Euro 2016 draw, Group B: England, Wales set for epic British clash

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Reuters

Group B in the Euro 2016 draw consists of England, Russia, Wales, and Slovakia, with Roy Hodgson's men spearheading what should be a relatively straightforward round of fixtures. Slovakia is the minnow here, while Russia could present a test for the two British outfits.

Favourite

England is certainly the favourite in Group B, and for good reason: The Three Lions went undefeated in the qualifying stage and enter the tournament in form and hungry for success at long, long last. With Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling in scoring form, England should be a force to be reckoned with in Group B.

Fighting for second place

Wales is the natural choice for a second-place finish, although it would not be wise to discount the Russians, either. Still, a combination of good team chemistry and strong individual talent should see the Welsh through.

Best player

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale is the best player of the group by far, both in terms of quality and stature. His character carried a nation to the European Championship. Bale is a Welsh hero, a goal-scoring threat, a constant presence up top, and a real talent through and through.

Honourable mention: ​​​Harry Kane (England)

Must-see match

England vs. Wales: the Bale reunion show comes to town and sees the Real Madrid man potentially take on some of his former Tottenham teammates. These neighbouring countries collide for the first time in the European Championships and fans of each team know plenty about the other, making for an exciting head-to-head.

Complete group schedule

Date & Time Match Venue
June 11 - 12 p.m. (ET) Wales vs. Slovakia Stade de Bordeaux (Bordeaux)
June 11 - 3 p.m. (ET) England vs. Russia Stade Velodrome (Marseille)
June 15 - 9 a.m. (ET) Russia vs. Slovakia Stade Pierre Mauroy (Lille)
June 16 - 9 a.m. (ET) England vs. Wales Stade Bollaert-Delelis (Lens)
June 20 - 3 p.m. (ET) Slovakia vs. England Stade Geoffroy Guichard (Saint-Etienne)
June 20 - 3 p.m. (ET) Russia vs. Wales Stadium de Toulouse (Toulouse)

The Digest

Complete coverage of the draw for Euro 2016

by
Reuters

It's still 180 days away, but Euro 2016 now feels closer than ever before.

The draw for the group stage of the tournament was conducted in Paris on Saturday, during a ceremony rife with all the pomp that has come to define UEFA events; an enormous red carpet was rolled out for the esteemed guests, David Guetta's official tournament song was performed - after a handful of other musical numbers - and awkward, meandering conversation dominated among those on stage.

Eventually, though, the balls were drawn from their pots, and the 24 teams involved in the tournament learned their respective group stage fates.

Here's everything you need to know about the Euro 2016 draw:

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

INDIVIDUAL GROUP BREAKDOWNS

ALL ABOUT THE PERENNIAL FAVOURITES

FURTHER READING

REACTION

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