Ohh!! Review EURO 2012 Group B (ENG Version)

NETHERLANDS

FIFA ranking: 4
Key man: Robin van Persie (above)
Strength: Match-winners
Weakness: Never seem happy
Tip: Semi-finals

THERE are few more attractive teams in the world. It just would be nice if they enjoyed it more. In Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, the Dutch are brilliant going forward. This is a tough group, so they will need to be at their best. Unheralded defenders Gregory van der Wiel and Jorith Mathijsen have massive roles to play.

DENMARK

FIFA ranking: 9
Key man: Christian Eriksen
Strength: Structured
Weakness: This group
Tip: Pack light

THE Danes were called off the beach to win in 1992, replacing Yugoslavia in the main draw.
Advancing here would be a similar fairytale. This is a good team, with Christian Eriksen and Nicklas Bendtner fine players. They will be organised and defensive and try to pinch a goal - I just can't see it being enough against Germany or The Netherlands.

GERMANY

FIFA ranking: 2
Key man: Mesut Ozil
Strength: Going forward
Weakness: Defence
Tip: Finalists

 

GERMAN football has had a personality transplant. Once metronomes of the world game, this is a team lethal in attack. Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski are all brilliant. And Beatnik coach Joachim Loew allows his stars to express themselves. Defence - isn't that what you sit on?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal is likely to again be a one-man band, with Cristiano Ronaldo holding the key to his side's success.

Source: AFP

PORTUGAL

FIFA ranking: 5
Key man: Cristiano Ronaldo
Strength: Ronaldo
Weakness: Ronaldo
Tip: He won't be enough

WE ARE not trying to say Portugal is a one-man band ... oh, yes we are. Their one hope is that Ronaldo takes this tournament by the throat and carries his country the way he does at club level.
Manchester United's Nani is a fair player, too, but this is a quality group that shows winning Euro can be tougher than winning a World Cup.

 CONTINUE : GROUP C