More UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers, plus the ongoing league action in the Brasileiro Série A!
Don’t think for one second that this will be a quiet summer! The European leagues may have come to an end, but that will only bring further light to the other domestic seasons ongoing throughout the summer months. The pick of the action this midweek comes in the Brasileiro Série A with some historic derbies and battles at the top of the table, but that’s not all! More drama awaits in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying campaign and, for one particular nation, a blistering start to their qualifiers has seen them defeat ALL of the favourites in their group to give them a great chance of making a rare appearance in a major tournament! Can they keep their run of form going?
Not sure who to take a punt on? Then read our preview and place your bets wisely!
Contents:
- UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying – Iceland vs Portugal
- UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying – Scotland vs Georgia
- Brasileiro Série A – Santos vs Corinthians
- Brasileiro Série A – Fluminense vs Atlético Mineiro
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying – Iceland vs Portugal
Between 2016 and 2018 Iceland were one of football’s biggest stories, the Nordic island nation with a population of just 375,000 impressed fans from around the globe by becoming the smallest country to ever qualify for a Euros (2016) and also a World Cup (2018). Their performances in Euro 2016 were particularly impressive as they went all the way to the Quarterfinals in their first ever major tournament. Since then, there has been very little to be excited about. In an attempt to get back involved in these competitions, Strákarnir okkar have it all to do in UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying, currently 5th in their group and 4 points behind 2nd, the first automatic qualification position. Only 1 win from their 3 games so far shows they need improvement but it’s not like they don’t know how to score, managing a thumping 7-0 win in their sole victory so far against Liechtenstein, but now comes a much tougher opponent: Portugal have not yet conceded a SINGLE GOAL in these qualifiers. Coincidentally, the last time these 2 teams met came during Iceland’s fantastic Euro 2016 run, a 1-1 draw where Iceland finished ahead of Portugal in the Group Stage!
Of course, Portugal went on to lift the Euro 2016 trophy, their first major silverware, but sights will once more be set on trying to win the European Championship again. Whilst we are only in qualifying, the initial signs are positive: Portugal have dominated their group so far, winning all 3 of their games whilst scoring 13 goals, and conceding 0! It’s the perfect start for new manager Roberto Martínez, ex-Belgium boss that joined Portugal following the World Cup, and he will be grateful to have the evergreen phenomenon of Cristiano Ronaldo at his disposal, 4 of Portugal’s 13 qualifying goals have been scored by Ronaldo which have helped him become the all-time leading goal scorer in international football (122 goals). There’s still a long way to go in qualifying, 7 matches remain, but Portugal’s dominance so far in their group (containing Slovakia, Luxembourg, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Liechtenstein) suggests they may already be thinking towards the finals competition in Germany next summer. Another win here against Iceland will get them closer to that objective!
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying – Scotland vs Georgia
In a UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying group containing Spain and Norway, who would have thought that Scotland and Georgia would be in the Top 2 positions?! Scotland are absolutely flying, they have only appeared in one major tournament this century (Euro 2020, no World Cup appearances since 1998), and all of a sudden they have a wonderful opportunity to make it to back-to-back European Championships. Steve Clarke’s men have won ALL of their 3 games so far which has included memorable victories against both Spain (2-0) and Norway (2-1) just a few days ago. As a result, the Scots are getting closer and closer to a ticket to Euro 2024, standing in their way is Georgia whom they have faced on 4 previous occasions, with the home side always coming out on top (Scotland 2 wins, Georgia 2 wins). With this fixture coming at Hampden Park, can Scotland keep this run going and make it 4 wins out of 4 in qualifying?
Scotland are racing away with the group, but 2nd place is quite tightly contested. So far, Georgia occupy that spot on 4 points but, with Spain lurking behind on 3 points, the Jvarosnebi know they need wins to keep them ahead of the original group favourites. They do have a game in hand over Scotland, that will come at a later date, but so far their opening 2 matches have seen impressive performances against Norway (1-1 draw) and a 2-1 victory over Cyprus. Whilst the majority of attention has gone the way of recent Serie A winner Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, there is another potential Georgian superstar within their ranks: Georges Mikautadze. The 22-year-old striker (the same age as Kvaratskhelia) has scored in both of Georgia’s qualifying games so far and has been in fine goalscoring form at club level too, scoring 23 goals for FC Metz in their promotion back to France’s Ligue 1. It’s a positive new footballing era for Georgia with these young talents, how far can they take their nation in this qualifying campaign?
