Champions League Permutations

Just one round of fixtures remain in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, with 13 teams having already qualified for the last-16. 

All the four Spanish teams are through to the knockout stages along with Arsenal & Manchester United, and with just three places up for grabs holders Chelsea are one of the six teams in contention on 4 and 5 December.

Qualified for the last 16: FC Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Schalke 04, Arsenal, Malaga (GW), AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund (GW), Real Madrid, Shakhtar Dontesk, Bayern Munich, Valencia, Barcelona (GW), Manchester United (GW).

GW – Group Winners 

Can still qualify: Juventus or Chelsea; Benfica or Celtic; Galatasaray or CFR Cluj (in each case losing team will play in the UEFA Europa League).

Confirmed in the UEFA Europa League: Dynamo Kiev, Olympiakos, BATE Borisov.

Can qualify for UEFA Europa League: Zenit St Petersburg or Anderlecht; Ajax or Manchester City (in each case the losing team will be knocked out of Europe)

Knocked out of Europe: Dinamo Zagreb, Montpellier, Nordsjælland, Spartak Moscow, LOSC Lille, Braga.

Here lets have a look the the permutations for all the eight groups..

4TH DECEMBER

GROUP A

Paris Saint-Germain (12pts) v FC Porto (13), Dinamo Zagreb (0) v Dynamo Kiev (4)

Porto have qualified with the most number of points after five games and will clinch the first place in the group win a win or a draw in Paris.

PSG are also through but must beat Porto to finish top.

Dynamo Kiev will transfer to the knockout stages of the Europa League

Dinamo Zagreb are out of Europe.

GROUP B

Olympiakos (6pts) v Arsenal (10), Montpellier (1) v Schalke 04 (11)

Schalke  are through and will win the group if they get all three points in France or Arsenal are denied a win in Greece due to their head-to-head superiority.

Arsenal have qualified for the knockout stages for the 13th year running but to top the group, they must win at Olympiakos and hope Montpellier don’t lose to Schalke.

Olympiakos will transfer to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Montpellier are out of Europe.

GROUP C

Malaga (11pts) v Anderlecht (4), AC Milan (8) v Zenit St Petersburg (4)

Malaga in their debut season in the Champions League have qualified as group winners due to their head-to-head superiority over Milan.

Milan are through as runners-up of the group.

Zenit lie third on goal difference as they are level on head-to-head with Anderlecht, with whom they fighting for a place in the last-32 of the Europa League. If the two matches in the group end in a draw, the Russian wll qualify for the Europa League due to the superior goal difference.

Anderlecht will qualify for the Europa League knockout stages if they pick up more points than Zenit or overturn their goal difference.

GROUP D

Borussia Dortmund (11pts) v Manchester City (3), Real Madrid (8) v Ajax (4)

Dortmund have qualified as group winners due to their head-to-head superiority over the reigning Spanish champions.

Real Madrid are through as runners-up, the 16th year in a row they have made it through their group.

Ajax will qualify for the Europa League if they win in Madrid or if Manchester City fail to win at Dortmund due to the Dutch champions’ head-to-head superiority.

Manchester City will qualify for the last-32 of the the Europa League if they win in Germany and Ajax fail to win in Spain.

5TH DECEMBER

GROUP E

Shakhtar Donetsk (10pts) v Juventus (9), Chelsea (7) v Nordsjælland (1)

Shakhtar are through and will clinch first place with a win or draw in their final game.

Juventus will finish first with a win against Shakhtar, and will be through with a draw even if Chelsea win against Nordsjælland.

Chelsea need to win their final game and hope the Italian champions lose as their head-to-head record is inferior to both teams above them.

Nordsjælland are out of Europe.

GROUP F

Bayern Munich (10pts) v BATE Borisov (6), LOSC Lille (3) v Valencia (10)

Bayern are through to the last-16 and top on head-to-head record ahead of Valencia. The Germans will win the group if they beat BATE or secure as many points as Valencia.

Valencia are through but must pick up more points than Bayern to finish first in the group.

BATE will finish third and enter the Europa League as their head-to-head record is superior to Lille’s.

Lille are out of Europe.

GROUP G

Barcelona (12pts) v Benfica (7), Celtic (7) v Spartak Moscow (3)

Barcelona are through as group winners

Benfica will be through with a win in Spain, or as long as they pick up the same number of points as Celtic, as they have the head-to-head superiority over the Scottish champions.

Celtic must pick up more points than Benfica to overtake them and make in through to the last-16.

Spartak are out of Europe.

GROUP H

Manchester United (12pts) v CFR Cluj (7), SC (3) v Galatasaray (7)

Manchester United are through as group winners.

Galatasaray are second ahead of Cluj on head-to-head record. They will qualify with a win in Portugal or as long as they pick up as many points as the Romanians.

Cluj must secure more points than Galatasaray to qualify for the Round of 16.

Braga are out of Europe.

IntoTheTopCorner’s UEFA EURO 2012 Awards

Spain created history on Sunday night in Kiev by winning their third successive major tournament, with a dominating 4-0 win over Italy in the UEFA EURO 2012 final at the Olympic Stadium in Ukraine.

UEFA EURO 2012 has been an exciting and very competitive tournament with some tight, action-packed and mouth-watering matches.  Looking back to last 23 days’ of action, IntoTheTopCorner brings you it’s own UEFA EURO 2012 awards.

