Euro 2012 preview: A close look at the teams and players expected to make an impact
Euro 2012 gets under way on 8th of June with co-host Poland taking on Greece in the opening fixture of Group A. Russia and Czech Republic complete a competitive group with Russia rated favourites to win and finish top with Betfair Football. It is difficult to split the other three teams with Poland marginally preferred to secure second place.
Group B has been dubbed “The Group of Death” by virtue of the quality of the four sides. Germany are favourites to progress ahead of The Netherlands with Portugal seen as a big threat to the big two and Denmark the outsiders. Robin van Persie has been voted Player of the Year in the English Premier League and there is talk of a possible big summer move for the Arsenal captain. He finished the season with thirty goals for his club and is expected to be one of the star players of Euro 2012. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in sensational form for Real Madrid in La Liga and Portugal will be hoping he can reproduce that sort of form on the international stage. Germany and The Netherlands are seen as big contenders to win the tournament and Portugal are the team most likely to cause a group stage upset.
Defending champions Spain are odds-on favourites to win Group C but face a stiff challenge from Italy. Controversial Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has been named in the provisional squad for Italy. Although he has scored some superb goals for the Premier League champions, his season has been punctuated by poor discipline and it remains to be seen whether he will feature in Italy’s final team selection. Croatia and Republic of Ireland make up the group and it would be a big surprise if they were to upset the big two. Chelsea’s Juan Mata has been a revelation since joining the Blues and he is likely to have a major impact on the tournament. Spain, who are attempting to be the first team to successfully defend the European Championship, do have concerns about their attacking strength with David Villa recovering from injury and Fernando Torres still short of his best form.
England and France are set to lock horns in Group D and will have to be at their best to progress at the expense of co-hosts Ukraine and a tough Swedish side. England’s preparations for Euro 2012 have been rocked by the resignation of Fabio Capello and new team coach Ray Hodgson has only been given three weeks to organise his squad. He faces the additional problem of striker Wayne Rooney being suspended for the opening two group games. It would be no surprise if England were to struggle and Ukraine could join France in the knockout stages.
While the pieces of this summer championship yet to be unfold, there is plenty of news surrounding the participating countries and teams to keep fans up-to-date before opening day. So get informed and let the cheering begin!
