Euro 2016

The European Championship kicked off yesterday with hosts France taking on Romania, a game I expect them to have won.

SATURDAYSwitzerland 2-1 ALBANIA 3pm

Loyalties will be divided in this fascinaing Group A clash in which, for the first time in the European Championship, brothers on opposing sides in Granit and Taulant Xhaka will be taking part.

Both are of Albanian heritage and were born in Basel but Granit will line up for Switzerland and older brother Taulant for their opponents. But the Albanians, for all their grit during the qualifier, might not have the mettle to deal with the nerve required of a championship. This is where Switzerland stands to have the edge.

WALES 2-2 SLOVAKIA 6pm

Wales could be in trouble here. For a team that relies heavily on one man (Gareth Bale), Slovakia could turn out a bad dream. This is a side that last week humbled world champions Germany in Munich, a side that has been Spain and Ukraine and a side that won six straight games en route to qualifying for Euros. Previous results between the two sides saw Wales thrashed 5-1 at home in 2006, but in the return game in Trnava, they won 5-2. But I am gunning for a draw here.

ENGLAND 2-1 RUSSIA 9pm

Noisemakers England will be the favourites to win this group, but that will not come easy for a team boasting of several overrated players at a time manager Roy Hodgson doesn’t seem to have found his true identity in terms of starting XI yet.

OTHER FIXTURES

TURKEY 1-3 CROATIA 3pmPOLAND 3-0 N. IRELAND 6pmGERMANY 5-1 UKRAINE 9pmSPAIN 1-1 Czech 3pmIRELAND 2-3 SWEDEN 6pmBELGIUM 2-0 CROATIA 9pmCHILE 2-1 BOLIVIA 1AmUSA 1-1 PARAGUAY 1Am

jacobs.seaman@newtimes.co.rw