Favorites underway as England begin Euro 2023 with a win over Serbia; France kick off against Austria

Hey! The Euros are officially underway and after several big teams have contested the opening game of the competition, there is plenty to discuss. I’m Pardeep Cattry, with a look back at the weekend’s action and a preview of what’s to come.

Football correction

All times US/East

Monday, June 17th
Euros: Belgium x Slovakia, 12pm FS1
Euros: Austria x France, 3pm Fox

Tuesday, June 18
Euros: Türkiye x Georgia, 12pm Vix
Euros: Portugal x Czech Republic, 3pm Fox

Wednesday, June 19
Euros: Croatia x Albania, 9am FS1

The hotline

England survives the first game against Serbia

England took a long-awaited three points from their opening Euros match against Serbia, but the 1-0 victory in Gelsenkirchen arguably offers more questions than answers about their status as one of the favorites to win the match.

The Three Lions took the lead when – who else? – Jude Bellingham scored with a header in the 13th minute, but Serbia returned to the game midway through the first half. The game was closely contested and revealed instability for the English defense, which was constantly under pressure from Serbia in the second half, but managed to emerge unscathed. Nigel Reo-Coker, however, points to England’s midfield as a real area of ​​concern heading into Sunday’s game.

• Reo-Coker: “At times Serbia played very, very well. They played for England, they played very easily and looked very vulnerable. … The biggest elephant in the room was Trent Alexander-Arnold starting in that central midfield area. There were times when England were left vulnerable and you can see he’s not a natural midfielder. Taking that gamble and that risk in such a big tournament was a great decision by Gareth Southgate and you’d have to say it doesn’t really work out very well.”

The midfield’s performance could force Southgate to make some adjustments ahead of Thursday’s match against Denmark. Conor Gallagher was his first substitute off the bench against Serbia and, coming off an impressive season at Chelsea, could be a strong candidate to start, while 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo also came off the bench and could be some’s favorite to start. a vacancy. in the lineup.

That said, England benefited from the fact that Serbia did little to turn their possession and pressure into meaningful scoring opportunities. They may have outscored England six to five, but they only had one shot on target and scored just 0.18 expected goals for all their effort. Serbia’s attacking performance raises questions about how England would fare against a more efficient attacking unit, which could be a problem in the next two group games against Denmark and Slovenia, after both scored more than 11 shots. in the 1-1 draw on Sunday.

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Mbappe focuses on the Euro

France begins its quest to win the Euro for the first time since 2000 on Monday, when it faces Austria in Dusseldorf. Les Blues’ case to win it all is stronger than ever, with a healthy mix of veterans who remember their 2018 World Cup triumph and young talent who could prolong France’s run as one of the best teams in international football . Leading the way, naturally, is Kylian Mbappe, 25 years old, who exemplifies the mix of youth and experience that the team has in Germany.

As Mbappe enters his peak playing years and wears the captain’s armband for the first time at a major tournament, the discussion surrounding his legacy and his accolades go hand in hand. While a World Cup winner’s medal is easily at the top of his list of achievements, many recognize that the Euros lack a counterpart – and it will officially be the only trophy he can compete for this summer, after Mbappe confirmed on Sunday that he will not will participate. at the Paris Olympic Games.

• Mbappé: “For the Olympics, my club has a position that is very clear, so that means I don’t think I will participate in the Olympics. [Real Madrid] in September wouldn’t be the best way to start my adventure. I wish the French team the best. Of course I will watch all their games as a spectator and not as an actor, and I hope they bring back the gold medal.”

With Mbappe fully focused on the Euros, coach Didier Deschamps will have the task of getting the best out of him with the embarrassment of the wealth he has in multiple positions on the field. Mbappe last started for France in the 3-0 win over Luxembourg earlier this month, when he scored as part of an attacking group that included Marcus Thuram and Antoine Griezmann. Deschamps can also count on Ousmane Dembele and 37-year-old Olivier Giroud, who is probably in his last international tournament with France but arrives in Germany with 17 goals and nine assists this season for AC Milan.

Expectations will be very high for this French team, especially in the opening match against Austria. While other high-profile teams like England and Italy have kept things tighter than necessary, many will be watching to see if France join the likes of Germany and Spain in making a dominant start to the Euros.

Top stories

Introducing Golazo América: CBS Sports is expanding its GOLAZO! brand and launching a new social vertical dedicated to serving American football fans. @Golazo_America launches today in Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, FacebookIt is X/Twitter as we prepare to celebrate the golden period of football in the US with the Copa América this summer, the Concacaf Men’s Gold Cup and the Men’s Club World Cup in 2025, and the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2026.

Eriksen’s triumphant return: Christian Eriksen scored Denmark’s first Euro goal, marking a celebratory return to the competition three years after suffering cardiac arrest on the pitch.

NWSL Power Rankings: NJ/NY Gotham FC continues to rise in the latest edition of the NWSL power rankings, while Racing Louisville suffered a blow after losing to the defending champions.

Kvaratskhelia on the move?: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s agent said he is pushing for the player to leave Napoli this summer as “the priority is to join a team that plays in the Champions League.”

New FC Napoli logo: Morning Footy presenter – and co-owner of USL League One team FC Naples – Nico Cantor reveals the club’s new logo.

The back row

Best Bets

• Euro 2024: Austria x France, Monday, 3pm
  THE CHOICE: Kylian Mbappe will score (+110) – If you want to make easy money, then betting on Kylian Mbappe to get on the scoresheet is as simple as possible. He scored nine goals in the qualifying campaign for Germany and in his first major tournament as captain, Mbappe is probably more motivated than ever to win another title for his country and knows that a strong start will be the perfect way to start the tournament .
• Euro 2024: Portugal x Czech Republic, Tuesday, 3pm

THE CHOICE: Rafael Leão will score (+220) — Rafael Leão may not be Portugal’s most famous goalscorer, but the best news for the Euro 2016 champions is that they have several attacking talents in good form. That includes the AC Milan player, who scored 15 goals and made 12 assists for the Italian club last season, making him a solid choice to get on the scoresheet on Tuesday.

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

Morning Football (Weekdays 8am-10am): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans start their day on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest stories in football. Morning Footy is also available in podcast formatso you’ll never have to miss an episode.

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Kicking (Tuesdays): CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Unfiltered interview show will launch on Tuesday. Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names in the Beautiful Game and share their stories on and off the field.

Call it whatever you want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

Punctuation (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to keep up with all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from major football competitions and all the unmissable goals from the day’s action, which starts Thursday and goes live air for seven days. one week.

How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the world’s major football competitions. You can stream for free on CBS Sports app, Pluto TV It is Paramount+.