Euro 2016: Guide to Group C

This is a big day for Northern Ireland. They are hoping to cause a shock and overcome Poland. Following that, Ukraine has the mighty task of holding out Germany. So now let’s see what each of those teams have to offer.

Group C: Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland and Ukraine

Germany

The world champions head into the Euros on the back of a less than impressive qualification campaign. Two years ago in Brazil, they looked unbeatable. Since then, Germany has lost to Poland, USA, Ireland, France, England and Slovakia. Despite that, they still managed to win their group. Although Joachim Löw is without a few of the players he trusts most on the big stage, Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Mirolsav Klose.

This is a team going through a transformation, nearly half the squad is under the age of 25 and very few of those players have tournament experience. The midfield has much creativity and flare, but it lacks steel. Bastian Schweinsteiger has held the centre of the park together for years for this German side; however, he has suddenly lost a yard of pace and is not as effective as he used to be. That means the weight falls mostly on Toni Kroos, the Real Madrid man is one of the best central midfielders in the world, but he needs help from somewhere. Mario Gomez is the only out-and-out striker in the squad, his experience could be crucial and a few goals would not go amiss.

How will they do?
Even though their form may not be great at this moment in time, the Germans always seem to find a little bit extra when it comes to tournaments. They will qualify from their group, most probably in top spot. It’s hard to say they won’t reach at least the semi-finals, and with the squad at their disposal, they could well go on to be victorious in France.

Star man – Thomas Müller

There are very few things that the Bayern Munich forward has failed to achieve in his footballing career, but European Championship glory is one of them. Müller will be doing his upmost to ensure he does everything he can to change that, with his tenacity and tireless exuberance. He is a very special player; he has a knack of going under the radar and being in the right place at the right time. It would be a shock if he wasn’t in the running for the golden boot yet again. Here is something to make your head spin a little; Germany’s main man is still only 26-years-old.

Northern Ireland

Michael O’Neil guided his team to their first tournament in thirty years and their first ever European Championship’s. They finished above Romania and Hungary to top their group, quite outstanding really. During qualifying they only succumbed to defeat once, which was down to their togetherness and resolute attitude. This team is not the biggest of scorers so defence is going to be highly important, fortunately, their back-line has bags of experience. Northern Ireland is currently the most in-form team at the Euros, having gone 12 games unbeaten.

The squad does have the odd Premier League player here and there, but it is mostly made up of individuals from English footballs lower tiers. That’s not all bad, though, as those players will be looking to grasp their opportunity and prove they are good enough to be playing at this level. The spine of the team is their biggest strength, in the form of Jonny Evans, Gareth McAuley, Oliver Norwood and Kyle Lafferty. The latter scored 7 goals during qualification, he could have a huge say on their fortunes. Another man in great form is Will Grigg, the Wigan forward was on fire for his club this season.

How will they do?
Well, Northern Ireland finds themselves in a very tough group. There is no easy game when you are paired against Germany, Poland and Ukraine. Many believe they will not pick up any points, but given how well they have played over the last couple of years, they could shock a few people. A best third-place finish is a realistic target, providing they beat either Poland or Ukraine.

Star man – Steven Davis

The Southampton midfielder may be the captain of his country, but even with that honour, he is still an unsung hero. He has been through thick and thin with this squad, from the disbelieving days where they struggled to win a game, all the way to last year’s qualification glory. Davies is what makes this Northern Ireland team tick; he covers every blade of grass, and has popped up with the odd crucial goal. On and off the pitch, Davis will have a pivotal role this summer.

Poland

This is a good team with an interesting mixture of youth and experience. They qualified second in the group, just one point behind Germany. In the past, Poland relied heavily on counter-attacking football, but now they play with a much more methodical approach where they build attacks and always look dangerous. They scored 33 goals in qualifying, the most of any team. The offensive freedom the coach has granted does leave the door open a bit defensively. That means their chances of keeping their first ever clean sheet at the Euros is slightly doubtful.

As previously mentioned, this team likes to attack. Adam Nawalka was searching for a number 10 to play behind Robert Lewandowski, but failed in his attempts to find that. So he instead opted to play Arkadiusz Milik alongside their main striker, and the pair went on to form an almost telepathic partnership. 19-year-old Bartosz Kaputska is a skilful midfielder, who is very adept at linking up the play; he is one to keep an eye on. Dortmund’s right-back Lukasz Piszczek is a defensive mainstay of the back-line, his experience will come in handy. Between the sticks will guarantee a recognisable keeper, in Lukasz Fabianski, Artur Boruc or Wojciech Szczesny.

How will they do?
Just like they did in qualifying, Poland will be hoping to challenge Germany for first place. If they keep up their impressive goalscoring record, they will be hard to stop in the group stage. It would be a surprise if this team didn’t make it through. Should they get through, they will be an awkward opposition for anyone.

Star man – Robert Lewandowski

The Bayern Munich centre-forward is not only the best player in this Poland squad; he is without doubt one of the leading strikers in world football. Lewandowski is tall in stature, but agile across the turf, making him almost the complete attacker. His goal record speaks for itself; he has 34 international goals to his name. Most teams will try and double up on him, which will give license to some of his team-mates. If Lewandowksi doesn’t turn up, Poland will struggle.

Ukraine

This is a team that has benefited from the extended number of places at the tournament. After finishing third in their qualifying group, Ukraine faced Slovenia in a playoff match. Mykhaylo Fomenko’s side were victorious in their home leg before going on to hold out for a draw in the away tie. They are a defensively solid team, who only conceding four goals throughout qualifying. The Ukrainians head into the Euros on a four game winning-streak.

The manager has opted to take just six defenders – the lowest of every team. Yevhen Khacheridi is the rock of the back four, but not just that, he is a huge threat in the opposing penalty area. That’s where captain and set-piece master, Ruslan Rotan, comes in handy. The midfield maestro is the on-field leader, but it is legend Anatoliy Tymoshchuk who is the driving force in the dressing room. At 37, the former Bayern Munich man sees little action on the pitch these days; he has played 143 times for his country. This Ukrainian team lacks goals, so the pressure is piled on tricky forward Andriy Yarmolenko to deliver. Having been linked with clubs all over Europe, he has a price tag of £25m on his head.

Included in the squad is tireless striker, Roman Zozulya, strangely, he is currently banned from domestic football for six months due to him attacking a referee in a match earlier on this year.

How will they do?

In reality, Ukraine should not be challenging for first place in this group. They are a resilient team, who will work hard and be dangerous on the counter-attack. For them it all depends on the big players, but the lack of goals in the squad could prove fatal. An early knockout would not come as a surprise.

Star man – Yevhen Konoplyanka

The 26-year-old winger is the talisman of this squad; he has a pocket full of tricks and is very direct when facing up against a full-back. If for some reason he was unavailable for selection it would be catastrophic for Ukraine. The Sevilla wide-man is more than capable in front of goal; he has scored 13 times for his country. Also, if you cast your mind back to 2012, you may remember Konoplyanka despatching a wonderful curling effort past England goalkeeper, Joe Hart.