Euro 2020, Group D: A Look at England's Strength, Weakness and Chances At This Year's European Championship

Perennial underachievers England, have a young dynamic squad heading into Euro 2020. Manager Gareth Southgate has been around for a while which gives them a sense of stability. They suffered the humiliation of a round of 16 exit at the hands of Iceland in the previous edition, something that has plagued the team when it comes to performing at the biggest stage. The Three Lions did make it to the top four in the 2018 World Cup and that has increased the buzz around the squad. Ahead of the 2020 European Championship, we analyse the team and its chances to lift the cup. UEFA Euro 2020: England Announce 26-Man Squad.

Strength

Youth is clearly the way forward for Gareth Southgate with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount and Reece James. These stars are the leading men at their respective clubs and on any given day, they have the talent to be world-beaters. Another positive is the fine form they are coming into the Euros with.

Weakness

England have been poor in Euros for several years now and they often find a way to produce their worst at the grandest of stage. It will be interesting to see how the squad reacts to the pressure that comes with playing for England. Fatigue is another show stopper for Gareth Southgate as many players have not had any break since the season ended. Euro 2020 Schedule in IST, Free PDF Download: Get Fixtures, Time Table With Match Timings and Venue Details.

Opportunity

England will fancy themselves to top a group comprising Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic. If they are able to build momentum ahead of the round of 16, they are well capable of beating the top sides. The Three Lions have the chance to learn from their past mistakes and take it one game at a time.

Threat

The peril of topping Group D is that England have a potential opponent in Portugal, Germany, or France in the Round of 16.

Gareth Southgate has said if England fail to reach the semi-finals, it will be considered a failure and that gives us an insight about how confident this team is at the moment.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2021 08:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).