<\/p>\n
The dust has settled on the group stage at Euro 2024 and for eight teams, it is the end of the road.<\/p>\n
But for 16 others, their dreams remain intact.<\/p>\n
Foxsports.com.au <\/i>takes a look at the key narratives to emerge from the first stage in Euro 2024 Talking Points!<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
Get on board Kayo and watch every game of every round of the NRL + AFL Seasons live and ad break free during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today ><\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Georgia STUN Portugal to make knockouts | 00:50<\/p>\n MORE COVERAGE<\/b><\/p>\n Euro Wrap: PL superstar\u2019s bold reaction to fan fury; minnows stun Ronaldo in epic scenes<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Architects behind A-League resurgence join Ange\u2019s Spurs revolution<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n HOW $166M SUPERSTAR HAS REGRESSED TO \u2018STUTTERING STOCK CAR\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n Only England could go unbeaten and finish top of their group yet attract countless negative headlines.<\/p>\n Gareth Southgate\u2019s side turned in three uninspiring performances against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia as the travelling support let the team know of their frustrations.<\/p>\n One play who hasn\u2019t lived up to expectations is talismanic midfielder Jude Bellingham.<\/p>\n After scoring the only goal in England\u2019s victory over Serbia, Bellingham\u2019s performance levels dropped considerably in the final two group games.<\/p>\n For example, he had 93 touches against Serbia but then had 63 and 69 against Denmark and Slovenia respectively.<\/p>\n His attacking intent dropped too, with just 17 forward passes made in the final two games compared to 18 in the opener against Serbia.<\/p>\n Most worryingly, he became increasingly unsuccessful in duels: he won 63 per cent against Serbia, followed by 38 per cent and 22 per cent in the following group games.<\/p>\n Perhaps the 104 domestic and international games Bellingham has played in the last two seasons has finally caught up.<\/p>\n Even former England international Gary Lineker noted Bellingham looked like he was running on fumes.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving had a great opening game, he\u2019s struggled since,\u201d Lineker said on The Rest Is Football <\/i>podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he chases lost causes a lot. Sometimes, you can see him sprinting.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand why because he\u2019s so determined to help the team but I think sometimes you\u2019ve got to reserve your energy a little bit.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2019s experience. He\u2019s only 20.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, Bellingham may be young, but he\u2019s also played over 100 games for club and country in the past two seasons.<\/p>\n For someone so young and with such an all-action style of play, that is a lot <\/i>of football and minutes accrued.<\/p>\n Sky Sports\u2019 <\/a><\/i>Rob Dorsett described <\/a>Bellingham as, right now, \u201cmore like a stuttering stock car than a finely-tuned Formula One race machine.\u201d<\/p>\n Some have called Southgate to rest Real Madrid\u2019s $AUD166 million man for the Round of 16 clash against Slovakia, which would be one bold call.<\/p>\n But, if it helps Bellingham recharge the batteries and allows him to perform like he did against Serbia rather than Denmark and Slovenia, it might be the spark that ignites England\u2019s charge.<\/p>\n MAN UTD OWES EX-BOSS AN APOLOGY AMID DARK HORSE\u2019S SURGE<\/b><\/p>\n Grouped alongside France and the Netherlands, many tipped Austria\u2019s best chance of making the knockouts to be advancing as one of the four best third-placed teams.<\/p>\n Three games later and Ralf Rangnick\u2019s side stunned just about everybody to finish first, as a 3-2 victory over the Dutch in the final group game secured top spot.<\/p>\n The victory vindicated Rangnick\u2019s decision to turn down German giants Bayern Munich and also was the perfect middle finger to his many detractors from his time at Manchester United.<\/p>\n But what makes this Austrian team so successful?<\/p>\n Perhaps it comes from the Red Bull football group, which includes the likes of RB Leipzig in Germany and Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.<\/p>\n Red Bull\u2019s philosophy revolves around high-pressing, high-intensity football along with vertical attacks.<\/p>\n Guess who was the architect for Red Bull\u2019s philosophy? Yep, you guessed it: Rangnick himself.<\/p>\n Nine players in Austria\u2019s Euro squad have either spent time at a Red Bull club or remain at one, making it easier for Rangnick to implement his tactics.<\/p>\n Austrian skipper Marcel Sabitzer, who played over 170 games for RB Leipzig, believes the shift in approach under Rangnick has been transformative and exactly what the team needed to thrive.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been almost two years since the coach and his team joined us, and since then we\u2019ve seen a clear development,\u201d Sabitzer said after beating the Netherlands.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were a bit passive against the ball before and we\u2019ve definitely changed that. We\u2019re strong against the ball now. Everyone knows that if they lose the ball, they have to immediately switch over and go on the chase.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s probably the biggest difference but with the ball, we have a very good man (Rangnick) there who always gives us good input and creates spaces where we want to play.\u201d<\/p>\n Austria now face Turkey in the Round of 16 and either Romania or the Netherlands in the quarterfinal, meaning they are a strong chance of going as deep a the semi finals.<\/p>\n Given how Rangnick was hounded out of United, perhaps there are some at Old Trafford who owe him an apology.