Ross Papadakis 
Euro 2024 Group E Preview. Design: Round Ball Australia
Group E promises fireworks. Belgium, the world’s number 3 team, arrives with a squad brimming with attacking talent led by the maestro Kevin De Bruyne and the ever-dangerous Romelu Lukaku.
Slovakia, a team known for their aerial dominance, will challenge for second place with a settled midfield trio marshalled by the experienced Juraj Kucka. Milan Skriniar, a rock at the back for PSG, leads their defence.
Romania, back on the big stage after missing the last Euros, is brimming with youthful exuberance under manager Edward Iordanescu and are ready to prove themselves.
Lastly Ukraine, a team united by their nation’s struggle. Manager Serhiy Rebrov promises an exciting brand of football.
Belgium
FIFA World Ranking: 3rd
Best Euros Finish: Runners Up (1980)
Securing an early qualification for Euro 2024, Belgium dominated their group, winning six and drawing two of their eight matches.
Notably, they clinched a spot in their first tournament under Domenico Tedesco with a decisive 3-2 victory over group rivals Austria on October 13th.
Squad Profile
Belgium boasts a wealth of talent, particularly in attack. Their midfield is anchored by the youthful dependable duo of Everton’s Amadou Onana and Olympique Lyon’s Orel Mangala, but the real excitement lies further forward.
Kevin De Bruyne orchestrates the attack in a classic number 10 role, while Jeremy Doku and Johan Bakayoko provide blistering pace on the flanks, threatening defenders on either wing.
Belgium’s attacking firepower is multi-dimensional. Europa League winner, Charles De Ketelaere offers a nuanced approach, capable of unlocking defences with his elegant playmaking.
Scoring 12 goals in 34 games for Arsenal last season, Leandro Trossard adds further tactical flexibility with his versatility across the front line, comfortable in any of the attacking roles.
Their biggest strength by far? Romelu Lukaku.
Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer netted 14 goals in eight appearances in qualifying for Euro 2024, Lukaku broke the record for most goals scored by a player in a European Championship qualifying campaign.
In essence, Belgium has a squad that can adapt to different situations. They can overwhelm opponents with pace and directness, or orchestrate intricate attacks with De Bruyne pulling the strings.
Previous managers Marc Wilmots and Roberto Martinez failed to deliver silverware at the heights of Belgium’s ‘golden generation’.
Domenic Tedesco inherits an aging squad in transition. Their once-dominant stars are on the wrong side of 30, while their replacements are still developing.
Known for making bold decisions, Tedesco has a tough act to follow. With some big names dropped and a new, younger squad, he’ll attempt to achieve what his predecessors couldn’t: capture Belgium’s first major trophy.
In seven of their eight qualifying games, Tedesco focused play through his defensively minded full-backs of Arthur Theate and Timothy Castagne – two conservative players with the ability to make darting overlapping runs further forward – with 37-year-old Jan Vertonghen and Leicester City’s Wout Faes sat in between them.
The clock is ticking for the aging stars and the weight of expectation falls on Tedesco’s shoulders to usher in a successful new era for Belgian football.
Can he integrate young talent quickly enough to contend, or will Belgium’s golden opportunity fade away?
Since taking over as Belgian National Team coach, Tedesco is unbeaten in his first year, typically setting his team up in a traditional 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation.
Expectations
For several tournaments, there have been expectations for Belgium to go deep and finish in the final four every time.
Undefeated in 12 games, they go into this tournament full of confidence and should top Group E with ease.
If Belgium do top their group, they will play a third-place finisher in the round of 16.
It would be the resulting quarter final that would arguably be the pass mark for success at this tournament.
Factoring in the quality of nations at Euro 2024, an exit at this stage may be likely and despite a fairly low target set, it would ultimately be a success.
Slovakia
FIFA World Ranking: 48th
Best Euros Finish: Round of 16 (2016), Champions as Czechoslovakia (1976)
Despite what they lack in a talisman striker, Slovakia finished runners-up behind Portugal in a fairly competitive qualifying group.
Winning seven, drawing once and losing just twice to the group winners, Slovakia impressively qualified for their third consecutive European finals with a 4-2 home win against Iceland.
Squad Profile
As successful as Slovakia’s qualification campaign was, the identity of their front three is up in the air as they do not have an established goal scorer.
Since the nation’s leading goal scorer and appearance maker, Marek Hamsik retired in 2022, Slovakia have lacked a player to fill his boots.
Sydney FC’s Robert Mak, their highest active goal scorer following Hamsik’s retirement, failed to make the 26-man squad, so big goalscoring problems arise for the Slovaks in this tournament.
On a more positive note, Slovakia delivers a certain physical presence to the table, with aerial ability being one of their biggest strengths. They won 92 per cent of all aerial duels they faced in Euro 2024 qualifiers.
On top of their aerial threat, Slovakia’s 26-man squad is very settled. A midfield three of 37-year-old Juraj Kucka, Ondrej Duda and Stanislav Lobotka – who worked under Francesco Calzona during his time at Napoli – prove to be a well-oiled unit.
Kucka provides experience and leadership in the centre of the park, while Duda and Lobotka offers a good mix of creativity and defensive solidity.
This settled midfield allows the wingers and fullbacks to push forward with confidence, knowing they are covered defensively.
Slovakia’s defence is full of experience and looks fairly set too; PSG’s Milan Skriniar, Feyenoord’s David Hancko and in between the sticks, Martin Dubravka.
