Here is the article with the requested Markdown formatting:
GOAL’s Football News Update: Euro 2024 First Round Review
The first round of Euro 2024 group-stage matches has been nothing short of sensational, with the host nation Germany setting the tone with a devastating demolition of Scotland. Spain also responded with an outstanding performance against Croatia, the third-place finishers at the 2022 World Cup.
While the likes of France, England, and Portugal all secured victories in their opening games, none of these heavily-fancied nations quite lived up to expectations in their performances. However, Italy and the Netherlands both showed promising signs as they came from behind to secure wins.
The biggest surprise of the opening round came as Belgium, who had arrived at the tournament undefeated under Domenico Tedesco, suffered a shock loss to Slovakia.
As we prepare for the second round of matches, GOAL has ranked all 24 teams bidding to win Euro 2024:
- Germany
- Spain
- Italy
- Netherlands
- France
- England
- Portugal
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Switzerland
- Poland
- Sweden
- Wales
- Czech Republic
- Turkey
- Austria
- Ukraine
- Serbia
- Scotland
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Finland
- Israel
- Belgium
The tournament hosts Germany have set the early pace, while Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands have also impressed. However, with several of the pre-tournament favorites failing to fully convince, the race for Euro 2024 glory is sure to be an enthralling one.
🔗 Source