TEAM AWARDS

BEST TEAM – SPAIN

Many have criticised La Roja for being boring at times during the tournament, but when it mattered the most they turned on the style and silenced all the critics with emphatic 4-0 win in the final over Italy. Although Vicente Del Bosque’s men have not been at their best throughout the competition, they have done what is needed to win the trophy and ended the campaign with an outstanding performance in the final.

WORST TEAM – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Some fans expected Ireland to cause some upsets or shocks in Group C, but it never happened. The team had a good blend of players but completely failed to perform when needed. They were completely out of depth and ideas. Giovanni Trapattoni’s men lost all of their three group games, conceding nine goals and scoring just one.

OVERACHIEVERS – GREECE

Most didn’t expect Greece to make it through to knockout stages from Group A, but in the end they were eliminated from the competition along with the likes of England and France. Coming into the tournament as huge outsiders to make it to the last eight, the 2004 winners stunned Russia in the last group game and then scored twice – without their inspiration skipper – against Germany in the quarter-finals.

UNDERACHIEVERS – NETHERLANDS

Group B or the “Group of Death’ was always going to be tough but everyone expected Netherlands to reach atleast the last four if not the finals. The 2010 World Cup finalists came into the Championships with virtually the same squad that was present in South Africa but yet they failed to deliver. The team showed no unity at all with every player playing for himself rather than the team. In the end, the Dutch ended at the bottom of the group with no points on the board.

WORST CHOKERS – RUSSIA

Russia came into the tournament as the favourites in Group A, and they made the best possible start with a win (4-1) and a draw (1-1) in their first two matches. With a point needed from their final group game against Greece, they were surely going through to the last eight. But they choked badly and lost 1-0 to the 2004 champions, which saw them drop down to third – from the top spot – in the group table and that meant they were going back home.

BEST MATCH – GERMANY 1-2 ITALY

Although this tournament has thrown up many great games to watch, the semi-final clash between Germany and Italy was a great game for the neutrals. Germany were the favourites to defeat Italy and progress to the finals, Mario Balotelli struck twice to give Italy a shock two goal lead in the first half. The second half had more end-to-end action and the game could have gone either way but Cesare Prandelli’s men held on to a 2-1 victory and made the final.

WORST MATCH – CROATIA 0-1 SPAIN

UEFA EURO 2012 has had very few matches which were boring or not entertaining, and the Croatia-Spain game was one of them. The final Group C game had a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs but Spain -who started the game without a striker – made it an one side affair by keeping possession with no real threat or penetration. Croatia had a couple of chances in the second half but Spain tired their opponents by keeping the ball and went on to score a late winner.

SHOCK OF THE TOURNAMENT – NETHERLANDS 0-1 DENMARK

There have been quite a few upsets throughout the tournament but this one was perhaps the biggest of them all. Everyone expected the Dutch to perform well in Poland/Ukraine but they were shocked in the first game itself. Netherlands completely dominated the possession and create a lot of chances but just failed to convert one of those chances. While on the other hand, the Danes had a very few chances but were very clinical and scored the only goal of the game in first half, which was enough in the end.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

BEST PLAYER – ANDRES INIESTA (SPAIN)

In the team loaded full of superstars, Andres Iniesta is one of the most underrated player. His control of the ball, accurate passing and deft touches lifts him way ahead of his teammates.   The Barcelona midfielder was the spark that carried his team forward. He was a constant attacking threat for the opposition and with Spain playing without a true centre-forward his penetration and positioning in the last third was very important. Completely deserves the Golden Ball award.

WORST PLAYER – ARJEN ROBBEN (NETHERLANDS)

After coming from a poor season with Bayern Munich, everyone expected Arjen Robben to show his true colors for his country in Poland/Ukraine but it didn’t happen so. The former Real Madrid and Chelsea winger was a complete failure and at times was very selfish. His behavior was no good and his worst moment came when he was substituted off against Germany. Rather than cross the pitch and complete the substitution normally, he merely stepped over the nearest touchline, ripped his shirt off and walked angrily around the side of the pitch.

BEST MANAGER – CESARE PRANDELLI (ITALY)

This one was a tough choice but the former Fiorentina boss deserves credit for his work with Italy. He dragged a team made up of players past-their-peaks and misfits all the way to the final. He did this with a combination of tactical innovation and expert man-management. Reinvented Italy as an attractive, attacking team, and showed himself to be a thorougly decent man on and off the field.

BEST YOUNG PLAYER – MARIO BALOTELLI (ITALY)

Mario Balotelli was already hyped for his on-and-off field antics prior to the tournament, but he showed his real talent and class on the field with his performances in Poland/Ukraine. The Manchester City man was not so impressive in the first two games but scored a classic volley against Ireland in the last group game and then put in a solid performance against England in the quarter-finals. His real moment came against Germany in the semi-finals, when he displayed his true talent, potential and class and also scored both the goals that helped his side reach the final.

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE – CRISTIANO RONALDO (PORTUGAL 2-1 NETHERLANDS)

After being heavily criticsed for his below-par performances in the first two games of the tournament against Germany and Denmark, the Real Madrid man came to life when it mattered the most. In the final group game against the Netherlands, Portugal needed a win to make it through and the former Manchester United star put in a man-of-the-match performance and scored twice which ensured his side won 2-1 after the Dutch had taken an early lead.

