Champions of Europe

So we did get to see Ronaldo tears, for a variety of different reasons in the end, as Portugal beat the host nation to win their first ever major trophy.

Much has been made of the fact that Portugal only won one game in regular time throughout the entire tournament but this well drilled, organised side was able to thwart the French attack last night - and push forward when necessary to win the European Championship.

With Ronaldo missing the majority of the match after being carried off on a stretcher following a collision with Dimitri Payet most observers would have given Portugal even less of a chance of victory. But they showed that their team - and squad - had more quality than just their superstar, scoring in the second half of extra time to break French hearts.

France were dominant throughout the first half and Rui Patricio made a number of saves to keep the match goalless. One from a majestic header from Griezmann showed why the Portugal keeper was probably the best shot stopper in the tournament.

France, having most of the play, did not seem to be able to work out the clear cut chances that they needed to score and even when Ronaldo exited the pitch, Portugal's regrouping denied the hosts any really good opportunities.

In all fairness this wasn't a classic final but there was enough happening to keep the interest of the neutral. France almost nicked it right at the end when substitute Gignac turned wonderfully in the six yard box to make space for what was a scuffed shot that beat Lloris but not the post.

Extra time it was and Portugal defied expectations by turning their game up a notch. If anything they were the attacking side in this period and nearly took the lead when the very impressive Guerreiro hit the bar with a powerful free kick with around ten minutes to go.

But just a minute later Eder picked the ball up around 30 yards out, shrugged off the challenge of Koscielny and fired an unstoppable shot to the right of Lloris in the French goal. It had looked for a while that one goal would win this final and that proved to be the case.

Ronaldo, with his leg heavily strapped, encouraged his teammates from the sidelines as the seconds ticked away and then the ref blew his whistle to give Portugal a famous victory.

Pundits have been quick to criticise the organisation and format of the tournament - a fair point given that a third place team went on to lift the trophy - but there is nothing quite like a major international tournament and for everyone who enjoyed watching Wales, Iceland and Gabor Kiraly's tracksuit trousers this has been a memorable few weeks. Not a classic tournament but one with some definite highlights.

And if you're worrying about where you're going to get your Euro 2016-style football report fix now the tournament is over, never fear. I'm going to have a few tournament round up pieces for you in the next few days to keep you going (you lucky people!)

No Shame

So it was not to be. Wales failed to score for the first time in this tournament and were beaten by two goals in three minutes that take Portugal through to the final.

It was billed as the battle between Ronaldo and Bale but anyone who has watched both these sides would know that they are both much more than sidekicks to their respective superheroes. And with Wales and Portugal both missing key players it was always going to be a case of whose absence was felt the greatest.

Although Bale is undoubtedly the star of the Welsh side it is Aaron Ramsey that has ran the show, being able to defend and attack in equal measure and push the entire team forward. And how he was missed last night. Wales never looked as inventive or creative as they had done against Russia and Belgium, although Portugal were not offering much in return.

The first half was a fairly stale affair with an early showing of Ronaldo's frustration one of few highlights. Joe Allen was unable to make the incisive runs he showed in previous matches and although the Wales defence was tight, Portugal were having few problems containing Robson-Kanu or any other Welsh threat.

It was still goalless at the break but within a few minutes of the restart Portugal had taken the lead. They had come out much stronger and seemingly with real intent and it showed in the 50th minute when Ronaldo leapt highest - and longest - to fire a trademark header past Hennessey in the Welsh goal.

Wales had not really looked like scoring up until this point and Portugal put the game beyond any real doubt just three minutes later when Nani stretched out his leg to deflect a Ronaldo shot into the net to make it 2-0.

Chris Coleman did his best to refresh the side, throwing on Jonny Williams, Simon Church and Sam Vokes in a bid to get back into the game but even though there was more attacking strength there was still little to show for it. Gareth Bale attempted to take matters into his own hands with some powerful runs but his shots were easily fielded by Rui Patricio and Wales could not get the goal that would have given them the belief that they could go on and get another.

Portugal took off Sanches with a quarter of an hour still to go, possibly to give him some extra rest before the final. They will be hoping that he can provide Ronaldo with opportunities to score against either France or Germany as he is the biggest threat in the rest of the team - even at his young age.

As for Wales, reaching the semi final stage in their first major tournament for nearly 60 years seems like a poor consolation this morning but the entire squad can take great heart and pride in their performances in France and now look ahead to the World Cup qualifiers that begin in September.

