Euro 2024 data dive: Mbappe finally off the mark, expect (no) goals when England play

Kylian Mbappe finally got going at Euro 2024, though France could not beat Poland.

Austria topped Group D, having defeated the Netherlands.

There was less action in the later matches in Group C, however.

Here, we round up the best statistics from the penultimate group-stage day of Euro 2024.

France 1-1 Poland: Masked Mbappe off the mark

It has been a long time coming, but Mbappe, with what was his 23rd shot, finally scored his first European Championship goal for France, converting a 56th-minute penalty against Poland in Dortmund.

Mbappe brought up his 13th goal for France at major international tournaments (with the previous 12 having come at the World Cup), with only Michel Platini netting more for Les Bleus in the two competitions combined (14).

That goal was also the first to be scored by a French player at Euro 2024, with Les Bleus having beaten Austria thanks to an own goal before they drew 0-0 with the Netherlands.

Mbappe’s maiden Euros strike was not enough to secure a French win, though, with Robert Lewandowski levelling an equaliser from the penalty spot for already-eliminated Poland.

13 – Kylian Mbappé equals Just Fontaine (13) for the most goals scored with France in major tournaments (World Cup + EURO) and is now second only to Michel Platini (14). Captain. #FRAPOL pic.twitter.com/ZATn7iqMtL

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) June 25, 2024

Lewandowski became just the third player to score in four different editions of the European Championships after Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, while the 35-year-old is the only player to score at each of the last four Euros (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024).

That being said, Poland have failed to win any of the five games in which Lewandowski has scored at the Euros (drawn four, lost one), the most games a player has scored in while failing to win in the competition’s history.

This is the first time France have failed to win their group at a major international tournament since Euro 2012, with Les Bleus having finished as group winners at each of the previous five such tournaments before Euro 2024.

Netherlands 2-3 Austria: Wreck it Ralf

Plumped into a group with the Netherlands and tournament favourites France, Austria weren’t fancied by many to come out on top. Well, Ralf Rangnick’s side had other ideas.

Marcel Sabitzer became the first Austrian to play 10 matches at the European Championships, scoring his first goal in the competition from his 22nd shot, to seal a 3-2 victory in Berlin.

Austria have scored six goals at Euro 2024, their most in any edition of the tournament and their most in a major tournament since the 1978 World Cup (seven).

It is the first time Austria have won successive Euros matches. They have won four of their last six group stage matches in the competition (lost two), having not won any of their first six such games (drawn two, lost four).

The Netherlands, meanwhile, lost their first group-stage game at the Euros since 2012 against Portugal (2-1), while they last lost a match in the competition despite scoring two or more goals in 2004, against Czechia (3-2).

Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay got the goals for Ronald Koeman’s team. Liverpool forward Gakpo has scored five of the Netherlands’ last eight group-stage goals at major tournaments (World Cup and Euros), with no other Dutch player netting more than once in those matches.

England 0-0 Slovenia: Expected goals? Forget it

Another game, another unconvincing display from England, though they still finished top of Group C.

This was England’s seventh 0-0 draw at the European Championship (41st game), second only to Italy in the history of the competition (eight in 48 games).

The Three Lions accumulated an expected goals (xG) of just 0.87. Indeed, England’s matches at Euro 2024 have produced the fewest xG (2.26 for, 1.13 against).

England’s first shot in this match came via Harry Kane in the 30th minute – it was their longest wait for a shot in a match at the Euros since their meeting with Germany in 2000 (35th minute).

Gareth Southgate’s team had 74% possession, which was the highest figure they have recorded in a major tournament match in which they failed to score.

Slovenia (57th) are the lowest-ranked side England have ever faced in a match at a major tournament since the FIFA ranking was introduced.

However, this result ensures Slovenia will be in the last 16 as one of the best third-placed sides.

Both Slovenia and Denmark drew all three of their Group C games; only once previously had a side drew all three of their group games in a single edition of the Euros, with Portugal doing so in 2016. Could Slovenia go on and replicate the Selecao’s triumph? Surely not…

0 – For the first time in European Championship history, both games in the last group stage round of a specific group ended in a goalless draw. Anticlimax. #EURo2024 pic.twitter.com/XQ12xVMuxv

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) June 25, 2024

Denmark 0-0 Serbia: Eriksen’s milestone appearance

Denmark could perhaps have been a tad braver against Serbia, and if they had, then they might have avoided Germany in the last 16.

As it is, they will play the hosts after a goalless draw with Serbia, who exited the competition in the process.

Christian Eriksen featured again and, in the process, became Denmark’s record appearance maker, with 133 caps.

Eriksen created another two chances to add to his total haul of 13 at Euro 2024, the most-ever by a Danish player at a major tournament on record.

Denmark have drawn all three of their group games for the first time ever at a major tournament, while in all competitions, it is the first time the Danes have strung three draws together in a row since a run of four in June 2019.

Serbia are now without a victory in their last eight major tournament matches, since a 1-0 win over Costa Rica at the 2018 World Cup, their joint longest winless run at major tournaments.

They mustered just one shot on target, with their total haul of six shots on target at Euro 2024 their lowest-ever figure as an independent nation at a major tournament.