UEFA Euro 2024: Group A Preview

The 2024 European Championships are right around the corner! The tournament kicks off at the end of the week, and with that, it is time to go through the groups and preview each team that is looking to head to Germany and come home a month later after winning Euro 2024!

Group A sees hosts Germany, Hungary, Scotland, and Switzerland battling it out to make it to the knockout rounds of Euro 2024! The top two nations and the top four best third-place teams in each group will make it to the Round of 16. Here’s a look at the Nations in Group A and their upcoming matches.

Euro 2024: Group A

Recent History

Germany has been at the summit of World football in the past decade. Their 2014 World Cup has gone down in infamy. However, these last 10 years have seen a regression from the Deutschland side that dominated everyone in their path.

Germany has made it to the semifinals of the 2016 Euros, failed to get out of the group stage of the 2018 World Cup, didn’t get out of the Round of 16 of the 2020 Euros, and was unable to make the knockout rounds of the 2022 World Cup. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Tactical Outlook

Now, Germany plays host at Euro 2024, and they are a nation with something to prove. A once great giant of the game humbled by time now looks for a reawakening in their own country. Head Coach Julian Nagelsmann is the man who is tasked with leading a German side with legendary players, and young up-and-comers far in this tournament, but how will he do that?

Germany will play in a 4-3-2-1 formation relying on their full backs to come inside while attacking to overload the middle of the field. However, this could leave them vulnerable to counterattacks with fewer defenders being in a position to put out fires.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Germany’s strength will come from its dual number 10s in its Christmas tree formation. The projected starters in that spot are Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich and Florian Wirtz of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Both are greatly skilled at pulling the strings needed to create successful attacks, whether that be finding the right pass to create chances or creating for themselves. As Musiala and Wirtz go so will Germany.

The weakness of Die Mannschaft is their defense and it’s not a secret as to why. Germany has conceded 20 goals in their last 12 matches dating back to last June. Their gaffer Nagelsmann has only been in charge of the previous seven games and his team has only let in nine of the 20 goals, but that still is not a great defensive record. Their defensive shape and showing will determine if the hosts go far into the knockouts or crash out early!

Euro 2024 Betting Odds

To qualify for the Knockout Round: -2,000
To reach the Quarterfinals: -250
To reach the Semifinals: +120
To reach the Final: +275
To win Euro 2024: +550

Recent History

Hungary is a nation that has been on the outside looking in when it comes to being a top team in Europe for some time now. They have been competitive in qualifying for World Cups and European Championships, but have failed to make a splash.

Magyarok hasn’t made a World Cup since 1986; they’ve made the last two Euro tournaments, but were bounced in the Round of 16 in 2016, and failed to make the knockouts in the 2020 tournament. Could 2024 be the year that Hungary finally break out and show they belong with the big boys?

Tactical Outlook

This Hungary team is under the tutelage of manager Marco Rossi. Rossi has been the manager since 2018, and his task has been to get the most out of the team to be able to punch above their weight. The team has a belief in Rossi that gets them to overperform in certain moments. This was no more true than in the 2022 UEFA Nations League where Hungary beat England 4-0 (Union fans may remember this game as Daniel Gazdag scored!)

The team will play with three center backs, wing backs that help create width, two holding midfielders that will add extra protection in front of the back line, and three attacking players. This makes this Hungary team a danger in transition moments against opponents that like to play a possessive style, however, that is a well-known characteristic of how Hungary plays.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Hungary is an organized side that knows how it wants to play and has players to execute that style. Their defend-and-counter style isn’t unique, but they execute it well with speedy and clinical players. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai is the big star of the team. He will be tasked with leading the line as an attacking midfielder; however don’t sleep on Kevin Csoboth, he’s a crafty fast player who can create attacks out of nowhere. If those two are clicking, and their defense holds, Hungary might just be able to make a splash at Euro 2024!

The weakness of this Hungary side lies in the center of the pitch. While head coach Rossi wants to play with dual number six’s, the nation does not yet have two players capable of playing on the big stage as of yet. This has been an area of development, and we likely will see some young defensive midfielders in this role. With that may come inexperience and jitters on the big stage like Euro 2024. If they play well, then Hungary will be fine, if not, they could be bounced before the knockout rounds like they were in 2020.

