UEFA Euro 2020 Groupstage Matchday 1 Fixtures and Livestreams

Who could have thought that a literal pandemic would one day postpone one of the most thrilling football tournaments in the world for a whole year? That is what happened in the scary and unfortunate year of 2020, when everything suddenly went south and people went on to face one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.

Stadiums, which one day used to be the fortress of football clubs as they were filled with the club’s supporters, suddenly emptied and everyone went into quarantine. Everything in football got even worse when it was announced that UEFA Euro 2020 was going to be postponed indefinitely. Thankfully, though, humanity has been able to slowly recover from the pandemic and we are once again ready to kick off the European tournament.

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage

matchday 1 is going to kick off with the clash between Turkey and

, and we simply can’t wait anymore.

Football fans are eagerly awaiting to finally see some of the top footballing nations in the world lock horns in thrilling matches, which will see 16 teams go through to the Round of 16. The 24 nations participating in 2020-21 Euro group stage are divided into six groups of A to F. So before we delve into matchday 1 and discuss about the details of 2020/21 UEFA Euro group stage matches, let’s see who will be facing whom in each group.

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage draw

The

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage draw

has already been decided and 24 teams know their fate and their opponents in the group stages. In group A, we have Turkey, Italy, Wales and Switzerland. Group B consists of Denmark, Finland, Belgium and Russia. Then we have the Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria and North Macedonia in group C. England, Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic will go head to head in group D.

Group E includes Spain, Sweden, Poland and Slovakia. Finally, we have the so called group of death, which every tournament seems to have at least one such group every year. The so-called group of death in the

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage

draw is “group F”, which includes Hungary, Portugal, Germany and the 2018 World Cup winners France.

Oh boy is group F going to be a total thriller full of drama and memorable moments. Of course all groups will certainly have their own best and worst moments. So let’s see who will face whom in matchday 1 of 2020-21 Euro group stage. Those looking to catch some of the UEFA Euro 2021 group stage live streams can enjoy the tournament via Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports, NPO1, RAI 1, BBC One, TUDN, ESPN, beIN Sports 1, TF1, Canal+, TRT 1 and DStv Now.

Turkey v Italy

• Date: Friday, 11 June

• Time: 21:00 CET

The opening game of the tournament will kick off tonight at 21:00 CET, during which Turkey will be going head to head against the 2006 World Cup winners Italy. Turkey have introduced many world-class footballers to the world in recent years, which shows how much they have improved their facilities. So while many might believe that Italy have the upper hand in the opening game as the favorites to win, considering Turkey to be the underdogs on paper, they couldn’t be any more wrong as Turkey have shown to be well capable of beating the previous world champions.

Of course that is not to say that the

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage

is not going to be tough for

, who will be going against Wales and Switzerland as well. But all in all, they have the potential to go through to the Round of 16 alongside Italy or Wales. With manager Senol Gunes at the helm, all eyes will be on the 35-year-old Burak Yilmaz as the nation’s first-choice striker and AC Milan talent Hakan Calhanoglu.

On the other side of the pitch are Italy, who are managed by none other than Roberto Mancini. Italians will be hopeful to see yet another world-class performance from Nicolo Barella and Federico Chiesa, who have gained more control on pitch thanks to Mancini’s tactics. The match between Italy and Turkey is regarded by many outlets as the unpredictable one as either side can emerge victorious in this tough battle.

Wales v Switzerland

• Date: Saturday, 12 June

• Time: 15:00 CET

2020/21 UEFA Euro group stage matches

will carry on tomorrow with the clash between

and

. On paper, many might believe that Wales are the favorites, but Switzerland can just as well pull a quick surprise and emerge victorious as the underdogs. Tottenham and Real Madrid supporters will watch this game closely as Gareth Bale looks set to shine for his country once again. The 32-year-old forward has always been there for his country, despite lacking the same passion in club football.

While Tottenham fans have enjoyed some of his talents this season, Madridistas will definitely follow Wales and Gareth Bale’s games as the Welsh winger might possibly return to the Spanish capital next season after the club announced the signing of Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager.

This 2020-21 Euro group stage match will be a tough one for both sides, especially since Switzerland managed to pull off a miracle by coming back from a 3-0 defeat against Denmark in the 2019 qualifiers to draw the game later in the second half. The highly versatile striker Breel Embolo will surely be the one to watch in the clash against Wales. Surely both Embolo and Bale will be looking forward to shining in front of the viewers.

Denmark v Finland

• Date: Saturday, 12 June

• Time: 18:00 CET

The first match of the group B will be between Denmark and

. Looking at each nation’s recent games played, one could clearly see that Denmark have been in a better form than Finland, who have lost all three of their last three games, losing to the likes of Switzerland, Sweden and even Estonia.

