“Auld Ennemy”, ovation and Belgian clip

• On the bill: England-Scotland

Scottish reunion with “The Auld Ennemy”. One hundred and fifty years of historic and sporting rivalries will resurface on the pitch between Scotland and England at Wembley (Group D). The English are favorites, but the Tartan Army has the advantage of knowing their opponent well, since most of their players (exactly 14) play in the Premier League, the elite of English football. If the Three Lions have made their entry into the competition (1-0 against a pale Croatia), Scotland must bring back a good result from Wembley after their defeat Sunday against the Czech Republic (0-2) and his fantastic striker Patrik Schick.

England-Scotland is the oldest rivalry in football: the first international match in history opposed the two nations in… 1872. They met twice during a Euro (one victory for each side). In 1996, Paul Gascoigne, known as “Gazza le fou”, had scored an anthology goal against Scotland. A match in which a certain Gareth Southgate, the current English coach, had participated.

• Euro star: Patrik Schick

The Czech dazzled the football world with his lob scored from midfield against Scotland on June 14 (0-2). A former Sparta Prague prospect, the 25-year-old did not, in his professional debut, confirm the expectations placed on him. Bought nearly 42 million euros by AS Roma in the summer of 2018, he scored less than ten goals in two seasons in the Italian league.

The second wind will come from Germany. The direct and instinctive game practiced across the Rhine suits him better. Loaned to Leipzig, he then signed to Leverkusen where he posted honorable statistics without exploding. Schick finally chose the Euro to pop the screen: it became Monday the 7th^e top scorer in Czech Republic history with 13 goals, behind legend Pavel Nedved. He will have the opportunity to do better, against Croatia this Friday.

• It happened yesterday:

– Ukraine’s former Golden Ball (2004) Andrei Shevchenko won in pain (2-1) against North Macedonia, but revived before his last match against Austria on Monday.

– Belgium was scared, assailed by Danish ardor, but Kevin De Bruyne – well inspired – and his teammates provided the essential against Denmark (2-1): to qualify for the knockout stages.

– Qualification also for the Dutch selection, which has a series of victories, this time against Austria (2-0), with a goal from the future ex-Lyonnais Memphis Depay.

• Meanwhile… : Raymond Goethals resurrected

If Belgium shines in the competition, it is also distinguished by the new anthem of the Belgian football federation, Deviltime. This is a resumption of the planetary tube U Can’t Touch This from Californian rapper MC Hammer by Belgian producer BABL, aka MC Devil.

Playing the card of nostalgia, the video clip resuscitates both Raymond Goethals, coach of the Marseille team, European champion in 1993, inveterate smoker of Belga cigarettes, and Guy Thys, legendary trainer of the Red Devils in the 1980s.

❤️ “All of Denmark is with you, Christian.” # EURO2020 https://t.co/VHgqSfFu3z https://t.co/eg3QtPRBHI

– EURO2020FR (@EURO 2020 ??)

Ovation at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. At the 10^e minute of the match between Denmark and Belgium, the players stopped playing and the 25,000 supporters stood up and applauded a long time to pay tribute to Christian Eriksen, victim of heart failure on Saturday on the pitch against Finland. The 29-year-old Danish Inter Milan midfielder, hospitalized in an emergency, is doing better. He will soon have a miniature defibrillator implanted, however, leaving doubt about the rest of his career.

“The Germans are not very smart. When you play the France team, you know very well that you must not leave any space. “

World champion with the France team in 2018 (without having played a match), Adil Rami is not tender with the Mannschaft, defeated 1-0 by the Blues on Tuesday in Munich. Asked about RMC Sport, the ex-Marseillais reacted in particular to the words of Joshua Kimmich, the German midfielder, who had declared the evening of the defeat of his team that Germany “Was not the worst team” and that the Germans “Deserved a goal” :

“You have to accept that France is better than you and that on the other hand, it is going at 250 km / h. If you don’t accept it, if you have that haughty side of telling yourself that you’re going to play your football, you’re not very smart because Deschamps plays to win. “

• A corner of blue sky: Coman young daddy

Kingsley Coman did not participate in the Blues’ training session on Thursday at Budapet. But the attacker has the best excuse for him. His partner is due to give birth in the next few hours. The French Football Federation (FFF) has authorized the Bayern Munich player to join it. Then, once recovered from his emotions, he will come and find his teammates.

Didier Deschamps and the FFF took this decision in consultation with UEFA and its Covid unit. ” All precautions have been taken, particularly in terms of health “, specifies the FFF. His presence for the match against Hungary is not questioned. Often starting in recent months, Coman did not come into play at all during the victory against Germany.

• Covidometer: two positive Slovaks

In Saint Petersburg, two members of the Slovak delegation contracted Covid-19, coach Stefan Tarkovic announced Thursday on the eve of the match against Sweden. They are defender Denis Vavro – 25, replacing Monday during the success against Poland (2-1) in St. Petersburg – and a member of the technical staff.