June 16th 2024.
The highly anticipated Euro 2024 tournament is finally here and England's first match is against Serbia. As the teams gear up for the Group C contest, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has identified the three key players that England should be wary of. However, he also doubts that they will pose much of a threat to England's chances of winning the match.
With the likes of John Stones, Bukayo Saka, and Luke Shaw facing fitness concerns, all eyes will be on Gareth Southgate's squad as they kick off their campaign in Gelsenkirchen. As one of the hot favorites to win the tournament, England will be looking to make a statement with their opening performance.
In the previous matches, tournament hosts Germany started their campaign with a resounding victory, while Spain and Italy also secured wins. Previewing tonight's clash, Ferdinand confidently backed England to follow suit and come away with a win from Arena AufSchalke.
However, Ferdinand also acknowledged that Serbia has three star players, including Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic, and Dusan Tadic, who are capable of causing trouble for England. Despite this, he believes that if England can keep them out of their box, they will secure a win.
Ferdinand also pointed out that Southgate has a fully fit squad at his disposal, unlike Serbia, who are missing key players such as Nemanja Vidic, Nemanja Matic, and Branislav Ivanovic. While he respects the opposition, he doesn't believe they have the same level of quality as in previous years.
Looking ahead to the latter stages of the tournament, Ferdinand predicted that England will be the eventual winners, bringing home their first major trophy in 58 years. He also made some bold predictions, such as Germany's Jamal Musiala winning the Player of the Tournament prize, Spain's Lamine Yamal being named the Young Player of the Tournament, and France's Kylian Mbappe finishing as the top scorer.
Ferdinand couldn't help but joke about the young Spanish wonderkid Yamal, who is only 16 years old and hasn't even received his GCSE results yet. Despite his young age, he is already making a name for himself in the Euros and Ferdinand believes he will continue to impress. It's truly unbelievable to see such young talent on display in this highly anticipated tournament.
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