The club version of European football might have reached a conclusion with Chelsea winning the Champions League, but for football fanatics, it ain’t over for the season yet. Now, a stage where the top European footballing talents try to fetch glory for their nation is set. The competition set to be held in over 11 locations in 11 countries, would even see the same club’s supporters split up. For us, the fantasy football geeks, however, would be another few weeks of enthusiasm and excitement. So, get ready with your managerial abilities, for a new challenge. We would primarily start with the group stage analysis to give the EURO 2020 fantasy managers an overall concept about the better players for their teams. The Euros have one-legged group stage matches before the knockouts. Hence, it is vital to know the hook and crook of each group.
UEFA EURO Fantasy 2020 Group Stage
The EURO group stage contains 24 teams split into 6 groups ( A to F). The top 2 from each group and the top 4 best 3rd placed teams move to the Round of 16. Each team plays the other 3 teams of their respective groups only once. With so few fixtures the teams get in the group stage, the top team would want to win them all to the least. So, let us further analyze, how does each group look, and the best fantasy prospects to collect from them.
Note: The correct prices, ownership details and other stats and information of the fantasy assets have been taken and verified from the official UEFA EURO 2020 website.
Group A
- Italy (qualified as Group J winner)
- Turkey (qualified as Group H runner-up)
- Wales (qualified as Group E runner-up)
- Switzerland (qualified as Group D winner)
To begin with, from the looks of it, Italy is the hot favorite to qualify from this group with surety. Also, to see the opposition teams they play against, it is highly likely Italy might concede the least amount of goals than the others. Hence, you may choose defenders and the goalkeeper from Italy. Adding up to these facts is another vital point that, Italy would be playing their matches in Rome, in front of their home fans. Home support surely boosts up a team’s performance.
Besides, looking at the other teams of this group, Italy is also likely to score goals, especially against Turkey, Wales, who have a relatively poor defense. For the second spot, there might be a tough competition between Turkey and Switzerland, they both have the chances to qualify together too. Hence, Turkish and Swiss forwards may also be a good addition to the fantasy squads.
Italy
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (€5.5m) perhaps the pick of the bunch with the Italian shot-stopper having helped the Azzurri keep clean sheets in seven of their last eight competitive fixtures. He also was voted as Serie-A‘s goalkeeper of the season.
- Alessandro Florenzi (€6.0m) is expected to feature as part of Roberto Mancini’s first XI on the right-hand side of the defense. With the Azzurri having kept clean sheets in each of their last five competitive matches, along with conceding just four goals over the course of their ten qualifying games, Florenzi could be an astute Fantasy signing.
- Additionally, Alessandro Bastoni (€4.5m) has made an excellent case for selection for EURO. Having impressed in his three starts for the Azzurri over the course of their last six competitive fixtures and off the back of a title-winning season at Internazionale, the 22-year-old is expected to start on Matchday 1.
- Striker Ciro Immobile (€10.0m), is not only a strong choice but also a viable captaincy candidate in the opening fixture of EURO 2020
- Federico Chiesa (€7.0m) is an additional contender with his performances in a depleted Juventus squad, he can be a strong shout for all the fantasy managers.
- Although listed as a midfielder, Lorenzo Insigne (€8.5m) is generally fielded in a front three and is expected to maintain his starting position. Additionally,19 goals scored this season for his club side in Serie A is a clear indication of his Fantasy potential.
Turkey
- The Turkey squad includes Çağlar Söyüncü (€5.0m), who has shone from a defensive perspective in qualifying, conceding just three goals and accumulating 8 clean sheets from ten matches. Add that to Söyüncü’s attacking prowess from set-pieces and he could turn out quite the differential with fairly low ownership.
- If you are looking for budget goalkeeping options for your bench, Uğurcan Çakır (€4.5m) is one such option, with the Turkish keeper set to line up for a side that boasted the best defensive record during qualifying, with just three goals conceded in ten games.
- Turkey veteran Burak Yılmaz (€8.0m) has plenty of momentum behind him having scored 6 goals in his last five games of the season for club side LOSC Lille, while he underlined his international pedigree with a superb hat-trick against the Netherlands in March.
Wales
- Welsh talisman Gareth Bale (€9.5m) has the potential to produce major attacking returns. Bale scored in all three group games at UEFA EURO 2016 and Wales will be relying on him to produce more moments of magic this time around. If injury-free, the 31-year-old will be one of the first names on the team sheet and could be an excellent Fantasy asset.