Wales desperately missed Aaron Ramsey and just didn't have enough to break down a Portugal side who hadn't lost a single match in the tournament. They will now go home with their heads held high while Ronaldo will have to figure out how to lead his side to the victory he yearns for against either France or Germany on Sunday.

The second semi final brings together two of the favourites in what should be a really enthralling game. Neither side has looked overly dominant up to now but the performance from France against Iceland - along with home support - could give them the confidence that they need to beat Germany.

Mario Gomez is injured so won't be playing tonight and it could be the lack of a proper striker that is Germany's downfall. Goetze looked woefully out of form - and position - in the first two group games and Joachim Low's men will have to rely on the attacking prowess of the midfield if they are to progress. Or maybe Thomas Mueller will finally click into gear and score some goals?

Didier Deschamps has no such selection worries with his entire squad fit and now suspension free. If this match was taking place anywhere apart from in France I would be going for a German win but I think the home side will use their advantages well tonight and make it to the final - without the need for extra time and penalties.

Together Stronger

No Ronaldo tears yet. Shocked into the game by an early Polish goal, Portugal eventually go through to the semi finals on penalties.

Ronaldo is still misfiring, slapping his thighs and shouting to the heavens but his side are through to their fourth semi final in five European Championships and will now think that they can go all the way.

Poland had the best possible start with Robert Lewandowski finally scoring within two minutes of the kick off. A long ball was hopelessly misjudged by Cedric Soares, allowing the very impressive Grosicki to put a low cross into the six yard box where the Bayern man was able to direct it past Rui Patricio and into the net.

Portugal looked stunned and for the next ten minutes or so Poland piled on the pressure having a few more good chances without adding to the score. Then it all calmed down a little bit and Portugal took control. Renato Sanches in particular orchestrated the play from the middle of the pitch and looked like he was worth every penny that Bayern Munich paid Benfica for him.

And it was no surprise that it was Sanches that drew Portugal level just after the half hour mark. Cutting in from the right, Sanches played a neat one two with Nani and curled a shot from the edge of the box - via a slight deflection - into the net. It was nothing more than Portugal deserved but both sides had looked good and pleasantly surprised most viewers expecting a dull game.

Those expectations, unfortunately, were to be met - and then exceeded - as the game went on. The second half was most notable for Ronaldo reverting to the way he performed in the first two games of the group stage - and another pitch invader.

Ronaldo made a mess of one through ball in particular when he missed the ball completely attempting to shoot - an action that perfectly summed up the second half of the match. Poland looked more confident of the tie going to penalties while everyone else sat through a turgid extra time period.

After three penalties each both sides hadn't missed but then Blaszczykowski - the hero in the match against Switzerland - had his effort saved at full stretch by Rui Patricio. Next up was Quaresma, who had come on for the woeful Joao Mario, and the rejuvenated forward swept the ball into the roof of the net to put Portugal through to the semis.

Poland didn't really look like winning the match even after their early goal and the incisive play from Sanches gave Portugal a distinct advantage. Ronaldo still isn't hitting top form though and he will need to do so if they are ultimately going to be victorious.

Tonight's match sees Wales face Belgium for what seems like about the hundredth time in the past few seasons. These sides faced each other in qualifying for this tournament where Wales took four points off the Belgian 'golden generation'. But not too much should be read into that. Belgium can be very arrogant in their play and not perform as well as they might if they believe that they have a right to beat a supposed smaller nation. I can't see them playing that way today.

From losing in their first group match, Belgium have clicked into gear and, led by an Eden Hazard showing the form of previous seasons, will be very confident of meeting Portugal in the semi final. But if this tournament has been encapsulated by one theme it has been teamwork and the 'Together Stronger' slogan of Wales is much more than a marketing gimmick.

Although they lost to England, Wales deservedly topped the group by playing to their strengths, teamwork and passion, backed up by some exemplary individual displays. Ramsey and Allen in particular have been outstanding, giving Bale the room to add his little bit of magic. The fact that Bale has not looked at his very best yet shows how well Wales as a whole have played - and how much Belgium should worry that he hits his stride tonight,

Although I obviously would love for Wales to reach the semi finals (even just typing that is incredible) Belgium seem to be back at their best and it will be very tough for Chris Coleman's men. Belgium are missing some vital players in defence so that could be where Wales might win this game. As much as it pains me to say it, I think Belgium will probably nick it but I'm hoping that my standard of predicting matches continues in its usual way tonight!

