Spain began their defence of their European Championship crown with a Group D win over a surprisingly resolute Czech Republic. While in Group E, Ireland and Sweden shared the spoils and Italy give Belgium a lesson in team tactics.
Spain 1 Czech Republic 0
A late Gerard Pique header from an Andres Iniesta cross was enough for defending champions Spain to see off the Czech Republic’s rearguard action in Group D.
It was a match that saw Spain dominate possession, passing and attempts as the Czechs soaked up wave upon wave of pressure while offering only occasional threat, largely on the break and from set pieces.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque made two key line-up decisions, starting Alvaro Morata, who is priced at 8.5 in the official Uefa game, up front and David de Gea (5.5) in goal. For the Czechs, their top scorer in qualifying, Borek Dockal (7.5), wasn’t risked as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.
Morata topped the charts for both attempts and penalty area touches but failed to convince and was replaced in the second half by Aritz Aduriz (6.5). The Athletic Bilbao forward provides Spain with an aerial threat – his one attempt of the match came from a header. Whether Aduriz did enough to earn a start next time out remains to be seen. Nolito’s (6.0) owners were also left frustrated with the Celta de Vigo forward managing just two goal attempts, neither of which was on target, in his 82 minutes of action.
Three of Spain’s defenders all put forward good cases for investment, in particular goal scorer Pique, who had two goal attempts. Ramos, at 6.5 the same price as Pique, had three attempts and left back Jordi Alba, at 7.0 the most expensive defender in the official Uefa game was also a major outlet.
David Silva (10.0) and Iniesta (8.0) offered the most incisive contributions, creating five chances apiece. While Silva put in more crosses, marking him out as a strong DraftKings asset, it was the far cheaper Barcelona man who offers considerably better value in the official Uefa game.
The Czechs came for a point and were agonisingly close to securing it, with Tomas Sivok (5) completing an impressive 12 clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI). However, attacking pickings were slim, with midfielder Ladislav Krejci (6.5) creating two chances and Vladimir Darida (6.5) firing in two shots on goal.
With their striker situation far from settled Spain face a far sterner test on June 21 when they take on Croatia.
Republic of Ireland 1 Sweden 1
Wes Hoolahan (6.0) became the fourth Irish player to score at the European Championships only for Ciaran Clark to become an unwanted fifth as the Republic of Ireland and Sweden Group E opener ended in stalemate.
Ireland controlled the match until they scored early in the second half, after which they dropped deep and conceded time and territory, allowing the Swedes to finally take full advantage, Clark heading a Zlatan Ibrahimovic cross into his own net
In such a tough group, a draw suited neither team, and the Irish will look back on the match as two points dropped after dominating the first half and denying Sweden a single shot on target in the entire match.
Hoolahan’s opener, a fine half volley from a Seamus Coleman (5.5) cross, was his one and only attempt.
Ireland’s main attacking threat came from his fellow midfielder Jeff Hendrick, who had four shots, three of which were on target, one hitting the bar. The Derby player’s 5.5 Uefa price makes him a tempting budget enabler, until matches against Italy and Belgium are factored in.
Robbie Brady (6.0) was Ireland’s creator in chief, boosted by his corner duties. He fired in 10 crosses and took four corners, while Coleman backed up his assist points with a further four crosses to suggest a strong DraftKings showing.
Another full-back, Sweden’s Martin Olsson (5.5), also had an impressive match, getting forward on numerous occasions and completing eight crosses, while the second most popular Day 4 captain in our poll, Ibrahimovic, was a subdued presence and yet still matched Hendrick’s return of four attempts and recorded 12 penalty area touches – three times the amount of any other player.
Priced at 11 in the official game, Ibrahimovic remains a luxury few would even want to afford now that the Swedes’ ‘easy’ fixture is done and dusted.
Indeed, such is the toughness of the group, the same could be said for any number of players from both sides, however attractive their valuations might appear.
Italy 2 Belgium 0
A goal in each half took Italy to the top of Group E, with Antonio Conte’s team physically, mentally and tactically more than a match for a Belgium side full of talent but lacking cohesion.
Emanuele Giaccherini opened the scoring, expertly taking down Leonardo Bonucci’s superb long ball and finishing smartly. Graziano Pelle wasted a great chance to make it two before the break but he made no mistake deep into injury time, volleying home Antonio Candreva’s pass.
Italy’s 3-5-2 formation nullified the threat from Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard while also isolating the Belgian full-backs, who enjoyed little defensive cover from either star, Hazard in particular.
This enabled Candreva, priced at 7.5 in the official Uefa game, to attack from right wing back and he did so throughout, putting in 10 crosses and creating three chances. Pelle (8.5) was the main beneficiary, his five attempts topping the charts.
Giaccherini’s goal capped a fine individual display and his 5.0 price and official listing as a defender make him a highly attractive option for a wing back with such a progressive role.
Belgium grew into the match as they strove for an equaliser, with De Bruyne – the top captain pick for the day in our poll – sufficiently industrious (nine crosses, four chances created and three goal attempts) to score highly in DraftKings.
But it was Marouane Fellaini who was at the heart of that revival. He created seven chances – second only to Dmitri Payet (8) in the tournament to date.
Those who put their faith in Romelu Lukaku (9.0) were left sorely disappointed. He missed a gilt-edged chance with the score at 1-0 and looked out of form throughout. His eventual replacement, Divock Origi (7.5) fared even worse, missing two great opportunities.
With a workmanlike Sweden next for the Italians, their players look like solid bets for points across the pitch. While Belgium have no need to panic just yet, coach Marc Wilmots is clearly no closer to making a team out of the gifted individuals at his disposal, making their players risky and expensive Fantasy options.
