After a hectic domestic football season, Euro 2016 promises to keep fans and star players busy with yet another grueling tournament.
With only three weeks left for Euro 2016, we take a look at how teams are placed in Group C and what can we expect from them ahead of this summer’s extravaganza.
Today, we will take a closer look at Group C in our Euro 2016 Group C Preview, and what we might see in terms of qualification to the knockout stages and which players can set the tournament on fire from this group.
Euro 2016 GROUP C
Teams: Germany, Ukraine, Poland, Northern Island
Arguably the most mis-matched group in the competition, Group C sees the World Cup winners Germany drawn with the likes of Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland.
The Germans will surely qualify from the group and are also expected to top the table while the other three teams will have to battle amongst themselves for the second spot.
Let us now take a closer look at each teams from Group C in our detailed Euro 2016 Group C Preview including the key men for all the teams in this group.
Germany
One of the best and consistent teams in the world in major tournaments, Germany are one of the favorites to go all the way and win the trophy this season.
They also have one of the strongest squad in the whole of Europe and have plenty of match winning players all over the field.
Their recent victory in the 2014 World Cup will surely see them come into this tournament full of confidence and they will hope to sustain it right till the end of the competition.
Key Player – Toni Kroos
A regular in the starting XI for Real Madrid, Toni Kroos is one of the best mid-fielders in Europe at the moment.
He was instrumental in the World Cup victory couple of years ago and has been in sizzling form off late for the Spanish outfit. Surely he will have a huge role to play in Germany’s mid-field as he will have the responsibility to pull the strings in the middle of the field.
Northern Ireland
Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland side have done exceptionally well in their first appearance in a European competition.
They qualified for the group stage finishing top of Group F with 6 wins and have been drawn in a relatively less competitive group.
With Poland and Ukraine as the other teams, Ireland have a great chance at qualification this season and if they manage to do so, it will be one of the greatest stories in the history of the competition.
Key Player – Steven Davis
The 31-year old veteran Southampton mid-fielder Steven Davis will be one of the key players for Ireland in this tournament.
Davis had a decent run with the Saints in the domestic season and was also impressive in the qualifiers scoring twice in 9 games. He will surely have a huge role in the manager’s plans for the squad.
Poland
This group-stage appearance is just their third after their first back in 2008 as the host nations.
They have never been able to go past this stage of the competition but with a weak group in front of them, Poland have a decent chance of taking the extra step this campaign.
They have some extra-ordinary players in the squad and their record of 6 victories from 10 will surely give them enough confidence to make it to the next round of the competition.
They will face Germany who they already faced in the qualifiers and have a good chance at qualification.
Key Player – Robert Lewandowski
The Bayern Munich forward is in red-hot form having scored a total of 44 goals in 51 appearances for the club in all competitions.
He is a key player for the Polish side and should give his best to try and help his country take the next step at the EUROs
Ukraine
Making their first EURO finals appearance since 2012, Ukraine have now cemented a place in the group stage of the competition this campaign.
They qualified for the group-stage after a win in the qualifier in Group C and won 6 out of their 10 games.
They have earned themselves a reputation of being hard to beat team and have a great chance of qualifying from this group to the next stage of the competition.
Key Player – Andriy Yarmolenko
Dynamo Kyiv’s star forward Yarmolenko has been one of the most influential players in the squad over the last few years.
He has had a great time with his club all season and is slowly growing into one of the best talents in Europe. He will have a huge role t play if Ukraine are to qualify for the knock-out stage.
Key Match: Poland vs Ireland (June 12)
Germany are guaranteed to qualify from this ground and it will all come down to Poland and Northern Ireland to fight it out for the second spot. The two teams meet at Allianz Riviera on June 12, which will eventually decide the other qualifying team from Group C.
Predicted Group C Final Standings:
1. Germany, 2. Poland, 3. Northern Ireland, 4. Ukraine