Francesco Calzona began his coaching career in the lower leagues of Italy, honing his skills as an assistant coach, before resigning to pursue a career as a coffee dealer.
His talents were recognised, leading him to assistant manager roles with Cagliari in 2020 and Napoli in 2021. Notably, he was a long-time assistant to the renowned manager Maurizio Sarri.
Calzona became the head coach of the Slovakia national team in 2022 and was hired as Napoli manager in February 2024, becoming the first Serie A manager to serve simultaneously as a national team manager for a foreign country during his stay.
Although Calzona’s appointment was initially viewed with severe scepticism, it disappeared fairly quickly.
Their qualification campaign got off to a deeply unpromising start with a 0-0 draw to Luxembourg, however, after that, they won all but two games.
Calzona is expected to set his side up in a possession-based 4-3-3 system, relying heavily on the midfield controlling the tempo.
Calzona has built his success as the Slovakia head coach by sticking to a largely unchanged squad.
Expectations
Slovakia went out disappointingly in the group stage of Euro 2020 and facing a pretty tricky qualifying group this time around, their expectations may have shifted to just qualifying in general.
With that being said, Slovakia cruised through their qualifiers with ease, convincing themselves and others that something more may be realistic.
Second place in this group is definitely up for grabs and Slovakia may just snap it right up, but will they? Probably not.
Romania
FIFA World Ranking: 46th
Best Euros Finish: Quarter Finals (2000)
Absent from the last Euros, Romania battled their way back to the big stage with a 2-1 victory over Israel, in Hungary.
Their sights are now set on replicating their impressive run from Euro 2000.
Back then, they defied expectations by navigating a group featuring powerhouses like Portugal, England, and Germany.
Their journey ended in the quarter finals against Italy, but the memories of that tournament remain a source of inspiration.
Squad Profile
The cornerstone of Romania’s qualification success has been their vigorous defence.
Romania conceded just five goals in their 10 qualifying games, with a settled back four led by Tottenham’s Radu Dragusin, playing in front of Atletico Madrid’s goalkeeper, Horatiu Moldovan, their cohesiveness could prove to be vital.
They go into this tournament full of confidence not just from their unbeaten qualifying run, but also from the hunger and determination they displayed to return to the Euros after missing out in 2020.
This strong team spirit and winning mentality will be crucial against their more fancied opponents.
With a young and relatively inexperienced side, Edward Iordanescu has expressed a very forward thinking and positive display, rarely varying from his usual 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.
Retiring from professional football in 2004 to pursue football management, Edward Iordănescu became interim coach of Steaua Bucarest.
After bouncing around the Romanian divisions for a decade in management, Iordănescu was appointed as the manager of the Romanian National Team in 2022, which his father Anghel had also coached during three stints.
Only two members of Iordanescu’s 26-man squad have played at a major tournament before, whereas their group opponents were all at Euro 2020, so this edition is set to be a lesson for the young squad.
Heavily focused on youth development and labelled as an open communicator, Iordănescu’s 26-man squad is full of positive and youthful players.
Expectations
Historically, Romania has struggled to replicate the success of their golden generation from the ’90s.
Missing the last Euros and not qualifying for a World Cup since 1998, their expectations in this tournament seem to be relatively modest.
Romania’s Euro 2024 journey promises to merge their tactical solidity with emerging talent. With a cohesive backline and potential for breakout performances, they could prove to be one of the tournament’s underdogs.
Ukraine
FIFA World Ranking: 22nd
Best Euros Finish: Quarter Finals (2020)
Despite an exciting squad full of talent, Ukraine only qualified for Euro 2024 through the playoffs.
Getting the job done by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland, to secure qualification for their fourth Euros in a row.
Squad Profile
In a period of political turmoil, every footballer dressed in their iconic yellow and blue colours wears their heart on their sleeve. Football’s ability to unite nations could prove to be their biggest strength.
From a more tactical approach, their strength lies in the depth of their squad. Star players like Ruslan Malinovskyi and Roman Yaremchuk could easily go through this tournament not playing a game.
Ukraine has a squad full of talent, enjoying their brilliant seasons playing for top European clubs. Although individual talent doesn’t guarantee international success, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin in goal, a stacked midfield of 21-year-old Georgiy Sudakov, Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, Girona’s Viktor Tsyhankov and Chelsea’s Mykhaylo Mudryk; all led by La Liga’s top goal scorer this season Artem Dovbyk.
Rebrov will look to utilize this core’s technical ability and attacking prowess within his system.
Serhiy Rebrov had a decorated playing career. A renowned striker known for his partnership with Andriy Shevchenko and is the all-time top scorer (tied) in the Ukrainian Premier League.
He led Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros to league titles and cups before guiding Ukraine to Euro 2024 qualification.
Expected to implement an attacking style of play, utilising his side’s technical quality and attacking flair of his midfielders and wingers, Rebrov will likely set his side up, playing a high defensive line while pressing opponents aggressively.
Expectations
Ukraine is definitely the second-best side in this group on paper so failure to qualify from it would be a disappointment.
In Euro 2020, Ukraine made it to the quarter finals, losing to England 4-0. However, this time reaching the round of 16 would be a commendable achievement for Sergey Rebrov’s side.
They have the possibility of facing either France or the Netherlands, should they make it to the knockout stages. So, advancing further may prove a step too far.