BEST GOAL – ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC (SWEDEN 2-0 FRANCE)

With Sweden already out of the tournament with defeats to Ukraine and England in their first two games, the Scandinavians were playing for pride in their final Group D game against France. The AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of the stars of the tournament and he ended his tournament in style with an acrobatic volley past keeper Hugo Lloris from the edge of the area, which helped his side to a shocking 2-0 win.

BEST PENALTY – ANDREA PIRLO (ENGLAND 0-0 (2-4P) ITALY)

With Ricardo Montolivo already having missed one of Italy’s penalty during the quarter-final penalty shoot-out against England, the Juventus playmaker Andrea Prilo stepped up to the mark. With Joe Hart jumping around and making faces to put his opponent off, the former AC Milan midfielder causally chipped his spot-kick down the middle and completely fooled the Manchester City keeper who dived to his right.

BEST SAVE – IKER CASILLAS (CROATIA 0-1 SPAIN)

May not be the best save of the tournament, but surely was the most important one. Just after the interval, Luka Modric put in a cross from the outside of his right foot, which was perfectly met by the head of Ivan Rakitic from 6 yards, but the Real Madrid and Spain skipper produced a great reflex save to deny the Sevilla man from scoring the goal which could have knocked out the defending champions in the group stages itself.

BEST GOAL CELEBRATION – MARIO BALOTELLI (GERMANY 1-2 ITALY)

Having already scored the opener against Germany in the semi-finals, Mario Balotelli rifled the second past Manuel Neuer – which turned out to be the winner in the end – before running away towards the edge of the area, taking his jersey off and showing his upper body in Hulk style.

WORST MISS – CRISTIANO RONALDO (DENMARK 2-3 PORTUGAL)

With the Denmark-Portugal game finely balanced, the Portuguese skipper Cristiano Ronaldo had a glorious chance to gives his side 3-1 lead when he was one-on-one with the Danish goalkeeper Stephen Andersen.However, very unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, he placed his effort well wide of the right-hand post.

OTHER AWARDS

HIGHLIGHT OF THE TOURNAMENT – ENTERTAINING FINAL

Everyone expected the Spain-Italy final to be a cagey affair with both teams trying to keep the possession a lot and defend, but the it was anything but that. The game was an open, end-to-end affair with Spain – as expected – dominating the game with a lot of possession, but at the same time playing some attacking football and creating a lot of goal scoring chances. Italy, on the other hand, also had chances to score but they failed to do so. In the end, as the scoreline shows the final was an entertaining affair and the defending champions completely outclassed their opponents.

LOWLIGHT OF THE TOURNAMENT – RACISM AND UEFA FINES

Despite it being a good tournament played in the right manner generally, ugly incidents of racism reared their ugly heads at times. No place for this in society or the beautiful game. Another low point of the tournament was the ridiculous fines by UEFA. Most of the racist fans of various countries were fined way less than Nicklas Bendtner for showing the sponsors on his underpants.

BEST FANS – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Republic of Ireland didn’t give their fans much to cheer about in terms of performance or goals, but the travelling Irish fans created quite the noise at their side’s Group C games and at the same time were not involved in any trouble in and out of the stadium.

BEST TATTOO – DANIELE DE ROSSI

While most of the footballers opt to ink their wives’ or children’s names, tribal symbols or pair of angel wings on their skins, Daniele de Rossi’s road-sign design tattoo to leave his opponents in no doubt as to what is in store was by far the best tattoo and a true innovation up to which the rest of the football world show now be aiming to live.

WORST HAIRSTYLE – RAUL MIERELES

The Portugal and Chelsea midfielder’s pathetically scruffy skull-fuzz, stuck halfway between a total shave and a Mohican with the style points of neither, combine with his off-putting wall of tattoos on his whole body put him only one step away from the ‘Derelicte’ range of homeless fashion as invented by Will Ferrell’s Mugatu in ‘Zoolander’.

BIGGEST GAFFE – RUSSIA DAY CELEBRATED IN WARSAW

Biggest blunded was by the person who allowed 20,000 Russia fans to march through Warsaw to celebrate ‘Russia Day’. That’s 20,000 Russians marching through the Polish capital. What could possibly go wrong? It resulted in 183 arrests in the biggest incidence of hooliganism for decades.

Top 5 Goals Of UEFA EURO 2012

The European Championships in Poland/Ukraine have come to an end with Spain creating history by successfully defending their crown by defeating Italy 4-0 in the final. A total of 76 goals have been scored by the 16 teams that took part in the competition and here’s our pick of the top five goals.

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden 2-0 France)

Sweden were already out of the tournament and were just playing for some lost pride against France in the final game in Group D. Sebastian Larsson crossed from the right for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who twisted superbly to dispatch a flying volley past Hugo Lloris from the edge of the area.

2. Sami Khedira (Germany 4-2 Greece)

The Real Madrid midfielder timed his run perfectly to meet Jerome Boateng’s cross on the volley and smash the ball past Michalis Sifakis to restore Germany’s advantage, after Georgios Samaras had shockingly equalised for Greece.

3. Mario Balotelli (Germany 1-2 Italy)

Ricardo Montolivo looked for Balotelli following a Germany corner, his ball over the top evading Philipp Lahm. The Manchester City striker sped away from his pursuers to rifle a shot into the top corner for finish every bit as emphatic as his first of the match.

4. Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland 1-1 Russia)

Poland broke quickly down the right and Jakub Blaszczykowski cut inside Yuri Zhirkov, level with the edge of the area, and unleased a fiercely struck shot with his left boot which found the top left-hand corner.

5. Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia 4-1 Czech Republic)

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker took just nine minutes to make his mark on UEFA EURO 2012 after coming off the substitutes’ bench. He cut in from the left-hand side of the penalty are and rifled an efford into the top left-hand corner to seal an impressive victory for his side over the Czech Republic.

Germany v Greece Preview

The pre-tournament favourites Germany take on massive outsiders Greece  in the quarter-finals in Gdansk today – with the Germans looking to join Portugal in the final four, while the Greeks will be hoping for an upset.

Greece provided arguably the biggest shock of Euro 2012 so far by jumping from the foot of Group A to second with a 1-0 win over Russia in their final group game. And their unexpected title triumph at Euro 2004 is another indication of how dangerous the Greeks can be. Greece coach Fernando Santos believes the example of eight years ago is giving his squad belief as they enter the knockout stages. “I would like to seize this opportunity to say what an inspiration for us the 2004 success is,” said Santos. “We showed great resolution and strength and we were written off before that tournament, but we still reached the final and won the cup. That should be a source of inspiration for us this time.”

It may need more than inspiration if they are to beat Joachim Low’s team. Germany are the only team at Euro 2012 to win all their matches so far – even also winning all 10 qualifying games. Although Low is not taking Greece for granted, he remains convinced his team will progress to the semi-finals. “Logically we are favourites, but we can deal with that,” he said. “But remember – knockout games have their own character so it will not be the case that the favourite automatically reaches the next round. We saw that in the group when Russia were the big favourites and we have all seen what happened. But if we show all of our inner strength and belief, then we are strong enough to beat the Greeks of course. I am convinced we will win.”

TEAM NEWS

Germany

Germany welcome Jerome Boateng back after he missed the 2-1 win over Denmark due to suspension. Lars Bender should therefore return to the bench despite scoring the winner against the Danes. The rest of the team is expected to be the same, meaning the likes of Miroslav Klose, Mario Gotze and Toni Kroos must continue to wait for a start.

Greece

Fernando Santos must do without skipper Giorgos Karagounis and left-back Jose Holebas, who were both suspended in the win over Russia. Georgios Tzavelas had already usurped Holebas in the left-back slot so will continue, but the likes of Sotiris Ninis, Grigoris Makos and Giorgos Fotakis will battle for Karagounis’ midfield berth.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Played – 8
Germany Wins – 5
Draws – 3
Greece Wins – 0

FORM GUIDE

Germany – WWWWL
17-Jun-12 – Euro 2012 – Denmark 1-2 Germany
13-Jun-12 – Euro 2012 – Netherlands 1-2 Germany
09-Jun-12 – Euro 2012 – Germany 1-0 Portugal
31-May-12 – Friendly – Germany 2-0 Israel
26-May-12 – Friendly – Switzerland 5-3 Germany

Czech Republic – WLDWD
16-Jun-12 – Euro 2012 – Greece 1-0 Russia
12-Jun-12 – Euro 2012 – Greece 1-2 Czech Republic
08-Jun-12 – Euro 2012 – Poland 1-1 Greece
31-May-12 – Friendly – Greece 1-0 Armenia
26-May-12 – Friendly – Greece 1-1 Slovenia

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Mesut Ozil (Germany)
The Real Madrid star has had a relatively quiet tournament so far with just one assist to his name, but Joachim Low has backed the playmaker to “explode” in the knockout rounds just like he did in the World Cup two years ago. Indeed, a return to the form he showed in South Africa which earned him a move to Real Madrid may just be what is needed to get the zip back into Germany’s build-up play in the final third, which has at times looked a bit lifeless.

Mario Gomez (Germany)
Coming from a highly successful season with Bayern Munich and with already three goals in three group games, the German striker is the favourite to win the Golden Boot award. But with Greece boasting a record of the least number of goals conceded during qualifying, the former Stuttgart striker will have to be at his very best to score today and help his side reach the semi-finals.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Greece)
With Greece most likely to sit on the backfoot and defend rather than playing some free-flowing, eye-catching attacking football, their defending will have to be up to the task to give them any chance of pulling off an upset against the slick passing game of the Germans. The 20-year-old Schalke defender, Papadopoulos was reliable at the back in the group stages and his physical strength and ability to read the game will aid him well in his duel with Mario Gomez.

Geiorgios Samaras (Greece)
The Celtic striker was impressive against the Russians the other night, holding up the ball and going past the defenders with ease. Often played out on the wide, the 27-year-old put in some dangerous crosses and also tracks back to help out his defenders. Although he hasn’t scored in the tournament yet, he remains an integral part of the Greece as justified by manager Fernando Santos by handing him a start in all the games till now.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Germany (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber, Philipp Lahm; Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger; Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski; Mario Gomez.

Germany have stuck with their best players all through the tournament and coach Joachim Low will not wish to mess with the winning eleven much. Bayern stopper Neuer will start in between the sticks and will be hoping to deal with the Greek attacks. The defence will see the return of Jerome Boateng  in place of Lars Bender after serving his suspension, despite the later scoring the winning goal against Denmark. Hummels, Badstuber and Lahm are expected to make up the rest of the defence. Khedira and Schweinsteiger will protect the defensive line while also assisting the attacking midfield trio of Muller, Ozil and Podolski. Star striker Mario Gomez, who is the joint topscorer in the competition with 3 goals and will get the nod again ahead of the veteran Miroslav Klose.