We Go On...

After two horrible, soul-destroying days without football the European Championship is back as Poland face Portugal in the first of the quarter finals.

Most people would probably have predicted Poland getting out of their group but to qualify unbeaten and then follow that up with a win on penalties over Switzerland is a real achievement.

When you consider that their star man - Robert Lewandowski - has not had a very good tournament then it shows that the whole squad has really come through to get them this far. This togetherness has been a common theme in this competition and they will need it tonight against the more fancied Portugal.

Arkadiusz Milik has also been fairly woeful up front for Poland but he has at least been getting into good positions - he just needs to start putting some of his chances away.

Portugal limped through to the second round without a single victory against Iceland, Hungary or Austria. Although they have a good squad, much has been put on the shoulders of Ronaldo and his frustration in not being able to deliver has been there for all to see.

Ricardo Quaresma scored the late late winner against a much lauded Croatia team in the second round and it should be worrying for Poland that Portugal seem to be finally getting into gear. The introduction of Bayern Munich new boy Renato Sanches bolsters an already impressive midfield and the whole squad will be confident going into this game.

Although Poland have strength at the back and Kapustka back from suspension I think Portugal are starting to play just at the right time. If Ronaldo can stop getting so angry and play football instead of sulking his team should go through. It may well be a tight affair so I'm going for Portugal 1 Poland 0.

Day 16 in France

Back to business with three second round matches consisting of, well, not that much really.

Poland beat Switzerland on penalties in the first match with a tempo of play that dictated how the rest of the day went. The Poles started much brighter but both sides looked over cautious with some terrible finishing on show.

Poland took the lead just before half time through Blaszczykowski who finished off a swift counter attack. The midfielder had scored against Ukraine in their final group match and gave his side a deserved lead.

The two Polish forwards - Lewandowski and Milik - looked very poor once again and it was Switzerland who finally perked up in the second half and looked the more likely to score. And their equaliser was a thing of pure beauty.

A speculative cross from Lichsteiner was only half cleared by the Polish defence and, as the ball bobbled up, Xherdan Shaqiri executed a sublime scissor kick volley from the edge of the area that dropped perfectly into the Polish net.

It was a goal that deserved to send Switzerland through but with no more goals added in the ten minutes remaining - or the extra time period - it was penalties in the first knock out match of Euro 2016.

Both sides scored their first attempts before new Arsenal man Granit Xhaka hit his effort wide of the post. The rest of the spot kicks were all successful giving Grzegorz Krychowiak the honour of sending his side through to the quarter finals.

The second match of the day was another tense affair with both Wales and Northern Ireland looking nervous in what was a largely uneventful match. Northern Ireland got control of the game in the first half, nullifying Gareth Bale and looking the better side without really looking like they might score.

Aaron Ramsey was nowhere near as effective as he had been against Russia and Joe Allen looked frustrated at his limited chances to get things going in the middle of the pitch.

Northern Ireland's tactics stopped Gunter and Taylor being able to push forward for the Welsh so their was no chance to pull out the defence splitting diagonal balls that worked so well for them in their final group game.

The game finally opened up a little as time went on and Bale was able to get a few runs going but with little effect until the 75th minute. After beating his man, Bale whipped in a low cross into the six yard box and Gareth McAuley, a hero for Northern Ireland against Ukraine, could only poke it in to his own net in an attempt to stop Hal Robson-Kanu connecting.

Wales are now through to the quarter finals where they will play either Hungary or Belgium on Friday night.

The final match of the day pitted the skillful Croatian side against Ronaldo's Portugal. If we thought that the two previous games had lacked excitement we hadn't seen anything yet. For a match with Modric, Rakitic, Ronaldo and Sanches - plus all the other highly talented players on show - we were presented a turgid match with absolutely no spark or innovation.

Both sides were so desperate not to lose that they simply forgot about trying to win. As the match crept towards the end of extra time, with penalties seemingly on the cards, Croatia finally pushed forward. Unfortunately for them it was their undoing. Perisic hit the base of the post with a header and with the ensuing counter attack Portugal scored.

Nani ultimately crossed from the edge of the area to Ronaldo whose shot was only parried onto the head of the incoming Quaresma. The Croatian players were distraught as the final whistle blew just minutes later and it is a shame that a side that looked so good in their group matches (apart from the capitulation to the Czech Republic) are now on their way home.

