AUSTRIA 

Scotland fans will be aware of Austria after the two countries met in World Cup qualifying earlier this year at Hampden. The match finished 2-2 and was a tight affair. Austria’s route to this summer’s tournament was impressive with them finishing second in the qualifying group, only missing out on top spot to an impressive Poland side. It must be remembered, however, that they were gifted a favourable draw with their other opponents including North Macedonia, Slovenia, Israel and Latvia. They still did the job and booked their place at the finals, scoring 19 and conceding nine along the way. 

WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR? 

The versatile David Alaba was impressive against Scotland back in March and he will be an important player for Austria in the tournament. The 28-year-old, who recently signed for Real Madrid, was usually utilised in defence for his former club Bayern Munich but for his country he occasionally moves up into midfield. Alaba is confident and assured in possession and despite being labelled a defender, he definitely has an eye for a defence splitting pass. His set-pieces will also be important. Alaba has 14 goals and 17 assists in his 79 caps to date, so expect more of the same from him over the course of the tournament. 

NETHERLANDS 

The Dutch, to be expected, had an impressive qualifying campaign to book their place at the Euros this summer. They finished in second place behind Germany and only lost one game over the course of their group. Goals have been key for Frank de Boer’s team as they racked up 24 over the course of qualifying. This record was only beaten by England and Germany (of the teams who played eight games). Since qualification for the Euros, the Netherlands have continued their good form into the Nations League. They only missed out on top spot to Italy by a single point. 

WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR? 

Liverpool star Gini Wijnaldum comes into this summer’s tournament as a wanted man. The midfielder is out of contract at Anfield and he is expected to leave the club this summer. Bayern Munich and Barcelona have been linked with a move for him and there are sure to be several other clubs casting an eye over him at the Euros. He will be out to impress especially with his club future currently uncertain. His club form has been consistently high despite a poor season for the Reds and he has also performed well for his country. In qualifying he was the top goal scorer with eight goals and three assists in seven starts. 

NORTH MACEDONIA 

North Macedonia will compete at the European Championships for the first time, under their new name, this summer and as a result they rank as the outsiders in Group C. Igor Angelovski’s side should not be underestimated though as only a couple of months ago they produced an almighty shock by defeating Germany in World Cup qualifying. This was the Germans first loss in a World Cup qualifier in twenty years and the Macedonians deserve major credit for their performance. Much like Scotland, North Macedonia reached the finals by navigating their way through the play-off route after finishing well behind Poland and Austria in Group G of qualifying. 

WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR? 

Leeds United star Ezgjan Alioski has not only been a standout for his club this season, but also for his country. The left full-back loves to marauder forward and often chips in with assists from crosses and set-pieces. He is also the designated penalty kick taker for his country so if you are into your fantasy football, he could be a cheapish option that could bag you a few points. Euro 2020 is a huge stage for Alioski as he is currently out of contract at Leeds this summer. It is understood that negotiations are underway regarding a new deal, but if he performs well at the tournament this summer he could have a number of clubs after his signature. 

UKRAINE 

Ukraine are a team to watch out for this summer after qualifying in style for Euro 2020. Andriy Shevchenko’s side topped their qualifying group ahead of Serbia and Portugal and only conceded eight goals along the way. Shevchenko, who was no stranger to finding the back of the net himself, has also got his team scoring plenty goals going forward. They scored 17 goals across their games to qualify for the tournament this summer, which is around average for the 24 sides who qualified through the groups. Ukraine did have a disappointing Nations League campaign following their qualification, but they had a tough group with Spain, Germany and Switzerland all featuring. 

WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR? 

Ruslan Malinovskyi has been the standout for Ukraine in recent times. The Atalanta midfielder bagged 8 goals and 12 assists for his club in Serie A last season, so he comes into the tournament this summer in good form. Malinovskyi is known for his quality from set-pieces but he is also impressive with the ball at his feet in open play. These impressive statistics mean he is only beaten by Bayern Munich ace Thomas Muller for most assists per 90 minutes in the top five European divisions. For his country Malinovskyi was involved in the most goals in qualifying, with three goals and four assists coming in his eight starts. 

SPFL INTEREST 

Despite there being no players involved in Group C from the Scottish divisions there will still be some interest from a Scottish perspective. St Johnstone fans should keep a close eye on the Netherlands as their squad includes three players from PSV Eindhoven, who Saints could meet in third round qualifying of the Europa League. Donyell Malen, Cody Gakpo and Denzel Dumfries will all likely play their part for their country. The aptly named Dumfries has been a consistent performer for his club this season, scoring two goals and assisting on six occasions from the full-back position. Former Falkirk goalkeeper Tim Krul will also be a mainstay in the nets for Holland this summer.