Euros 2021: Our Top 5 match moments so far and goals
From breathtaking goals to Cristiano Ronaldo breaking more records – these are our top 5 moments of the EUROs thus far
The EUROs kicked off last week after such a long wait due to COVID19. The week has been action packed with stunning goals, tense moments & a few surprises here and there – making it a pure spectacle. The EUROs and the biggest sport in the world never disappoint on the big stage! From Ronaldo’s standout performance to a wonder goals worthy of the goal of the tournament award! SiGMA News takes a look at some top 5 Euro moments so far:
5. Ronaldo breaks more records
We kick off our list with a player who is always the centre of attention whichever game or tournament is being played. Cristiano Ronaldo is known for breaking records wherever he goes be it at Real Madrid and Juventus or on national team duty with Portugal. It literally took one of the greatest players of our generation less than one game to break the EURO goalscoring record.
Iti is no wonder he keeps strengthening his position as darling among fans and on the sports-betting industry. After scoring a brace against Hungary, in what is the group of death featuring powerhouses France & Germany, Ronaldo moved clear of Michel Platini as EURO’s all-time goal scorer. However, this was not the only record broken by Ronaldo. By starting and playing against Hungary, Ronaldo featured in his fifth EURO finals – the most by a player ever!
Ronaldo is also set to break another record for most appearances (including qualifying) in the next few games, making it a record-breaking start for Cristiano Ronaldo!
4. Spain and Germany falter at first hurdle
We can forgive Germany for losing at the first hurdle since their first match was against favourites France.
France are clear favourites to go all the way but still faced stiff competition against a new-look Germany side, the battle for qualification in their group is going to be intense especially when Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are waiting in the wing together with a stubborn Hungary!
Unfortunately, the same can not be said for Spain. Spain’s group consists of Sweden, Poland and Slovakia – an easy ride in the park for the quality that Spain has in its team. However, Spain were lucky to end their first game vs Sweden in a draw as Sweden had a golden chance to take the lead after neat work from Alexander Isak left his striking compatriot all alone with only the goal to miss – which he did!
Spain and Germany both have work to do if they want to make an impact in the tournament!
3. Mixed fortunes for dark horses
Many people have pinpointed a number of countries that have the potential to be dark horses. In the run-up to the tournament, many people had Turkey as their main dark horse to go all the way.
Turkey had a run of impressive results before the EURO’s so it came as a surprise that they are already on the way to being knocked out of the tournament especially considering that they did not find themselves in a tough group like Hungary.
Having said that, Turkey were in the same group as another dark horse favourite – Italy. The Italians are always there when they manage to qualify for a big tournament.
Italy, managed by Roberto Mancini, entered the tournament with an impressive unbeaten run of 27 games and have now extended that run to 29 – winning two out of two with only Wales standing in their way for a perfect group stage record. Keep an eye on Italy as they could go all the way!
2. Favourites off to a flyer
Neutral fans always wait in anticipation for a major shock during the opening games. However, they were left disappointed as the top 4 favourites all won their first game comfortably. France, England, Belgium and Portugal all got off to flyers with comfortable wins, except France who were the most tested out of the four vs Germany. Meanwhile, England finally got their World Cup revenge on Croatia by beating them 1-0 & Belgium also won comfortably.
Now the questions is: Which favourite will go all the way?
1. Goal of the tournament contenders
The first week of the EURO’s saw two breathtaking goals! Fortunately, for the neutral fan, the first week of the EURO’s was a goal-fest but there were two goals that really stood out. Patrick Schick’s goal from the half way line vs Scotland will definitely be up there at the end of the EUROs for goal of the tournament, while Andriy Yarmolenko’s goal was also a sublime piece of skill and technique!
Let’s hope we’ll see some more goals like these two in the coming weeks!
Now that our list for the top 5 EURO moments so far is done and dusted – SiGMA News will also like to give a special mention to Christian Eriksen. We are thankful that Eriksen is recovering well and hope to see him back healthy and fit!
About Malta Week:
For the first time ever SiGMA Group is bringing its 4 leading shows together for the mother of all conferences. From the 16th to 18th November, SiGMA, alongside AGS and AIBC will bring the best in the business to a first-class meeting point at the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre (MFCC).
The week will also play host to the second edition of Med-Tech World, a digital health conference which will be held at the Hilton, Malta.
Malta Week is a chance for investors to leverage the significant crossover potential for multi-faceted business deals and to double down on opportunities to connect with some of the leading affiliates, policy makers, thought leaders, suppliers, and operators in the industry.