Other things I noticed...

• Wolfsburg's Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez has been hyped up throughout the tournament but didn't impress in any of the games I saw. Does he play in a different role for his club?
• As much as I admire the unique kit of Croatia, chequered socks are a step too far
• Speaking of kits, the Portugal second strip is an insult to the eyes
• Perisic's hair. We will say no more

Sunday sees three more matches to enjoy/endure with France taking on Ireland in the early game. Although it would be nice to think that the football gods will wreak revenge for Thierry Henry's cheating hand, the hosts will be far too strong and I can see them getting a few goals against a creaky Irish defence. I'm going for 3-0.

Hopefully these games will have a little bit more excitement than Saturday's but Slovakia will be looking to stop Germany play and nick a win so it will be up to the World champions to break their opponents down. I think they eventually will but don't expect a classic. Germany to win 1-0.

Hungary v Belgium in the final game of the day. I fear this will be the last outing for Gabor Kiraly's tracksuit bottoms, as although Belgium have looked far from being the 'golden generation' they should win here. Hungary have showed that they are no pushovers though and kept on coming back against Portugal in the final group game. I think Belgium will win in extra time - 1-0.

Two Days Off in France

Another day off today before we get down to the important business of knock out international football tomorrow. Saturday sees Switzerland v Poland, Wales v Northern Ireland and Croatia v Portugal. The middle game of the three has obviously attracted most of the attention but each match up is intriguing and we could be in for a treat.

There is the prospect of defensive football taking over as sides try everything they can not to lose rather than win games but hopefully some of the real superstars in these teams will choose tomorrow to put on a show.

Switzerland looked out of sorts against Albania in their first match but still managed to get the crucial win before drawing against both Romania and France. Their star players are yet to perform and they may feel that attrition is the way to go against Poland.

The Poles are in a similar position having not played that well yet still going into the second round unbeaten. Robert Lewandowski has looked particularly out of sorts with Milik picking up the slack. The Ajax striker has found good positions in all three matches without actually finding his finishing form.

These two sides are pretty evenly matched but I fancy Switzerland to go through if their players can rise to the occasion. It might go to penalties though!

Wales and Northern Ireland both qualified much to the surprise to most neutrals. Northern Ireland have looked a very cohesive unit and it will be this team strength that they will be hoping will be too much for the Welsh. Unfortunately for them Wales have just about trademarked 'teamwork' - even their slogan is 'Together Stronger'.

Gareth Bale finally clicked into gear against a very poor Russian side but his presence alone puts fear into opponents. Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey have been superb, running the show in the middle with the rest of the side playing as a team to see them qualify top of their group.

Wales should be too strong for Northern Ireland tomorrow and their superior class will show. Northern Ireland's fans will no doubt make it a great occasion but I see them going home after this one - 2-0 to Wales.

The final match of the day could be a real cracker. Croatia have come past the incidents of their second match with the Czech Republic to look like real contenders for the title. The speed and skill on show has been a delight to watch, even with Modric injured for the last game.

Portugal just about limped through to the second round thanks to Ronaldo finally scoring some goals. I've said before that they are more than a one man team but they really need the Real Madrid ace to perform if they are to beat Croatia tomorrow. I think they will play better than they have in the group stage - they couldn't get much worse - but to lose out to the better team in the end. Croatia to win 2-1.

Day Thirteen in France

After 13 days and 36 games the group stage of Euro 2016 is over. We have said goodbye to a grand total of 8 countries from the original 24. Now the real football starts.

Most of the attention seemed to be on who was going to be the best third placed sides but there was a lot still to determine in both Groups E and F.

The early games saw Iceland play supposed dark horses Austria while Ronaldo battled to keep Portugal in the competition against surprise group leaders Hungary. The matches ended up being two of the best we have seen so far.

Hungary and Portugal traded goals like two over the hill heavyweight boxers slugging it out in the final round. Zoltan Gera struck first for Hungary before Nani brought Portugal back into the match just before half time.

Dzsudzsak twice put Hungary back in the lead only to be pegged back by Ronaldo who at last found some real form. One of the Portuguese captain's goals was a wonderful flick, the other a commanding glancing header. But the two sides couldn't be separated meaning that Hungary won the group they were expected to prop up. Portugal had to make do with scraping through as one of the best third place sides. And that was down to the amazing story that is Iceland.

