Turan, who plays his club football at Barcelona, did not have the best of days and the same can be said of midfielders Oguzhan Ozyakup and Hakan Calhanoglu, who will all need to improve against the 2010 World Cup winners.

Speaking after the game, Terim could not hide his disappointment. “We have two more games, against Spain and the Czech Republic, and we’ll do our best. We’ll keep fighting. We never start tournaments well. I’m upset, but we’ll take our lessons from this.

“Our big players need to deliver more. It’s a team game but I have high expectations from them and, if they deliver enough, we’ll get some good results,” he added.

The result puts pressure on the Crescent Stars to pick up a result against Spain, who gave nothing away in their opening match against Czech Republic.

Vicente Del Bosque’s side picked up 3 points against a resilient Czech Republic side. Spain chipped away at their opponents throughout the game but were denied time and time again by Petr Cech and his defence. The deadlock was finally broken in the 87th minute when Pique rose at the back post to head in Andres Iniesta’s cross.

The assist for Iniesta was the icing on the cake of an exceptional performance where he effortlessly rolled back the years.

Del Bosque went with Alvaro Morata up front, who didn’t have the best of matches. Nolito was deployed on the left-wing and also left a lot of room for improvement. David De Gea is expected to remain in goal for the match, having seemingly secured his role as Spain’s number 1.

Head to Head Record

Turkey vs Spain 1-2 (2010 World Cup qualifiers)
Spain vs Turkey 1-0 (2010 World Cup qualifiers)
Spain vs Turkey 2-0 (Euro 1968 qualifiers)
Turkey vs Spain 0-0 (Euro 1968 qualifiers)
Turkey vs Spain 2-2 (1954 World Cup qualifiers)

Quick Facts

Spain are after their fourth consecutive win over Turkey

Under 2.5 goals were scored in three of last four meetings between Turkey and Spain

La Roja managed to keep a clean sheet in previous four games at Euro finals

Turkey recorded their last win over Spain back in 1954

Andres Iniesta earned his 110th cap for Spain against Czech Republic

Possible XI

Spain: (4-3-3) De Gea – Juanfran, Pique, Ramos, Alba – Fabregas, Busquet, Iniesta – Silva, Morata, Nolito

Turkey: (4-1-4-1) Babacan – Gonul, Topal, Balta, Erkin – Inan – Calhanoglu, O Tufan, Ozyakup, Turan – Tosun

Czech Republic and Croatia face off in Group D on Thursday evening at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard with the Croats looking for a win that would seal their qualification into the Round of 16. The two sides have never met before in a competitive match.

Czech Republic will be reeling from their narrow defeat to current holders Spain. Pavel Vrba’s side showed great resilliance to keep the match goalless for as long as they did. However, a header from Gerard Pique finally beat goalkeeper Petr Cech in the 87th minute.

Vrba managed to find the positives in his side’s performance. “I am happy we played our first match at the level we did, although Spain played very well.

“They had more chances and the result could have been different if Petr Čech hadn’t made some great saves and if the defence hadn’t played as consistently as they did. The players did everything they could and that makes me happy,” he said after the match

Lone-striker Tomas Necid will be looking to have a bigger impact in the match against Croatia.

Croatia opened Group D with a 1-0 win over Turkey, thanks to a goal of the tournament contender from Luka Modric. The Real Madrid midfielder expertly volleyed in a high clearance from 25 metres out.

The scoreline flattered Turkey somewhat as Dario Srna, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic all hit the crossbar. It was clear from the off that Ante Cacic instructed his team to exploit the flanks, as his team tried to fire in as many crosses as possible.

“We’ve taken the first step and next up are the Czech Republic,” said Modric, who received the Man of the Match award. “We mustn’t stop here though. We must continue in the same vein, and I believe we will get another good result.”

Match stats

Czech Republic have played Croatia twice before and are yet to claim victory against them (D1 L1).

This is the first time Czech Republic and Croatia have met in a game that wasn't a friendly.

Six of the eight goals in matches between these countries have come in the first half.

The Czech Republic have lost six of their last nine Euro games (W3).

None of the Czech Republic's last 20 games at a major tournament has ended in a draw (W9 L11). Their last draw was in the semi-finals of Euro 1996 against France (0-0, 6-5 on pens).

The Czech Republic have never failed to score in two consecutive games at the European Championships.

Croatia have won five of their last eight group games in the European Championships (D2 L1).