Switzerland
- Xherdan Shaqiri (€7.0m) the crucial figure in the attack has registered 23 goals in 89 appearances for his country and as part of a side that managed 19 goals from their eight qualification fixtures, the tricky midfielder could provide good value for money.
Group B
- Denmark (qualified as Group D runner-up)
- Finland (qualified as Group J runner-up)
- Belgium (qualified as Group I winner)
- Russia (qualified as Group I runner-up)
Similar to group A, we can safely say that a team from this group is surely qualifying for the next round. They are favorites on pen and paper. The FIFA ranked no. 1 team, Belgium. Russia and Denmark may be the other contenders from this group, but Finland’s chances are too attenuated. However, our concern is more with the fantasy assets than the on-field technicalities of the game.
Hence, with the looks of it, Belgium is the team fantasy managers should extract players from. However, Russia and Denmark can also surprise the Belgians. Besides, there might be a tough battle for the second spot between Russia and Denmark, hence, their midfielders and forwards would be vital additions.
Denmark
- Kasper Schmeichel (€5.0m) the Danish number 1 comes in at a reasonable price and offering genuine clean sheet potential with the Danes having conceded in just three of their last ten matches.
- Andreas Christensen (€5.5m) is an interesting proposition in a Denmark defense that kept clean sheets in four of their final five games during qualifying, while they also did not concede a goal during their three FIFA World Cup qualifying games in March. The Chelsea center-back is an excellent differential and should live up to his performances in the Champions League final.
- Simon Kjær (€4.5m) is the joint most popular budget defender at his price and it’s no surprise when considering Denmark has shipped just three goals in their last ten matches. Given his group, the owners of Kjær will be confident of gaining decent Fantasy returns over the course of the group stage.
Finland
- Teemu Pukki (€7.0m) has turned a few heads already, and for good reason given he scored 10 goals for Finland in qualifying. The Norwich forward has also struck five times in Finland’s last four competitive fixtures and will be the focal point for his country at EURO.
- As potentially the only €4.0m-priced budget goalkeeper set to line up at UEFA EURO 2020, Lukas Hradecky (€4.0m) has plenty of appeal in a Finland side making their first tournament appearance. Don’t be entirely surprised if the Finns – who kept six clean sheets during qualification – shut their opponents out at least once.
Belgium
- Thibaut Courtois (€6.0m) conceded just twice in his seven appearances in the qualification phase and is currently the most popular goalkeeper choice amongst Fantasy managers.
- Jason Denayer (€4.5m), has nailed down a spot in Belgium’s three-man central defense. Roberto Martinez’s side only conceded three goals over the course of their qualification campaign and is expected to reach the latter stages of EURO 2020.
- From the premium options, and Belgium’s lynchpin in the center of midfield, Kevin De Bruyne (€10.5m) is likely to be a key creative asset for his side at EURO. With goals scored from outside the box worth an extra Fantasy point, watch out as KDB is well known for his long-range strikes. Although managers will need to keep an eye on his recovery from a facial injury suffered in the Champions League final.
- Another highly-fancied choice is Romelu Lukaku (€11.0m), who enjoyed an excellent season at title-winning Internazionale. His strike rate in national colors is also to be feared, with Belgium’s all-time top scorer having struck 7 goals in his last six competitive appearances.
Russia
- If a recent form is anything to go by, then Artem Dzyuba (€8.5m) has plenty going for him. The Zenit striker finished his season with 7 goals in his last three games for the Russian champions, including four on the last day of the league season – a feat he also managed for Russia during a qualifying game against San Marino.
Note: Kevin De Bruyne (€10.5m) is likely not to start in Belgium’s opening game due to his facial injury.
Group C
- Netherlands (qualified as Group C runner-up)
- Ukraine (qualified as Group B winner)
- Austria (qualified as Group G runner-up)
- North Macedonia (qualified as play-off path D winner)
This is one of the groups, fantasy managers would show the least interest in. However, this group may be a decent abode for fantasy team defenders. Especially, if you consider Ukraine and Netherlands’ defenders. Except for them though, there are not many fantasy league assets from this group.
Though this group looks like a competition-less one, Netherlands don’t seem to be much convincing in recent times. However, you may consider taking Dutch goalkeeper and defenders, because on paper, the other three teams except Ukraine doesn’t look like ones to be scoring tonnes of goals per match.