Euro 2024 Betting Odds

To qualify for the Knockout Round: -130
To reach the Quarterfinals: +300
To reach the Semifinals: +1,200
To reach the Final: +4,500
To win Euro 2024: +8,500

Recent History

Scotland is forever seen as the European underdog in world football. They show tendencies to dig in and be tenacious, but that hasn’t translated into much on-field success. The last time Scotland made a World Cup was in 1998, and their luck at the Euros wasn’t great either making just one tournament in the last 24 years.

The good thing for the Tartan Army is that their last Euro appearance was in the latest edition of the tournament in 2020. While they didn’t win a game in that tournament, they didn’t let their spirits down and have found a way back to the tournament in 2024. Can this underdog shock the continent and make it out of Group A at Euro 2024?

Tactical Outlook

Scotland had not been to a major tournament for 23 years before Steve Clark and his men qualified for the 2020 Euros. He is still at the helm as he hopes to lead his Scotland team to get their first win at a major tournament in 28 years. Scotland loves to be compact and sit into their defensive shape daring their opponents to break them down.

This approach sees Clark implement a 3-4-2-1 most of the time. This makes his team dependent on using their wide players to push forward to find the central midfielders to create attacks. The problem with this tactical setup is that it leaves little room for bravery to try things in the attack. Therefore, Scotland is often seen bunkering down hoping to keep their opposition off the board. Will that be the case at Euro 2024?

Strengths and Weaknesses

The strength of Scotland can be found in players who like to break the mold of their sit-in and bunker mentality. Wing-back Andy Robertson, and midfielders Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour fit that mold. They will need to be the lynchpin for Scotland to get their attacks going. This squad is a tight-knit one, with a bit of bravery, they could just make some noise at Euro 2024.

Scotland’s weakness is when they lose their bravery. If they get scared by Germany or Switzerland, who will look to hold onto the ball for the majority of the match, then they could sit back into their low block and not try to create their chances on the ball. Scotland is reliant on a few players to be the brave ones, but if Clark can instill that bravery into other players who may not be expected to make a match-defining play, then Scotland could create an upset in Germany this summer!

Euro 2024 Betting Odds

To qualify for the Knockout Round: +100
To reach the Quarterfinals: +500
To reach the Semifinals: +2,100
To reach the Final: +6,500
To win Euro 2024: +10,000

Recent History

Switzerland is seen as the second-best team in Group A at Euro 2024 behind Germany. They are a consistent team in the realm of world football making the past five World Cups and making the knockout rounds of the last two European Championships.

In the 2020 edition of the Euros, Switzerland made their deepest run in the knockout rounds to the quarterfinals. This time around their sights will be set on going even further, and potentially doing something they’ve never done before, win the tournament!

Tactical Outlook

Making it past a quarterfinal might be a far reach when looking at how Switzerland plays under gaffer, Murat Yakin. Yankin has not been a great leader for Switzerland in recent times. He won only one of Switzerland’s last seven Euro qualifiers and just finished second in a group that was considered weak. He consistently changes formation from match to match, making it hard to see how Switzerland can truly stack up against their opposition.

The one good thing going for this Swiss side is that they have some very good players in great form from their club seasons. The talent on the pitch is above the likes of Scotland and Hungary on paper. We will have to see if that is enough to help this Switzerland side claim a knockout round berth at Euro 2024.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The strength of Switzerland comes from their experienced core of players who have been on the big stage before. Midfielder Granit Xhaka and goalkeeper Yann Sommer will lead the team through thick and thin. The two of them will be the anchors for the team. Xherdan Shaqiri is also back with the team, however, his drop in form over the recent years may cause him to resort to a super-sub role.

Because Shaqiri is likely not Switzerland’s out-and-out goal scorer anymore, it does present a big weakness for Switzerland. How are they going to score goals? They don’t have that clinical striker that is needed in a tournament like the Euros. Add that to a coach who likes to meddle with tactics and formation from game to game, and we could see an unorganized and impotent Switzerland at Euro 2024. Time will tell if this side can figure things out on the world’s stage.

Euro 2024 Betting Odds

To qualify for the Knockout Round: -175
To reach the Quarterfinals: +275
To reach the Semifinals: +900
To reach the Final: +3,000
To win Euro 2024: +8,000