The prevailing theme of the European Championship's history is its constant expansion. For the first 20 years, just four countries competed at each Euros, doubling to eight in 1980, 16 in 1996 and now, for the first time, 24 at Euro 2016. There will doubtless be a couple of memorable stories made this summer by outsiders, but overall the latest expansion is likely to encourage defensive football, and might make the group stage somewhat underwhelming.
Admitting eight extra countries has, by and large, made the tournament lineup more defensive. Underdogs realise they're unlikely to punch above their weight by playing free-flowing, attack-minded football; the fewer the goals, the more likely they are to cause a shock.