Croatia have only failed to score once in their last 10 games in the European Championships, it was against Spain in 2012. They've also never conceded more than one goal in their last eight games in the competition.

Croatia struck the woodwork three times against Turkey, only the fourth time this had happened in a Euro game since 1980.

Croatia tied their record for most shots in a 90-minute Euro game with their 19 attempts against Turkey. 15 of those came from inside the box.

Modric scored with his only shot against Turkey. He also had more touches (79) and completed more passes (52) than any other player in that game.

Possible XI

Czech Republic: Cech, Kaderabek, Suchy, Sivok, Limbersky, Darida, Plasil, Gebre Selassie, Rosicky, Krejci, Lafata.

Croatia: Subasic, Srna, Corluka, Vida, Strinic; Modric, Badelj, Brozovic, Rakitic, Perisic, Mandzukic.

Italy and Sweden will face each other for the third time at a European Championship on Thursday afternoon at the Stadium de Toulouse. Sweden fans will remember Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goal that helped knock out the Azzurri in the 2004 edition.

A win for Antonio Conte’s men would seal their qualification into the Round of 16, following their 2-0 win over Belgium in the first round of Group E matches. Wing-back Emanuele Giaccherini opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark, expertly controlling Leonardo Bonucci’s lofted ball into the penalty area before coolly finishing past Thibaut Courtois. Southampton striker Graziano Pelle sealed the victory in the 93rd minute, volleying in Antonio Candreva’s cross.

Italy’s win, masterminded by Conte’s tactics, will serve as a reminder that the 2006 World Champions are not to be underestimated.

Speaking after the match, Conte said: “We’ve got to be happy today, a bit happy tomorrow and then we have to prepare for Sweden because the memory of two years ago is still fresh, when we did well against England and then lost [to Costa Rica in the group stage]. That’s a wound which remains in the minds of our players and fans.

“We have big intentions and our objective remains the same, to get into the last 16. The objective is to get where we deserve to be, without any regrets. I think the fans are pleased when they see 23 players giving everything on the field and being willing to spill blood.”

Sweden, meanwhile, began their Euro 2016 campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Republic of Ireland, thanks to Ciaran Clark’s own goal levelled things up.

Defender Mikael Lustig picked up a groin injury in the match and was replaced by Erik Johansson. Lustig is an early doubt for the game, although Albin Ekdal could return to the starting line-up.

Goalkeeper Isaksson will be hoping for an improved performance from his team on Thursday. “We’re disappointed. I feel disappointed we didn’t take all three points today. We didn’t really play to our potential in the first half. Now we just need to recharge our batteries. We still have the same desire,” he said.

Team News

Manchester United's Matteo Darmian was substituted on the hour mark against Belgium and was thought to be carrying an injury, so he could start on the bench.

Goalscorer Pelle has also been cleared to play after missing training on Tuesday with a foot injury picked up in Paris, but scans showed there was no damage.

If selected, the striker will play with his fingers strapped up after dislocating them.

Mikael Lustig is an injury concern for Sweden after picking up a groin injury against the Republic of Ireland and could sit out the contest in Toulouse.

The remainder of the squad are expected to be available, and there could well be changes as Hamren looks for his first win of Euro 2016.

Match stats

Italy are currently on a four game unbeaten run against Sweden (W3 D1). The Scandinavians' last victory dates back to June 1998, in a friendly (1-0).

However, Italy have gone six competitive matches against Sweden without keeping a clean sheet (W2 D1 L3).

Sweden have never scored more than once in their last eight matches versus Italy, a run dating back to 1984.

This will be the third time Italy have met Sweden in the European Championships; the Azzurri claiming victory in the 2000 edition (2-1) whilst the meeting four years later ended as a draw (1-1).

Seven of the last nine Italy goals against Sweden have come in the first-half.

Italy are unbeaten in their 11 competitive games under Conte (W8 D3). Their last defeat dates back to June 2014 against Uruguay.

Italy have never scored more than two goals in their 34 games at the European Championships.

The only previous time Italy won their first two Euro games was in 2000, when they eventually reached the final.

Sweden have only won three of their last 15 games at the European Championships (D5 L7).

Sweden scored despite not having a single shot on target in their opening game against Republic of Ireland.

Ibrahimovic is the last Swedish player to score against Italy, back in June 2004 at the Euros (1-1). None of his four shots against the Republic of Ireland were on target.

Possible XI

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Neighbours Germany and Poland will go head to head on Thursday night at the Stade de France. A win for either will secure qualification into the Round of 16 following their respective wins in the opening round of matches.

