Group E: Belgium - Italy - Ireland - Sweden

[Muddled]

Legend
Pl: Games played, W: Won, D: Drawn, L: Lost, F: Goals For, A: Goals Against, GD: Goal difference, Pts: Points

Fixtures

Monday, 13 June 2016
17:00: R. of Ireland v Sweden
Stade de France, Paris (BBC)

Monday, 13 June 2016
20:00: Belgium v Italy
Parc OL, Lyon (BBC)

Friday, 17 June 2016
14:00: Italy v Sweden
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, Toulouse (ITV)

Saturday, 18 June 2016
14:00: Belgium v R. of Ireland
Matmut Atlantique, Bordeaux (ITV)

Wednesday, 22 June 2016
20:00: Italy v R. of Ireland
Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille (ITV)

Wednesday, 22 June 2016
20:00: Sweden v Belgium
Allianz Riviera, Nice (ITV)

[Muddled]

BELGIUM

Goalkeepers:
Thiabut Courtois, Jean-Francois Gillet, Simon Mignolet

Defenders:
Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Jason Denayer, Bjorn Engels, Nicolas Lombaerts, Jordan Lukaku, Thomas Meunier, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen

Midfielders:
Mousa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini, Radja Nainggolan, Axel Witsel

Forwards:
Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens, Divock Origi

Manager:
Marc Wilmotts

Record at the European Championships:

Appearances: 5 (First in 1972)
Best result: Runners-up (1980)

FIFA World Ranking:

2

[Muddled]

ITALY

Goalkeepers: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Armando Izzo (Genoa), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham), Lorenzo Tonelli (Empoli)

Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Davide Zappacosta (Torino)

Forwards: Fabio Borini (Sunderland), Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Graziano Pellè (Southampton)

Manager:
Antonio Conte

Record at the European Championships:

Appearances: 9 (First in 1968)
Best result: Champions (1968)

FIFA World Ranking:

15

[Muddled]

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Goalkeepers:
Shay Given (Stoke), Darren Randolph (West Ham), David Forde (Millwall), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday).

Defenders:
Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Derby), Paul McShane (Reading), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Richard Keogh (Derby), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce (Bristol City), Shane Duffy (Blackburn), Marc Wilson (Stoke), Stephen Ward (Burnley).

Midfielders:
Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday), James McClean (West Brom), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County), David Meyler (Hull City), Stephen Quinn (Reading), Darron Gibson (Everton), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich), Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff), Robbie Brady (Norwich), Jonathan Walters (Stoke), Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen), Callum O'Dowda (Oxford).

Forwards:
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), David McGoldrick (Ipswich), Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich).

Manager:
Martin O'Neill

Record at the European Championships:

Appearances: 3 (First in 1988)
Best result: Group stage (1988 & 2012)

FIFA World Ranking:

31

[Muddled]

SWEDEN

Goalkeepers:
Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa), Robin Olsen (København), Patrik Carlgren (AIK).

Defenders:
Ludwig Augustinsson (Kobenhavn), Erik Johansson (København), Pontus Jansson (Torino), Victor Lindelof (Benfica) Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Martin Olsson (Norwich).

Midfielders:
Jimmy Durmaz (Olympiakos), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg), Oscar Hiljemark (Palermo), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moskva), Erkan Zengin (Trabzonspor), Oscar Lewicki (Malmo), Emil Forsberg (Leipzig), Kim Kallstrom (Grasshoppers).

Forwards:
Marcus Berg (Panathinaikos), John Guidetti (Celta), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris), Emir Kujovic (Norrkoping).

Manager:
Erik Hamrén

Record at the European Championships:

Appearances: 5 (First in 1992)
Best result: Semi-finals (1992)

FIFA World Ranking:

36

[Liverpel]

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Goalkeepers:
Shay Given (Stoke), Darren Randolph (West Ham), David Forde (Millwall), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday).

Defenders:
Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Derby), Paul McShane (Reading), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Richard Keogh (Derby), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce (Bristol City), Shane Duffy (Blackburn), Marc Wilson (Stoke), Stephen Ward (Burnley).

