Romania smashing Ukraine in Munich, England player ratings, Mbappe to enter fray (2024)

2 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

GOAL! Romania 3-0 Ukraine – Denis Dragus

The Romanians are running wild here in Munich!

They take a corner short and Dennis Man picks it up before driving into the box.

He fizzes it across the face of goal and Denis Dragus can't miss.

4 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

GOAL! Romania 2-0 Ukraine – Razvan Marin

Romania go 2-0 up!

A counter-attack appears to fizzle out as Dennis Man loses the ball.

But it breaks to Razvan Marin some 25 yards out and he lets fly.

The Empoliman catches it well, firing it into the bottom corner but should Andriy Lunin have done better again?

The Real Madrid keeper lets it go under his hands but Marin did officially hit that at 100KPH!

16 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

‘A 20 year old lad from Stourbridge, best in the world’

talkSPORT’s Ade Oladipo has hailed Jude Bellingham as the ‘best player in the world’.

Oladipo says Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard came close to being the greatest on the planet during their playing days but Bellingham has gone one better to secure that mantel.

The Real Madrid ace will be crucial to England this summer, with the Three Lions next facing Denmark on Thursday.

29 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

Romania 1-0 Ukraine – Half-time

A really entertaining watch in Munich and Romania have been highly impressive!

Ukraine need more from their main weapons Artem Dovbyk and Mykhailo Mudryk.

But Nicolae Stanciu has been the main man so far, what a strike that was for the goal.

37 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

Romania 1-0 Ukraine – Hit the bar!

Romania nearly double their lead and it's Nicolae Stanciu once more.

From a corner, the Romania skipper looks to catch out Andriy Lunin again and go for goal.

His curling effort sails over Lunin's out-stretched arms but clips the bar and bounces to safety.

40 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

Chin up

Real Madrid ace Andriy Lunin will have to put that error behind him quick.

Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko went over to his goalkeeper right away to lift his spirits.

This game is really coming to the boil nicely now, there's a brilliant atmosphere at the Allianz Arena.

47 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

GOAL! Romania 1-0 Ukraine - Nicolae Stanciu

Romania take the lead and it's their captain Nicolae Stanciu with a belter.

A terrible clearance from Andriy Lunin is pounced upon by the Romanians and they work it quickly to Stanciu.

He fires early and sends a wonderful effort curling away from Lunin and into the top corner.

Queue huge celebrations from the sea of Romanian yellow shirts behind that goal!

59 minutes agoBy Jake Lambourne

A blue do

The award for the best hair at Euro 2024 so far goes to Romania right-back Andrei Ratiu.

The Rayo Vallecano ace is sporting a natty neon blue trim.

Today, 14:12By Jake Lambourne

Romania 0-0 Ukraine

Romania may have gotten away with one early on here.

Razvan Marin overruns the balls and flies in on Illia Zabarnyi, catching him high up above the knee.

It's a sore one for Zabarnyi but the referee waves play on and VAR don't flag a review.

Today, 14:00By Jake Lambourne

A powerful moment

Ukraine's players enter the Munich sunshine each draped in their country's flag.

Ukraine has been through so much over the past few years and this tournament should bring a little relief to those back home.

The Ukrainian national anthem is belted around the ground with full passion, a lovely moment.

talkSPORT 2 has live commentary of this Group E tie right now, tune in here.

Today, 13:55By Jake Lambourne

Time to change?

Ashley Young is eager to see England play Jude Bellingham AND Phil Foden at number 10 for the rest of Euro 2024.

While Bellingham was brilliant in the win over Serbia last night, Foden was poor, struggling to get into the game at all.

Young told talkSPORT: "We want to see Phil Foden AND Bellingham as 10s to have someone else to play.

"I think you take away another defensive midfielder and just play one, and put the two in front of him. And then you bring in a (Antony) Gordon or an (Eberechi) Eze onto the left wing.

"Phil Foden, he has played there for City but I think he's more effective as a number 10 when he does create more. Instead of taking players on, it's getting in those pockets, getting those spaces to create for others or get goals. So I think it's going to be something that Gareth looks at.