While all eyes were on Robert Lewandowski, who scored 13 goals in qualifying, it was his striking partner Arkadiusz Milik who grabbed the only goal of the game against a frustrating Northern Ireland side.

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny suffered an injury in the game and is an early doubt for Thursday’s match. Lukasz Fabianski would be a more than capable replacement should Szczesny not recover in time.

Sevilla midfielder and man of the match Grzegorz Krychowiak gave his thoughts after the match: “We understood that the first match is always very difficult, we were prepared for that. The next games will show that we can be even better and go further. We can do a lot, but we shouldn’t be overly optimistic having won only the first match. We should stay calm and clinical about things. We need to run our socks off, but I’m not hiding the fact we want to win it.”

Joachim Low used Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze as a false-9 in his side’s 2-0 win over Ukraine. Although far from vintage, Germany did enough to impress in their opening match. Toni Kroos stole the show, dictating the play in midfield.

Shkodran Mustafi’s first-half header from Kroos’ free-kick opened the scoring and the match was sealed when substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger coolly tapped home Mesut Ozil’s brilliant cross in the final minute of the match. Defender Mats Hummels missed the game through injury and is expected to return to the line-up in place of goalscorer Mustafi.

Possible XI

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England head into their second game of Euro 2016 needing a win against Group A leaders Wales to offset the disappointment of losing a late lead to Russia.

Roy Hodgson's men were on course for a deserved three points against Russia on Saturday after Eric Dier's late free kick opened the scoring at Stade Velodrome, but Vasili Berezutski's stoppage-time header rescued a point for Russia to deny the Three Lions a win.

In contrast, Wales got off to a fine start in France as Hal Robson-Kanu and Gareth Bale struck for Chris Coleman's side to earn the Dragons a dramatic 2-1 win against Slovakia.


With England already sitting two points behind Wales after one game, Hodgson's side cannot afford to slip further behind in the race to qualify for the last 16.

Team news

England boss Roy Hodgson will have a fully-fit squad to choose from with no injury concerns, though he faces a tough decision on whether to start Jamie Vardy.

The Leicester striker was an unused substitute in the draw against Russia, and England's lack of composure in front of goal despite a number of chances could see the 29-year-old handed the opportunity to impress.

Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey faces a race to be fit after missing the win against Slovakia due to a back spasm.

Back-up keeper Danny Ward played against Slovakia instead, though Coleman will be hoping his No.1 is fit to return against Hodgson's side.

England Possible XI: Hart, Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Rose; Alli, Dier, Rooney; Sterling, Kane, Lallana.


Wales Possible XI: Ward; Gunter, Chester, A Williams, Davies, Taylor; Edwards, Allen, Ramsey, Williams; Bale.

France's underwhelming start to Euro 2016 could be a blessing in disguise.

Had Didier Deschamps's team swept Romania aside courtesy of an emphatic scoreline Les Bleus would have been installed as overwhelming favourites by now.

However, a narrow - yet deserved - victory thanks to Dimitri Payet's stunning strike means the pressure has not yet been ramped up on France.

Albania are searching for their first ever point at a European Championship but look likely to go home empty handed.

France will be expected to all-but claim their place in the knock-out stages with a game to spare but cannot be complacent, having lost to their opponents in a friendly last year.

Team news

Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann were not at their best against Romania and will be expected to produce improved performances.

N'Golo Kante covered every blade of grass on Friday night and has sewn up his place in central midfield.

Anthony Martial is pushing for a start and so too is Kingsley Coman after both youngsters impressed off the bench in the tournament opener.

Adil Rami and Laurent Koscielny will retain their places in defence, despite the duo's partnership yet to convince it can cope with the competition's big guns.

Albania must fill a Lorik Cana shaped hole in their side after their captain was sent off against Swizterland.

Ergys Kace is one of several candidates vying to replace Cana while the skipper serves a one-game suspension.

Goalkeeper Etrit Berisha did not cover himself in glory in the opening game but is unlikely to be dropped.

22-year-old right back Elseid Hysaj is one to keep an eye on, with several European sides rumoured to be interested in the Napoli man.

France possible XI: Lloris, Sagna, Rami, Koscielny, Evra, Pogba, Kante, Matuidi, Griezmann, Giroud, Payet.

Albania possible XI: Berisha, Hysaj, Cana, Mavraj, Agolli, Abrashi, Kukeli, Xhaka, Roshi, Sadiku, Lenjani.