Euro 2024

Euro 2024 today: Who is playing? How to watch? What to look out for?

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 16 June 2024

Sports Mole rounds up everything you need to know about today's Euro 2024 action, including fixtures, predicted lineups, how to watch and the best storylines.

Mere weeks after a gruelling domestic season concluded for the continent's most celebrated talents, 24 teams and over 600 players are now going again with Euro 2024 supremacy at stake.

Only three years have passed since Italy's exhilarating run to glory at the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, culminating in their penalty-shootout success over England at Wembley in the final, and the Azzurri are present in Germany to defend their crown after their World Cup 2022 failure.

However, the likes of England, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and hosts Germany will be among the leading contenders to dethrone Italy as kings of Europe, where the new continental champions will be crowned in Berlin on July 14.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up everything you need to know about today's Euro 2024 action, including which teams are in action, how to watch and what to keep a particular eye out for.

TODAY'S EURO 2024 FIXTURES

France players pose for a team group photo before the match on June 9, 2024 © Reuters

Romania vs. Ukraine (2pm | Allianz Arena)
Belgium vs. Slovakia (5pm | Deutsche Bank Park)
Austria vs. France (8pm | Merkur Spiel-Arena)

The headline event of Monday's Euro 2024 action undoubtedly takes place in Dusseldorf in the late kickoff, as in-form Austria and tournament favourites France conclude the opening round of fixtures in Group D.

Earlier in the day, the open Group E section takes precedence, as Romania and Ukraine pit their wits against one another at the Allianz Arena, before Belgium take on Slovakia at Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank Park.

TODAY'S PREDICTED LINEUPS AT EURO 2024

Romania: Nita; Ratiu, Dragusin, Burca, Bancu; M. Marin, R. Marin; Man, Stanciu, Mihaila; Dragus
Ukraine: Lunin; Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Zinchenko; Shaparenko, Stepanenko, Sudakov; Tsygankov, Dovbyk, Mudryk

Belgium: Casteels; Faes, Witsel, De Cuyper; Castagne, Mangala, Onana, Doku; Trossard, De Bruyne; Lukaku
Slovakia: Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Bozenik, Haraslin

Austria: Pentz; Posch, Danso, Wober, Mwene; Siewald, Grillitsch; Laimer, Sabitzer, Baumgartner; Gregoritsch
France: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Thuram

HOW TO WATCH TODAY'S EURO 2024 ACTION

Fans can catch Romania and Ukraine in action on BBC One, the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website from 1.30pm - half an hour before kickoff - up until 4.15pm.

Following Monday's opener, Belgium's battle with Slovakia and Austria's contest with France will both be live on ITV and STV, as well as the ITVX streaming service and the STV Player, from 4.15pm all the way until 10.30pm at night.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN TODAY'S EURO 2024 MATCHES

Romania vs. Ukraine

Ukraine's Mykhaylo Mudryk celebrates scoring their second goal with Oleksandr Zinchenko on March 26, 2024 © Reuters

While both Romania and Ukraine have previous when it comes to competing at the European Championships, their respective head coaches - Edward Iordanescu and Serhiy Rebrov - will both be making their major tournament managerial debuts on Monday afternoon.

Romania were one of the surprise success stories in qualifying, topping their group with zero defeats to their name, and such form suggests that they can improve on a measly 6% win percentage from previous European Championships.

In contrast, Ukraine's path to the finals was far from straightforward - they had to navigate playoffs against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland to book their place in Germany - but boast an abundance of household names.

Chelsea's Mykhaylo Mudryk will be strutting his stuff in attack with Artem Dovbyk and Viktor Tsygankov - two of the heroes of Girona's sensational La Liga campaign, the former claiming the Golden Boot - but there will be no Vitaliy Mykolenko due to injury.

Belgium vs. Slovakia

Belgium's Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Aster Vranckx on November 19, 2023 © Reuters

Never before have Belgium and Slovakia crossed paths on the men's international scene, but precedent favours Domenico Tedesco's men, who may be out of 'golden generation' territory but still boast some revered old names and exciting young guns.

Unbeaten in 15 matches since being eliminated from the 2022 World Cup by Morocco, Belgium continued to be spearheaded by all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku, who notched an unrivalled 14 goals during Euro 2024 qualifying.

Undoubtedly the underdogs for Monday's fixture, Slovakia were dumped out in the groups at Euro 2020 and are certainly deprived of the same punch in attack, although Milan Skriniar and Martin Dubravka are no pushovers at the back.

The Slovaks have already been in the headlines for comical reasons this month, though, as 24-cap midfielder Michal Sadilek was forced to withdraw from his side's squad for the championships after injuring himself when falling off a bicycle.

Austria vs. France

France's Kylian Mbappe applauds fans after the match on June 9, 2024 © Reuters

Few teams can boast as strong a pre-tournament run as Ralf Rangnick's Austria, who placed second in their preliminary section behind the Belgians and embarked on a six-game winning streak until their most recent friendly, a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.

Even with David Alaba, Sasa Kalajdzic and Xaver Schalger missing due to knee injuries, Rangnick can still call upon Champions League runner-up Marcel Sabitzer, while veteran attacker Marko Arnautovic will compete in his third straight European Championships.

While Austria's aspirations may be modest in nature, France set out to end a 24-year run without European stardom since hoisting the trophy aloft in 2000, but a near-faultless qualification period - including a new record win in a 14-0 destruction of Gibraltar - suggests that such aims are certainly realistic.

Fresh from penning his Real Madrid contract and battling back from a knee scare, Kylian Mbappe will be up to his usual tricks on the left, while William Saliba has apparently done enough to force his way into the starting lineup over Ibrahima Konate.

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AT EURO 2024?

England's Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring against Serbia on June 16, 2024 © Reuters

As was the case in the final game of Saturday, where Italy fought back to defeat Albania after the Red and Blacks scored the quickest goal ever seen at the Euros, the Netherlands also had to do it the hard way against Poland in Group D.

With Robert Lewandowski unavailable due to injury - although he unexpectedly made the bench - his deputy Adam Buksa propelled the Poles into the lead, but Cody Gakpo's leveller and Wout Weghorst's heroics off the bench sealed a 2-1 success for the Dutch.

The day concluded with the opening batch of Group C fixtures for Slovenia, Denmark, England and Serbia, the former two of whom shared the spoils in a tight 1-1 draw, as Erik Janza cancelled out a Christian Eriksen opener.

Finally, England's quest to end 58 years of hurt in the men's game began on the right foot with a 1-0 triumph over Serbia, where Jude Bellingham powered the Three Lions to a nervy win in the first half.