Euro 2016 Group A preview: Will Albania cause a stir?

Group A
                                   P      W     D      L    Pts
ALBANIA                 0      0      0      0      0
FRANCE                   0      0      0      0      0
ROMANIA                0      0      0      0      0
SWITZERLAND      0      0      0      0      0
If this group finishes the way it is above then that will be the biggest shocker of the Euro 2016 because everyone is expecting host France to finish on top of the group with dexterity and poise.
Switzerland are also expected to join the Les Bleus in the next round but will Romania and Albania be good enough for one of the best losers slot or are they good enough to cause a major upset in the tournament?

France
Didier Deschamps men did not play qualifiers because they are the host of the tournament but have prepared very well with tough friendly games which has helped the manager build a fantastic squad in the absence of Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and in-form Nice forward Hatem Ben-Arfa.
Interestingly, Deschamps is the only manager at Euro 2016 that has won the competition as a player and will want to create his own bit of history by winning it as a manager also.
At his disposal are some of the finest talents in the world and none comes bigger than Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann.
Tactics / Key players
Pogba and Griezmann are the focal point of the French side going forward with Anthony Martial playing from the wings in a 4-2-3-1 formation that will have Leicester City’s midfield engine room N’ Golo Kante as the anchor.
Switzerland
The Swiss are a good footballing side and expected to breeze past Albania in their first game of the Euro 2016.
Stoke City forward, Xherdan Shaqiri is arguably the biggest player in the national team and he is constantly referred to as the ‘Messi’ of Switzerland and the game against Albania will be special to him because that’s where his parents are originally from.
“I told my parents that we would get Albania – and we did,” Shaqiri revealed.

“It’s a special draw for many players in the team, but we played Albania twice in the last World Cup qualifying campaign and we did really well.
“It will be a special game for me and for many others, but in the end it’s a football game where three points are at stake at a very important tournament.
“That makes it even more special. We have enough experience and we want to win that first game.”
Tactics / Key players
The manager Vladimir Petković has improved on what former boss Ottmar Hitzfeld did for the team as he has improved their attacking prowess, combined beautifully with their defensive solidity which was recently put on display against a formable Belgium team in a friendly.
Valon BEHRAMI and new kid on the block Breel EMBOLO will have to be on their best to help the team perform at their utmost best.
Romania
Romania are not the same team as years ago when they have the likes of Gheorghe Hagi, Adrian Mutu, Cristian Chivu, Gheorghe Popescu, and Adrian Ilie.
Some of the best footballers in the world back in the days and part of the Golden generation of Romania football.
However, what they have done is bring back the manager who master-minded their great feat in football yet during the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, Anghel Iordănescu.
Tactics / Key players
The manager Anghel Lordănescu is the biggest star of the current side as he believes in team ethic and bond to win games rather than individual brilliance just like the Greece team that won the Euro 2004.
They coasted through the qualifying matches with the best defensive record in Europe, conceding just two goals in ten games but their biggest undoing maybe their inability to score goals.
Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, Vlad Chiricheş, and Răzvan Raţ have been massive at the back but Lucian Sânmărtean will have to do more to create openings for the strikers from midfield.
Albania
The EURO 2016 will be Albania’s first major tournament as they continue an upward curve under Italian coach Gianni De Biasi.

No one is expecting them to win a match in the group, not to talk about qualifying for the next round of the competition and if they manage to move to the next round it will be ranked amongst the biggest upsets in football ever.
Tactics / Key players
They will be expected to play 4-5-1 and very defensive against all their three opponents in the group and hope to breakout on a quick counter-attack and if they manage to get an odd goal, they will try to defend their way to victory.
Interestingly, Basel defender Taulant could face brother Granit Xhaka who just signed for premier league side Arsenal and currently represents Switzerland but born by born in Basel to Kosovar-Albanian parents.
Verdict: France, Switzerland to finish first and second respectively while Romania will fight for a best loser slot.