What: Hungary–Switzerland, Group A
When: Saturday 15 June, 15.00.
Where: Rheinenergie Stadium, Cologne.
TV/Radio: TV4, TV4 Play, P4 Radiosporten.
+ Switzerland's luxury problem in defence
Switzerland enters its sixth consecutive European Championship with high hopes. The team has reached the finals in every championship since the World Championship 2014, and this year the team is filled with exciting names. Not least in the defence, where national team captain Murat Yakin will have to make tough choices.
Centre-backs Ricardo Rodriguez, Torino, and Nico Elvedi, Mönchengladbach, will be hard to move. At the same time, Manuel Akanji comes from a Premier League title with Manchester City, and Fabian Schär from a fine season in Newcastle, where he was one of the team's best players.
It remains to be seen who will get the chance, and who will be left out of the starting eleven.
+ Switzerland's anger – training pitch too poor
When Switzerland arrived in Germany and their European Championship base in Stuttgart, they quickly discovered that the pitch was not what they had expected. In fact, it was so poor that the federation chose to submit a formal complaint to Uefa, according to AP.
Uefa then offered the Bundesliga club Stuttgart's training pitch, which is 20 minutes away by car, but Switzerland chose to stay at the current one, as they judged it would be too many trips.
What: Spain–Croatia, Group B
When: Saturday 18 June, 18.00.
Where: Olympiastadion, Berlin.
TV/Radio: SVT, SVT Play, P4 Radiosporten.
+ The Group of Death
Giant Spain opens together with constantly underrated Croatia what has been called the "Group of Death". The other teams are Italy and Albania, making it all very uncertain.
For Spain, the recent championships have been disappointments. After the country's super era between 2008 and 2012, where the team won two European Championships and one World Championship, "La Roja" has been eliminated in the group stage three times, and only reached the semi-finals once.
+ Modrić's last championship?
Luka Modrić has been a constant in the successful Croatian national team that has taken a World Championship silver and a World Championship bronze in the last two attempts. Even in this championship, the Real Madrid midfielder is a given starter.
But the question is if it won't be his last.
The 38-year-old was unsure before this season whether he would continue playing after the season, both at club and national team level. Earlier, he has also hinted that a farewell to the Croatian national team is near.
What: Italy–Albania, Group B
When: Saturday 18 June, 21.00.
Where: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund.
TV/Radio: SVT, SVT Play, P4 Radiosporten.
+ Reigning champions – but unclear status?
Italy is the reigning champion, but despite that, the team is not one of the big favourites. After missing the World Championship in Qatar, and also the World Championship in Russia 2018, it is unclear where the Italian national team stands.
Moreover, the team has been criticized for not having particularly big star status, or routine.
Only five starting players from the European Championship final against England three years ago are in this year's squad. Pillars like Giorgio Chiellini, Marco Verratti, and Ciro Immobile have all either retired or been dropped.
Moreover, the team has a new national team captain since last. Luciano Spalletti will try to repeat the success at Wembley 2021.
+ The group's whipping boy?
When Albania ended up in the "Group of Death" in their second championship ever, many probably felt discouraged.
And yes, the team can be seen as the group's big whipping boy.
But the team and the country have not given up beforehand. For even if it's not big club addresses on all players, there is quality in the squad. Among others, players like Kristjan Asllani, Inter, Armando Broja, Chelsea, and Elseid Hysaj, Lazio, are among the players who will try to take Albania further from the group in a championship for the first time.