Of course the 2020/21 UEFA Euro group stage matches are surely different and the players will put much more effort into their game. But still a couple of wins could have played a big role in raising the nation’s spirit and motivating the players to play better than ever. While Finland have struggled to keep their form for the Euros,

have been phenomenal so far. They have scored a plethora of goals against teams such as Austria, Israel and Iceland, while humiliating Moldova by scoring a massive eight goals in the qualifiers.

Denmark even got to draw 1-1 against Germany, showing that they indeed have a strong fighting spirit. Denmark’s star player Christian Eriksen, who has more than 100 caps under his belt, will surely be the one to watch as he has helped carry his team so far. The

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage lineups

are not confirmed yet, but we will surely see more of Hjulmand, Eriksen, Vladimir Petkovic and Granit Xhaka.

Belgium v Russia

• Date: Saturday, 12 June

• Time: 21:00 CET

Russia were the surprise underdogs of the 2018 World Cup, where they got to reach the quarterfinals after qualifying for the knockout stages alongside Uruguay.

too had quite a strong run in the tournament as they only got to lose against France in the semifinals, settling for the third place after a 2-0 win against England. Eden Hazard will be looking forward to show Real Madrid fans that he has still got it after two horrendous seasons at the Spanish club. The

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage

draw will see two of the most promising teams in the tournament go head to head against each other in group B.

Inter’s lethal striker Romelu Lukaku, who is a literal tank of a man will be attracting quite a lot of attention as he is currently in form and is more than capable of wreaking havoc on the pitch. Belgium have so far been able to defeat the likes of Denmark, Wales, England and even Luka Modric’s Croatia. We will have to wait and see if they can best Russia as well.

England v Croatia

• Date: Sunday, 13 June

• Time: 15:00 CET

Perhaps the nation to have appeared the most on the news about UEFA Euro 2021 group stage lineups is

. The reason behind the drama is that Gareth Southgate has had quite a heavy headache while deciding whom to call up for international duty.

The Englishman has too many right-backs and left-backs in his roster, which makes decision-making quite a chore for the 50-year-old. While initially Trent Alexander-Arnold was called up to international duty, the Liverpool right-back suffered an unfortunate injury in the friendlies before the Euros, which ended his hopes of shining for his nation in at least the group stages. England have been in fine form lately, winning all five of their last five games.

On the other side are Croatia, who have not had an as successful run as England, losing two and drawing one of their last five games, while winning only the other two remaining games. The memorable underdogs of the 2018 World Cup final will have the chance to prove that they were not a one-season-wonder by at least making it to the semifinals. But nothing is set in stone and they could as well get eliminated in the group stages before even qualifying for the Round of 16.

Austria v North Macedonia

• Date: Sunday, 13 June

• Time: 18:00 CET

Imagine causing your compatriots and possibly only supporters to shout in anger after not designing a proper home kit for the national team. That is exactly what happened when North Macedonia somehow botched the design of their home kit for the 2020 Euro with a simple yet quite a shocking mistake from the German designer brand Jako.

North Macedonia, whose flag features the colors red and yellow, are set to make their debut at the Euros in the clash against

. But aside from gaining a lot of attention as debutants, they managed to make the headlines for their reportedly “horrible” mistake of using the color burgundy instead of red in the team’s first kit.

Of course thankfully, they were able to fix the mistake before the tournament and people can once again praise them for how well they have played so far, even beating Germany 2-1 in the World Cup qualifiers. While Austria might seem like the clear favorites to many in the clash against North Macedonia, the underdogs have the ability to pull off yet another dramatic win and we can’t rule out anyone in this tight and thrilling tournament.

Netherlands v Ukraine

• Date: Sunday, 13 June

• Time: 21:00 CET

The Flying Dutchmen will definitely miss their star man Virgil van Dijk, who has missed several months of football due to injury. Netherlands’ UEFA Euro 2021 group stage lineups have been the focal point of discussion on many TV shows and podcasts, which is why many are wondering how Oranje Holland will be lining up against Ukraine and in other games as well. With VVD injured, Matthijs de Ligt might want to steal the show at the back with a couple of solid performances.

The Dutch are surely hungry for success and thirsty for wins as they missed out on both Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Russia. That is why there is quite a heavy burden on Frank de Boer and his men’s shoulders to deliver a fine performance worthy of the Dutchmen. Having won three of their last five games and after a rather disappointing 4-2 defeat against Turkey in the World Cup qualifiers, the Netherlands will be going against Ukraine in the first game of group C.

The Ukraine national team is coached by none other than the legendary Andriy Shevchenko, the winner of the 2003 UEFA Champions League and the 2004 Ballon d’Or during his time at ACMilan. They have been in fine form recently and are more than capable of giving the

a run for their money.

