Group C

Group C
The Group of Intense Discomfort and Ceasing to Exist Forever.....Unless You're a neutral.

Italy (world champions, former european champions)
France (world cup runners up, former european champions)
Holland (former two time world cup runners up, former european champions)
Romania (fecked)

So here we have it, the Group of, well anything other than death. Three former champions and heavyweights battle it out for qualification whilst the Romanians just hope everyone takes it easy on them. A cruel twist of fate, perhaps, that the best of the 4th seeds are stuck in the worst group of all, but that just adds to the spice of Group C. Three strong sides will duel, alongside one improving underdog, and only two will advance. But who will it be?

ITALY
Italy won the World Cup. I thought I'd bring that up because the French are STILL complaining about it. By whatever means you want to call it (and lets not get into another debate about that own goal, that penalty, and that headbutt) Italy were deserved world champions. Their record of 6-1-0 was unsurpassed, and their goal scoring feat surpassed that of even the lauded Brazil and Argentina (indeed, only Germany scored more goals at World CUp 2006 than Italy).
So, the main question is: will we see a dreaded return to the stereotypical variations of catenaccio, or will the tournament be graced by the attacking flair of Italy 2006?
Evidence on paper suggests the latter. Roberto Donadoni picked six strikers for his squad. Cassano, Del Piero and Luca Toni are well known to even casual European football viewers, with Toni's selection being obvious and Alessandro's form over the last year leaving undroppable from the squad. Also making the squad were faithful and dangerous Udinese frontman Antonio Di Natale, Sampdoria stiker Fabio Quagriella, and (hooray!) everybody's favourite rising star, Marco Borriello of Genoa, a man who came from nowhere to take Serie A by storm this season. All three are relative newcomers to the National Team, in fact all three were born in the same area of Napoli! But the quality of attacking options suggests a positive approach to proceedings. As does the unfortunate incident to befall the Italians last weekend.

A decisive injury to Fabio Cannavaro means the Italian captain will miss the Euros. One of the practical upshots of this injury is that the manager has been going for variations of a 3-4-3 lately. Yes, you heard me right, Italy with only three defenders on the field. Though to be fair, it makes sense, since this Italy's strengths come from the midfield up and not having Zaccardo play. Ironically for a team dubbed defensive, the Italians main problem may come from not being defensive enough. With Cannavaro missing, they may be relying on the likes of Grosso and Materazzi to shore up the defence: capable defenders, both, but not in the same class of the missing skipper.

Add in the fact that the midfield four is almost certainly predictable (Ambrosini, Gattuso, De Rossi; Pirlo) means that the holding three can defend whilst the maverick Grosso can turn himself into a makeshift winger/attacker joining the front pairing. As for Pirlo, he may be getting on in age, but he can still hit a free kick in from anywhere.

Michael's suggested line up (I'm going 4-4-2 for safety, though dont be surprised if the 3-5-2/3-4-3 appears instead)
Buffon
Chiellini, Zambrotta, Materazzi, Grosso
de Rossi, Gattuso, Ambrosini
Pirlo
del Piero, Toni

Prediction
This called the group of death, and with good reason. However I am going to say - perhaps controversially - that there are, in my mind, 1 spot for 3. Because I cannot see Italy failing at the group stage. The Italians have a great record against Holland (havent lost to them since 1978, only lost twice in their history) and then take on Romania. It should be all done and dusted before France. Of course, that could be famous last words, and how many times have we heard the words "Team X is too good to go down/get eliminated this early". But if one of the victims of Group C turns out to be Italy, I will be well and truely surprised, as they certainly seem to be the superior side of the four.
Once out of the group, Italy will face one of the Group D teams, surely not beyond their ability. Ironically, the biggest stepping stone to a second straight international final could be the other Group C survivor wanting revenge in the Semifinal. Either way, Italy are a team you can reasonable expect big things from this month.

ROMANIA
Nobody really expects much from Romania in this group, on the completly spurious notion that the rest of the teams are former Champions and better. Can't think why this prevailing thought came to be. Romania can legitimately curse their luck as had they been in any other group they would have probably qualified for the Quarterfinals. As it is, the Quarterfinals are a pipe dream. However, it is not all for nowt. They have hope, manifested in their recent better head-to-head record against Holland. If they beat the Dutch again, and maybe nick a point off the other two.....isn't that the great thing about these tournaments, when even the lowliest of group participents can think positively. Hell, Romania only have to look to the performances of Latvia in a similar group in 2004, and Romania are a far more talented side than that Latvia side can hope to be.
There are two instantly recognisable faces in the Romanian lineup, Christian Chivu and Adrian Mutu, now fully matured into a dangerous striker. There is also, for anyone in Scottish football, the inclusion of Marius Nicolae of Inverness CT, and Ciprian Marica, possibly the striker with the brightest future in Europe.

Romania's likely line up
Lobont
Rat, Tamas, Chivu, Contra
Dica, Cocis, Radoi, Petre
Marica, Mutu

Prediction
Actually, looking at that likely starting eleven, Romania aren;t all that bad. In fact, if they can catch the bigger names off cold, they could very well qualify from this group. I don't see it happening, but they'll make everything interesting to say the least.

HOLLAND
Oh, to have the embarassement of riches that befall the Dutch. Dripping in forward playing talent, they are. This will be Marco Van Basten, current winner of greatest goal ever at the Euros on BBC extra, in his last month in charge of the Dutch side. However, Holland had similar riches at the World Cup, and there they only scored three goals and crashed out in a infamous red-card melee to Portugal. (Wasn't there like four red cards in that match? By the end Scolari and Van Basten had gone variations of 2-3-4 and chances were falling at every end...never prayed for extra time more in a game! Anyway, I digress...)

Edwin Van Der Sar is, yet again at an international competition, both goalkeeper and captain. The formidable Dutch backline - only five goals conceded in qualifying - will be made up of some combination of Ooijer, Heitinga, Mathijsen, van Bronchorst, Melchiot, Bouma or de Cler. Or Khalid Boulharouz, who is back in the squad after being originally dropped. Common sense dictates Bouma, Ooijer, Mathijsen, Heitinga as a likely starting line up.

Since the Dutch go 4-3-3, that leaves Van Persie, Sneijder and Van der Vaart as their attacking midfield lineup with a front three of Van Nistelrooy, Huntelaar and Kuyt/Venegoor of Hesselink to finish the puzzle.

Holland's likely lineup
Van der Sar
Bouma, Ooijer, mathijsen, Heitinga
Van Persie, Sneijder, Van der Vaart
Huntelaar, Van Nistelrooy, Kuyt

Predictions
Failure. With everything being so tight in this group, Holland are the only team who have proven they will probably fall to Romania. That, and France and Italy have far superior squads to the Dutch. Also, its a tight group: who cracks under pressure fastest? The Dutch.

In fact, I can predict the entire group

France and Italy will both draw with Holland.
France and Italy will both beat Romania
Romania will beat Holland
Italy and France will fight out for leadership of the group.

Holland will exit at the group stage, because they haven't proven this squad can cope under pressure at the early stages of a tournament, and a weakness against Romania will almost certainly prove their undoing as well as continually disharmonious pressure from inside.

France

Likely line up

Coupet
Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal
Malouda, Makelele, Viera, Ribery
Henry, Benzema

Prediction
Semifinals at worst, sadly. Though I would like to see them fail faster.


What? That wasn't a cheat at all. Everyone knows the French side in and out. They've barely changed since 2000 and the few changes (Ribery, Benzema) are well known. And they'll exceed modest expectations before crashing spectacularly.