Poland
How they qualified: Host nation
Team Base: Warsaw
The host nation come into the tournament with plenty of pressure on them thanks to some lackluster friendly results over the last 12 months.
The Poles went on a eight month losing streak under the tenure of Franciszek Smuda but while everyone else was battling through their qualifying groups, Poland managed to find their form, losing just once in their last eleven outings.
The home support will provide a major boost to Poland’s chances but their arsenal is built on more then just the plucky courage associated with weak host nations.
Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny provides an extremely save pair of hands in goal, while Borussia Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski smashed in 22 goals in Germany’s top flight and has proved himself to be one of the top marksmen in Europe.
Poland have enough talent in their squad to get through a mediocre group, and with the support of the home fans behind them, WFD believes the host nation will be going to the quarterfinals.
WFD Predicted Starting XI: 4-2-3-1
Sczcesny
Piszczek - Wasilewski - Perguis - Boenisch
Polanski - Murawski
Blaszczykowski - Obraniak - Rybus
Lewandowski
WFD predicted group finish: 2nd
Poland Group Schedule: (All times local)
Match 1: June 8 v Greece - National Stadium, Warsaw (18:00)
Match 2: June 12 v Russia - National Stadium, Warsaw (20:45)
Match 3: June 16 v Czech Republic - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (20:45)
Greece
How they qualified: Finished 1st in European Qualifying Group F
Team Base: Jachranka
The shock winners of Euro 2004 will not be underestimated again by Europe’s elite, but the likelihood of them pulling off the same feat again is a slim one.
Having taken over from Championship winning Otto Rehhagel, Fernando Santos is a manager who has shown he feels right at home in Greek football, having also managed AEK, PAOK and Panathinaikos before taking the national side job.
The Greeks come into the competition with a side filled with youth including 22-year-old Sotiris Ninis of Panathinaikos and the spritely winger Giannis Fetfatzidis who, at 21, can make a big impact coming off the bench.
Santos has tried to build on Greece’s traditionally stable defense while adding attacking flair, but we will have to wait and see if the changes made will work on the big stage.
WFD Predicted Starting XI: 4-3-3
Karnezis
Torosidis - Papastathopoulos - A. Popadopoulos - Holebas
Ninis - Katsouranis - Karagounis
Samaras - Gekas - Salpigidis
WFD predicted group finish: 4th
Greece Group Schedule: (All times local)
Match 1: June 8 v Poland - National Stadium, Warsaw (18:00)
Match 2: June 12 v Czech Republic - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (18:00)
Match 3: June 16 v Russia - National Stadium, Warsaw (20:45)
Russia
How they qualified: Finished 1st in European Qualifying Group B
Team Base: Warsaw
The surprise package in 2008, Russia thrilled neutrals with some fine attacking football on the way to the tournament’s semifinals before losing to the eventual winners Spain.
Four years on and the Russians are still an unknown and unpredictable quantity to many with Dick Advocaat’s side looking to field an experienced first eleven with youthful backups harvested from Zenit St Petersburg’s Championship winning side.
The bright spark in their predicted starting 11 is Alan Dzagoev, CSKA Moscow’s 21-year-old left midfielder.
If Andrei Arshavin fails to produce the goods this summer, as many still feel the Arsenal flop is still carrying a little extra weight and lacking in enthusiasm, Dzagoev will be a player who many will look to fill the void left on the pitch.
Russia still have strength and experience and should still be favorites to top the group.
WFD Predicted Starting XI: 4-2-1-2-1
Akinfeev
Anyukov - Nababkin - Ignashevich - Zhirkov
Denisov- Zyryanov
Shirokov
Dzagoev - Arshavin
Kerzhakov
WFD predicted group finish: 1st
Russia Group Schedule: (All times local)
Match 1: June 8 v Czech Republic - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (20:45)
Match 2: June 12 v Poland - National Stadium, Warsaw (20:45)
Match 3: June 16 v Greece - National Stadium, Warsaw (20:45)
Czech Republic
How they qualified: Finished 2nd in European Qualifying Group I; defeated Montenegro 3-0 on aggregate in playoff
Team Base: Wroclaw
A rich history or European Championship success may not be enough to guide Michal Bilek’s side through the group stages of this years tournament.
Semifinalists in 2004 and runners up in 1996 the Czech sides of yester year have had plenty of talent, but the likes of Jan Koller, Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky have never truly been replaced with players of similar quality.
The Czechs have struggled to find goals and were the second worst of the sides forced to qualify through the playoffs, with Michal Kadlec finishing as the squads top scorer with four goals from the left-back position.
Milan Baros is likely to start as the lone man up front, but the former Liverpool striker has been described as playing ‘like he’s been around forever’, a tag which sums up the 30-year-old’s productivity over the last 24 months.
Thomas Rosicky had a strong finish to his season with Arsenal while Petr Cech was the hero in Munich as Chelsea lifted the Champions League trophy, but even they may not be enough to drag their side through to the knockout stages of this years tournament.
WFD Predicted Starting XI: 4-2-3-1
Cech
Selassie - Hubnik - Sivok - Kalec
Jiracek - Hubschman
Plasil - Rosicky - Rezek
Baros
WFD predicted group finish: 3rd
Czech Republic Group Schedule: (All times local)
Match 1: June 8 v Russia - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (20:45)
Match 2: June 12 v Greece - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (18:00)
Match 3: June 16 v Poland - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (20:45)
Stadiums
Warsaw National Stadium
Capacity: 58,145
Games: (All times are local)
Poland v Greece June 8th (18:00)
Poland v Russia June 12th (20:45)
Greece v Russia June 16th (20:45)
Quarterfinal 1 - Winner of Group A v Runner-up of Group B June 21 (20:45)
Semi-final 2 - Winner of Quarterfinal 2 v Winner of Quarterfinal 4 June 28 (20:45)
The national stadium for Poland will host five games this summer including the tournament’s opening game on June 8th.
Building work began back in 2008 and the ground was officially opened on January 29th of 2012.
Situated on the bank of the Vistula River that runs through the nation’s capital, Warsaw stadium is close to the center of the busy city.
The defining feature of the ground is the unique PVC roof that unfolds from a nest suspended on a needle above the center of the pitch. The roof is retractable and will provide shelter from any freak summer showers.
Wroclaw Municipal Stadium
Capacity: 42,771
Games: (All times are local)
Russia v Czech Republic June 8th (20:45)
Greece v Czech Republic June 12th (18:00)
Czech Republic v Poland June 16th (20:45)
With a design inspired by Chinese lanterns the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw will be used in just the three group games for this summers tournament.
Situated on the northeastern outskirts of the city, the stadium sits next to the Sleza River and has great links into the city thanks to a new tramline to help fans get to and from the ground easily.
The venue was officially opened with a George Michael concert in September 2011 and has been built as part of a complex that includes a conference halls, a fitness center and a casino
World Football Daily
