Euro 2016: England must turn the tide of history in opening match

Three Lions have never won their opening European Championship finals match

Zinedine Zidane, in 2004, was one of many to stop England starting a European Championship campaign with a win (Getty)

England head into Saturday’s opening Euro 2016 match against Russia seeking to overturn the weight of history – the Three Lions having never won their opening game at a European Championship finals.

While they have won five of their 14 openers in the World Cup finals, they are yet to hit the ground running on their own continent.

In eight previous tournaments, England have lost four matches and drawn the other four – the most recent being a 1-1 tie with France in Donetsk four years ago, in Roy Hodgson’s third match in charge.

On three of the four occasions on which they have lost their opener, the Three Lions have exited at the first opportunity.

Their best showing in the most recently-used format, reaching the semi-finals at Euro 96, began with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Switzerland at Wembley under Terry Venables.

They also ‘reached’ the semi-finals in their first appearance, in 1968, although the tournament only compromised four countries back then and opened with the semi-finals.

Joleon Lescott heads England ahead against France in their Euro 2012 opener but the Three Lions were unable to hold on (Getty)

Only once has a loss been turned around into qualification for the next stage at a Euro finals – Sven-Goran Eriksson leading a Wayne-Rooney inspired side into the last eight in Portugal in 2004 despite going down - just - to France in the opener.

England have actually taken the lead in their last four Euro openers, being pegged back on each occasion. Alan Shearer, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Joleon Lescott found the net first in England’s last four curtain-raisers, before the opposition were allowed back in.

Marseilles should hold happy memories for Three Lions fans, however - Glenn Hoddle's side beginning their 1998 World Cup finals campaign there with a 2-0 victory over Tunisia.

ENGLAND'S OPENING EURO MATCHES

1968 Lost 1-0 to Yugoslavia Finished: third

1980 Drew 1-1 with Belgium Out in group stage

1988 Lost 1-0 to Ireland Group stage

1992 Drew 0-0 with Denmark Group stage

1996 Drew 1-1 with Switzerland Semi-final

2000 Lost 3-2 to Portugal Group stage

2004 Lost 2-1 to France Quarter-final

2012 Drew 1-1 with France Quarter-final

*Did not enter in 1960; Did not qualify in 1964, 72, 76, 84 and 2008

Any teams with hopes of holding aloft the Henri Delaunay trophy in Paris in a month’s time will be eager to start with a victory – and history would reward their positivity.

Only once before has the eventual winner started a European Championship with defeat – the Netherlands going down 1-0 to the Soviet Union in Cologne in 1988 before recovering to beat the same side in the Munich final a fortnight later.

With varying formats deployed before this year’s latest formula, 11 of the 14 previous winners began with a maximum – including Italy winning a coin toss against the Soviet Union in 1968.

The Netherlands are the only side to win the European Championship after losing their opening match, Ruud Gullit lifting the trophy in 1988 despite Soviet defeat (Getty)

Denmark, in 1992, and Spain, four years ago, both drew their openers before finding their feet to take the crown.

In two of the three tournaments where the eventual champion failed to start with a victory, they ended up winning the trophy by winning a rematch of their failed opening encounter. The Dutch’s revenge mission 28 years ago was echoed in 2012 as Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the final, having been held by the same country in the opener.

WINNERS' OPENING EURO MATCHES

1960 Soviet Union Beat Czechoslovakia 3-0

1964 Spain Beat Hungary 2-1 [after extra time]

1968 Italy Beat Soviet Union on a coin toss

1972 West Germany Beat Belgium 2-1

1976 Czechoslovakia Beat Netherlands 3-1 [after extra time]

1980 West Germany Beat Czechoslovakia 1-0

1984 France Beat Denmark 1-0

1988 Netherlands Lost to Soviet Union 1-0

1992 Denmark Drew 0-0 with England

1996 Germany Beat Czech Republic 2-0

2000 France Beat Denmark 3-0

2004 Greece Beat Portugal 2-1

2008 Spain Beat Russia 4-1

2012 Spain Drew 1-1 with Italy