Netherlands
- Memphis Depay (€10.0m), has enjoyed an excellent season for Lyon having hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in Ligue 1, and has proved he is capable of translating that form to the international stage. Having bagged six goals during Netherlands’ successful UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying campaign, Depay has also scored five in his last six games for his country – in the World Cup qualifiers and in the UEFA Nations League.
- With 4 goals and an assist in his last five competitive matches for the Netherlands, Georginio Wijnaldum (€8.0m) provides Fantasy managers with an ideal cheaper option in midfield. Wijnaldum is often to be found in attacking areas when playing for his national side and could well be a source of considerable Fantasy points.
- Matthijs de Ligt (€5.5m), is currently the second most popular defender on EURO 2020 Fantasy with strong ownership. With captain Virgil van Dijk missing the tournament through injury and therefore the onus will be on De Ligt to provide the defensive stability needed to ensure a safe passage through the group stage.
- Having been on the scoresheet in all three of their World Cup qualifying games in March, Luuk de Jong (€7.5m) will be sort of a mid-budget differential provided he features in the Dutch starting line-up. Providing good linkup play to Depay, one can expect goal contributions from de Jong as well.
Ukraine
- Ukraine’s Oleksandr Zinchenko (€5.5m) is assumed to play a key role in his side’s success as failure in Group C. Hei s expected to play further forward having been most often utilized as a midfielder for Ukraine. With 5 international goals to his name, Zinchenko could turn out to be one of the shrewdest Fantasy picks for his price.
- Heading into EURO 2020 in excellent form is Ruslan Malinovskyi (€7.0m), who played a starring role in securing Champions League football for Serie A side Atalanta next season, scoring five times in his last eight league appearances and much will be expected from him in the Euros.
Austria
- Austria’s Marko Arnautović (€7.0m) is available at a generous price and may tempt Fantasy managers looking for an affordable third striker. Arnautović sits on 26 career goals for his country – six of those coming during qualifying rounds.
- Austria also boasts tempting central midfielder in Marcel Sabitzer (€8.0m); the Austrian penalty taker offers significant differential value when considering his low ownership, and comes off the back of 9 goals and 7 assists for Leipzig this season.
Group D
- England (qualified as Group A winner)
- Croatia (qualified as Group E winner)
- Czech Republic (qualified as Group A runner-up)
- Scotland (qualified as play-off path C winner)
Probably one of the teams with many fantasy league assets in the name of England will be from this group. FPL players will have numerous choices to choose from this group, especially from the England and Scotland teams. Based upon the style of football they play, England defenders would come in handy from this group. Clearly, on pen and paper, England is the favorites to top this group, with all due respect to the Croatian side. With proper squad depth, and considering that Gareth Southgate starts the famous fantasy league assets, some players you may keep in your teams are, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, etc.
For the second place we would bet upon either Croatia or the Czech Republic, FPL managers might be familiar with names like Soucek and Coufal of the Czech Republic, who would be good additions in this tournament’s fantasy too, considering their low prices. From Scotland, Andrew Robertson, John McGinn, etc are our players to watch out for.
England
- Hopes are high that England can have a successful campaign, and thus Harry Kane (€11.5m) will once again be among the goals. The 27-year-old, the top scorer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2020 Premier League, has proven to be the most popular choice among Fantasy managers so far with the highest ownership.
- Both Harry Maguire (€5.5m) and John Stones (€5.5m) come with high attacking potential with each a huge aerial threat from set-pieces. Maguire has 2 goals in his last four appearances for the Three Lions whilst Stones has scored 5 times this season for Manchester City. However, beware of the fitness concerns involving the Manchester United skipper as Maguire hasn’t played any matches since his injury on May 9th.
- It is full-back Luke Shaw (€6.0m) who has attracted the attention of everyone in the EUROs. Shaw has enjoyed his best season in a Manchester United shirt and his threat going forward makes him a tempting proposition, but he faces stiff competition for the left-back spot from Ben Chilwell (€6.0m), who has also proven a popular choice.
- When considering mid-priced midfielders, look no further than Manchester City’s golden boy Phil Foden (€8.0m). Despite finding the net 16 times for Manchester City, his place in the Three Lions’ starting XI is still uncertain, so stay aware while including him.
- England’s Jordan Pickford (€5.5m) shares the same price bracket as popular pick Donnarumma and, assuming he remains Gareth Southgate’s first-choice goalkeeper, looks an interesting differential option with the Everton man currently having a very-low ownership value.