Midfielders:
Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday), James McClean (West Brom), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County), David Meyler (Hull City), Stephen Quinn (Reading), Darron Gibson (Everton), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich), Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff), Robbie Brady (Norwich), Jonathan Walters (Stoke), Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen), Callum O'Dowda (Oxford).

Forwards:
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), David McGoldrick (Ipswich), Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich).

Manager:
Martin O'Neill

Record at the European Championships:

Appearances: 3 (First in 1988)
Best result: Group stage (1988 & 2012)

FIFA World Ranking:

31

Marc Wilson is out through injury.

McShane , Pearce, Pilkington and Hayes have been dropped from the squad

[Liverpel]

Ireland squad:

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph, Shay Given, Keiren Westwood.

Defenders: Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, John O’Shea, Ciaran Clark, Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh, Robbie Brady, Stephen Ward.

Midfielders: Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, James McClean, Aiden McGeady, Stephen Quinn, David Meyler.

Forwards: Shane Long, Jon Walters, Daryl Murphy, Robbie Keane.

I can't see anyone beating that team.

[The_weatherman]

Ireland squad:

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph, Shay Given, Keiren Westwood.

Defenders: Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, John O’Shea, Ciaran Clark, Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh, Robbie Brady, Stephen Ward.

Midfielders: Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, James McClean, Aiden McGeady, Stephen Quinn, David Meyler.

Forwards: Shane Long, Jon Walters, Daryl Murphy, Robbie Keane.

I can't see anyone beating that team.

[Liverpel]

Roy Keane on Aiden McGeady:

"If you want my reaction to Aiden's performance last night, he can do a lot better but maybe that's the story of his career."


Can't argue with that.

[Gibbo]

How injured is Robbie Keane?

[Liverpel]

How injured is Robbie Keane?

The 35-year-old striker is not expected to resume training until the middle of next week at the earliest after damaging the muscle on Saturday, but is confident that if he does not make the opening game against Sweden in Paris on June 13 he will definitely be fit for the clash with Belgium in Bordeaux five days later.
Keane told FAI TV: "Listen, it's never nice when you get injured, but certainly at this stage because of the European Championship. But luckily for me, it's not as bad as I first thought.

"I thought it was going to be a lot longer. They are saying a couple of weeks, which would obviously get me (fit) for the Sweden game, or maybe if I miss that one, I'll definitely be ready for the second game. So it's bad news, but it could have been a lot worse."

[redmike65]

God Wilmots will be the undoing of Belgium, deffo more Hodgson than Klopp. Origi came on for the last 12 minutes in a pointless left wing cameo (esp with Lukaku not really doing much by this point in the middle)

[The_weatherman]

Thiabut Courtois

Thomas Meunier - Toby Alderweireld - Thomas Vermaelen - Jan Vertonghen

Radja Nainggolan - Axel Witsel


Yannick Ferreira Carrasco - Kevin De Bruyne - Eden Hazard

Divock Origi

Something like this would be my choice for Belgium, maybe swap Carrasco and Hazard and I'm not sure how their defence will line up.

[danperkins]

On paper Belgium have a cracking squad, one of the strongest in world football but they are very beatable..... not that Ireland will do that. We always get the group of death, poxy group for us. A result vs Sweden would make things very interesting though. Would be a massive achievement for Ireland just to make it out of the group, but it's a tough ask.

[Angryred]

On paper Belgium have a cracking squad, one of the strongest in world football but they are very beatable..... not that Ireland will do that. We always get the group of death, poxy group for us. A result vs Sweden would make things very interesting though. Would be a massive achievement for Ireland just to make it out of the group, but it's a tough ask.

Belgium do indeed have a cracking squad, pity about their manager! Like some one said earlier, he'll be their undoing...doesn't inspire confidence in that squad...shame to throw away a good opportunity with that squad with a manager so insipid...Belgian FA need to look at themselves & swallow their their pride to go after the best international manager available!