Every football fan in Europe will be bolted upright in their seat as the adrenaline rush for the UEFA Euro 2016 Championship hits fever pitch on 10th June 2016. To many, football is not seen as a game, but as a religion. This religion will see the epic encounter of Europe’s most successful football teams in the upcoming weeks. As the action is about to start, we are going to give a quick preview of the three most fancied teams in the tournament.
Germany
Current and four times world champions, Germany will be the hot favorite for the crown. Germany are placed in the group C along with Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland. Surprisingly, Germany lost to Poland when they met the last time in Group D during the qualification phase. This time, they will be seeking revenge and should top the group.
Manager, Joachim Low, has warned his team against complacency in the coming contest, but deep down he will know that his team should emerge as European champions if they play to their full ability. His point was underpinned when Germany suffered a shock 3-1 defeat at the hands of Slovakia in a pre-tournament friendly.
Key Player: Thomas Muller
An attacking midfielder and forward, Muller plays an integral part in the German national team. With his marvelous skills, fans expect him to be among the top scorers in the tournament. He scored 9 goals in the qualifiers.
France
The hosts and therefore one of the favorites, France will be opening the tournament on the 10th of June against Romania in group A. With Albania and Switzerland making up the rest of Group A, France are expected to finish first at a canter, meaning they will be at a distinct advantage when it comes to the knockout stages.
Key Players:
The biggest blow for France is star striker Karim Benzema, who will not be playing at Euro 2016. The Real Madrid goal-scorer was sensationally exiled from the French national team earlier this year for blackmailing a teammate.
All eyes will be set on N’Golo Kante, the hard-working midfielder form Premier League champions Leicester City, playmaker Antione Greizmann of Atletico Madrid and young starlet Anthony Martial of United.
France has two European Championship titles to its name and they will see Euro 2016 as a great opportunity to add a third feather to their cap.
Spain
Current and three-time European champions, Spain are fancied to reach the finals of Euro 2016. If they win their fourth at this tournament, they will become the most prolific European Championship winners of all time.
Key Players:
Three of Spain’s best players (Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Diego Costa) will not be seen on the field in this tournament due to injuries. Manager, Vicente del Bosque, surprised many by naming veteran forward Aritz Aduriz as his trump card. With Aduriz widely expected to be more of a ‘super sub’, Juventus’ Alvaro Morata is expected to lead the line for the most part. However, Celta Vigo striker Nolita has also staked a claim for a place in the starting eleven with a brace of goals against Bosnia-Herzagovia.
Source of Images: Littlewoods
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