Euro 2012 - And the Winners are...........

The European Championships are just hours away now & we've already brought our group by group, team by team previews to you but here we'll round up all of our selections & give our thoughts on where the best outright value lies for the tournament.

(Germany's young guns are our outright picks for Euro 2012)

It takes an awful lot to win a European Championship, the right set of players, complimentary tactics, a decent draw & a little bit of luck can all go some way to setting a side up for a Championship run & the side that look like proving toughest to stop here have to be Germany. The Germans seem to have become plenty of peoples' idea of champions & it has been refreshing to hear so many English fans have somewhat of a soft spot for our Saxon neighbours rather than the usual nonsense. It helps that Germany play such an exciting & attacking brand of football with youngsters such as Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller & especially Mesut Ozil all catching the eye with chance creation. Ozil is as short as 8/1 (Ladbrokes) to be player of the tournament & we can see why he'd be popular as he was brilliant at the last World Cup when coming in as an unkown outside of Germany & has continued that fine form now playing for the world's biggest club side in Real Madrid, you can get 14/1 on him to be awarded best player & that's a more tempting offer.

German & English football has shared many similar qualities over the years but there are plenty of differences now, as if to emphasise that Joachim Low has been able to select 8 Bayern Munich players, a side that reached the Champions League final & were arguably this year's best side in the competition, whereas Roy Hodgson now has 6 Liverpool players in his squad - the more said about their appalling performance this season the better. Plenty of those Bayern players are likely to be starters too & that means they have an advantage over most national teams that are having to find their way into tournaments, building team spirit & cohesion. The incredibly young age of the Germans would prove a worry if it weren't for the wealth of experience these youngsters already have for the national side & top European teams, 17 of the 23 in their squad are 26 years old or younger & only two are 30 or older - backup keeper Tim Wiese & talismanic striker Miroslav 'Tournament' Klose. The defence would be the one area that could be argued to be a weak spot for the Germans but 4 of the 5 are Bayern regulars with the imposing Manuel Neuer between the sticks & Boateng & our absolute favourite Philipp Lahm at the full back spots. 23 year old Mats Hummels is the one non-Bayern player at the back but he started out there before moving on a couple of years ago to achieve a lot of success with Borussia Dortmund & he can be relied upon.

(Andrea Schurrle has 7 goals in 14 appearances for Germany)

If there is to be a breakout star for Germany we think it could come in the form of 21 year old Andrea Schurrle who already has 7 goals in 14 games for the national side & has scored against Switzerland & Israel in the warmup games, if for some reason 'Super' Mario Gomez fails to fire on the big stage it could be Schurrle who benefits. Backing Schurrle to be last scorer in games could be a play as he may come on as a super sub to start with, if he can establish himself in the team he could even make a play for the top German scorer at 16/1.

(Ibrahimovic is too big at 50/1 to be top scorer at Euro 2012)

Our other outright bets are at huge odds yet we think they should be a little shorter in the betting with Samir Nasri (66/1) & Andrea Pirlo (80/1) to pick up the player of the tournament prize both key players for their sides who get plenty of the ball & are in teams with the potential to reach the semi finals - reaching the final 4 should be key to scoring this prize. The other player who is being massively underrated, as usual here in England, is Zlatan Ibrahimovic for tournament top scorer at 50/1, he bangs the goals in for team(s) & country & has a good supporting cast of creators in midfield for Sweden. We fancy the Swedes to get out of their group & Ibrahimovic is worth a little look in the market as 5 goals could potentially bag the prize outright.

(Russia are far superior to their Group A rivals)

The other side we reckon are worth considering for winning the whole tournament is France but their odds have shortened considerably & they no longer look such a solid betting proposition at just 10/1. If Benzema stays fit & in top form France will be dangerous to everyone but if he were to drop out his backups are not near his quality, the defence is a little weaker than the rest of their team too, as the selection of Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny in the squad illustrates. We haven't a lot of love for Spain at the prices but clearly they are a top class outfit, it might just be that time & plenty of matches on the legs of their key Barcelona players start to catch up with them & we think they could find it hard to break down the defences of Italy & Ireland, meaning a lay of them at cramped odds to qualify the group looks a play. Our best bet of the tournament has to be Russia to win Group A at odds of 6/4, that is underestimating just how superior the Russians are to the other 3 sides, Greece are limited & the Czech Republic could be the worst side in the finals. Poland are here as hosts & can play a little but are still some way below the Russians who are coming into the tournament in decent nick & they reached the semis, playing some quality football, 4 years ago.

Whatever you end up going for we wish you the best of luck in giving the bookies a beating! Our outright & group specific bets are all listed below.

