Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jonathan Liew, Sid Lowe, Nuno Travassos, Luke Entwistle and Nicolas Horn

Form, injuries and mood: how are the Euro 2024 favourites shaping up?

Spain’s Lamine Yamal, Diogo Jota of Portugal, France’s Kylian Mbappé, Ilkay Gündogan of Germany and England’s Declan Rice (left to right).
Spain’s Lamine Yamal, Diogo Jota of Portugal, France’s Kylian Mbappé, Ilkay Gündogan of Germany and England’s Declan Rice (left to right). Composite: Guardian Design; Reuters; EPA; Action Plus/Shutterstock

France

How is the form? Les Bleus approach a tournament in which they are one of the favourites disjointed and in search of fluidity. Kylian Mbappé sounded the alarm after a 2-0 loss against Germany in March. “There are lots of warnings: technically, tactically, in terms of desire and even efficiency too,” said the captain, adding that the “leadership” was “deficient”. Not exactly the serene buildup France would have hoped for, but they have known worse. The defeat to Germany came in the absence of Antoine Griezmann; without him, Didier Deschamps’ men looked lost, and the over-reliance on individuals is a concern.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.