Czech Republic
- West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek (€6.5m) is a decent budget midfield pick. Having recently scored a hat-trick in their 6-2 win over Estonia, Soucek is Czech’s top scorer in their international campaign with 4 goals. Similar to his performances in the Premier League, he offers a penalty box threat, running to meet crosses from deep.
Scotland
- Ché Adams (€6.5m) forced his way into the Scotland fold earlier this March. The Southampton striker made an assist on his first international start in a draw with Israel, before finding the net in the following match against the Faroe Islands.
- The two left-backs, Kieran Tierney (€5.0m) and Andy Robertson (€5.5m) are among the best in Europe, particularly going forward. Robertson is assured to take indirect set-pieces and plays in an attacking wing-back role. Meanwhile, Tierney plays in the back three but that doesn’t stop him from getting forward whatsoever. However remember, clean sheets are very unlikely from Scotland given their group.
Note: As per latest news, Trent Alexander-Arnold (€6.5m) has been completely ruled out from the EUROs due to a thigh injury
Group E
- Spain (qualified as Group F winner)
- Sweden (qualified as Group F runner-up)
- Poland (qualified as Group G winner)
- Slovakia (qualified as Play-off path B winner)
Spain manager Luis Enrique recently surprised everyone by announcing a quite younger and inexperienced Spain squad. The squad did not contain a single Real Madrid player. Despite that, the easiness of the fixtures might be in Spain’s favor slightly. Slovakia, Poland, Sweden, who also have considerable amounts of talents in their squad, might be fighting for second place in the group. To be precise, we would keep Sweden as the 2nd placed team from this group.
It would be wise enough to take Spain midfielders like Ferran Torres, who in real life play as a forward. Though Spain would field a relatively inexperienced squad, still we’d say De Gea, Laporte, etc. Other important players from this group include R. Lewandowski and the Swedish forwards like M. Berg would come in handy, due to his low price.
Spain
- Álvaro Morata (€9.0m), the Juventus loanee looks likely to lead the line for Spain after coming 2nd in the goalscoring charts in EURO 2016. The 28-year-old, who notched 4 goals in seven appearances in qualifying, is approaching his best season in terms of club goals and could be the crucial differential in mini-leagues with Spain facing Sweden in their opener.
- Ferran Torres (€8.0m) has been on hot form on the international stage, with the winger having accumulated 5 goals in his last four appearances for Spain, three of those coming as part of a superb hat-trick against Germany in the UEFA Nations League.
- If you are open to spending big on defense then Jordi Alba (€6.0m) should be your pick. The Barcelona full-back has always been a strong attacking option as he is usually afforded room to roam forward down the left-hand side. Having not conceded more than once in any of their last 22 fixtures, Alba’s premium price is justified when considering that he offers both defensive and attacking returns.
- Having started each of Spain’s last five competitive matches, Unai Simón (€5.0m) could prove to be an excellent differential value if he retains his spot as he has a low ownership value. The Athletic Bilbao keeper can indeed start for the La Roja ahead of David de Gea, who has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United.
Sweden
- Zlatan Ibrahimović’s knee injury prior to EURO 2020 is of course a major blow to Sweden’s prospects but his absence could pave the way for Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak (€8.0m) to flourish. The 21-year-old scored 17 Liga goals in 2020/21 and could seize his moment to shine.
Poland
- Off the back of another goal-laden campaign for Bayern in which he surpassed 40 club goals for the sixth season in succession, Robert Lewandowski (€11.5m) should come under serious consideration with the Pole carrying the hopes of his national side. The irrepressible striker has found the net in his last 14 competitive games for club and country, hitting 22 goals in that time.
- Poland kept seven clean sheets across their ten qualifying games and Wojciech Szczęsny (€5.0m) owners will be hoping they are similarly solid when Group E gets underway. The Juventus goalkeeper has plenty of experience at this level with the EURO set to be his third continental finals.
Group F
- Hungary (qualified as Play-off path A winner)
- Portugal (qualified as group B runner up)
- France (qualified as group H winner)
- Germany (qualified as group C winner)
Probably this is the group of death the most mouthwatering group for fantasy managers. But well, think twice before you choose any defenders from the teams of this group. A team would be ending a game with a clean sheet in the unlikeliest of the situations.
Most probably, except Hungary, all other 3 teams are favorites to qualify from this group, and they may do so too. However, as we said, try to avoid picking any German, Portuguese, French goalkeepers.