Once again Iceland were not fancied to take anything from a match and once again they defied expectations. If Austria thought that their opponents would sit back and try to grind out the draw they needed they were sadly mistaken. It took Jon Dadi Bodvarsson under 20 minutes to open the scoring and Iceland had already hit the woodwork before then.

Dragovic missed a first half penalty for Austria befoe they finally drew level on the hour mark. Alessandro Schopf scored a great goal after a Ricky Villa-esque dribble but as much as they tried they couldn't get the second goal that would have put them through to the next round.

But Iceland were not finished. As the seconds ticked away in injury time they sprinted into one last counter attack culminating in Traustason sliding in at the far post to squeeze it past Almer in the Austrian goal to seal the win. Apart from a moment of intense drama it showed the spirit of the Iceland team that should act as a warning to England that they won't be a push over in the second round.

Group E was a little bit more straight forward but no less dramatic. Belgium finally overcame Sweden in a drab game with Chelsea target Radja Nainggolan benefiting from a wicked deflection to score past the Swedish keeper and cement their second place finish.

Italy had already won the group and knowing that they would be facing Spain in the next round rested a number of players. The Azzurri definitely looked a weakened side but Ireland, although performing much better than in their previous two matches, still didn't seem to have the quality that they needed to get the three points that would put them through.

In a last roll of the dice Martin O'Neill put on Wes Hoolahan with just over ten minutes to go. Ireland's most creative player had been dropped in a bid to muscle the Italians out of the match but almost as soon as he came on he was given the perfect chance to score. The pressure got to the Norwich midfielder who could only shoot straight at Sirigu - Buffon's woeful replacement in the Italy goal.

Everyone thought that the one chance Ireland had needed had been and gone but with just five minutes left Hoolahan crossed perfectly onto the head of the very impressive Robbie Brady who expertly found the net and gave Ireland a dramatic victory.

The result was tough on Turkey who would have squeaked into the second round if Ireland hadn't scored but for sheer guts and determination Ireland deserved their win. They now face France on Sunday where I'm sure the fans will remind Thierry Henry of the last time they played each other in an important match.

Other things I have noticed...

• I'm very jealous of Icelandic captain Aron Gunnarsson's beard but his long throws are not really that long (although they do seem to be effective)
• It was only a matter of time before Ronaldo started scoring and the two he got against Hungary were fantastic
• Some of the Ireland players look like they had stepped off the local park to play - although the extra levels of sweating were probably down to the closed roof in Lille
• Such a sad way for Zlatan to finish his international career but he was really left to carry the Swedish side - and he didn't really do that well anyway

Obviously no games today - an absolute outrage - and we will have to wait until Saturday to get back into the swing of things with three second round matches. But never fear, I will still serve you my Euro 2016 ramblings tomorrow with a look ahead to the weekend's games.

Day Nine in France

With all sides now having played two games there is still not a clear favourite and, thanks to the expanded format, not many teams confirming their return tickets home.

Belgium finally showed their killer instinct against a poor Republic of Ireland side. They must be poor because Lukaku scored twice in their 3-0 victory. Although the Belgian striker had a terrible end of season for Everton (as did his club) and looked out of sorts in Belgium's first match he is a very good striker and a couple of goals will really boost his confidence.

Ireland will complain that they should have had a penalty when it was still 0-0 but they were outplayed yesterday and keeping Belgium down to just the three goals is probably an achievement in itself.

Group F's surprise leaders Hungary met Iceland in the second match of the day knowing that a win would put them through to the second round with a game - against Portugal - to spare. They started really well so it was unlucky for the all new Magnificent Magyars when Iceland got a penalty just before half time. It was unclear whether the culprit was tracksuit trouser enthusiast Gabor Kiraly but Sigurdsson put away the spot kick to put Iceland one up going into the break.

It looked like Iceland was going to get all three points but once again we saw a goal in the last few minutes with Saevarsson turning the ball into his own net to give Hungary a point. Iceland are still unbeaten going into their last game and Hungary stayed top of the group thanks to the result of the last game of the day.

Portugal had 23 shots compared to just four from Austria but they just couldn't make any of them pay as Ronaldo's men drew another game they had been expected to win. Nothing went right for Ronaldo who even missed a penalty to raise his already peaking levels of frustration. Ricardo Quaresma started but for all their invention and skill, Portugal couldn't break the deadlock.

