Euro 2016: Group Scores, Highlights and Twitter Reaction from Monday Results
Group-stage play continued Monday at the 2016 European Championship, and two of the tournament's more heavily favored sides were in action in France.
Spain opened up their Euro title defense against Czech Republic, while Belgium and Italy converged for one of the more anticipated matches in the group stage. Sandwiched in between was a clash between the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
With the tournament's expansion from 16 to 24 teams, starting the Euros off with a win isn't quite as important as it once was. But with one win almost guaranteeing a place in the round of 16, the stakes remain high through the first round of fixtures.
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Below are the scores from Monday and how they impacted the group standings.
Monday Results
| D | Spain | 1-0 | Czech Republic |
| E | Republic of Ireland | 1-1 | Sweden |
| E | Belgium | 0-2 | Italy |
Group D and E Standings
| 1 | Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 2 | Croatia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 4 | Turkey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 1 | Italy | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 2 | Sweden | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Republic of Ireland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Belgium | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Monday Recap
Spain 1-0 Czech Republic
The reigning champions needed a late goal from Gerard Pique, but Spain got their Euro 2016 off to a good start, garnering three points against Czech Republic with a 1-0 victory.
The Barcelona center-back scored in the 87th minute off a cross from club teammate Andres Iniesta. Copa90 offered a beautiful visual representation of the winner:
"Pique with the goal, but the assist from Iniesta... #ESPCZE #EURO2016https://t.co/VqCclGLRSd
— Copa90 (@Copa90) June 13, 2016"
It was a typical Spain performance, as La Furia Roja dictated the pace of the match and dominated possession. They also out-passed Czech Republic 632-178. However, one of the concerns for Spain heading into the tournament was whether they have a center forward who can finish off the team's attacks.
Alvaro Morata got the start at striker for Vicente del Bosque's side, and as Squawka Football noted, the Juventus striker didn't get off to a great start:
WhoScored.com gave Morata a 6.48 rating for the match, and he made way for Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute. Despite the win, beIN Sports' David Cartlidge is unconvinced Spain have remedied their issues up top:
"We took the initiative, but we weren't successful [in front of goal] until the final moments [of the game]," said del Bosque, per Eurosport. "It's true that we found it difficult to score. It was tough to go ahead, but from an Andres cross, Gerard did wonderfully."
Spain remain one of the strongest teams in the Euro 2016 field, and Monday's win gives them one foot in the knockout stages. Still, they'll need to find a solution for the top of their attack if they're to capture their third straight European title.
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Sweden
The Republic of Ireland and Sweden played to a 1-1 draw. An Ireland player was responsible for both goals. Wes Hoolahan put Ireland ahead in the 48th minute, and an own goal by Ciaran Clark in the 71st minute salvaged a point for the Swedes.
Hoolahan put Ireland in the lead with a nice piece of finishing. He placed his right-footed volley inside the right post past a diving Andreas Isaksson. ESPN's Taylor Twellman praised the Norwich City midfielder:
Ireland did a good job of keeping Zlatan Ibrahimovic relatively in check, but the 34-year-old forward played a key role in Clark's own goal. The Aston Villa defender bundled in Ibrahimovic's cross from the left.
Since that represented Sweden's best attack of the match, Ireland will likely feel they let two points slip away:
A draw isn't the worst result for Ireland or Sweden, especially since the top four third-place teams will go through to the round of 16. With that said, the two teams are leaving themselves with a lot to do against Italy and Belgium in their next two matches.
Belgium 0-2 Italy
Belgian fans realized their worst fears Monday when Marc Wilmots' side fell 2-0 to Italy. Emanuele Giaccherini opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, and Graziano Pelle put the match out of reach for good when he doubled Italy's lead in the third minute of injury time.
While Belgium have one of the most talented sides in Euro 2016, many question whether they possess the necessary cohesion on the pitch in order to make a deep run. Talent alone doesn't guarantee success at a major tournament:
On Monday, Belgium looked like a collection of top stars rather than a team. Both the Belgian Waffle and 11tegen11 laid the blame at Wilmots' feet:
"The very worst of Belgium/Wilmots there.
— The Belgian Waffle (@TheBelgianWffle) June 13, 2016"
The manager did himself few favors when he started Marouane Fellaini in an attacking position in midfield and placed Kevin De Bruyne out wide. Even Dries Mertens' arrival in the 62nd minute couldn't provide an attacking spark to the Belgians.
Italy, on the other hand, looked like a well-oiled machine under Antonio Conte. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was particularly impressed with the Azzurri's three-man defense of Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci:
Not only was he a rock at the back, but Bonucci also assisted on Giaccherini's opener. The Bologna midfielder trapped the long pass perfectly before beating Thibaut Courtois at the far post.
A brilliant counterattack leading to Pelle's goal laid bare some of Belgium's defensive problems. After Pelle passed the ball off to Antonio Candreva on the edge of the 18-yard box, nobody bothered to mark the Southampton forward. Candreva crossed over to a wide-open Pelle, who hammered home a right-footed volley.
According to OptaJoe, Pelle's six goals for Italy under Conte are the most for any one player.
The good news for Belgium is they have their hardest match of the group stage out of the way. Improvement will be necessary if they're going to book their place in the round of 16 and possibly reach the later stages of Euro 2016.
For Italy, this could be shaping up as yet another tournament in which they thrive despite relatively low expectations and a lackluster buildup. A great defense can go a long way in international football, and the Italians' three-man back line can take the team far in France.
