Morning.
I had a relatively football free day yesterday, only really paying attention to the early game between Georgia and the Czech Republic. Having gone ahead from the spot after a handball decision went their way, Georgia really scrapped hard to hang on. The Czechs equalised with half an hour to play, and it always looked more like they’d find another than anything else.
But, with just seconds to play, Georgia found themselves with a glorious opportunity, three against one on the break, only for Saba Lobzhanidze to put it over the bar with just the keeper to beat. The ball bobbled slightly just as he hit it, but he still should have scored. He’ll have nightmares about that forever, poor bloke.
Portugal v Turkey followed, I saw bits and pieces in a bar and it ended 3-0. This doesn’t seem good. In the final game, Leandro Trossard was only a substitute as Belgium bounced back from defeat in their first game to beat Romania 2-0, making the fish guy in my local butchers shop sad. He was wearing his kit yesterday when we went in, excited for the game later on, but it wasn’t to be as Tielemans and de Bruyne scored the goals for Belgium.
Today, both games kick off at 8pm, with Scotland facing Hungary and Switzerland taking on Germany. Kieran Tierney’s injury in the last game has seen him leave the Scottish camp to return to Arsenal for further assessment. It is being reported as hamstring strain which, if true, suggests this is far more than the usual tear which keeps a player out for a few weeks.
You might remember Lukas Podolski suffering a hamstring problem which kept him out for the best part three months back in 2013, so if that’s what’s going on with Tierney, he could be out of action until some time after the season starts and, potentially, after the transfer window closes. That would obviously have implications for his future, and the club’s plans this summer, but let’s wait until we get more information before we go down that particular road.
Right, I’m gonna leave it there this morning. Back tomorrow with more here, a Euros pod on Patreon, and an Arsecast Extra. Until then, have a great Sunday.