The draw leaves the group wide open going into the final matches so both games should be tight affairs.

Other things I noticed yesterday...

• There was a lot of police in front of the Hungarian fans for a majority of the match
• Given his levels of frustration during the match it was a surprise that Ronaldo seemed fine posing for a photo with the guy who ran onto the pitch. Anything to look good for the cameras I guess?
• Austria celebrated their draw against Portugal like they had won. They seem to think they will have no problem getting three points against Iceland to take them through

We're down to the wire in the groups now so just two games played at the same time today. A draw would put both France and Switzerland through to the next round but I think France will want to keep up their unbeaten form and go for all three points. Switzerland have been largely unimpressive in their two games so far and I can see current player of the tournament Dimitri Payet scoring again tonight. I'm going for 2-0 to France.

Romania should be able to beat Albania so (if my other prediction remarkably comes true) it will come down to goal difference as they drew with Switzerland last Wednesday. Romania have only scored penalties so far so it will be interesting to see if they have the attacking strength to get through the Albanian defence. I can't see that happening so a 1-0 win is on the cards.

Day Five in France

Only two games on day five, which seems awfully early to take away our triple header of daily games, but they both brought us a few shocks and upsets.

Earlier in the day I heard Austria being described as 'potential dark horses' which seemed very faint praise indeed. Not even nailed on dark horses - just the potential to be one. Much was made of these dark ponies and when David Alaba hit the post in the first minute it looked as if it was going to be a very long 90 minutes for Hungary.

But Kiraly's tracksuit trousers inspired the not so magnificent Magyars and after Szalai had scored his first goal since about 1965, Austria were given an even harder task when Dragovic was sent off. The dark shetlands were always going to find it difficult after that and a sublime finish from Steiber made it two with minutes to spare.

Austria looked very ordinary and once again it was teamwork and togetherness that won through. Beautiful huh? The only disappointment was the lack of a Franz Ferdinand half time entertainment show (that's one for you history lovers out there).

The second match brought us an even bigger upset with Iceland grinding out a draw against Ronaldo's Portugal. Iceland looked in trouble in the first half with little invention and a real problem getting the ball out of their own half. They did have an early chance but it was no surprise when Nani scored the opener in the 31st minute after some nice work by Andre Gomes on the right.

It can never really be said that Ronaldo is anonymous in a match but he wasn't demanding the ball and running at the opposing defence and the more the game went on the more Iceland grew in confidence. This paid off just after the break when Bjarnason finished off a nice move and drew Iceland level.

Although Portugal did have the majority of possession after that it would unfair to say that Iceland simply parked the bus. They defended well but attacked when possible and thoroughly deserved the draw. It is probably fair to say that not many people would have had Hungary on top of the group after the first matches.

Other things I noticed...

• Although all footballers dive these days Hungary surely have to be the kings of the pathetic exaggeration
• The referee in the Austria v Hungary match was Clement Turpin. I like that a lot.
• Apparently Iceland has a population roughly the same as Leicester. Is everything comparable to Leicester these days?
• For some reason I was disappointed with the lack of beards in the Iceland side
• Is there a bigger pantomime villain in the world of football than Pepe?
• Did anyone else notice a Germany flag with 'Fuchtorf' written across it at the Portugal v Iceland match? Think about it...

So everyone has played one match now and while no one team has stood out, there have been some good performances - many from nations that you wouldn't have expected it from. I've been impressed with Croatia, Italy and Germany without thinking any of them will definitely be going all the way. There are some big names that need points in the second round of games so we should be in for a bit of a treat over the next few days.

Back to three matches on day six. Russia v Slovakia in the early game. Neither of these sides looked particularly good in their first outing and I can see another draw on the cards - I'm going for 1-1.

A draw would probably be enough for Switzerland but I think they will get another win against Romania. They didn't impress against Albania but a favourable schedule will help them through. I predict a 2-1 Swiss victory.

I've completely reversed my prediction of Albania as dark horses (light cows?) and fully expect France to comprehensively beat them in Marseille. I'm fully aware that this will probably mean Albania will win now but I'm going for a 3-0 French victory. Allez les Bleus!

Day Four in France

Well yesterday's predictions were spectacularly bad but, as the cliche goes, I'm glad to say that football was in the end the winner.