They have the chance to shine after finally qualifying for the Euro directly instead of having to take part in the play-offs. Dynamo Kyiv star Viktor Tsygankov will surely be the one to watch as he has been able to earn his coach’s trust with a number of solid performances.

Scotland v Czech Republic

• Date: Monday, 14 June

• Time: 15:00 CET

The UEFA Euro 2021 group stage matchday 1 will see Scotland go head to head against the Czech Republic. While some might believe that this match is not going to be one of the most exciting games in the tournament, it still has the potential to turn into something memorable as both sides would want to at least qualify for the Round of 16 alongside the favorites of the group, who are believed to be The Three Lions. Of course both teams have the stone wall of Croatia in front of them and hopes might not be as high as one might have wanted.

Nevertheless, both nations are more than capable of bringing their A game in the group stages by performing at their peak levels. Scotland seem to be content with drawing against the stronger rivals as they have drawn three of their last five games, with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, a 1-1 draw against Israel and another 2-2 draw against Austria. The Czech Republic, on the other hand, were handed a humiliating 4-0 defeat against Italy and might want to make up for it with a win in the first match of their Euro 2020 campaign.

Poland v Slovakia

• Date: Monday, 14 June

• Time: 18:00 CET

Poland are a group of fighters, period. They either win the game or fight hard enough to at least earn a draw in the end, coming back from two or three goals down every time. While the nation’s last five games might cause the Poles to worry about the team’s defensive weaknesses, the sheer will of the squad has helped them come back from utter defeats most of the time. They drew against Iceland, Russia and Hungary, while only losing to England in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Certainly this match is not the one neutrals are waiting for, but it certainly is capable of producing something to remember for quite a long time. Both national teams have the chance to qualify for the Round of 16 thanks to the misfortune that Sweden suffered a couple of weeks earlier when it was confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to miss the Euro 2020 due to injury.

Spain v Sweden

• Date: Monday, 14 June

• Time: 21:00 CET

The two favorites of group E will lock horns in a thriller of a game this Monday. Both teams are capable of wreaking havoc both in the group stages and in later rounds if they get to qualify. As mentioned before, Sweden have already faced some difficulties along the road after losing their star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had come out of international retirement to help his nation pursue better stats in the UEFA Euro but ultimately lost out on the chance to shine after being sidelined due to injury.

Sweden have already been battered by the likes of France, Portugal and Croatia in the Nations League and will be hoping to put on a better show this time around. Of course that might not be as easy as they might have hoped for as they will be facing Spain in the group stage. The two sides will also be facing each other in the World Cup Qualifiers and this can be the best chance for both nations to get a glimpse of how the other side plays football.

Hungary v Portugal

• Date: Tuesday, 15 June

• Time: 18:00 CET

The most eagerly awaited group of them all is group F, which includes Hungary,

, France and Germany. What an amazing group of death we are going to have in the tournament. The group’s games will kick off on Tuesday with Hungary and Portugal locking horns only a couple of hours before the historic meeting between

and Germany.

Cristiano Ronaldo is definitely more than ready to break Ali Daei’s record for the most international goals scored. All eyes will certainly be on him as he is set to take on the world’s newest rising star Kylian Mbappe in the group stages.

While many believe that the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is long over and the likes of Mbappe and Erling Haaland have already taken over as the next best thing, the 36-year-old veteran is still more than capable of delivering deadly blows to his nation’s opponents during crucial games. We certainly can’t wait to see Ronaldo play in his possibly last Euro.

France v Germany

• Date: Tuesday, 15 June

• Time: 21:00 CET

Many will be surfing the web and Googling to find all the information available on

UEFA Euro 2021 group stage live streams

just to see where they can catch the game between France and

this Tuesday. The two powerhouses are set to meet each other in a tough and obviously exhilarating match after the clash between Hungary and Portugal. France have strengthened their offense even more by calling up Real Madrid’s prolific striker Karim Benzema, whose rivalry with the “go-kart” Olivier Giroud will certainly be worth watching.

Without a doubt, France have in their roster some of the best of the best world-class superstars, including Kylian Mbappe, N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane and Karim Benzema. But that does not mean that Germany aren’t up for the challenge on the other side of the pitch. The Germans boast just as many world-class superstars in their squad, including the likes of legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, midfield master Toni Kroos, lightning fast paced forward Leroy Sane and Kai Havertz, who scored Chelsea’s winner against Manchester City in the Champions League final.

We will have to wait and see who comes out alive from the group of death. Anything can happen and anyone can turn out to be the unsung hero in the end. We will update you on the following matchdays on Wednesday. Once again, if you didn’t catch the information on UEFA Euro 2021 group stage live streams, the games will be available on a variety of channels and services, including the likes of Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports, NPO1, RAI 1, BBC One, TUDN, ESPN, beIN Sports 1, TF1, Canal+, TRT 1 and DStv Now.

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