Euro 2020 Power Ranking: Assessing the leading sides
Football in Europe will continue with Euro 2020 after the club season, postponed from last summer but with its original branding.
Just as the whole campaign has been a unique one, played out in front of empty stadiums and with an intense calendar that has put pressure on star players like never before, Euro 2020 promises to be an unpredictable event.
Originally slated to be played out all over the continent, it is unclear as yet if this will be the case once it finally kicks off. Indeed, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening over much of western Europe, the original plan may well be modified.
Euro 2020, will arguably be the most open major international tournament in years. Here is a power ranking of the leading five candidates – but beyond them it is worth noting that there are the likes of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Croatia and even Denmark who have the capacity to make life difficult for opponents.
Euro 2020 Power Ranking
5. Spain
For so long the big dogs of international football, Spain’s prospects heading into Euro 2020 are those of an outsider.
They have been placed in a very manageable group alongside Poland, Slovakia and Sweden, so should have few problems getting going in the tournament.
However, recent performances from Luis Enrique’s side have been rather unconvincing. There was, admittedly, the thumping 6-0 win over Germany in the Nations League last November, but that has proven to be an exception rather than the norm.
Instead, results like the 1-0 loss to Ukraine during the October international break and a 1-1 draw with 10-man Switzerland in November have been more typical. During these latest internationals have been held at home by Greece, required a brilliant late winner to overcome Georgia and struggled past Kosovo.
As Euro 2020 approaches, there is no doubt this Spain side has talent in its ranks, but even the likes of Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Gerrard Moreno cannot be compared to the generation that boasted Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres.
If Spain were to win Euro 2020, it would come as something of a shock.