Tonight the ball is finally rolling – and I have to honestly say: I’m slowly getting into the EM mood. I’m looking forward to four incredibly interesting weeks with great games that are finally taking place in front of spectators again. This mood in the stands is the icing on the cake for me and will enhance the games even more. At the start we will see one of my favorites: Italy. Even if the team wasn’t mentioned too often when listing the title contenders, I have a lot of confidence in the Squadra Azzurra. Of course, also at the start in Rome against Turkey.
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What makes me so sure? The Italians have almost traditionally had a very strong defense, plus quality on the offensive. I am thinking especially of Federico Chiesa, who can make a lot of steam over the wings and is also dangerous for goals. The 23-year-old has shown his class repeatedly at Juventus this season. It’s a shame that he decided to move to Turin last year. I would also have liked to see him at FC Bayern or Borussia Dortmund.
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But enough raved about the Italians. Finally, there are a few other teams that can lift the European Cup into the London skies on July 11th. First and foremost the French, whom I even see a class above Italy and all the other participants. Germany’s first opponent has an almost unbelievable individual class. There’s N’Golo Kanté, who I think is the best defensive midfielder in the world. Or Karim Benzema, who returned to the national team for the tournament and made the already great attack even better.
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Mbappé before jumping to the level of Ronaldo and Messi
Speaking of Sturm and France: In my opinion, Kylian Mbappé will replace the next world star and Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He is only 22 years old, but in terms of technique, speed and dribbling he is already setting standards that no other professional can currently match. Mbappé will put his stamp on the tournament – and then I’m excited to see how long he’ll play at Paris St. Germain. There are certainly leagues that are more attractive and more appealing to players than these League 1.
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Should world champions France weaken and Italy also fail to meet my expectations, there will be more title candidates. I have Belgium on my list. Spain also has to be considered despite the corona vortex around the team. England also have a great team. But the British have to hope that they won’t meet us in the course of the European Championship. When it comes to penalties, they have no chance …
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Tip: You can also find the complete SPORTBUZZER coverage of the EM 2021 in the super fast EM app from Toralarm. And like to follow @sportbuzzer on Instagram!