Outright Selections:
Germany to win tournament at 3/1
Samir Nasri (France) to be player of the tournament at 66/1
Andrea Pirlo (Italy) to be player of the tournament at 80/1
Zlatan Ibrahimovic to be top tournament goalscorer at 50/1 (each way 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4)

Group A picks:
Russia to win Group A at 6/4 (Like Buying Money's Star Bet)
Russia to beat Czech Republic at 5/4
Robert Lewandowski to be top Group A goalscorer at 11/4
Czech Republic to finish bottom of Group A at 11/5

Group B picks:
Germany to win Group B at 6/5
Cristiano Ronaldo to be top Portuguese scorer at 15/8
Denmark to concede fewest goals in tournament at 22/1

Group C picks:
Lay Spain at 1.16 or lower to qualify from Group C
Group C to be lowest scoring group at 3/1

Group D picks:
France/Sweden straight forecast for Group D at 12/1
Sweden/France straight forecast for Group D at 18/1
Andriy Yarmolenko to be top Ukranian goalscorer at 6/1

Euro 2012 Group D - No Expectations for England equals No Disappointment

Group D is England's & they have a tough draw having to take on France, Sweden & co-hosts Ukraine, it isn't the most glamorous of groups but competition should be fierce for the two qualifying spots & there look to be some value bets on offer for the four teams here.

(Samir Nasri has firmly established himself as a key player for Les Bleus)

France: Outright Winners 11/1 & Group D Winners at 7/4

Despite the well-documented chaos surrounding their last two major tournaments France have made huge progress under Laurent Blanc, & at decent odds of 11/1 for the outright win, even Pep Guardiola could be ‘seduced’. As well as topping their qualifying group, France are unbeaten in 18 matches, conquering the likes of Germany, Poland, USA, Brazil & England along the way. The youthful team are now settled & playing as a unit with a solid foundation at the back, conceding just four goals in 10 qualifying matches (only Italy conceded fewer). Flair & creativity come in the form of Frank Ribery & Samir Nasri, whilst goal machine Karim Benzema will use his physical presence to add to his club tally of 32 goals this season. If France can progress through the group stage they'd have a sporting chance up against whoever comes through Group C (even Spain) & they have every chance of action in the latter stages. Progression through the tournament improves the chances of players getting noticed for the Player of the Tournament award & Samir Nasri is definitely a potential player in the market at 66/1, his trickery & inventiveness in tight situations could be crucial in trappy contests & he is worth a small wager at the odds.

(Ashley Young has been England's best player recently & much hope rests on his shoulders)

England: Outright Winners 14/1 & Group D Winners at 15/8

England came through qualifying on top of their group without losing a game, it was a really weak group though as evidenced by Montenegro finishing 2nd & the team that may have caused them problems in previous years, Bulgaria, are a side in transition, without any quality players & they finished below Wales! Roy Hodgson has a limited group of players to pick from & the squad looked lacking in quality even before a spate of injuries, to pick players such as Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll & Jermain Defoe is embarrassing for a country that invented the game. Injuries have ruled out two central midfielders who could well have started in Barry & Lampard, some will say that is not that much of a loss with Frank Lampard regularly underperforming for his country & Gareth Barry's laughable lack of pace being a liability, however it has meant the incredibly limited Jordan Henderson has been drafted into the squad. England's star attacker Wayne Rooney is out for the first two games meaning he's out against the two toughest teams in the group in France & Sweden, it could prove difficult to find goals in those games with Andy Carroll being less than prolific & Danny 'Fresh Prince' Welbeck still finding his feet with England.

It looked like 3 out of the back 4 were going to be coming from Chelsea which would have meant some continuity from club to country but Gary Cahill is now a major doubt with a broken jaw so someone else will have to partner the ever popular John Terry in the centre of defence. Terry has made plenty of mistakes this season & while he's still excellent when it comes to last ditch defending in crisis situations sometimes a little more composure & class is needed in these tournaments. At least the very good Joe Hart is between the sticks, he's a top goalkeeper although the people who make a case for him maybe being 'the' best are slightly over-egging things as he does have a tendency to palm the ball back to attackers rather than out of play on occasion. The friendly matches against Norway & Belgium have shown that Roy Hodgson has drilled his team well & they have looked relatively solid defensively, Norway are weak though & Belgium suffer badly from having no focal point in attack. That defensive solidity has come at the cost of reduced threat in attack & they have had to rely on isolated moments of inspiration rather than by carving out chances, Danny Wlebeck took his goal against Belgium extremely well & Ashley Young has further established himself as one of the side's most important attackers - he's now either scored or assisted 11 of England's last 20 goals. We just can't muster enthusiasm about England & it seems difficult to envisage a price at which they'd become backable for the tournament, Hodgson probably has the right tactics with this group of players but they'll need plenty to drop right if they are even to get out of the group & 4/7 as a price for that is horrible.