Greece (4-2-3-1): Michalis Sifakis; Vasilis Torosidis, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Avraam Papadopoulos, Giorgos Tzavelas; Kostas Katsouranis, Giannis Maniatis; Dimitris Salpigidis, Giorgos Fotakis, Geiogios Samaras; Theofanis Gekas.

Greece coach Fernando Santos will be without captain Giorgos Karagounis and Jose Holebas, who are both suspended, while goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias is unlikely to recover from his hamstring injury in time. Sifakis who has yet to concede a goal in his two appearances since coming on as a substitute against the Czech Republic will start in the between the sticks for the Greeks. The back four of Torosidis, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Avraam Papadopoulos and Tzavelas will guard the goal ahead of Sifakis. Katsouranis and Maniatis will play in the midfield protecting their defence as well as assisting in the attack. Ninis might get a chance over here with skipper suspended but Santos may go for the experience of Fotakis to play behind the striker Gekas and in between Samars and Salpigidis.

MATCH ODDS

Germany 3/10 Draw 21/5 Greece 10/1

PREDICTION

The Germans are known for their free-flowing attacking football, while the Greeks are known to be defensively very sound and they showed it against the Russians. It’s going to be a contest of attack versus the defence, as the Germans would look to attack from the first minute and look score an early goal, while the Greeks would look to defend and try to hit their opponents on the counter or from the set-peices. Greece have some very hardworking players who gave their best to win the match against Russia, but the Germans have talent and quality in their side alongwith some game changing individuals and that might be too much for Fernando Santos’ men to handle.

Predicted Score – Germany 2-0 Greece

All Set For The Quarter-Finals

After 12 days and 24 matches, we are down to the knockout stages of the UEFA EURO 20012, and for the remaining eight teams, the prospect of winning the competition has edged that little bit closer.

Defending champions Spain are one team among the eight that qualified from their groups for a place in the quarter finals. Among the eight teams, six – Germany, Ialy, France, Spain, Greece and Czech Republic – are former winners. The other two – Portugal and England are also in the competition that will resume on Thursday when the Portuguese take on the Czech Republic in Warsaw.

Poland’s National Stadium in Warsaw will host the first quarter final between Czech Republic and Portugal – two teams who bounced back impressively from opening losses to win their remaining group games. The Czech, who topped Group A after registering wins over Greece and co-host Poland, will start as underdogs against Portugal – who defeated Netherlands in their final group game to qualify.

The second quarter final sees Germany take on Greece in Gdansk. Joachim Low’s men will look to continue their 100% winning run in Poland/Ukraine – they have won all their matches in the qualifying also – and seal a place in the last four, when they face Greece on Friday. But Fernando Santos’ men know a thing or two about springing a surprise as few expected them to qualify at the expense of Russia and also very few expected them to shock Portugal and win the championship back in 2004.

The match on Saturday sees world and European champions Spain take on France in the third quarter final in Donetsk. The last time these two teams met in a major competition, Les Bleus came from behind to eliminate the Spaniards in the last 16 of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. That was the last time Spain suffered a knockout defeat. Spain topped their group following a nervy and less than impressive display against Croatia in their final game, while France were defeated by Sweden and had to settle for a second place in Group D.

The last quarter final in Kiev on Sunday is between Group D winners England an Italy. England exceeded all expectations by winning the group and have never reached the semi finals of the European Championships on foriegn soil and now are just one step away from it following back-to-back wins over Sweden and Ukraine. Italy, on the other, are unbeaten in the tournament so far and have made it through a tough Group C and are known for peaking at the right.

QUARTER FINALS

Thursday, 21 June 2012
Czech Republic v Portugal @ National Stadium, Warsaw

Friday, 22 June 2012
Germany v Greece @ PGE Arena, Gdansk

Saturday, 23 June 2012
Spain v France @ Donbass Arena, Donetsk

Sunday, 24 June 2012
England v Italy @ Olympic Stadium, Kiev

SEMI FINALS

Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Czech Republic/Portugal v Spain/France @ Donbass Arena, Donetsk

Thursday 28 June 2012
Germany/Greece v England/Italy @ National Stadium, Warsaw

FINAL

Sunday 1 July 2012
Winner of SF1 v Winner of SF2 @ Olympic Stadium, Kiev

Predicting Portugal v Netherlands and Denmark v Germany

Czech Republic and Greece are the first two teams to qualify for the quarter-finals after winning their respective games last night. Czech Republic broke co-hosts Poland’s heart with a 1-0 win, while Greece stunned Russia with a similar scoreline, which saw the 2004 European Champions qualify at the expense of their opponents.

Today, its time for the last round of matches in the Group of Death. Netherlands take on Portugal in one of the most important matches in this tournament so far, while Germany, who lead the group win two wins, meet Denmark in Lviv.

Date – 17th June, 21:45 GMT

Stadium – Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv

Prediction – It’s the match of the tournament with high stakes on it. Both teams Portugal and Netherlands have a chance of making it through to the next round. Netherlands need to beat Portugal by atleast a two goal margin and hope Denmark lose to Germany in the other game, while a draw for Portugal will be enough. With a win needed for the Netherlands to qualify for the last-eight, the Dutch will go with all guns blazing from the start. They will play some eye catching attacking football and will trouble the Portuguese defence a lot. Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will both start and lead the line up front for the Dutch. Portugal on the other had will look to defend and make themselves as tough as possible for the Dutch to break them down.  The Dutch will play the game on a high tempo and dominate the possession and also get an early go thanks to Huntelaar. The 2010 FIFA World Cup finalist will take the lead into the break. After the interval Dutch will continue to dominate and play most of the football in the opposition’s half. They will go for the second goal, which could send them through, and they will get it and it will Robin van Persie to score it. Portugal will go on the offence hoping to get atleast a goal back. Maarten Stekelenburg will make a couple of outstanding saves from Cristiano Ronaldo. But with just minutes left on the clock, the former Manchester United star will score and give his side the needed one goal which would take the Portuguese through to the last eight. Netherlands do win the game 2-1 but go out of the tournament.

