Euro 2024 fixtures: Cristiano Ronaldo draws a blank, Cole Palmer winner and more signs from last clashes

In the search for clues as to how the opening round of games at Euro 2024 might go we’ve looked at the last clashes between the sides.

Half the fixtures are repeats of games that have happened over the last couple of years, thanks in large part to the Nations League, but a couple haven’t been played in over a decade while it will be the first meeting of two teams in Germany.

We got around that one, sort of, and look forward to Cristiano Ronaldo drawing a blank as Portugal spank Czech Republic but may not bother watching Spain vs Croatia.

Scotland 2-3 Germany

September 2015: European Championship qualifier

Mats Hummels scored an own goal to cancel out a Thomas Muller opener before Muller scored again and Ilkay Gundogan ensured all three points following a Scotland equaliser. Remarkable that nine years later the Germany goalscorers could be the same in the Euro 2024 opener, save for Hummels, who scored own goals off the pitch to ensure his absence from the tournament. Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos also started that last clash at Hampden Park.

Switzerland 5-2 Hungary

October 2017: World Cup qualifier

Granit Xhaka opened the scoring for Switzerland, who had nine of the same players then as they do now. Xherdan Shaqiri is set to play in his seventh major tournament in Germany and is somehow only 32. There were 12 goals between the sides across both qualifiers in 2017, with Switzerland also winning in Hungary 3-2. More of the same please.

Spain 0-0 Croatia

June 2023: Nations League final

Seven shots on target across 120 tiresome minutes of football to round off a competition that nobody asked for but most quite enjoyed before the final. If you’ve wiped it from your memory, Spain won on penalties in the end. That’s our great hope for the opening weekend dashed.

Albania 1-3 Italy

November 2022: Friendly

Two goals and an assist for poor Vincenzo Grifo, who has a remarkable record of seven goal contributions in 498 minutes of action for his country but hasn’t been given a sniff since Luciano Spalletti took charge. Instead Federico Chiesa will be looking to rediscover his Euro 2020 form on the left wing.

Denmark 2-1 Slovenia

November 2023: European Championship qualifier

Shouldn’t be allowed to meet in the group stage of the tournament proper having been in the same qualifying group in our opinion, but anyway, unsurprisingly all three goalscorers – Joakim Maehle, Thomas Delaney and Erik Janza – have made the cut for Germany. The other qualifier ended 1-1, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring the equaliser.

England 2-1 Serbia & Montenegro

June 2003: Friendly

England have never played Serbia in the 18 years since they split from Montenegro so excuse us, this is as close as we could get. Joe Cole secured victory in the skillful-No.10-from-the-bench role a la Cole Palmer for an England team featuring none other than Gareth Southgate after Serbia cancelled out Steven Gerrard’s opener at the Walkers Stadium. Simpler times. Simpler crisps.