When will people stop writing Italy off? (At this point I must admit that I also wrote Italy off yesterday but that doesn't make my point any less valid!) Supposedly the worst Italian side in 50 years put on the performance of the tournament so far and beat Belgium's 'golden generation'.

I've mentioned before that I'm not entirely convinced by Belgium and see them as a team of individuals who don't always perform when expected. Last night was a brilliant example of that. Italy played a fast, flowing brand of football with their defenders making the type of 40 yard diagonal balls that Steven Gerrard could only dream about.

The first goal was a thing of beauty. An inch perfect pass from Bonucci, controlled perfectly by Sunderland reject (!) Giaccherini before he slotted it past Courtois in the Belgian goal. And it was nothing more than they deserved. An injury time second goal from Southampton's Graziano Pelle made the victory even sweeter.

Belgium should still qualify from a group that also contains the Republic of Ireland and Sweden but their limitations have been shown once again. This was the best match we've seen so far and with most of the sides having played now it is still completely up in the air as to who will probably win the trophy.

The day started off with Spain seeing off the Czech Republic thanks to a Gerard Pique headed goal three minutes from time. I didn't get to see this match live (I know! Someone should be paying me to watch these games...) but the highlights showed that Spain were well on top with the Czechs looking very lacklustre.

Ireland nearly pulled off what would definitely have been considered an upset but in the end had to be content with a point against Sweden. Zlatan didn't really turn up for the first half and only fine saves from the Swedish keeper and the woodwork (I know they're not made out of wood but I love the terminology) kept Ireland - and Derby's Jeff Kendrick in particular - from taking the lead.

Wes Hoolahan finally opened the scoring in the second half with a lovely finish after Seamus Coleman had done some really good work out on the right. But an own goal levelled the scores with 20 minutes to go and that is how it stayed. Ciaran Clark may have put the ball in the back of his own net but the goal was all down to Ibrahimovic's persistence and it looks like he will have to carry Sweden through the remaining two matches if they have are to have any chance of getting out of the group.

Other things I noticed...

• Loved how Czech defender Roman Hubnik went for the whole 'geography teacher who also takes PE' look (see below)
• What was Pique's goal celebration gesture all about? He looked like an over elaborate Bono
• I used to like Ireland's Jon Walters when he shaved his hair. Now he looks like a sales rep for a small drinks firm in the north west
• Big fan of Ireland's kit - although they stretched authenticity a bit far by using the 'fake Irish pub' font for the names on the back of their shirts
• Italian footballers give the best anthem
• Italy showed the same squad togtherness that Wales did the other day - it will take them far
• Romelu Lukaku is really bad at major tournaments
• Martin Keown is an earnestly appalling co-commentator

And so to today's games. Just the two - what fresh hell is this? - to enjoy. Austria take on Hungary in Bordeaux and will be looking for their own superstar, David Alaba to inspire the side to victory, And they should be too good for Hungary who should have tracksuit trouser wearing custodian Gabor Kiraly in goal. I'm going for a 2-0 victory for Austria.

It sounds like Ricardo Quaresma might miss the match tonight which is a massive shame considering he has had a brilliant season both for his club side Besiktas and the national team. Ronaldo has his own injury worries but should play. Expect Iceland to attempt to stifle the Portuguese creativity but I can't see them keeping them out for the entire match. Portugal are far more than just Ronaldo and I expect them to go far in this tournament. They'll start tonight by winning 2-0.

Almost There!

This time tomorrow it will have started, a month of top class football (hopefully). There is nothing like an international tournament and even with the ridiculous decision to extend the competition to 24 nations, the excitement is rising.

I'm going to share my thoughts on the tournament on a daily basis - you lucky people! - as well as predict the score of each game. Those of you who followed by crystal ball gazing during the World Cup in Brazil will know I probably won't be troubling the bookies too much.

So, here's to some memorable football and breathtaking displays. I'll share my thoughts after the France match tomorrow but in the mean time here's a couple of things I think could happen in the next month...

• England will actually be quite good (although not good enough)
• Albania will surprise a lot of people and qualify from Group A
• Spain, while nowhere near as bad as at the World Cup in Brazil, will not return to their glory days
• Belgium will, once again, not live up to their hype
• Portugal will prove that they are not a one man team (look out for the enigmatic Quaresma)

Ronaldo

Next up for the Bet Victor Euro 2016 Blog is a piece about Ronaldo - and Portugal's chances in France - Is CR7 Your Million Pound Man?