Predicted Final Score – Portugal  1-2 Netherlands (Ronaldo ; Huntelaar, van Persie)

Date – 17th June, 21:45 GMT

Stadium – Lviv Arena, Lviv

Prediction – The Portugal v Netherlands is the important match of tournament so far, but this isn’t anything less. Denmark have a chance of making it through to the final eight, while Germany – who lead the group with two wins in two matches – can also go out. A win will take Denmark through but any other result and they are going back home. On the other, a point for Germany and they go into the quarter-finals as Group B winners and will face Greece, but if they lose and Portugal beat Netherlands in the other game, then the Germans can be knocked out of the tournament. Keeping this in mind Joachim Low will play a strong German starting XI against the Danes, who stunned the Netherlands in the first group game. Expect this game to be a bit cagey as both the sides will be well organised and tough to beat. Germans will dominate the game with their free-flowing football, while the Danes will look to hit them on the break. Mario Gomez, who has been in brilliant form all season, will give the Germans the lead in the first half. The score will stay the same at the break and after the interval Denmark will come out looking to create more chances and look to attack the German goal. But it won’t be of any success as the well organised German defence will deal with all the threats and later the 2008 UEFA EURO finalist will go on to score their second. Mesut Ozil will score a brilliant goal from the edge of the area to wrap up the game for his country. A win means Germany win the Group of Death and will face Greece in the quarter finals, while its the end of the road for Denmark but they go back home with pride of having defeated Netherlands in the first game and having come so close of making it to the final eight.

Predicted Final Score – Denmark 0-2 Germany (Gomez, Ozil)

Predicting Czech Republic v Poland And Greece v Russia

With the second round of group matches done and last round to be played over four days, 14 teams have a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals with just 8 places are up for grabs, while two teams – Sweden and Republic of Ireland – are already out.

Today we predict the outcome of the matches in the Group A, where all fours teams – Poland, Czech Republic, Russia and Greece have a chance to make it through to the next round. The two matches will be played simultaneously, co-hosts Poland will take on Czech Republic in Wroclaw, while inform Russia will battle out Greece in Warsaw.

Date – 16th June, 21:45 GMT

Stadium – Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw

Prediction – Czech Republic are the favourites going into this match against the co-hosts Poland, as a draw may be enough for them to qualify, if Russia beat Greece in the other match, but for Poland they have to win today or else they are out. With so much at stake in this game, the teams will be cautious in the opening 15-20 minutes but will start playing their game once they settle in. Poland will have to be aware of the early threat of the Czech Republic, as they can score some early goals as they did against Greece. While, on the other, the Czechs will have to keep Robert Lewandowski under control or else he could just end their hopes in the tournament. Czech Republic will start the game well and will settled quicker than the co-hosts. Vaclav Pilar, who has scored in both of their matches, will give them the lead early on after a brilliant pass by skipper Tomas Rosicky. The goal will make Poland attack more and Lewandowski will equalise just before half time. The Poles will come out and dominate the game after the interval. Petr Cech, who has conceded five goals so far, will be tested a lot in the second half and will have to be at his best to deny the co-hosts. The Poles will continue to control the game and with less than 10 minutes remaining on the watch, the Poland skipper Jakub Blaszczykowski, who scored the stunner against Russia, will score the most important goal in his life – the goal that will take his side through to the quarter-finals.

Predicted Final Score – Czech Republic  1-2 Poland (Pilar ; Lewandowksi, Blaszczykowski)

Date – 16th June, 21:45 GMT

Stadium – National Stadium, Warsaw

Prediction – Having won the first two games, a draw will be enough for Russia to qualify but they wont take this match lightly as they know how important momentum is in such tournaments. Greece, on the other hand, need a win to qualify, while draw or a defeat will knock them out of the competition. Russians are the favourites to win the game, but the Greeks will be the one who will be going for the win more than the Russians. Greece will start with a very attacking formation and will go to attack from the first minute, but the Russians will do what they are best at – hitting teams on the break. Arsahvin will break and setup again for Alan Dzagoev – who has been in fine form in this competition – to score his fourth goal of the tournament. Again the Greeks would come and attack and again the Russian will hit them on the break and this time it will be the skipper himself to get his name on the scoresheet. Dimitris Salpingidis will get one back for the UEFA EURO 2004 winners in the second half but it would be just a mere consolation, as substitute Aleksandr Kerzhakov, who has misfired in both the matches so far, will finally score his first goal and get monkey off his back. A win will mean Russia qualify as group winners and will face the second best team in Group B, while Greece are out with Poland qualifying as the second best team in Group A and will most like face Germany in the quarter-finals.

Predicted Final Score – Greece 1-3 Russia (Salpingidis ; Dzagoev, Arshavin, Kerzhakov)

Group Permutations – How Can Each Team Qualify

With the last set of group games to be played over the next four nights, 14 sides remain in contention for the quarter-finals. Here, we look at the permutation on how can each team qualify for the next round.

