As the qualifying campaign for the 2020 European Championship kicks off on Thursday, we take a closer look at six sides that could spring an upset or two over the next eight months.
GROUP A - Kosovo
There’s no question that the draw as far as England are concerned was a kind one - and not for the first time - with extremely favourable opposition from pots two and three in particular. In fact, the most talented squad that they may face on paper is that of Kosovo, who have a number of strong players with plenty of top-flight experience.
Fans of English football will recognise the names of Bersant Celina and Atdhe Nuhiu but neither tend to start for a team that possesses quality in midfield in particular. The likes of Arber Zeneli (Reims), Valon Berisha (Lazio) and Milot Rashica (Werder Bremen) are the stars and will certainly cause problems for some modest opponents in Group A.
Despite that Bernard Challandes’ side - who were only accepted as a member of UEFA in 2016 - are the favourites to finish bottom of the group, and odds of 9.00 from Bet365 on the underdogs to finish in the top two are very long for a team that made light work of their Nations League group, scoring 15 and conceding just twice across six unbeaten matches.
GROUP B - Ukraine
While both Portugal and Serbia will prove stern opposition, Andriy Shevchenko shouldn’t fear either side despite having enviable depth to their squads. Ukraine have a promising crop of young players that are beginning to make an impression on the senior team after all, particularly in defence.
Mykola Matvyenko (22), Vitaliy Mykolenko (19) and Mykyta Burda (23) could all start in the back four, while Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko (22) and Dynamo Kyiv playmaker Viktor Tsygankov (21) offer promise for the future further forward. Meanwhile, the eligibility of Brazilian born Junior Moraes solves a long-standing issue up front, making Ukraine a decent outside bet to win the group (4.50).
GROUP D - Georgia
Undoubtedly one of the more open groups in qualifying, Georgia will fancy their chances of frustrating the likes of Switzerland, Denmark and Ireland following an impressive UEFA Nations League campaign - winning five and drawing once. They are well organised defensively and while they’ve faced weak opposition, Vladimir Weiss’ side have won eight of ten matches over the past 12 months, keeping seven clean sheets in the process.
Georgia also possess one of the youngster’s to watch over the qualifying campaign in the form of winger Giorgi Chakvetadze. The 19-year-old, who plays in Belgium for Gent as things stand but is on the radar of a number of Europe’s top clubs, scored four goals and assisted another two in the Nations League for a WhoScored.com rating of 8.17.
GROUP G - Macedonia
Another of the groups without a real top team, Poland are the favourites to top the table but have been considerably less than the sum of their parts for some time now, so qualification could be up for grabs for one of the underdogs. Macedonia are certainly long shot to end at the summit but won’t fear any of their modest opponents following a solid Nations League campaign, winning five of six matches.
Palermo playmaker Aleksandr Trajkovski shone to ensure a play-off place at the very least, with three goals and two assists, and there are goals in the squad elsewhere. Goran Pandev is the biggest name and still an important player at 35, while Ilija Nestorovski and Leeds’ Ezgjan Alioski each scored three times in the Nations League. Levante’s Enis Bardhi is the star, however, and is capable of the spectacular from distance, which could be required in what promises to be a tight group.
GROUP J - Bosnia and Herzegovina
With an underperforming and identity-stricken Italy the top seed in Group J there could be a shock on the cards and Bosnia and Herzegovina certainly look like the Azzurri’s toughest test. Robert Prosinecki took the reins in January last year and has certainly made the team hard to beat, with a 1-0 loss to Spain ending a nine game run without defeat encompassing a Nations League campaign that saw them promoted to League A.
The Croatian coach has a very settled side and system, with ten players starting all four Nations League matches last year, with Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic still the star men. Edin Visca is also a threat, while Toni Sunjic is a strong centre-back and helps make up a very experienced spine to a side that will have genuine ambitions of topping the group, currently priced at 5.50 to do so.
