EUROS NUGGETS 1
Opening round – first 12 matches
Scotland were only team to not have a single shot on target,
Scotland’s six goals at the Euros have come 5 players called Mc and an OG
1992 McAllister, McClair, McStay CIS 3-0; 1996 McCoist Switzerland 1-0
2020 McGregor Croatia 1-3; 2024 OG – Rudiger Germany 1-5
Goals
Bajrami’s goal for Albania against Italy after 23 seconds is the fastest goal at the Euros.
In the twelve matches there were 34 goals at a rate of 2.82 per game, which is the highest rate since the record set in 1976 when the four matches produced 19 goals at a rate of 4.75. Only one other Euros has had higher rate than 2.82 and that was the very first in 1960 with 17 at a rate of 4.25.
There were no goalless draws.
Own goals
There have been three own goals already – Rudiger against Scotland, Wober against France and Hranac against Portugal. This is as many as in fourteen previous tournaments. In 2016 there were three, in 2020/21 there were a record eleven.
Young and Old
Yamal is now the youngest player at any Euros, at age of 16, he will be 17 on 13 July, the day before Final. By contrast Pepe is now the oldest at 41. Pepe made his professional debut in 2001 six years before Yamal was born and was named in the Portugal squad for first time in August 2007, a month after Yamal was born.
1st half/2nd half
One of unusual features of the opening dozen matches is that majority of the goals have come in 1st half. Of 34 in total 20 have come in first 45 minutes which is 59%, compared to last tournament when just 25% did.
In only two matches has a lesser ranked team beaten a higher ranked and both acme in Group E when Romania beat Ukraine and Slovakia beat Belgium.
‘It Started With a Kick’
This week’s episode features Jen Offord, writer/podcaster and Charlton fan who had to wait 17 years to see them win. She went to her first match with her brother via The London Eye in 2002 when Richard Rufus scored at both ends in a 1-1 draw. The long-awaited win came at Wembley in League One Play-Offs Final when Naby Sarr also scored an own goal.
Find out much, much more here –
Part 1 https://bit.ly/3zazpL6
Part 2 https://bit.ly/3Xr9PLR
The Football Mine 