GROUP A – SATURDAY
Greece (1pt) v Russia (4), Czech Republic (3) v Poland (2)

Russia – A draw will be enough for Russia to qualify, and could even afford a defeat by less than six goals if the other game ends in a draw.

Greece – A win will take Greece through to the next round, but a draw or defeat will send them home packing.

Czech Republic – A win will be enough for Czech Republic and they could even afford a draw if Greece beat Russia by five goals or fewer.

Poland – A win is must for the co-host to take them through to the quarter-finals. A draw or a defeat and they are out.

GROUP B – SUNDAY
Denmark (3) v Germany (6), Portugal (3) v Netherlands (0)

Denmark – A win will surely take them through, a draw will be enough if Portugal lose to the Netherlands. If Denmark lose then they are out regardless of the result in the other match.

Germany – Germany are almost through but not quite through as of yet. A draw will see them win the group but they will be knocked out, though, if they lose to Denmark by any result except for 1-0 or 2-1 AND Portugal win over the Netherlands.

Portugal – A win will se Portugal through unless Denmark beat Germany by a goal margin except for 1-0 or 2-1. A draw will also be enough unless Denmark win. Cristiano Ronaldo’s side will also be through if they lose by a one-goal margin and Germany beat Denmark in the other game.

Netherlands – Netherlands must beat Portugal by atleast a two-goal margin and also hope Denmark lose to Germany.

GROUP C – MONDAY
Croatia (4) v Spain (4), Italy (2) v Republic of Ireland (0)

Croatia – A win for Croatia and they qualify as Group winners. They will also be through with a high scoring draw other than 0-0 and 1-1. If they draw 0-0 and Italy win, Croatia are out. If they draw 1-1, then Italy will have to beat Ireland atleast 3-1 to go through. A defeat could also be enough for Croatia if Italy fail to win.

Spain – A draw is all what Spain need and a win will mean they win the Group.

Italy – Italy have to win and hope the game between Spain and Croatia doesn’t finish in a high scoring draw of 2-2 or more. If the other game finishes 1-1, then Italy will have to beat Ireland 3-1 or better to qualify or 4-0 to win the group. If the other game finishes 0-0, then a win be enough to take them through as group winners.

Republic of Ireland – They are already out, but a win will see them finish third in the group.

GROUP D – TUESDAY
Sweden (0) v France (4), England (4) v Ukraine (3)

Sweden – Sweden are already out.

France – A draw will be enough for France. But if they lose, then they could be out if England lose too and move level with them on goal difference or goal scored.

England – A draw will send England through to the quarter-finals. If they win and France draw, then they win the group. But – if they lose, they have to hope France lose by enough so that England at least end level with Les Bleus on goal difference and goals scored (as England have a superior coefficient).

Ukraine – A win will take the co-hosts through, while any other results and they are out.

Predicting Greece v Czech Republic And Poland v Russia

The first round of group matches is over and yesterday we saw the England and France game ending as expected in a 1-1 draw, and later Andriy Shevchenko headed in two goals to help Ukraine register a surprising victory over Sweden. Today, it’s time for round two, as we see the teams from Group A back in action.

The first match of today sees Greece – who drew against co-hosts Poland in the opening game of the tournament – take on Czech Republic – who were thrashed by Russia in their opening game – in Wroclaw, while co-hosts Poland take on the inform Russians in the second match of today in Warsaw.

Date – 12th June, 19:00 GMT

Stadium – Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw

Prediction – Greece had a chance to win their first game against Poland but they did really well to comeback from a goal down and a man down to earn a vital point. Today they face Czech Republic who were mercilessly torn apart by Russia in their first game. This is an important match for both the teams as a win for either team would mean a lot. Expect this game to be an open one with both teams going for the win. There would be end to end football with both teams attacking from the start and the match would be like yesterday’s Ukraine v Sweden game. Skipper Giorgos Karagounis – who missed the penalty against Poland – will give his team the lead before Michal Kadlec heads in the equaliser just before half time. After the interval, the Czechs will go on the offensive and score the second through Vaclav Pilar after some good work by skipper Tomas Rosicky. Greece would attack with all guns firing and in the end they will get their equaliser in the dying moments of the game and it would be Georgios Samaras to do so. The game will end with in draw, a fair result in the end.

Predicted Final Score – Greece 2-2 Czech Republic (Karagounis, Samaras ; Kadlec, Pilar)

Date – 12th June, 21:45 GMT

Stadium – National Stadium, Warsaw

Prediction – Poland missed a chance to win the opening game of the tournament, after they had taken an early lead and their opponents were a man down for more than a half, but in the end they were lucky to get a point from that game. On the other hand, the Russian were inform against the Czechs and just tore them apart scoring four goals. Expect this game to be another end-to-end affair with both teams going for all the three points. Russians will have their attacking football, while the co-hosts Poland will have home support behind their back. Russian skipper Andrey Arshavin, who was inspirational in the first game, will give his side the lead in the first fifteen minutes, only for Robert Lewandowski to equalise before half time. Russia will come out and dominate the game in the second half and will soon get their second goal through the inform Alan Dzagoev. Poland will then go on the offence in search for the equaliser but the Russians will hit them on the counter and Arshavin will get his second of the game and wrap up the game for his country. A deserved win for Russia, while the co-hosts face Czech Republic in the final group game, with nothing less than a win needed.