<\/p>\n WORLD NO. 3\u2019S EMBARRASSING TOURNEY FLOP \u2026 AGAIN<\/b><\/p>\n Belgium suffered a humiliating exit at the group stage of the 2022 World Cup and two years on, the vibes are not much better.<\/p>\n The Red Devils were dubbed heavy favourites to top Group E, which featured Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n However, Belgium ultimately scraped through to the knockout stage via goal difference and won just once (2-0 v Romania) as Romania, 47th in the FIFA rankings, took top spot.<\/p>\n It was a complete surprise given Belgium dominated in their qualifying group, winning six of eight games with 22 goals scored and just four conceded.<\/p>\n Belgian fans were furious after a disappointing goalless draw against Ukraine, with skipper Kevin De Bruyne escorting his team off the pitch after the final whistle after he initially went to applaud the supporters, only to be greeted with a chorus of boos.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is one minute left of the game, so you don\u2019t want to take any risks,\u201d De Bruyne said in defence of the team\u2019s conservative tactics late in the game. <\/p>\n \u201cI understand people want us to win but if we go for the corner, they win it back, then they score, then everyone will kill me. <\/p>\n \u201cSometimes you need to take certain risks and sometimes you need to be smart. Two minutes from the end you need to be smart, definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result of their weak group performance, they have now been pitted against tournament favourites France in the Round of 16. <\/p>\n Despite the boos, De Bruyne called for the fans to get behind the team against the French.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just need [the fans], I don\u2019t know what else to say,\u201d De Bruyne said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just need them, you know? We will need them against France like we needed them in the last three games.\u201d<\/p>\n The scoreless draw against Ukraine also prompted criticism from England legend Wayne Rooney.<\/p>\n \u201cBelgium were very poor,\u201d Rooney told BBC<\/i>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that\u2019s how they are moving forwards, then they have got no chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Alan Shearer concurred with Rooney, branding Belgium \u201cterrible\u201d.<\/p>\n But if Belgium are to transform their fortunes, they desperately need star striker Romelu Lukaku to start burying his chances.<\/p>\n Per Opta<\/i>, Lukaku has taken eight shots \u2014 the fourth-most of all players \u2014 with seven of those on target to register the third-highest xG (expected goals) figure of 1.67.<\/p>\n However, the hulking forward has failed to score once, with three potential goals ruled out via VAR.<\/p>\n It followed Lukaku\u2019s performance against Croatia at the last World Cup where he registered an xG of 1.98 in the second half, a figure higher than Morocco\u2019s xG for the entire group stage (1.35), but still failed to score.<\/p>\n Belgium desperately need Lukaku to find his scoring boots against France, otherwise it will be a disappointing early exit.<\/p>\n HEAVYWEIGHT\u2019S SURPRISE TACTICAL APPROACH PAYS DIVIDENDS<\/b><\/p>\n Yes, Spain were a pre-tournament favourite, but they weren\u2019t the <\/i>favourite.<\/p>\n But after the group stage, La Roja <\/i>have cemented themselves as the team to beat.<\/p>\n Luis De La Fuente\u2019s side was the only one to win all three group games, scoring five goals and conceding none.<\/p>\n What makes the feat even more impressive is that they were in the supposed group of death alongside Euro 2020 champions Italy and Croatia.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth noting Spain\u2019s 1-0 victory over Albania given De La Fuente made a whopping 10 changes to his line-up, emphasising how strong the team\u2019s depth is.<\/p>\n Spain ended the group stage with the fourth-best xG figure (5.54) and with the second-most shots taken (37), highlighting their attacking brilliance.<\/p>\n One element of Spain\u2019s play that is slightly surprising to neutral observers is that they haven\u2019t dominated possession, which has often been a hallmark of previous teams.<\/p>\n SPAIN POSSESSION AT 2022 WORLD CUP<\/b><\/p>\n Spain 1-1 Germany \u2014 Spain had 65 per cent possession<\/p>\n Spain 1-2 Japan \u2014 Spain had 83 per cent possession<\/p>\n Spain 0-0 Morocco \u2014 Spain had 77 per cent possession<\/p>\n SPAIN POSSESSION AT EURO 2024<\/b><\/p>\n Spain 1-0 Italy \u2014 58 per cent possession<\/p>\n Spain 1-0 Albania \u2014 59 per cent possession<\/p>\n It\u2019s a markedly different approach but, as Spain\u2019s Euro 2024 results and attacking metrics have shown, it is an effective one.<\/p>\n Spain take on Georgia in the next round, with La Roja <\/i>beating the world No. 74 7-1 and 3-1 in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.<\/p>\n THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED \u2026<\/b><\/p>\n Despite finishing on four points (enough to qualify in Group C), Ukraine\u2019s frustrating draw to Belgium leaves them dumped from the competition. <\/p>\n Combined with the 1-1 result between Romania and Slovakia, Ukraine\u2019s 3-0 loss in their first game may be looked back on with dismay.<\/p>\n The Golden Boot race has an unexpected leader in Georgia\u2019s<\/b> Georges Mikautadze.<\/p>\n With three goals thus far, the Georgian international\u2019s efforts have led his nation to picking up a Round of 16 spot through 3rd place in Group F.<\/p>\n Own goals have been hogging the limelight of the tournament with a total of seven attempts into the wrong net in the group stages alone. <\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a new trend to the tournament however, with 11 own goals coming in the previous tournament, eight of which came in the group stages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n