(British pundits' favourite Zlatan 'goal machine' Ibrahimovic is 50/1 to top score at Euro 2012)

Sweden: Outright Winners 66/1 & Group D Winners at 13/2

Although unlikely to win the tournament, Sweden’s chances in group D seem underestimated, especially with the anticipated underachievement of England & Ukraine slipping in as co-hosts. Having qualified behind Holland in their group as the best runners up, Sweden have proven to be a well organised outfit, in particular when going forward. They scored considerably more goals (31) in their 10 qualifying games than France (15 in 10) & England (17 in 8), although their suspect defence could be a cause for concern. Sweden have never lost to England & will demand respect from Roy Hodgson’s men who will be missing arguably their only world class outfield attacking player in Wayne Rooney when they meet in their opener. Another factor worth considering is the order of fixtures in group D, which could see France fielding a ‘suspect’ team if they enter their third group game against Sweden sitting pretty on six points. Some will be tipping England not to qualify at 17-10, but the France-Sweden straight forecast at 12/1 (or reversing that for Sweden-France at 18/1) must surely attract the smart money.

Having already highlighted Sweden’s goal threat, it would be criminal not to mention world class striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic - generously priced at 50-1 to win the Golden Boot. With Johan Elmander recovering from a fractured metatarsal, Ibrahimovic looks set to be the only focal point of the attack & can continue his goal scoring form that has seen him bag 28 goals to become top scorer in Italy this season. Adding further hope to Ibrahimovic's golden boot claim is Kim Kallstrom who boasted the top amount of assists in qualifying & Sebastian Larson who was only one behind.

(AndriyYarmolenko looks like Ukraine's chief goal threat & may only need 1 or 2 to top score for his side)

Ukraine: Outright Winners 50/1 & Group D Winners at 9/2

The Ukraine, currently 50^th in the Fifa rankings (partly from not playing competitive matches), qualified for the tournament as co-hosts. Having skipped the qualifying process, their bleak credentials in this tournament are clear for all to see from their results in recent friendlies, against teams involved in Euro 2012 Ukraine have won none, drawn two & lost four, whilst conceding 15 goals (2.5 per game) & scoring just 5 (0.8 per game) out of 6. Home advantage aside, it really is hard to make a case for Ukraine. Those wishing to back the unlikely co-hosts may be tempted by 22 year old Andriy Yarmolenko with 12 goals in 31 games for Dynamo Kievto be top goal scorer at 125-1, we like the 6/1 with Coral for him to be Ukraine's top scorer, two goals could easily get the outright win & one goal could see him share the odds.

Selections:
Straight forecast France to finish first & Sweden 2nd in Group D - 12/1 (188Bet &William Hill)
Straight forecast Sweden to finish first & France 2nd in Group D - 18/1 (Bet 365)
Andriy Yarmolenko to be Ukraine's top scorer at 6/1 (Coral)
Samir Nasri to be Player of the Tournament at 66/1 (various)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic to be top tournament goalscorer at 50/1 each way 1/4 odds first 4 (various)

Euro 2012 Group C - Reigning Spain to feel the Pain

Our European Championship preview is finding the best bets from every group & also some outright tournament bets. Here we take a look at Group C, containing tournament favourites Spain, 1968 winners Italy, tough & talented Croatia & finally Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland.

(Xavi is the perfect exponent of the Spanish way of playing)

Spain: Outright Winners 11/4 & Group C Winners at 8/13

It's understandable to see Spain as favourites for Euro 2012, they are the world's number one ranked team & are the current holders of the competition & the World Cup too, Spain have quite simply dominated international football over the past five years with their brand of technical, possession football & look hard to beat. Spain were perfect through qualifying, winning all 8 of their games, knocking in 26 goals & only conceding 6, it wasn't a tough group (as most aren't) with the Czech Republic being a much reduced force & the 3 teams being the minnows of Scotland, Lithuania & Liechtenstein. It still takes a lot to keep up that level of performance over the whole period of qualifying especially when on the road & when already qualified & goes to show just how professional the Spanish are.

Spain start strong at the back with probably the world's best goalkeeper in Iker Casillas, he became Spain's most capped player of all time in late 2011 & bearing in mind he's only 31 it's conceivable he could end up playing over 200 games for his country. With vice-captain Carlos Puyol out of the tournament through injury it looks as though his regular club partner at Barcelona, Gerard Pique, will be joined in central defence by Real Madrid rival & all round red card collecting lunatic Sergio Ramos, who should move inside from right back. That should mean that ex-Liverpool player Alvaro Arbeloa gets to play at his natural position of right back & Jordi Alba will get to build on his relatively minimal international experience as he comes in at left back. It mustn't be forgotten that Spain won all of their World Cup knockout games 1-0 (including the final after extra time) & Casillas & his watertight defence were key to that success, they still look some outfit but it's never easy to have to make changes & they will miss Puyol's leadership.

