Group-stage play continued Monday at the 2016 European Championship, and two of the tournament's more heavily favored sides were in action in France.
Spain opened up their Euro title defense against Czech Republic, while Belgium and Italy converged for one of the more anticipated matches in the group stage. Sandwiched in between was a clash between the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
With the tournament's expansion from 16 to 24 teams, starting the Euros off with a win isn't quite as important as it once was. But with one win almost guaranteeing a place in the round of 16, the stakes remain high through the first round of fixtures.