"If we want to be more proactive and on the front foot, I think that having the two number 10s instead of the two sixes will help the team get up the pitch and get in those pockets and start creating more chances."

Young suggests major tactical switch to play Foden AND Bellingham in No.10 role

Today, 13:39By Jake Lambourne

Time to get Group E up and running

talkSPORT’s Kevin Hatchard is at the Allianz Arena on commentary duty for Romania v Ukraine.

This is the first competitive meeting between these Eastern European neighbours and means so much to both.

Dragusin, Hagi, Mudryk, Dovbyk – there’s plenty of quality on show this afternoon.

Today, 13:21By Jake Lambourne

Bellingham 9 but Foden only 4

talkSPORT's Adrian Durham has provided his England player ratings for last night's 1-0 Euro 2024 win over Serbia.

Jude Bellingham headed home the winner for the Three Lions and was the standout player on the night.

Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker and Marc Guehi also impressed but Phil Foden and Harry Kane struggled.

Bellingham gets 9/10 but two key England stars given poor ratings and told more is needed

Today, 13:13By Jake Lambourne

Romania vs Ukraine: Players to watch

Radu Dragusin

The Tottenham defender had started to find his feet in England in the final few weeks of the Premier League season.

Spursbeat out competition from Bayern Munich to sign the centre-back in January from Genoa in a £25million plus add-ons deal.

The Romania international was key in his former club's promotion to Serie A and made 22 appearances this season before his move.

However, he managed to play 90 minutes just twice in his first 15 Premier League games and was an unused substitute nine times.

Dragusin finally broke into Tottenham's team for the final weeks of the season and a positive showing at Euro 2024 will go a long way to convincing Ange Postecoglou that he's worthy to start next season.

Mykhailo Mudryk

Ukraine have plenty of talent through their squad with Real Madrid goalkeeper AndriyLunin, Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko, as well as La Liga top scorer ArtemDovbyk.

However, Euro 2024 could be the tournament for Mudryk to explode despite the winger's struggles since his £89million move to Chelsea.

It was the 23-year-old's goal earlier this year that sent Ukraine to the tournament which coincided in a spike in his performances.

Mudryk showed signs of his potential in the final months of Mauricio Pochettino's reign before a concussion ended his season early.

Coming into a knockout tournament as the underdog akin to the 2022/23 Champions League where he announced himself on the European stage at Shakhtar Donetsk could be perfect for him.

Today, 13:04By Jake Lambourne

Team news

Romania and Ukraine have announced their line-ups for their opening Euro 2024 Group E clash.

The two sides will pit their wits against each other at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena - which you can hear live on talkSPORT.

Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko starts at left-back, with Girona marksman Artem Dovbyk leading the line.

Meanwhile Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk starts on the left wing as he looks to shine following an inconsistent season at Stamford Bridge.

As for Romania, Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin features in the heart of defence.

Today, 12:56By Jake Lambourne

England training update

From England's 26-man squad for Euro 2024, 12 of the Three Lions' stars are out training on Monday.

talkSPORT understands the mini-group is comprised of those that failed to come off the bench in last night's 1-0 win over Serbia.

Kobbie Mainoo, who was a late substitute in the Group C victory, is part of those that will be on the pitch today.

As for his Manchester United teammate Luke Shaw, he will be doing a recovery session elsewhere.

Gareth Southgate's attention has turned towards England's next clash against Denmark on Thursday at 5pm.

Today, 12:43By Jake Lambourne

Travel chaos update

The Football Supporters' Association have released a statement hitting out at the travel chaos fans endured following the Euro 2024 clash between England and Serbia.

talkSPORT revealed how fans failed to get home until hours after the full-time whistle due to transport problems.

Addressing the matter, a Free Lions Fans' Embassy statement read: "We are dismayed at what fans have had to go through at yesterday’s game in Gelsenkirchen.

"To see fans stranded in Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof three hours after the game has finished due to transport problems at a major tournament is quite simply ridiculous.

