Paris (AFP)
England finds Croatia for its first Euro match on Sunday, three years after the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup.
An appointment missed by the Netherlands who sign against Ukraine their return in a great tournament promising to be historic for North Macedonia.
The actors of the remake are getting old ... but only on the Croatian side: the clash of group D on Sunday (3:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. GMT) between the "Three Lions" and the "Vatreni" (Flamboyants) opposes two teams with opposite destinies .
# photo1
For the vice-world champions with aging executives - Luka Modric is 35 years old, Ivan Perisic 32 years old - the Mondial-2018 had everything of a blockbuster.
To the English, it looks more like an opening scene.
Building on a hopeful tournament with, against Colombia, the first penalty shootout won since Euro-1996, the group of post-teens selected by Gareth Southgate is overflowing with ambition for this Euro.
"We have never won a Euro before, so we are a hungry team, with the desire to do it," Chelsea striker Mason Mount, who won the Champions League two weeks earlier, said on Friday.
Mount, 22 and the face of this young English team, embodies the high aspirations of this group of twelve players under 25.
# photo2
"We want to write history, the one that nobody has ever written before, he announced. I think with this young group, we can absolutely do it."
The location of their three group stage matches at their temple of Wembley football and the composition of their squad, supplemented by Scotland and the Czech Republic, allow them to aim further.
The first place is within their reach against a declining Croatia and having conceded eleven defeats since the final lost in Moscow against France.
Barely less than its number of victories: twelve, including only one against a significant selection, Spain in November 2018 ...
- Absences Oranje -
Contrary to a Croatian team at the end of the cycle, it is a reinvigorated Dutch selection which will make its Euro debut in Group C on Sunday against Andriy Shevchenko's Ukraine (9:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. GMT) after missing the 'Euro-2016 in France and the Russian World Cup.
The ex-nuggets of Ajax Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong have reinjected a dose of talent in this team taken over by Frank de Boer after the departure of Ronald Koeman at the head of FC Barcelona.
# photo3
But the Netherlands are diminished for their debut.
De Boer confirmed on Saturday that de Ligt, who had a groin, would be out against Ukraine, as was another Ajax ex-midfielder Donny van de Beek.
These absences are in addition to the package of captain Virgil van Dijk, seriously injured in a knee this winter, and that of the titular goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, tested positive for Covid-19.
A lot of pressure will therefore weigh on their star Memphis Depay associated with Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst.
# photo4
"I am convinced that our association can work perfectly," said the former Lyonnais, before the return of the Oranje at the top of the bill.
For North Macedonia, however, this Euro will be a great first.
Against David Alaba's Austria on Sunday (6:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. GMT), the selection of veteran Goran Pandev (37) will play his very first match in the continental tournament.
# photo5
She had qualified in the play-off against Georgia (1-0) thanks to a goal from Pandev, obviously.
Hero in his country, he had also contributed half to the last feat of arms of the "Risovi" (lynx) who brought down Germany (2-1) in March during a qualifying match for the World Cup-2022 .
Austria and Marcel Sabitzer are warned.
Group C
1st day:
Sunday, Bucharest: Austria-North Macedonia (6:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. GMT)
Sunday, in Amsterdam: Netherlands-Ukraine (9:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. GMT)
2nd day:
June 17 in Bucharest: Ukraine-North Macedonia (3:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m. GMT)
June 17 in Amsterdam: Netherlands-Austria (9 p.m. / 7 p.m. GMT)
3rd day:
June 21 in Amsterdam: North Macedonia-Netherlands (6:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. GMT)
June 21 in Bucharest: Ukraine-Austria (6:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. GMT)
Group D
1st day:
Sunday in London: England-Croatia (3:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m. GMT)
Monday in Glasgow: Scotland-Czech Republic (3:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m. GMT)
2nd day:
June 18 in Glasgow: Croatia-Czech Republic (6:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. GMT)
June 18 in London: England-Scotland (9:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. GMT)
3rd day:
June 22 in London: Czech Republic-England (9:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. GMT)
June 22 in Glasgow: Croatia-Scotland (9 p.m. / 7 p.m. GMT)
© 2021 AFP