Euro 2016 Round Up

Euro 2016 Review

So Wales will face Portugal and France will take on Germany in the European Championship Semi Finals later this week. All fours teams that have made it to this stage deserve to be there and can now plan accordingly. Some sides like Wales are in bonus  territory and will be strong favourites to make it past Cristiano Ronaldo and Renato Sanches and their Portuguese team mates.

Gareth Bale has led his side with help from men like Ashley Williams , Aaron Ramsey and the recently released Hal Robson-Kanu , something tells me that lad will be playing Premier League football next season. They alongside Iceland have added value to the knock out phase of these Championships. Let’s face it bar the two squads concerned who had these two teams down to make the last 16 then the quarter finals.

The teams in the Semi Finals are teams that have been very consistent at recent Championships getting to knock out stages regularly. Germany will of course now be unbackable favourites with host nation France.

 Wales and Portugal will of course have plenty to say about that but given the way Germany have performed so far they will know need to up the ante and kick on during the Semi Final even though they could be missing up to four key men for the Semi Final through injury and suspension but that’s why there are large squads brought to the Tournaments.

France will be so glad to be just a game away from the fInal given the fact they have been under all sorts of pressure and with a lack of competitive football in the last two years since the World Cup in Brazil. They have only played friendlies in that time and Deschamp have left out a number of big players out of his 23 in favour of a number of others.

 The players and coach have been under immense pressure and up to last night they had only conceded two goals both from the penalty spot with Robbie Brady being one of those scorers.  I think will all is said and done the two teams that will contest the Final in Paris this Sunday will be Wales and Germany.

France won’t be able to live with German efficiency even without up to 4 key men for the Semi but let’s remember this side won the World Cup two years ago I realise some of that squad have retired but they know how to win tight games and for Wales I feel that even without Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey they can keep the feel good factor going and reach a first ever major Final.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

04/07/2016

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