Euro 2016 Qualifying: Favourites on Upset Alert on Matchday 1
The qualifiers for Euro 2016 will kick off this weekend, with plenty of exciting fixtures greeting fans who have been waiting for competitive international football to return since the 2014 World Cup.
While the new UEFA format will make things easier on the top teams to qualify, there will still be a number of top clubs on upset alert for Matchday 1. Whether it's an underrated opponent, bad form or a combination of factors, at least one or two favourites are bound to slip up.
Here are the favourites with the biggest upset potential for this weekend's matches.
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The Netherlands
Opponents: Czech Republic
Yes, you can win the bronze medal at the World Cup and be on upset alert just months later. Welcome to the glorious game of football.
Guus Hiddink replaced Louis van Gaal as manager of Oranje, and his team's first outing against Italy was dreadful. It's difficult to read too much into a friendly that saw a red card in the first 10 minutes, but the Dutch simply looked terrible.
The defence was static, leading to two easy goals, and offensively, the Netherlands lacked any sort of drive or depth. The successful 3-5-2 system made way for a traditional 4-3-3, and against Italy, it clearly wasn't working.
The lethargic attack was arguably the biggest concern, and they won't be aided by an injury to Arjen Robben ,which could see him miss the fixture against the Czech Republic, per Sports Illustrated:
Robin van Persie's form also leaves a lot to be desired, and with no movement out wide whatsoever, Wesley Sneijder looked almost lost against the Azzurri.
The Czechs don't have a great squad, and even if Hiddink's squad fails to improve on their performance against Italy, the Dutch talent alone should help them pull out a win. But if the new manager gets his tactics wrong again, the hosts have an excellent chance of stealing some points.
Italy
Opponents: Norway
The Italians looked excellent in their first match under Antonio Conte. Newcomer Simone Zaza was lively and threatening from the first minute, Ciro Immobile showed his 2013-14 season was no flash in the pan and the defence gave away little chances against the Dutch, leading to an easy 2-0 win.
There were one or two causes for concern, however. Up 2-0, the Squadra Azzurri had a multitude of chances to put away their opponents for good, and failed to convert. One or two injuries also plague the squad (per The Associated Press), although Italy have the depth to cope with any absentees.
But Italy are notoriously slow starters, and a trip to Norway is exactly the kind of match they would have wanted to avoid. The Norwegians pride themselves on organisation and discipline, and they won't give the Italians the kind of space the Dutch handed them in the first 10 minutes.
Italy are in the middle of a rebirth, with several younger players being integrated into the squad. Such a process takes time, and there will be ups and downs. Conte is a phenomenal motivator, but after a big win over a talented team like the Netherlands, complacency is always a threat.
Denmark
Opponents: Armenia
The Armenians are relative lightweights of European football, but their current squad is a lot more talented than people give credit for. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a well-known star, but the likes of Marcos Pizzelli should not be overlooked.
Denmark know all too well how talented Armenia are—they were on the receiving end of a 4-0 trashing in Copenhagen during a 2014 World Cup qualifier. Punter Mark O'Haire is stunned how little love the visitors are receiving:
Denmark didn't impress at all against Turkey, and as shared by journalist Lars Hendel, Daniel Agger will likely not feature for the hosts:
Nobody is guaranteeing a repeat of the embarrassing loss in Copenhagen earlier this year, but as far as upsets go, all of the ingredients are there for the Armenians to repeat their heroics.
Other favourites on upset alert: Turkey (against Iceland), Greece (against Romania).
