Euro 2024 Group D Preview: Former Champions France, The Netherlands Set For Blockbuster Clash

• Kylian Mbappe will captain France as he seeks a third major trophy with his country
• He will come up against a 'lukewarm' Dutch side and Robert Lewandowski's Poland
• Sports Brief breaks down what to expect, the teams, and all-star players of Group D

The 2024 European Championship is on hours away.

Group D will be fascinating to watch as it features former winners France and the Netherlands, as well as Poland and Austria.

Sports Brief breaks down these four teams ahead of the start of Euro 2024.

Also, check out the previews we have done for Group A, Group B, Group C, Group E, and Group F.

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Group D Fixtures

16/06: Poland vs Netherlands

17/06: Austria vs France

21/06: Poland vs Austria

21/06: Netherlands vs France

25/06: Netherlands vs Austria

25/06: France vs Poland.

Euro 2024 Group D Preview

Austria

Best finish: Round of 16 (2020)

Euro 2020: Round of 16

Austria made history in the last European Championship, reaching the knockout round for the first time in their history.

They advanced to the last 16 at Euro 2020 after finishing second in Group C behind the Netherlands. They defeated North Macedonia and Ukraine in the group stage to seal a Round of 16 showdown with Italy.

They came close to recording a massive upset in that contest, losing 2-1 to the eventual champions after extra time.

Austria's challenge at Euro 2024 will be reaching that same stage. They will face former winners, France and the Netherlands, as well as a Poland team led by star striker, Robert Lewandowski.

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One guy who needs to step up for Austria is Marcel Sabitzer. The Borussia Dortmund star led the team in scoring during qualifying, finding the back of the net four times.

France

Best finish: Champions (1984, 2000)

Euro 2020: Round of 16

France head into Euro 2024 as one of the title favourites after recording a spectacular qualifying campaign.

Les Bleus went unbeaten in Group B, recording seven wins and one draw. They scored 29 goals in those eight matches and conceded just thrice.

All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe, who just made his long-awaited move to Real Madrid. He scored nine goals for France in their Euro 2024 qualifying matches. He also netted 44 goals for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023-24 season.

The Netherlands

Best finish: Champions (1988)

Euro 2020: Round of 16

Ronald Koeman's second stint as Netherlands manager got off to a terrible start, losing three of his first four matches.

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Fortunately for the Dutch, he steadied the ship during the Euro qualifiers, winning six of their eight matches to help the Netherlands advance to another major final.

Koeman would want nothing more than to win another Euro title, this time as a coach. He helped the Netherlands win the 1988 European Championship, starting in the 2-0 victory over the Soviet Union in the final.

He has a solid group of players to work with at Euro 2024, including Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo, as well as Matthijs de Ligt, Nathan Ake, and Frenkie De Jong.

Poland

Best finish: Quarter-finals (2016)

Euro 2020: Group stage

Poland's road to Euro 2024 wasn't easy. They needed to go through a qualifying play-off to advance to another major final.

Their match against Wales went into a penalty shootout, with Poland recording a 5-4 win at Cardiff City Stadium. Wojciech Szczesny starred, saving Daniel James' spot kick to seal their place in Germany.

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Robert Lewandowski will need to continue his excellent play for the national team for Poland to reach the knockout round of the Euros. He led the team in scoring in qualifying with three goals.

5 Players to watch at Euro 2024

Sports Brief also previously reported on the five players to watch at Euro 2024 ahead of the tourney kick-off.

England's Jude Bellingham topped the list after leading Real Madrid to Champions League and La Liga glory.

He will look to take the Three Lions to the top as well in this year's European Championship from June 14.