Spain don't have too many problems in midfield, as evidenced by the fact that a player as talented as Cesc Fabregas can't pin down a starting spot, Iniesta, David Silva & the phenomenal Xavi provide the trademark metronomic passing that has become synonymous with the supposed 'right way' to play football over the last few years. Backing up the front three are the destructive & incredibly efficient Sergio Busquets & then Xabi Alonso, a player who barely seems to move at times yet gets an awful lot of the ball as he strives to set up attacking phase after attacking phase. Up front things get a little trickier for the Spanish with their record scorer David Villa out though injury, that means that they take Pedro (2 goals both in friendlies in 15 appearances), Fernando Torres (2 international goals since 2010), Fernando Llorente (7 goals in 20 but not since 2010) & Alvaro Negredo (5 goals in 8 but all in high scoring wins against weak opposition). It looks like Llorente has a chance of starting up front & he's some player, particularly shining on Athletic Bilbao's Europa League run where he tormented Man United's defence, although Spain's style might not totally suit the 6"5 big man who's great in the air too. It is worrying that they don't have any forwards currently in top form & if one doesn't get going those 1-0 results they were gaining in the World Cup could just turn to draws & cause them a frustrating time.

(Giorgio Chiellini is an enforcer at the back for Italy)

Italy: Outright Winners 16/1 & Group C Winners at 100/30

Italy are 16/1 shots for the tournament but looked in pretty good shape during qualifying, winning 7 & drawing 2, with their home game against Serbia abandoned & awarded to them 3-0, with just two goals conceded they had the tightest defence of any qualifying team & are likely to put that to good effect when coming up against Spain in their opening match. Buffon is still outstanding in goal at the age of 34 & is protected by hard case Giorgio Chiellini & Andrea Barzagli who seems to have got better with age & is playing his best football now after joining Juventus in 2011. If Italy play with a true four at the back then Chiellini could be shunted out to left back with Balzaretti, the one true left back, pretty inexperienced at the highest level considering he's 30 but whatever choices Cesare Prandelli makes with the defence are likely to be astute. Although Italy had a great qualifying defensively & have been renowned for it in the past, it has actually been their attractive technical play that has recently caught the attention with Andrea Pirlo being their main man & one of the best creators in the game. De Rossi & Marchisio are tough no-nonsense midfielders who can boss pretty much any opposition midfield but they are also great on the ball & by winning it & giving it to Pirlo they allow him to do the pretty things.

Italy don't tend to play with too much width, instead allowing Antonio Cassano to play in behind a couple of forward players & the Milan attacker does the business for the national team although he hasn't played all the time for club, that wasn't helped due to a serious health scare in October requiring heart surgery & he only made his first team comeback in April, he's said to be fully recovered now though. Antonio Di Natale is better than ever at the age of 34 & has scored 29, 28 & 29 goals over the past three Serie A seasons, who he gets partnered by up front is still up in the air but it might just be the unpredictable Balotelli if the City player can gain Cesare's trust. Clearly the loss of Guiseppe Rossi to yet another lengthy injury is a blow to the Italians & it remains to be seen whether they can get scoring again.

(Croatis captain Darijo Srna will be hoping to lead his team out of this tough group)

Croatia: Outright Winners 50/1 & Group C Winners at 15/2

Croatia are 50/1 outsiders for outright glory & 7/4 to qualify from the group & with Spain & Italy there it does look a tough ask but they have some genuinely top class players going forwards & a core team that have played together for years & they look to have their best side since manager Slaven Bilic was playing & they had Davor Suker up front. Eduardo never really cut it at Arsenal but he's got 22 goals for the national side & he's only likely to be fourth choice up front behind Bayern's Ivica Olic, Mario Mandzukic & in form big man Nikica Jelavic. Everton's Jelavic would instantly walk into the England starting eleven but he isn't guaranteed to get into the side here thanks to only 2 goals in 18 games for the Croats. Luka Modric is considered one of the Premier League's best & he'll create plenty from midfield with Darijo Srna & Niko Kranjcar in the wide positions getting the ball in the box. Ognjen Vukojevic could well have a big role to play in the side as the defensive midfielder & they may even elect to play with another in the games against Spain & Italy & add Dujmovic to the mix too. With a bit of a dodgy defence (Corluka's one of their better defenders!) they'll be keen to get off to a good start against Ireland & if they can avoid losing there they'll give the big two sides a rough ride & rely on some moments of inspiration from Modric.

(Richard Dunne will have plenty to do in defence as Ireland will be sitting deep in their games)

Ireland: Outright Winners 100/1 & Group C Winners at 18/1

The Republic of Ireland will be looking to put a wealth of experience to good use in this tournament as they go into it with 3 of their top 5 most capped players in Shay Given, Damien Duff & Robbie Keane, they have some quality players but with the astute Trapattoni in charge they'll primarily look to be solid first & then look to their stars for a bit of inspiration. Having only lost one game, to Russia, in qualifying they'll be taking a good feeling into the tournament plus will be desperate for a bit of success after missing out on finals so closely over the past few years. There isn't too much pace across the back four for Ireland but Richard Dunne can be inspirational at times in the centre of defence & will scare many cultured forward players with his  physical presence, it looks like Leicester's resurgent Sean St Ledger will join him at the back & although neither are top players they make a decent partnership. John O'Shea will start at one of the full back postions & will either be on the left with Stephen Kelly at right back or on the right with Stephen Ward at left back, either way O'Shea will likely be the only one of the four to get forwards with any regularity & his crossing ability shouldn't be underestimated.