Hungary
- Those looking for an ultra-cheap budget enabler have latched on to Loïc Négo (€4.0m) of Hungary, who despite being a defensive midfielder and competing in an intimidating Group F, is currently the highest owned Fantasy asset across all positions. Négo did manage to get on the scoresheet in Hungary’s most recent competitive fixture and also hit a crucial equalizing goal against Iceland in the play-off final.
- At first, opting for Péter Gulácsi (€4.5m) may raise a few eyebrows with Hungary drawn alongside Portugal, Germany, and France but when factoring in the points gained from saves, the Leipzig No1 could provide good value as your second-choice goalkeeper.
Portugal
- Most Fantasy managers will be looking to squeeze at least two premium forwards into their opening squads, and there are a plethora of options available that all make a strong case for inclusion. Available at the top price include Cristiano Ronaldo (€12.0m) who needs little introduction. No player has scored more EURO or international goals than Ronaldo and whom else do you bet to give you more points than him.
- It would also be remiss not to mention Bruno Fernandes (€10.5m) following his incredible season for Manchester United. The Portugal star has racked 28 goals for Manchester United in all competitions this campaign and provides a worthy alternative to anyone not opting for De Bruyne given his injury.
- Center-back Rúben Dias (€6.0m) is currently the highest owned defender. Despite being placed in a difficult Group F, the defending European champions conceded just six goals during their qualification campaign and kept five clean sheets. Combine that with his excellent debut campaign at Manchester City this season and it’s easy to see why he is such a popular choice.
- Rui Patrício (€5.5m) is set to line up within the sticks again for defending champions Portugal and he has been largely overlooked by the masses, presumably because of a tricky-looking group. Portugal starts off against Hungary though, and for those planning to use one of their chips on Matchday 2, Rui Patrício is worth considering to start off with.
France
- As the joint most expensive player, Kylian Mbappé (€12.0m) is also one of the top transfer targets this time. Mbappé has enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career so far has already surpassed the 40-goal mark, and will be looking to leave his mark on the EUROs as he did during France’s triumphant 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign.
- With fairly high ownership at present is France’s Benjamin Pavard (€6.0m). The Bayern right-back featured in all but two of his national side’s qualifying matches and will almost certainly be in Didier Deschamps’ starting line-up when EURO 2020 kicks off.
- Lucas Hernández (€6.5m) is just one of three players costing the maximum for defenders. Hernández justifies his lofty price tag as he’s expected to start for the reigning world champions, who head into EURO 2020 as one of the early favorites to go all the way.
- Karim Benzema (€10.0m) and Antoine Griezmann (€11.0m) enjoy relatively low ownership than Mbappe and can be key differentials for fantasy managers. Benzema’s stellar season with Real Madrid anchored him a return to the French squad and Griezmann’s performances with the Les Bleus requires no introduction.
Germany
- Listed as a forward, Thomas Müller (€9.0m) has been largely overlooked so far but has been a top performer in international tournaments. His team-mate Timo Werner (€8.5m) will also be vying for one of the attacking roles, and while the Chelsea man didn’t have the most prolific debut campaign, his last three international starts have yielded three goals.
- Serge Gnabry (€9.5m) boasts an outstanding record in front of goal for his national team, scoring 15 times in 20 appearances for Joachim Löw’s side, which certainly justifies the large fee required for his services. Germany’s chances in this EURO depend largely on Gnabry.
- The generously-priced İlkay Gündoğan (€7.5m), following the most prolific goalscoring season of his career, is one to watch with the German’s present low ownership. As well as finding the net regularly for recently-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City, Gündoğan has scored six in his last 12 starts for Germany and could well be on spot-kick duty for his country.
- Antonio Rüdiger (€5.5m) is another mid-priced defender who carries goal threats from corners and set-pieces, has established himself as a starter in the center of defense for Germany.
Final Thoughts
So with that concludes our EURO Fantasy 2020 Group Stage analysis. Remember the Fantasy gaming is full of surprises and shocks. In this installment, we tried to analyze and show the fantasy managers the groups from which they should obtain the most players, for the upcoming UEFA EURO. We will also be covering more guides, to help the manager make the best possible squads, and succeed in this department.
So what are you waiting for? Setup your squads and join our very own EURO 2020 Fantasy League through this invitation code 20AXRPT509 or join from this link and win exciting cash rewards for absolutely free!
Did you find our EURO Fantasy 2020 Group Stage analysis useful? Drop your comments in the comment section below!
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