European U-21 Championships 2015: Pivotal Factors to Decide Group A
The Under-21 European Championships begin on Wednesday as host nation the Czech Republic play Denmark in Prague.
As Bleacher Report continues its buildup and preview work for the tournament, we mull over the key questions and pivotal factors that will decide Group A and map out its path.
Can the Czech Republic use the crowd to their advantage, and will Germany dominate as their squad list suggests they will? Take a peek inside, read our thoughts and add yours in the comments below!
Opening Slips?
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In Group A, Germany and Denmark are the heavy favourites to progress. The Czech Republic may have a nation's support behind them and Serbia a few tricks up their sleeve, but on paper, the former two are the ones who seal passage to the knockout rounds.
That makes the opening games pivotal in deciding the early ground; Germany play Serbia following the Czech's opener with Denmark, and any upset or early slip could reshape the entire picture.
Say either of the two underdogs spring surprise early doors and then go on to beat the other minnow. That's a four- to six-point haul—likely enough to enter the conversation for the semi-finals.
Denmark's Tidal Wave of Interruptions and Setbacks
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Denmark manager Jess Thorup must be wondering what he did to anger the footballing gods; for every step he takes in preparation for the tournament, a freak setback knocks him two the other way.
He's had multiple key players withdraw from selection due to injury, including defensive linchpin Jores Okore and attacking fulcrum Andreas Cornelius; Patrick Banggard got sent off early in the Danes' final prep game against Sweden, forcing a 10 vs. 11 situation and ruining the chance to iron out a game plan.
Yussuf Poulsen picked up a knock playing for the seniors at the weekend, and Emil Berggreen still doesn't know if he's fit to play, with Lucas Andersen—the stand-by option—voicing frustration over his limbo-like situation.
Really, it'll be remarkable if Thorup's boys hit the pitch on Wednesday fully settled and ready to go.
Serbia's Team Spirit
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If you think Denmark have had it rough with regard to dropouts and injuries, try Serbia out for size. Aleksandar Mitrovic, Luka Jovic, Lazar Markovic, Matija Nastasic and Filip Kostic have all been unable to join the U-21 setup due to injury, senior duty or blocked call-up.
It leaves Milos Jojic and Filip Djuricic—now firmly superior when it comes to measuring experience in the squad—with a lot to do, and to be frank it's unlikely Serbia can outmaneuver Denmark and Germany given the weaknesses in their squad.
But then again, the Serbian national side has always built itself on spirit and togetherness, not names on a sheet. It's them who hold the key to upsetting the status quo in this group, and if Mladen Dodic can pull his men together and inspire them, we could be in for an exciting ride.
Max Meyer
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Sometimes individuals can have a big say at a tournament—you only have to go back two years, to 2013, to see how Thiago Alcantara and Isco tore this particular Championship apart on their way to glory.
There are between five and 10 players heading to the Czech Republic who could have a definitive say in how this competition plays out, and one of those is most certainly Max Meyer.
He only appeared twice during qualifying, but the DFB have sent the Schalke man along for Horst Hrubesch to utilise. The 19-year-old is a stunning talent capable of dominating games at this level, and defences will be quaking at the idea of trying to keep tabs on him.
Meyer could, feasibly, turn the tide on his own.
Home Comforts
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Jakub Dovalil leads a Czech Republic side who've endured a difficult preparation period for this tournament, having to make do with questionable friendlies and key player withdrawals. The loss of Matej Vydra is a killer blow, leaving the hosts' attacking firepower looking at best limited, and at worst entirely anemic.
But people favour the hosts in tournaments for a reason, and that reason is that the home crowd, and home comforts, can give a side an extra 10 or 20 percent. Eager not to bow out in embarrassing fashion, and roared on by a loyal Prague following, the Czechs could spring the biggest upset of all by truly rising to the occasion.