Brasileiro Série A – Santos vs Corinthians
Already 10 games into the Brasileirão season and it’s up to everyone else to chase down the current league leaders Botafogo, but who could have expected two historical clubs in Brazilian football lingering so low down the table? Santos, despite their size, have been meandering in midtable so perhaps a current 13th-place standing has little surprise, but the real shock is that Corinthians, champions 3 times in the last 12 years, are in 16th and just one point above the relegation zone!
What better way for these two teams to attempt to revive their seasons than the Clássico Alvinegro, 347 previous meetings between these two titans in the state of São Paulo. Santos haven’t really been known for being a goalscoring team in recent seasons, averaging around one goal per game in the last 2 campaigns (79 goals in 76 games) and that seems to be the case this year again: just the 9 goals scored in 10 matches is the joint second-worst tally in the league (only worse is Coritiba in 20th with 8 goals), but the advantage for Santos is that their defence makes up for a lack of attacking action: Odair Hellmann’s men have conceded only 8 goals so far, the joint second-best tally in the league (only bettered by Botafogo, in 1st, with 7 conceded). It does result in very few thrills in their matches, but can that change in the fiery atmosphere of a derby?
We mention Santos’ struggles for goals, but it’s the exact same scenario for Corinthians. They too have only scored 9 goals from 10 games this season, made worse by the fact their defence is not as watertight as that of their rivals (15 goals conceded). All of this means that Timão languish just above the relegation zone by a single point (16th) and just 1 win from their last 9 league matches highlights the huge concern amongst the Corinthians faithful. Their only saving grace is their unbeaten home form so far (won 2, drawn 3) but it’s a totally different tale on their travels: Corinthians have lost ALL of their 5 away games this season, and now they have to travel to the Vila Belmiro against their rivals. However, it is worth mentioning that the last time they met here in the league (October 2022), Corinthians did win away from home. Can they end this seasons’ travelling curse?
Brasileiro Série A – Fluminense vs Atlético Mineiro
Further up the Brasileirão table are Fluminense (5th) and Atlético Mineiro (4th), both battling for those Top 4 positions which automatically grant you a place in the Copa Libertadores next season. Of course, these are still the early stages of the season, but games like this against a direct rival are crucial in your ambitions to finish high in the rankings!
Fluminense’s positive start to the season that saw them climb into the Top 4 slightly fizzled away in recent weeks with defeats against Botafogo and struggling Corinthians, part of a run of current form that sees just 1 victory from 4 matches. Fernando Diniz’s men will be grateful to return home given that 3 of those 4 matches came on the road, doubly grateful because that sole victory in this period came within the walls of their own stadium, but a tough game awaits against Atlético Mineiro. After all, the Tricolor have only won 1 of their last 10 encounters against Atlético Mineiro in all competitions, but that one win did come the last time that they faced each other in Fluminense’s home. What a win it was, too, a 5-3 thriller last season and how Diniz would love for a repeat of that. Striker Germán Cano scored 2 in that game for Fluminense on his way to dominating the top scorer’s chart last season (26 goals), but he has only managed to find the net 3 times so far this campaign. Can Cano get back to his form from last year?
As for Atlético Mineiro, their rough start to the season (it saw them as low as 16th as one point) quickly recovered thanks to an ongoing unbeaten run of 6 matches (won 4, drawn 2) that has catapulted Galo up the rankings and into the Top 4. As mentioned, they do have the much better recent head-to-head record over Fluminense in all competitions (won 5, drawn 4, lost 1 in the last 10 meetings), but there just seems to be one thing that they fail to crack when it comes to league encounters: winning in the home of this opponent. Whilst they did earn a victory away from home against Fluminense in the Copa do Brasil last year, Atlético Mineiro have not celebrated an away league win against this opponent since 2015. The 2021 Brasileirão champions failed to mount a successful title defence last year (finished 7th in 2022), and the job for veteran manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is to get them back to the very top. However, by already trailing 1st-place Botafogo by 6 points, wins need to keep coming for Atlético Mineiro!