European Football Championship - Spain top, France bottom: The ranking of the top eight
After 44 out of 51 EURO matches, only one third of the teams are left. On Friday and Saturday (both at 18.00 hours and 21.00 hours), it goes into the hot phase and tickets for the semifinals are up for grabs. Spain faces Germany on Friday (18.00 hours/ARD and MagentaTV), followed by Portugal against France (21.00 hours/ZDF and MagentaTV). On the other side of the tournament bracket, England and Switzerland (18.00 hours/ZDF and MagentaTV) as well as the Netherlands and Turkey (21.00 hours/RTL and Magenta TV) will face off.
The German Press Agency sorts the eight teams according to their performance at the tournament in Germany and provides an outlook.
The Favorites
Spain
Dominance. Enjoyment. Spectacle. For all that, the Spaniards lead the way at this EURO. No one has played as well or as successfully as they have. The 2010 World Cup champions have deservedly won all their games and have only conceded one goal. Up front, supertalents Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzle, while Middfield conductor Rodri leads the defensive line. The big question now is: How can Germany stop this team? The Spaniards are so confident that they don't even believe anyone can stop them, not even the host nation.
The Hosts
Germany
Undefeated in the quarterfinals - and not at all a long shot against Spain. That would have been unlikely in the gloomy November after the 0:2 in Austria. Julian Nagelsmann has achieved the turnaround with his clear personnel strategy. A solid defense with Chief Antonio Rudiger. Young star Jamal Musiala on his way to becoming the top scorer and of course Toni Kroos as the stabilizer. The fans are celebrating in pink and white the black-red-golden football fairy tale. If they manage to beat Spain, anything is possible on the way to the final on July 14 in Berlin.
The In-Form Teams
Switzerland
With a dominant win against title defenders Italy in the round of 16, the Swiss made heads turn. Even though Italy was weak, the Swiss controlled the game with a mature performance without any problems. Already in the group stage, the team had given the German squad a run for their money. Standout players were Granit Xhaka from Leverkusen and Ruben Vargas from Augsburg. Trainer Murat Yakin let the players celebrate with doner, the focus is already on the disappointing Three Lions. The first entry into the EURO semifinals seems more attainable than ever before.
The Surprise Packages
Netherlands
After a mediocre group stage with third place, the dominant performance against Romania gave reason for hope. "Such performances are what we need to have a chance to go on," said Chief Coach Ronald Koeman, whose team silenced the criticism at home impressively. A quarterfinal against Turkey, a potential semifinal against Switzerland or England: the way to the first EURO final since 1988 seems open. The flexible offense with the fast Cody Gakpo, Leipzig's Xavi Simons, and the participating central striker Memphis Depay makes one crave more. The conversion rate remains a weak point.
After a perfect start, the two previous performances of the 2016 European Champion raised some questions. Is the team better with or without Captain Cristiano Ronaldo? Drama surrounded the superstar during the lucky victory against Slovenia in the penalty shootout. First, he missed from the spot and cried, then he scored and celebrated. Offensively, Coach Roberto Martinez has plenty of top players. The quarterfinal against France will also be a test for the defensive line that is sometimes aggressive. The way to a possible second title has the maximum difficulty.
Turkey
With momentum from the surprising 2:1 over Austria, Turkey is heating up for the emotional clash against the Netherlands in Berlin. On Saturday, Captain Hakan Calhanoglu, who was yellow-carded in the quarterfinals, will be available again and is looking forward to strong fan support. "It's the same in every stadium. But it's even bigger in Berlin," said the former Bundesliga pro. In the quarterfinal victory, the team showed its tactical flexibility and made it through with a three-defender line. The hope for the first EM semi-final since 2008 is also great.
Disappointments
England
The experts criticize, the media complain: England is the most criticized team at this EM. The team with Bayern star Harry Kane and Champions League winner Jude Bellingham disappointed in all four games so far. Only a brilliant move from Bellingham in the fifth minute of stoppage time saved the round of 16 against Slovakia. Coach Gareth Southgate is accused of timidity and cluelessness. Despite the favorable draw and the huge potential, the Three Lions are still being considered as title favorites due to their poor performance.
France
There's no question about it, that's just not enough for an offense like the one the French have. Four games, three goals - two of which were own goals and one was a penalty. What's wrong with Les Bleus? Kylian Mbappé is still struggling to get used to his face mask after his nasal bone fracture in the opening game against Austria, despite trying out many mask models. Antoine Griezmann is still looking for his role, while players like the former Bundesliga pros Marcus Thuram or Ousmane Dembélé are not finding the net. At least the defense, which was seen as an uncertainty factor before the tournament, is doing a good job. What the team of Didier Deschamps, who has been training since 2012, needs: A convincing win with goals from their own play and not from the opponent's goal.
- The European Football Championship continues with the Quarterfinals, and ARD in Germany will broadcast Spain's match against Germany at 18:00 hours.
- In the same time slot, ZDF will air Portugal's match against France, while RTL will showcase the Netherlands versus Turkey at 21:00 hours.
- Spain, currently the favorites, has been dominant in the tournament, with Nico Williams and Jamal Musiala shining upfront.
- Germany, undefeated in the quarterfinals, has relied on a solid defense led by Antonio Rüdiger and young talent Jamal Musiala.
- Switzerland, after a dominant win against Italy, is considered one of the in-form teams and has the German squad in their rankings.
- The Dutch team, which struggled in the group stage, silenced criticism with a dominant performance against Romania and is looking forward to the quarterfinal against Turkey.
- France, with the potential to win their second title, has had a disappointing offense with only three goals scored, two of which were own goals.
- Turkey, inspired by Captain Hakan Calhanoglu, is looking forward to the emotionally charged clash against the Netherlands in Berlin.
- England, criticized for their performance in the tournament, managed to advance to the quarterfinals with a last-minute goal by Jude Bellingham.
- The German Press Agency places Portugal at the top of their ranking, attributing their success to the collective effort of the team.
- According to the ranking, Germany is in second place, followed closely by Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands.
- Austria, despite their early exit from the tournament, ranked seventh, with France and Turkey rounding out the top eight.
