World Soccer - UK (2019-12)

OKEY PLAYERS Inter midfielder
Stefano Sensi was the revelation of the
qualification campaign, while keeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma, still only 20, has
stepped up to replace Gianluigi Buffon.

OPLAYER TO WATCH No matter that
Fiorentina midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli
is an absolute Serie A beginner, Mancini
thinks the 22-year-old is good enough
and is definitely not alone in that view.
The kid from the southern Puglia region
is nothing less than a creative natural:
fast, elusive, a wonderful dribbler and
very imaginative in his passing. His great
passion as a youngster was classical
dance – and it shows.

Poland

OHOW THEY QUALIFIED Comfortable
winners of Group G, ahead of Austria,
despite a stumble in September, when

they lost 2-0 in Slovenia and drew 0-0

at home to Austria.

OTHE COACH Jerzy Brzeczek took

over from Adam Nawalka in July 2018

following Poland’s group-stage exit from

the World Cup.

OKEY PLAYERS Striker Robert

Lewandowski, the country’s most-capped

player and all-time leading scorer, has

been in the form of his career for Bayern

Munich and was Poland’s top scorer in

qualifying, with six goals.

OPLAYER TO WATCH Nine

months after curling home a

free-kick in an under-21 friendly

against England, Sebastian

Szymanski is poised to be one of

the breakout stars of Euro 2020.

Even such a world-beating striker

as Poland’s Robert Lewandowski

is reliant on good service and

should benefit enormously from

his skill and vision.

Portugal

OHOW THEY QUALIFIED

Runners-up in Group B

behind Ukraine, it was a largely

unimpressive campaign that was

saved by the 11 goals of top

scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.

OTHE COACH Fernando Santos

steered Portugal to their 2016

European Championship triumph

but has watched many of that side –

Eder, Renato Sanches, Joao Mario

• struggle to maintain form at club level.

OKEY PLAYERS Cristiano Ronaldo,

Portugal’s most capped player and

all-time top scorer, now has 99 goals for

his country. Teenager Joao Felix is the

exciting new wildcard, but Portugal have

plenty of other talent in the likes of

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and

Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandez

OPLAYER TO WATCH Goncalo

Paciencia was duly rewarded with his

first cap in the recent 6-0 destruction

of Lithuania, marking the occasion

with a goal and an assist. Has the touch,

intelligence and firepower to take some

of the weight off the shoulders of

Ronaldo. The son of former Portugal

striker Domingos.

Russia

OHOW THEY QUALIFIED Second in

Group I behind Belgium, who beat them

home and away. In their other eight

matches, Stanislav Cherchesov’s side

conceded just once.

OTHE COACH Stanislav Cherchesov was

not expected to continue after the 2018

World Cup but a strong performance as

host saw a contract extension.

OKEY PLAYERS Zenit striker Artem

Dzyuba led from the front in the

qualifiers, scoring nine goals to finish as

top scorer. Dmitri Barinov has been an

impressive new addition.

OPLAYER TO WATCH Zelimkhan

Bakaev, a new face in the Russian

camp this autumn, is clever, instinctive,

mercurial and always looking to make

things happen.

Euro 2020: The Teams

Firepower...Goncalo Paciencia

Young talent...

Sebastian Szymanski

Instinctive...Zelimkhan Bakaev