Central midfield is not inspiring for the Irish with Keith Andrews & Glenn Whelan looking like getting the spots but they both work very hard & can pay the simple balls to the wingers they'll rely on to create their chances. Ireland seem to be one of the few countries left still producing true wingers & in Duff, McGeady & Sunderland's untested James McClean they have some exciting players that will create problems for defenders. We don't see Trapattoni giving McClean a starting role straight away, Duff is ultra dependable & McGeady has gone to Spartak Moscow & proven himself in a tough country & that experience will help him here. Keane is clearly their lead striker & it looks like he'll have his regular international partner Kevin Doyle with him, if so that will be a disappointment to Shane Long who performed better than him outright for most of the Premier League season. Just like Croatia they'll see their opening match as key & if they do gain the win over the Croats they'll be looking to contain both Italy & Spain & may be better drilled by their wily old coach than their Eastern European rivals. Getting out of the group isn't a forlorn hope for the Irish, although it is certainly a tough ask.

(Italy's cultured playmaker Andrea Pirlo is too big at 80/1 for Player of the Tournament)

There are plenty of people who will be saying that Spain are sure things for the whole tournament & if they're right then getting out of the group should be a formality but they lost to Switzerland in their first game at the World Cup & they have to face the Azzurri blue here in their opener & that won't be easy. If Italy can pull a out a win in that opener, it all starts to look a little tougher for Spain especially as Ireland & Croatia will be playing with banks of players behind the ball & without David Villa Spain might not have the cutting edge to make the most of the few chances they'll create, those World Cup one nils could easily turn to scoreless draws & a potential early exit. Of course the likelihood is that Spain go through but do we really want to take odds of 1/7 about that? Instead get on Betfair & take a lay of Spain to qualify from the group & lay them at 1.16 & shorter, successful betting is about identifying where the odds are incorrect & taking advantage, Spain are worthy favourites but not that worthy. Whoever does get through the group has a great chance of reaching the quarter finals with only France looking particularly worthy opponents from Group D, if Italy do get to the semis they'll be doing it on the back of displays from Andrea Pirlo & at 80/1 he is a fine bet for Player of the Tournament, he's a class act & with it likely being his final tournament he's a prime contender for the selectors to pick. The final bet here has to be for Group C to be the lowest scoring group at odds of 3/1 - the bookies seem to be overestimating the scoring ability of some of these teams, remember Spain are missing Villa & Italy are without Rossi, Ireland & Croatia may go for it in their opener but are certain to be horribly negative against the other two & there could be some real wars of attrition here. Group A is the short priced favourite for this market but Russia could stick a few in the back of the net & the Czech Republic could be open at the back plus Poland have some pundits' idea of an outright top scorer in Lewandowski so Group C is the bet.

Selections:
Lay Spain at odds of 1.16 (2/13) or shorter to qualify through the group
Andrea Pirlo to be Player of the Tournament at 80/1 (various)
Group C to be lowest scoring group at odds of 3/1 (various)

Euro 2012 Group B - High chance of success for Low's men

It’s fairly obvious why the Group B has been widely described as the tournaments ‘Group of Death’. The group pits nations ranked 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th and 10^th in the FIFA rankings against each another, if any more persuading was needed on the credentials of the group, the four nations have appeared in 12 European Championship Semi Finals and have lifted the trophy on 5 occasions between them.

(Philipp Lahm performs at a high level at all times, like so many of his Germany colleagues)

Germany: Outright Winners 3/1 & Group B Winners 6/5

Germany, under the stewardship of Joachim Low booked their place Euro 2012 with maximum points in qualifying (10 wins out of 10). The bookies make them second favourites to succeed in Poland and Ukraine, captained by Champions League runner up Phillip Lahm Germany are widely available at 3/1. Since qualifying results have been mixed, a 3-0 victory in Hamburg against fellow Group B nation the Netherlands was followed up with back-to-back defeats to the French (1-2) and Swiss 3-5) they did however beat Israel courtesy of Mario Gomez and Bayern Leverkusen’s 21 year old marksman Andre Schurrle in their most recent outing meaning they come into the tournament on the back of a victory. Low’s team will be built around his strong defence Manuel Neuer will play in goal with Jerome Boateng & Phillip Lahm the full backs with Hummels & Badstuber the centre backs. The defence will be protected by formidable midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger who will also allow the likes of Ozil, Gotze and Kroos to support the aforementioned Gomez. Germany can also call on the evergreen Miroslav Klose who always seems to come to life in the major tournaments. A mere 7 of Low’s likely starters line up together on a regular basis for Champions League and Bundesliga runners up Bayern Munich which gives them a great understanding that is so often missing with national sides. With a group of such high quality players & that understanding it could prove a little too much for the other sides in the group & Germany always perform in the finals of tournaments & backing them at odds against to win the group looks safe even though it is highly competitive.