"Ahead of the tournament we made it clear to UEFA and the authorities that many, many thousands of England fans would be travelling to Gelsenkirchen from the outer towns and cities in North Rhine-Westphalia and that transport back to Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof from Arena AufSchalke had to be the biggest priority.

"Fans deserve an explanation as to what went wrong and why. We want guarantees that work will be undertaken to ensure that it doesn’t happen again as England will return to Gelsenkirchen should we top Group C."

The statement concluded by saying: "It is clear to us that an urgent and thorough review of arrangements is needed before that event, with lessons learnt and dramatically enhanced provisions put in place.

"The initial defensive response of authorities locally suggests a complacency out of sync with what was required. The FSA, along with the FA and the UK Police, engaged with local authorities in advance of the first game and it is essential that we are involved in any review of plans.

"We had many positive experiences engaging with some excellent stakeholders in Gelsenkirchen prior to the first game, and we are more than willing to continue to engage in that process.

"It is to be hoped that for the next game, what is promised in those discussions is far more accurately reflected in what is actually delivered."

Today, 12:32By Jake Lambourne

Mbappe France blow

France may be sweating over Kylian Mbappe's fitness for Monday night's clash with Austria, but he has also delivered a blow to Thierry Henry.

Henry will manage Les Bleus at this summer's Olympic Games in France, but he will have to do so without the new Real Madrid star.

Confirming he will be playing no part, Mbappe told reporters: "My club’s position was very clear, so from that moment on, I think I (knew) I won’t be taking part in the Games.

"That’s just the way it is, and I understand that too. I’m joining a new team in September, so it’s not the best way to start an adventure.

"I’m going to wish this French team all the best. I’m going to watch every game. I hope they’ll win the gold medal.”

Mbappe remains a doubt to feature against Austria at 8pm as he continues to recover from a minor knee niggle.

Today, 12:17By Jake Lambourne

History maker Kane

England skipper Harry Kane has commented on his delight at breaking a Three Lions record in the 1-0 win over Serbia.

No other England player has now made more appearances than the 30-year-old's 23 at major tournaments.

Taking to social media following England's opening Euro 2024 win, he posted on X: "Representing my country at major tournaments is something I never take for granted.

"So to have made more appearances at major tournaments than any England player in history makes me so proud!

"Looking forward to many more - bring on Thursday!"

On top of that, Kane is now the record holder of most European Championship outings with 12.

And he has become the first Englishman to captain the Three Lions at four major tournaments.

Today, 11:54By Jake Lambourne

Switzerland shake-up

Scotland's upcoming Euro 2024 opponents Switzerland have been forced into an unexpected change ahead of Wednesday's clash.

Switzerland had been training at the stadium of German fourth-tier outfit Stuttgarter Kickers, but their pitch has proven to be below par.

Bundesliga runners-up Stuttgart have offered up their facilities as an emergency measure, where Switzerland will train on Monday and Tuesday.

A statement from the Swiss FA read: "The pitch in our training stadium at the Waldau will be replaced by UEFA.

"The roots of the grass have died in several places. Therefore, we will train tomorrow and Tuesday on the VFB Stuttgart training pitch, at Robert-Schlienz-Stadion, which is in good condition.

"Following the Scotland game, it is planned to train on the new pitch at the Stadion auf der Waldau. However, the condition of the new grass needs to be checked on Thursday."

Today, 11:29By Jake Lambourne

Souness' verdict

Scotland icon Graeme Souness has insisted there were no positives to take from the 5-1 defeat to Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024.

He said on the White and Jordan show: "We never got started, it was always going to be a very difficult night, you're playing the host nation in the opening ceremony, so the world was watching.

"Maybe that got to some of the players, when you're playing in a really big game of football, sometimes with players, the first 10-15 minutes can pass you by, you're caught up in the moment.

"And I think that's what happened with some of the players, because they didn't show their true form, it will be very hard to wake up the following morning, and for any of the 11 or the guys that came on to say, 'I did OK last night,' - it was a miserable performance by them.

