Pádraig Amond: Germany could capitalise on Mbappe's injury

We are almost at the business end of the group stages in the European Championships, and we are starting to see who we might be looking at lifting the trophy in a couple of weeks’ time. 

Before the tournament started, France, Portugal and England were my favourites in that order to win the European Championships and after the majority of the group games so far France and Portugal are still there in my eyes, but England just look such a different side than the team than they should be on paper and the team that they have been playing like in the last three or four years.

I know they are a bit weaker at the back this time around, but it is in their attacking play where they don’t look like they have any fluidity at the moment, and I can’t see them winning the Euros unless things change dramatically for them. 

It must be extremely frustrating for the likes of Cole Palmer, who is coming into the tournament off the back of an unbelievable first full season in the Premier League where he scored goals for fun and was the best player in the Chelsea side by a country mile, but yet he has yet to step foot on the pitch for England at the Euros. 

Even at times when England were crying out for some help and creativity against Denmark, Gareth Southgate decided against putting Palmer on which I can’t understand. Chelsea have struggled this season, but Palmer has been the one ray of hope for them and probably the signing of the season in the Premier League, that is how good he has been for them. 

Of course, England have some great attacking players at their disposal in their squad but for me Cole Palmer gets into almost every other side at the Euros and at the minimum he comes off the bench for them in their time of need. 

Jared Bowen is an excellent player and probably deserves to be playing in a top five/six side in the Premier League, but Cole Palmer has shown this season just how good he is and I honestly can’t believe that he is yet to see a minute of play for Southgate’s England in Germany.

France have been solid enough so far, but they will be very worried about Kylian Mbappe’s broken nose in their opening game of the tournament. 

He will have to wear a mask for the rest of the tournament and time will tell if that affects his game although if reports are to be believed the day after their draw with the Netherlands in their second group game he played and scored two goals in a behind closed doors friendly game so maybe it won’t be an issue to him whatsoever.

Portugal have been decent also with a great win against Turkey in their second group game and they look like they are going to have a big say in what the outcome of the tournament will be.

Of the rest the teams that have impressed me the most and that look like they can challenge to win the tournament are Spain and Germany. 

Both of them comfortably qualified from the group stages before their final game and they have been there and done it so they know what to do when it gets to knockout football. I still think that France are the team to beat, providing Mbappe is okay for the rest of the tournament. Of the others I will revise my prediction and I think Germany might be the biggest threat to France. 

Although Portugal have been good there is something about the Germans where you just can’t write them off especially when they have home advantage as they look to win their first European Championships since Euro 1996 in England.

On the domestic front, we are back to action on Friday after a mid-season break when we head to Dundalk to take on a rejuvenated side since Jon Daly took charge of them after the sacking of Stevie O’Donnell and his own harsh sacking at St Patrick’s Athletic. 

Since Jon has gone in there has been an upturn in form and we will be facing a very different and confident side than the one that we faced at the RSC just last month.

The break was much needed and I really enjoyed having the time away with my family in Portugal as we get ready for the second half of the season. 

We have a big couple of months ahead of us now as we look to try and push on and build on our form and performances in the first half of the season so hopefully, we can start with a bang on Friday in Dundalk and prove the first half of the season wasn’t a fluke from us.