Another tough decision for the young England manager is to select a midfield capable of challenging some of Europe’s elite finest. You only have to look at the quality France poses with the likes of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante at their disposal. Germany can call upon Bayern Munich stars Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, undoubtedly a formidable pairing.
Belgium will hope Kevin De Bruyne shakes off an injury scare that cruelly forced him off in the Champions League final, if they are to achieve success at a major tournament and over course Portugal have Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Neves orchestrating their midfield.
England has ample options but no real-world class superstars in midfield. Jordan Henderson, plagued with injuries, is the most complete, and experienced but will lack match fitness. Some shining light perhaps are young rising stars Declan Rice and Mason Mount, both surely on the plane already, after outstanding seasons with West Ham and Chelsea. Most intriguing though is whether to include Jude Bellingham, 17 and still a month away from his 18th birthday, who has been in sparkling form for Borussia Dortmund.
Qualifying late on for the Champion league next season, Bellingham was instrumental in midfield and many supporters are keen for him to be part of Southgate’s squad too, having witnessed his exceptional maturity on the ball and in his two stand out performances against Manchester City in the Champions league semi-finals. He has proven he is fearless on the big stage. Although Dortmund lost the tie, he certainly showed his talent and alongside Declan Rice might propel England’s midfield to new heights.
Group stages matches and bookies odds
Euro 2020 round 1 betting odds are firming up with fewer swings expected as managers have their preferred squads announced and we know what kind of form some of the super stars are in. You can check the up-and-coming games and get EURO 2020 betting options for all the group stages games. You can choose odds on the outright winner of the matches, winner of the groups, how each team will finish in each group, and stake the outright winner of the tournament. And if you wanted to put your money on a top scorer, then surely the top goal scorer will be a player from one of the 2 favourites: England or France.
No joy for Jesse
There is a split feeling amongst supporters that Jesse Lingard might also sneak into the squad from the wilderness. Mostly an unused substitute earlier in the season for Manchester United, he then had a brilliant second half of the season after a loan move to West Ham. He helped push the team to unthinkable Champions league places at one point, in the end settling for a well-deserved Europa league place.
A midfield comprising Henderson, Rice, Mount, Phillips, Bellingham and Saka though could mean that James Ward-Prowse and Jesse Lingard miss out. As mentioned, Trent Alexander Arnold and Reece James can also play in midfield, could lead to Mount being deployed further forward, if need be, a position Lingard likes to operate in. For this reason, Southgate might consider looking to the future and giving a chance to young Arsenal starlet Bukayo Saka, who is sure to be a part of tournaments further down the line.
Players to watch out for
England and France are the teams tagged as the most likely to win the Euro 2020 tournament. Both teams have superstars in their own right with players like Mason Mount and Kylian Mbappe two stand out youngsters certainly worth keeping an eye out for. While Harry Kane who just won the Premier League golden boot and was the top scorer in the last World Cup is another player to watch closely. You can also check out this guide on players to look out for during the Euro 2020.
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