CAPTION: The dark horses of Euro 2020 will look to shock the sport’s traditional powers.
Euro 2020 is just around the corner, which means that some of the best footballing nations in the world will be looking to get their hands on another major trophy. But as those footballing titans gear up for another competition, there are plenty of dark horse nations that will be looking to derail them. These dark horses in particular could give some of the top teams in the world headaches on this huge stage.
Poland
Star power is typically not as valuable in football as it might be in sports like basketball that have fewer players in the game at a given time. But when a star player has the right supporting cast around them in football, magic can happen. After Croatia was led by Luka Modric all the way to the 2018 World Cup final, plenty of stars will be looking to put their names into the history books in the upcoming Euros. And Poland just happens to have one of the stars that could bring them deep into the tournament.
For Poland, while their odds to win Euro 2020 might not be as strong as the likes of France or Germany, their potential is often just as strong. Led by Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Poland is typically able to score goals against the best countries in the world, as their foray into the knockout stages of Euro 2016 proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. In a group with Spain and Sweden, both of whom participated in the last World Cup, advancing won’t be a walk in the park, but the Poles have shown they are capable.
CAPTION: Robert Lewandowski is ready to lead Poland after scoring prolifically at the Allianz for Bayern Munich.
Russia
In a tournament filled with as many talented teams as the European championships, a favorable draw is imperative to a team’s chances at success. And there might not be a team that received a better break in the Euro 2020 draw than Russia. While they won’t have home field advantage the way they did in the World Cup, the Russians received a draw into a group with Belgium, Denmark, and Finland, which should see them advance.
Compare that to the draw of Portugal, Germany, and France, all of whom got put into the same group, and Russia’s assignment is a walk in the park by comparison. And with Russia being able to score in a host of different ways, there aren’t many teams in a better position to get to the knockout rounds and make things difficult on their opponents once they get there.