(Arjen Robben is a joy to watch & will be one of many attacking threats for Holland)

Holland: Outright Winners 7/1 & Group B Winners 2/1

World Cup 2010 runners up Holland are best priced 7/1 (Coral) to triumph this summer. The Dutch, guided by 60-year-old Bert van Marwijk, won 9 out of 10 qualifying games, only losing at the hands of Sweden in a 3-2 thriller in Solna. The offensive side of the Netherlands squad oozes class, Robben, Van Persie, Huntelaar et al will pose a threat to Europe’s top defences; 37 goals in qualifying suggest they know how to find the back of the net. They do however look vulnerable at the back with first choice left back Erik Pieters misses the tournament altogether & highly regarded Gregory van der Wiel, who wowed spectators in the World Cup two years ago, has not been performing at that level in recent months. Centre back pairing John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen don’t instil us with confidence, Everton’s Heitinga is prone to a mistake or two (as was shown in the recently friendly defeat against Bulgaria), Mathijsen also took a knock in that game and will go into the tournament as a fitness doubt. Playing against pace is a slight worry for the Netherlands, not the weak link you want against the other teams in this group. A positive for the Oranje is that they are no strangers of qualifying from tough groups, 4 years ago they overcame Italy, France and Romania to top Euro 2008's 'Group of Death'.

(Apparently there's 11 players in the Portugal team & we thought there was only one.....)

Portugal: Outright Winners 20/1 & Group B Winners 9/2

The third nation in the group is Portugal who were able to paly with a much greater sense of freedom once Carlos Queiroz was replaced by Paulo Bento as manager. It wasn’t all plain sailing though, defeat against opponents here Denmark meant they needed to qualify via the play-offs to book a place at Euro 2012. Portugal will be missing Danny and Carlos Martins through injury and the likes of Bosingwa and Carvalho have retired from international football. They do still however have a good starting defensive line up, the only worry should be any further injuries or suspensions, Joao Pereira will start at right back & should anything happen to him Bento’s options are limited. Portugal's Achilles heel is a lack of a quality centre forward as Postiga often doesn’t perform well often enough & although Hugo Almeida has shown glimpses of brilliance, which has led to tentative interest from some of Europe’s top sides, the youngster is inexperienced and doesn’t have the nous to lead the line alone. Portugal may be able to get away with not having a world-class centre forward due to one man, Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s ability is known the world over and he can carry any team over the line, there is a lot of weight on his shoulders but he wouldn’t have it any other way, expect big things from the Real Madrid man. Ronaldo to be the top Portuguese scorer at the tournament is best priced at 15/8, it’s hard to look past him – he’ll certainly be taking free kicks and penalties which can only aid in his chances of outscoring his compatriots. Postiga is the second favourite, his return of 5 goals in qualifying and 9 goals for club side Real Zaragoza don’t suggest he’s a real threat to the prolific Real Madrid man.

(Holding midfielder William Kvist will be key to Denmark's play)

Denmark: Outright Winners 100/1 & Group B Winners18/1

The final side in Group B are the 1992 Champions Denmark, finishing above Portugal in qualifying suggest they won’t be at Euro 2012 just to make up the numbers although expectations are relatively low and the Danes can therefore play without too much pressure. Morten Olsen will try to frustrate Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal and catch them on the break. It’s unlikely that the Danes will cause the other sides too much of a threat going forwards and therefore they’ll know that they need to keep it as tight as possible at the back. Conceding just 6 goals in qualifying shows they can operate a tight defence & Nicklas Bendtner does a better job for his national side (18 goals in 48 games) than in the Premier League. Although they might exit at the group stages we don’t think they’ll get embarrassed by their opponents. An interesting market is team to concede fewest in the tournament & Denmark are best priced at 22/1, a potentially shrewd gamble if they exit at the first stage having only conceded 1 or 2 goals.

Selections:

Germany to win Group B at 6/5 (William Hill)

Cristiano Ronaldo top Portuguese Scorer at 15/8 (SportingBet and BetVictor)

Denmark to concede fewest goals at Euro 2012 at 22/1 (Ladbrokes and Paddy Power)

Euro 2012 Group A - Russia to retake Ukraine & Poland

Euro 2012 kicks-off in Group A with Poland entertaining Greece at the National Stadium, Warsaw on June 8th. Group A is the only group in the tournament without a top 10 side in FIFA's world rankings with Russia the highest ranked 11th. The group consists of 2008 semi finalists Russia, 2004 winners Greece, tournament co-hosts Poland & 1996 runners-up Czech Republic. It looks a tight group on paper & the sides which make it through face daunting quarter final ties against the top two in Group B (Germany, Holland, Portugal or Denmark).