"I can't think of one positive, when you're playing a big game like that and you know you're going to be up against it, don't make a mistake in the first 10-15 minutes.

"They didn't get past ten minutes and they've conceded a goal, they never got a foothold in the game they never looked threatening, and the stats will tell you that."

Souness then criticised the lack of passion shown by Scotland, as he stated: "How about winning a challenge? How about putting some of their players on their a***? How about being aggressive?

"Whether it's with an elbow, something not that obvious that will get you in trouble, how about just being aggressive? That's what us Jocks do, we are an aggressive nation, and we showed no aggression whatsoever."

Today, 11:04By Jake Lambourne

England fan issues rallying cry

Everton and England fan Steve delivered a passionate rallying cry to Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions to step things up following the 1-0 win over Serbia.

Phoning up on the White & Jordan show, he said: "The man [Southgate] needs to get his head out of his backside, he needs to start making the big decisions.

"We're starting to see the same old, get your cojones out there, don't be looking at the names on the back of the shirt, if they can't do it...

"Listen, I'm not saying they're bad players, if it's not their day, sometimes you have to be hooked. If we're going the way we're going, it's not going happen [win Euro 2024]."

Steve added: "Leaders, he looks lost, he has got the best job in the world, he has got the most talented national team in the world, everyone is the envy of him.

"He needs to get rid of that blazer, get rid of that T-shirt, get ready for work, get something England on, even if it's only a badge, get your shirt on son, get ready for work and be positive and make them big calls.

"Show us a nation us British people that love the game, we give you time, we give you money, energy - have a go son!

"Look at [Winston] Churchill, have a go son! Get your kit on and have a go and talk positive, don't serve me korma, serve me vindaloo!"

Today, 10:42By Jake Lambourne

Positive Alan Hansen update

Grame Souness has revealed the brilliant news that Liverpool legend Alan Hansen is seemingly on the mend following the Scotsman's battle with illness.

talkSPORT pundit Souness has declared he spoke to his ex-Reds teammate on Sunday, where the 69-year-old was in high spirits.

Speaking on the White and Jordan show, he said: "I spoke to him yesterday, and he sounded fabulous, so I hope he's on the way to a full recovery.

"He's definitely back because he did nothing but take the mick out of me, so he's definitely on the way back."

Souness added: "I was speaking to his son [Adam] and Janet his wife, and I'd been phoning his [Hansen's] phone number.

"I get on the train yesterday and I'm looking for my seat, and my phone rang and I could see it was Big Al.

"I'm thinking, 'Oh, I don't want to answer that,' so I sat down and then I got the courage to phone back and he answered the phone.

"He's been in a difficult place, but the way he sounded yesterday, he's back, and I hope I'm right."

Today, 10:27By Jake Lambourne

All going South

England boss Gareth Southgate's philosophy has been criticised by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag in a damning verdict.

Southgate, who was linked with possible replacing Ten Hag at Old Trafford should the Dutchman have been sacked, saw his side edge out a 1-0 win over Serbia on Sunday night.

Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock on, with Ten Hag insisting the Three Lions should have won by more.

Dutch TV station NOS: “England were playing very passive.

"I actually saw them moving backwards, they kept Serbia coming at them."

"It’s the vision of the manager [Southgate].

“England will take a 1-0 lead, then he decides to start gambling with making his team compact and relying on moments for the remaining minutes of the game.”

Today, 10:07By Sean O'Brien

Saved by the Bell

OK, enough negativity. England still won 1-0. And Jude Bellingham was utterly immense.

Ex-England striker Gabby Agbonlahor was signing the midfielder's praises on the Breakfast show this morning.

"He was outstanding," Agbonlahor said. "Even when he was receiving the ball deep, if you lose it, they can score.

"But he gets on the ball, uses his body and turns. He's not scared of doing things that other players would be scared to do.

"The confidence, the arrogance in a good way... there could be an easier pass but he wants to make it hard for himself.

"It just shows the confidence levels of a 20-year-old who has just won the Champions League. He's an unbelievable player."