Predicted Final Score – Poland 1-3 Russia (Lewandowski ; Arshavin, Dzagoev, Arshavin)

Top 10 European Championship Upsets

Netherlands were the favourites to beat Denmark last evening, but once again we were reminded that football is not played on paper. Martin Krohn-Dehli scored the only goal of the match in the first half, which helped the Danes upset the Dutch in the first match of Group B.  Here, we have decided to look at the top 10 European Championship Upsets.

10. PORTUGAL 0-1 GREECE (FINAL, 2004)

Still reeling from their opening-match defeat to Greece, the UEFA EURO 2004 final provided hosts Portugal with the opportunity for some long-overdue silverware, plus a chance for revenge.They didn’t get either. Before Angelos Charisteas’ 57th-minute headed goal. Portugal remained fairly muted. An attacking onslaught led by Cristiano Ronaldo followed, but to no avail. Portugal had become the first hosts to lose a final and 80-1 no hopes Greece were European champions.

9. FRANCE 4-5 YUGOSLAVIA (SEMI-FINAL, 1960)

Considered one of the great European Championship matches of all time, this nine-goal thriller between France and Yugoslavia will endure in the annals of footballing folklore. A confident, pulsating French side (without Kopa, Fontaine or Piantoni) looked in the little danger of an upset, racing into a 4-2 lead by the 62nd minute. But a 75th-minute goal from Tomislav Knez and a late brace from Drazen Jerkovic sealed a hugely unlikely comeback, sending thousands of host-nation fans home speechless.

8. SOVIET UNION 2-0 ITALY (SEMI-FINAL, 1988)

The Soviets had rather fortuitously beaten the Dutch in the group phase, but Valeri Lobanovsky’s well-drilled troops were still considered an unknown quantity and were not expected to match the skill and artistry of the Azzurri. They did so and then some, with a mixture of teamwork and brutality. Some crunching early tackles asserted their authority and a double-whammy in the second half put pad to Italian dreams. Lobanovsky’s men would stride on.

7. ENGLAND 0-1 IRELAND (GROUP STAGE, 1988)

A humiliating start to what turned into a tournament to forget for Bobby Robson and England in 1988 as they lost their first group game to age-old rivals the Republic of Ireland. For an Irish side not accustomed to much recognition let alone success on the international stage, the game was made doubly significat. After only six minutes, Ray Houghton sent the Irish faithful into delirium by putting the ball in the English net and their defence thereafter sealed an upset that would go down in the history books.

6. CZECH REPUBLIC 0-0 FRANCE (CZECH WIN ON PENS) (SEMI-FINAL, 1996)

While the nature of a penalty shoot-out has taight us that any dog can have its day, this victory for the Czech Republic was not down to a few lucky spot-kicks; rather a succession of fantastic performances and subsequent upsets that saw them scalp not only the French, but the Portuguese and the Italians before them. Though they would later lose the final to Germany, UEFA EURO 1996 ensured the Czech Republic had the world’s attention again.

5. ENGLAND 4-1 NETHERLANDS (GROUP STAGES, 1996)

All four teams in Group A could have qualified before the last round of games, but Terry Venables’ team didn’t play with the kind of nerves one might associate with an England side performing under pressure. Apart from a converted Shearer penalty, the game remained fairly even until England took control of the midfield in the second half, scoring three brilliantly crafted goals in 10 minutes in front of an ecstatic Wembley crowd. Kluivert’s consolation denied the Scots a place in the last eight.

4. ENGLAND 0-1 YUGOSLAVIA (SEMI-FINAL, 1968)

Arrogant world champions England were up against an inexperienced yet committed, Yugoslav outfit in the semi-finals of the 1968 European Championships, but felt the need to play a friendly against West Germany in Hanover four days before. It cost them dear. They conceded in the last five minutes of the match and the bullying tactics of the young Yugoslavs became too much for Alan Mullery, who lashed out and became the first England player to be sent off in international football.

3. CZECH REPUBLIC 0-1 (AET) GREECE (SEMI-FINAL, 2004)

The second instalment of 2004 Greece upsets in which they reached their first final courtesy of the first ‘silver goal’. Surviving an early barrage from the Czech Republic, the Greeks again grew in stature, forcing the game into extra time.Against the visbly tiring Czechs, and with seconds left of the first half, Traianos Dellas lost his marker to glance in a header at the near post. There wasn’t even time for Pierluigi Collina to restart before he blew for half-time, signalling a Greece victory.

2. GERMANY 0-2 DENMARK (FINAL, 1992)

Denmark failed to qualify for the UEFA EURO 1992, but after Yugoslavia’s disqualification for the ongoing atrocities in their country, the Danes took their place, a matter of days before kick-off. A functional Danish outfil bore little in the way of comparison to their dazzling Michael Laudrup-led counterparts of 1984 and 1986, but they shocked the continent in the semis, when Peter Schmeichel saved a penalty from Marco van Basten, and then again in the final, containing and then muting the mighty Germans.

1. FRANCE 0-1 GREECE (QUARTER-FINALS, 2004)

Despite remaining unbeaten and overcoming a tricky Group B, the French had been less than convincing in the run-up to their quarter-final with Greece – but this was Greece, right? Even an average France performance would swipe them aside. Wrong. The more the Vieira-less French dithered in Lisbon the more Otto Rehhagel’s Greece gained confidence and a second-half headed winner from Angelos Charisteas eventually spelled the end of a golden era for Les Bleus.