(Russia's Andrei Arshavin looks to have regained his confidence after his loan spell at Zenit)

Russia: Outright Winners 25/1 & Group A Winners 6/4

Russia, under the leadership of experience coach Dick Advocaat, who returns to club management with PSV Eindhoven this summer, will look to end his reign on a high with a strong showing. They had a impressive qualifying campaign where they topped their group & only conceded four goals in ten matches which included a run of four consecutive clean sheets. They have continued their fine form recently in all matches & are unbeaten in their last 12 games so they come into the tournament full of confidence. They undoubtedly have the strongest squad of the four sides but have suffered a blow with centre half Vasily Berezutsky being ruled out because of injury. They have a settled 4-3-3 formation with the two full backs ex-Chelsea Yuri Zhirkov & Aleksandr Anyukov providing the width and Andrei Arshavin & youngster Alan Dzagoev adding the attacking flair & passes to Zenit St Petersburg hotshot Alexander Kerzhakov. Kerzhakov only scored two goals in qualifying but had an impressive club season with 16 goals in 22 league appearances & if he fails to find the target then Russia can call upon Roman Pavlyuchenko & Pavel Pogrebnyak from the bench.

The 6/4 on offer for Russia to win Group A seems good value & potentially the best bet of all Euro 2012 group fixtures is the 5/4 available on Russia to beat an inferior Czech Republic side on the opening night (a price we would expect to shorten by the time kick off comes around).

(Can Greece emulate the winning Greek side of 2004?)

Greece: Outright Winners 100/1 & Group A Winners 5/1

The entire footballing world looked on in amassment in 2004 when the Greeks made a mockery of all footballing/betting experts by becoming the European Champions in Portugal & they are about as fancied now as they were then. They also topped their qualifying group & were undefeated in the progress & boast a record of only being beaten once (3-1 friendly defeat to Romania) in their last 20 matches. Their side is built around an extremely solid defensive quartet & midfield shield of Kostas Katsouranis, Giorgos Karagounis & Giannis Maniatis. The major problem they have is putting the ball in the oppositions net with only 14 goals scored in the ten qualifying games. None of the likely attacking trio Georgios Samaras, Fanis Gekas & Dimitirios Salpingidis have better than moderate international goalscoring records with Samaras & Salpingidis only contributing 13 goals in 105 caps. Their best chance of scoring come from set plays with high class delivery from Karagounis & the big men up from the back. This is backed up by defenders Vassilis Torosidis & Kyriakos Papadopoulos being joint top scorers in qualifying with two apiece.

It is difficult to find any standout Group A bets for Greece as they look to battle it out for the runners-up spot. Their three group matches will be tight, low scoring affairs so you may find value in the 1-0/0-1 correct score markets & also keep an eye out for any over-priced defender odds in the first/anytime goalscorer markets.

(Can Poland's Dortmund trio continue their great start to 2012 in their own backyard?)

Poland: Outright Winners 50/1 & Group A Winners 11/4

The co-hosts Poland couldn't have asked for a better group to give themselves an opportunity to reach the knockout rounds in-front of their hugely passionate fans. Obviously they didn't need to qualify for their own tournament therefore have had to rely on a number of friendly matches across the globe. Their record has been mixed which is understandable with all the variables attached to friendly matches but of late they have won three of their last four against Slovakia, Latvia & Bosnia-Herzegovina with the other ending in a 0-0 draw with Portugal. Coach Franciszek Smuda will heavily rely on Borussia Dortmund trio Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski & Robert Lewandowski to carry his side as the rest of squad minus Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny are average at best. The trio have had a hugely successful club campaign with Dortmund by beating rivals Bayern Munich to the league & cup glory & striker Lewandowski will hope to continue his excellent goalscoring record of 30 goals in 46 matches (including a hat-trick in the German cup final).

We all know you can't ignore a man in form so back Lewandowski to be Group A top goalscorer at 11/4 with Paddy Power. He is Poland's attacking focal point & has no competition from the bench unlike nearest betting rival Kerzhakov & if Poland are going to reach the quarter finals then his goals will be vital.

(Can manager Franciszek Smuda get the best out of an average Czech side?)

Czech Republic: Outright Winners 80/1 & Group A Winners 9/2

Czech Republic make-up the final side in the group & had to overcome a play-off against Montenegero. To be fair their qualifying group contained current European & World Champions Spain so 2nd place was always going to be the realistic target but if it wasn't for a hotly disputed 90 minute penalty equaliser against Scotland then they maybe not be here at all. Their three leading men are keeper Petr Cech, playmaker Tomas Rosicky & striker Milan Baros who won the golden boot in Euro 2004. Both Cech & Rosicky have been excellent for Chelsea & Arsenal respectively since Christmas & will have to be at their best to give the Czech's any hope of reaching the knockout stages but just be aware there seems to be a injury doubt hanging over Rosicky.

