Euro 2016 group stage review: Wales, Hungary and Iceland made the most of rare opportunity

The National's Premier League correspondent Greg Lea provides a summary of all six groups at Euro 2016, as well as some awards like Best Player and Best Game based on the tournament’s first 36 encounters.

Iceland's team celebrates after the Euro 2016 Group F match between against Austria at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, France, Wednesday, June 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

The group stage of the European Championship has now been completed, with 24 teams whittled down to 16 ahead of the start of the knockout rounds on Saturday.

It has been a mixed opening couple of weeks in France, with the tournament’s new format having a positive impact in some ways and a negative one in others.

Euro 2016’s goals-per-game ratio is currently lower than previous editions of the competition, for example, but the first set of matches were generally much more competitive than many predicted.

Read also: Greg Lea's Euro 2016 Team of the Group Stage

While nations like Wales, Hungary and Iceland made the most of a rare opportunity to compete on the continental stage, moreover, the expansion to 24 teams also produced a messy qualification system that allowed the majority of third-placed teams to advance.

Below is a brief summary of all six groups at Euro 2016, as well as some awards based on the tournament’s first 36 encounters:

Group A

France progressed as group winners with seven points from a possible nine, although it is hard to shake the feeling that Didier Deschamps still does not know his best team.

Switzerland joined the hosts in the knockout stage as runners-up, but a return of three points was not enough for Albania to progress in third place. Romania simply did not have enough quality and exited following a draw and two defeats.

Group B

Wales pipped England to first place despite losing to Roy Hodgson’s side, who played well against both Russia and Slovakia but were held to two draws after failing to put their chances away.

Slovakia made it through in third, but Russia were mostly dismal and finished bottom of the group.

Group C

Germany edged out Poland to seal top spot on goal difference, with the world champions held to a goalless draw when the duo went head-to-head.

Northern Ireland also made it through to the next stage thanks to their triumph over Ukraine, who finished bottom on zero points.

Group D

Croatia qualified for the last 16 as Group D winners after victories over Spain and Turkey and a draw with Czech Republic, with the Spanish progressing alongside them in second.

Turkey beat the Czechs in their final encounter but exited due to their inferior goal difference to Northern Ireland in the third-place rankings.

Group E

Two wins in their first two matches sent Italy through before most other teams in the competition, allowing Antonio Conte to rotate his line-up in their final game.

Belgium joined them in second after wins over the Republic of Ireland and Sweden, the former of whom also made it out of the group in third following a dramatic triumph over Italy.

Group F

Hungary’s shock 2-0 win over Austria in their first fixture set the tone for an unpredictable Group F, with Bernd Storck’s charges qualifying alongside Iceland in the top two.

Portugal scrambled into the round of 16 with three draws from three, but Austria were sent packing with only a single point to their name.

Best team

Croatia recorded seven points in a very tough group and arguably deserved more. Ante Cacic’s charges have played some wonderful football and have the potential to go all the way this summer.

Worst team

Injuries suffered by key players in the build-up to the tournament cannot have helped, but Russia were dreadfully disappointing in Group B, with a return of one point more than their performances deserved.

Lacking any sort of creation, speed or spark in the final third, Russia were both dull to watch and extremely ineffective. Their defending and organisation in the 3-0 loss to Wales was embarrassing, and they have now failed to make it beyond the group stage in eight of their last nine tournament appearances.

Best match

Belgium 0-2 Italy was an absorbing and breathless watch between two teams who headed into the competition with very different expectations.

While Belgium’s Golden Generation were expected to challenge for the trophy in France, this Italy outfit was written off as the worst the country had produced in half a century.

Solid defending and potent counter-attacking brought Antonio Conte’s side a significant win, though, leaving Belgium with far more questions than answers.

Worst match

Italy 1-0 Sweden. If Conte's charges gave a fine demonstration of their qualities against Belgium, this tedious triumph over Sweden showcased their weaknesses.

Both teams lacked any sort of invention as they played out what looked certain to be a goalless draw – Eder’s late winner, indeed, was the only memorable moment of the entire game.

Best team performance

Croatia were excellent against both Turkey and Czech Republic and Poland and Hungary also deserve credit for holding Germany and beating Austria respectively, but Spain's destruction of the Turks was the standout display of the group stage.

The holders were in scintillating form as they strolled to victory at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, blowing their opponents away with their proactive and penetrative possession football.

Best individual performance

Leonardo Bonucci was superb in Italy's defeat of Belgium, the Juventus centre-half stepping out from the back to become his side's deep-lying playmaker but also doing a sterling job of snuffing out the threat of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku inside his own box.

Overachievers

It was a minor miracle that Iceland even qualified for the European Championship in the first place, but getting out of the group while remaining unbeaten takes things to another level.

Underachievers

Much was expected of Austria after a terrific qualifying campaign, but they failed to deliver on their promise and fell at the first hurdle.

Best player

Andres Iniesta was magnificent for Spain in Group D, the Barcelona midfielder at the heart of the holders’ attacking efforts. Iniesta always delivers at international tournaments and Euro 2016 looks to be no different.

Most disappointing player

Mario Gotze had very little impact in Germany’s meetings with Ukraine, Poland and Northern Ireland.

Best goal

Dimitri Payet's stunning 89th minute winner in France's curtain-raiser against Romania remains the leading strike so far, both in terms of the skill involved and the context of the game. An emotional Payet was reduced to tears when substituted shortly after.

Biggest howler

The fact that four Switzerland players had their shirts ripped against France was not the greatest advertisement for kit manufacturers Puma.

Best statistic

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos completed more passes than the entire Northern Ireland team when the two nations went head-to-head in Group C.

Best quote

West Ham United manager and television pundit Slaven Bilic summed up Spain’s majesty best when he said of Vicente Del Bosque’s players: “you have a feeling that some of them were born between the lines.”

Best moment

Cristiano Ronaldo might disagree, but Iceland’s equaliser against Portugal – their first ever goal at an international tournament that later brought their ever first point – showed exactly what football is all about.

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport