Euro 2024

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

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 18 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

Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes during the International Friendly on June 5, 2024 © Imago

Turkey vs .Georgia (5pm | Westfalenstadion)
Portugal vs. Czech Republic (8pm | Red Bull Arena)

With the first matchdays from Groups A to E now done and dusted, the opening fixtures in Group F will take place on Tuesday, starting with Turkey versus tournament debutants Georgia at Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.

The final matchday one fixture sees Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal square off against Czech Republic at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.

TODAY'S PREDICTED LINEUPS AT EURO 2024

Turkey: Gunok; Ayhan, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Ozcan, Calhanoglu; Guler, Yildiz, Akturkoglu; Yilmaz

Georgia: Mamardashvili; Kverkvelia, Kashia, Dvali; Kakabadze, Kiteishvili, Kochorashvili, Shengelia, Chakvetadze; Kvaratskhelia, Mikautadze

Portugal: Costa; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha, Fernandes; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Leao

Czech Republic: Stanek; Holes, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Soucek, Provod, Barak, Jurasek; Kuchta, Schick

HOW TO WATCH TODAY'S EURO 2024 ACTION

Turkey's encounter with Georgia will be shown live on BBC 1, the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website, with coverage beginning at 4.30pm and concluding at 7.05pm.

Portugal's clash with Czech Republic will also be shown live on BBC 1, the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website, with coverage beginning at 7.35pm and concluding at 10.10pm.

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

Turkey vs. Georgia

Turkey's Ismail Yuksek, Arda Guler, Samet Akaydin and Ozan Kabak look dejected after the match on March 22, 2024 © Reuters

Turkey head into their third consecutive European Championships after a strong qualification campaign, claiming a total of 17 points from eight games to finish top of their group ahead of Croatia.

However, Vincenzo Montella's side have since put together a winless four-game run in 2024, including three friendly defeats, most recently losing 2-1 against Poland in their final warm-up match on June 10.

After exiting the group stage at back-to-back Euros, Turkey are hoping to advance to the knockout rounds this time around and are sure to take inspiration from their efforts in 2008 when they progressed to the semi-finals.

Georgia, meanwhile, are preparing for their first-ever major tournament as an independent nation after they edged past Euro 2004 winners Greece on penalties in a playoff final to qualify for Euro 2024.

Ranked 75th in the world by FIFA, Georgia are yet to lose across three games in 2024, most recently beating Montenegro by a 3-1 scoreline in their one and only warm-up fixture ahead of Euro 2024.

Georgia are managed by former France defender Willy Sagnol, who earned 58 international caps as a player and participated at two European Championships, while he also played every minute of the 2006 World Cup final, one that Les Bleus eventually lost on penalties to Italy.

Portugal vs. Czech Republic

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring for Portugal on June 7, 2024 [ONE TIME USE ONLY] © Reuters

Portugal enter their opening Euro 2024 clash in high spirits and are seeking to replicate their solitary continental triumph from eight years ago when they went all the way at Euro 2016.

Now managed by Roberto Martinez, Portugal were the only nation who completed Euro 2024 qualifying with a perfect record, winning 10 games out of 10 by an aggregate score of 36-2.

Portugal will once again be led by five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time record goalscorer at the European Championship who is vying to break a number of other records at this summer's tournament.

Czech Republic, meanwhile, are preparing for their eighth consecutive European Championships as an independent nation after accumulating 15 points from eight qualification matches to secure second spot in their group, finishing just behind group winners Albania on goal difference.

Ivan Hasek's team head into Euro 2024 in buoyant mood as they have won each of their last five international matches, including all four friendlies since the turn of the year, most recently following up a 7-1 victory over Malta with a 2-1 success against North Macedonia on June 10.

While Portugal have never been eliminated in the group stage at a European Championship, Czech Republic are bidding to advance to the knockout rounds for the second successive continental tournament.

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AT EURO 2024?

France's Kylian Mbappe pictured on June 17, 2024 [IMAGO] © Imago

The first real shocks of the tournament took place in Group E on Monday, with Belgium suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat to Slovakia, courtesy of an early first-half strike from Ivan Schranz.

Belgium were denied two goals by VAR, including a controversial one in the second half disallowed for what was deemed a deliberate handball by Lois Openda in the build-up to Romelu Lukaku thumping the ball into the net. Nevertheless, Slovakia held on to claim a memorable win and their first-ever victory against a nation inside the top three of the FIFA World Rankings.

Just a few hours earlier, Romania surprised many as they cruised to an impressive 3-0 victory over Ukraine, with Nicolae Stanciu and Razvan Marin both netting stunning strikes from outside the box before Denis Dragus prodded home a third just before the hour mark.

Monday's action was concluded with a slender 1-0 win for France over Austria, with a Maximilian Wober's own goal in the first half earning Les Bleus all three points to kick-start their Group D campaign in positive fashion.

The contest ended painfully for France star Kylian Mbappe, though, who was forced off in the closing stages with a broken nose and will be assessed ahead of Les Bleus' next game versus the Netherlands on Friday.