On paper they aren't as strong defensively as the other sides in the group & also at the other end they struggle to score which is highlighted by left back Michal Kadlec being their top goalscorer in qualifying with four goals (three being penalty kicks). So keep an eye out for the price of Kadlec in the first goalscorer & anytime goalscorer markets in the three group matches for them. The Czechs seem the weakest side in Group A but this isn't reflected in the betting so take advantage of the 11/5 on offer (general price of 2/1) for them to finish bottom.

Selections:
Russia to win Group A at 6/4 (various)
Russia to beat Czech Republic at 5/4 on opening night (7:45pm Fri 8th June)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland) to be top Group A goalscorer at 11/4 (Paddy Power)
Czech Republic to finish bottom of Group A 11/5 (118Bet)

Camelot a worthy Derby favourite

The most famous flat race in the world is upon us & this year's Epsom Derby sees a potential superstar in the form of Camelot descend upon the race & with Aidan O'Brien having trained the winners of all three of the Classics so far it'll take a brave punter to back against him making it 4 from 4 here. We've got the Derby covered plus the supporting 5 furlong Dash & a punt from Haydock's 7 furlong Group 3 race too, hopefully we can keep up the good tipping that has seen 4 of our last 5 selections be successful.

(Camelot looks the class act in the Derby field)

Camelot won the 2,000 Guineas, getting up late on & then holding the French raider French Fifteen with the pair over two lengths clear of the field, that form in itself is the best on offer & having won the key two year old Derby trial in the Racing Post Trophy he's already two Group One wins from just 3 starts & he can add a 3rd here. The somewhat sticky ground at Newmarket probably didn't help Camelot & although ridden from the rear we feel he'd have won more convincingly if travelling a bit closer to the pace as he won twice over a mile as a two year old & is by Montjeu so should have the right amount of stamina for the Derby trip. Andrew Balding's Bonfire looks like starting as 2nd favourite but we were not impressed at all with the win in the Dante, he only got up late to beat Ektihaam & that horse would be way out in the betting if running here. Bonfire did behave very badly at York though & if settling better he could show an improved level of form & trainer Andrew Balding is in decent form though with 3 winners from his last 5 runners. Main Sequence is the other unbeaten horse in the race but his wins have been in races some way below this level & his Lingfield Derby Trial win unfortunately took place on the polytrack & it's difficult to see how that form will translate to quickish ground on Epsom's undulations. Lucarno is beautifully bred, as a full brother to Lucarno, but was getting 5 pounds off of Noble Mission & only just beat that one at Newmarket last time, today's rival Rugged Cross was some way behind & looks a no hoper. We reckon the biggest risk to Camelot could come from stablemate Astrology who definitely has the stamina & has already won (by some margin) at a tricky track when taking Chester's Dee Stakes. Astrology could threaten but Camelot is the one to be on & 4/6 looks fair enough as a price seeing as none of the other rivals look like classic winners.

(Bear Behind is speedy & can travel at the front the whole way in the Dash)

Epsom's 5 furlong track is the quickest in the world as the horses race downhill all the way & being able to travel at a high pace is crucial to winning & Bear Behind has that quality & plenty of nice form to go with it. Tom Dascombe's colt is one of only two 3 year olds in the race so is open to more improvement than many of his rivals here & is drawn up against the stands rail which will help keep him straight on the track, he's regularly quick out of the stalls & with a sharp start here he'll be tough to beat. Bear Behind beat Hamish McGonagal earlier in the year but had the race somewhat harshly taken away for interference & then only failed by a neck to beat the speedy Ballesteros when giving it 6 pounds & they were 11 lengths clear of the pack, that was on heavy ground & it will be very different conditions here. Last year's winner Captain Dunne deserves respect & we've always liked Sohraab but Bear Behind is the one to get on at odds of 8/1, his style of racing is perfect for the race & his rivals might just not be able to reel him in from the front.

(Red Jazz will prove a cut above his Haydock rivals)

In Haydock's 7 furlong Group 3 race we can't see past Red Jazz, Charlie Hills' runner is joint top rated with Royal Rock but gets 3 pounds off of that one & is almost certainly a better horse anyway. Royal Rock also hasn't raced over as far as this for the past 5 years & there have to be stamina questions, this is Red Jazz's optimum trip & he can get further so Michael Hills may make plenty of use of his ride to draw the sting out of his rivals. Majestic Myles is nice enough but was easily beaten by Red Jazz last time & we wouldn't be surprised to see Red Jazz go off shorter than 7/4 - get on this good thing!

Selections:

Haydock 2.35 - Red Jazz to win at 7/4

Epsom 3.15 - Bear Behind to win at 8/1

Epsom 4.00 - Camelot to win at 4/6