At last Euro 2020 has arrived, albeit a year late, and proceedings kicked off in Rome where Italy faced Turkey. Here, NewsChain’s Euro pundit DAVID BARRETT looks at all 24 teams taking part, assesses their chances and predicts who will go the whole way to lift the trophy

Group A: Winner, Italy; Runner-up, Turkey; Qualify, Switzerland; Fail to qualify, Wales

Italy

Italy have been first-class in qualification winning all ten matches, conceding four goals while scoring 37. They are ruthless in attack while remaining mean in defence.

Over recent years defence has been their strongest point, never more obvious than in their 2006 World Cup success. The Italian transformation has been incredible under Roberto Mancini who has brought them back to life after their failure to qualify for the 2018 World cup.

Success in the last two Euro campaigns was achieved with an ageing side which punched above its weight in 2012 when runners-up to possibly the greatest ever Spanish team, and when in 2016 against all the odds reached the quarter-finals under the mercurial Antonio Conte.

This Italian side does not need a managerial masterclass to get the best out of them, as a two-year unbeaten run sees them high on confidence.

Up front, Ciro Immobile has bagged 25 goals this season, while wingers Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Cheisa have a total of 29 goals between. In addition, Lorenzo Pellegrini has chipped in with 11 goals from midfield.

Italy’s group games are all in Rome which will be a distinct advantage. I cannot see anything but a comfortable group stage and anything but top spot would be viewed as a major disappointment. I see Italy going far. The minimum expectation would be a semi- final stage, with a strong chance that they could go all the way. I see them as the ones to beat.

Switzerland

Switzerland are a side used to making up the numbers in major competitions. They battle hard in qualification but when they reach the latter stages they tend to capitulate and I don’t see this tournament being any different.

Their chances of getting out of the group rely on strong performances just like they showed in the latter stages of qualification for the tournament however their achilles heel continues to be their lack of goals.

Haris Seferović has scored 29 goals this season for Benfica but may struggle against the higher quality defenders he will meet in this competition. Several players have been performing below par this season, such as Xhaka, Shaqiri and Embolo all seemingly off the pace.

However the Swiss have won 3 of their last 5 matches and are used to getting out of the group stages, although it is doubtful they would progress any further. But in a tight group, I don’t see much between the team finishing second and third.

Turkey

I see Turkey as one of the surprise packages of the tournament. They were strong in qualification and have continued that form in World Cup qualifying where they beat a strong Netherlands team and an up and coming Norwegian team. They will also be playing two out of their three games at home.

In Burak Yilmaz they have a clinical striker who seems to have come alive since 2020, scoring a hat-trick against a strong Dutch side as well bagging 16 goals for Lille who he helped win their first Ligue 1 title in nine years. In midfield they have fellow Lille player Yusuf Yazici, who has scored14 goals this season.

Also in midfield they boast quality players like Hakan Calhanoglu, who has been instrumental in helping AC Milan qualify for the Champions League with over 12 assists this season and Ozan Tufan who has been superb for Fenerbahce helping them win the league with over 10 assists.

I see Turkey making it out of the group with wins over the Swiss and the Welsh and fulfilling their dark horse status with a march to the quarter finals.

Wales

Wales do not have any recent history with any of the teams in their group which could well be the only advantage they have in this tournament. Without Ryan Giggs at the helm for their last four games they still managed to keep their momentum going winning three of them.

Stand-in manager Robert Page has not had the luxury of a normal build-up to a tournament to shape his side and it is also concerning that a number of the star players are now close to the end of their careers.

Gareth Bale is not the same player he was five years ago when entering the competition on a high after helping Real Madrid win the Champions League, while Aaron Ramsey had had a decent season helping Arsenal finish second in the Premier League.

This time round the only player on the rise is Kieffer Moore who has scored over 22 goals this season in the Championship for Cardiff, but he will be meeting a better quality of defender in this tournament.

Bale and Daniel James will cause team problems with their pace but both have lacked their usual scoring touch and it must be hoped Ramsay has been saving his best for this moment.

Defensively Wales have been very sound under Page but when you look closely few can claim to have had great seasons at the top level. While you might argue that Connor Roberts and Chris Mepham have been strong in the Championship, compare this to 2016 when the Welsh back four consisted of four Premier League defenders playing at the top of their game.

Wales’ group is far tougher then it was five years ago which means they would need to excel in all three matches to have any chance of qualifying - something that I cannot see happening.

Group B: Winner, Belgium; Runner-up, Finland; Qualify, Denmark; Fail to qualify, Russia

Belgium

Belgium enter this tournament under great pressure at home after their success in reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2018.

This team needs to win a trophy as their golden generation are starting to age but they have arguably one of the easier groups in this year’s tournament.

Lukaku will be out to impress following a very good season with Inter Milan scoring 30 goals in 44 appearances. He will want to continue that form into the tournament as there is talk he might leave Inter after Antonio Conte’s departure.

Much is also expected from Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne. Hazard has struggled once again this season with numerous injuries which has seen him score a paltry total of five goals, while De Bruyne was a key part of Manchester City’s title-winning side.

But an ageing defence is a cause for concern with Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld’s best days behind them. Thomas Meunier and Timothy Castagne, who have been very strong in their full-back roles, will have a heavy burden to carry.

Belgium played Russia twice in the qualification campaign where they beat them comfortably. Finland could well be their toughest opponent while I expect them to brush Denmark aside quite easily. If all goes to plan they should make it to the quarter- finals and if the big guns are firing it could be the semis, where, sadly for them, they would likely meet France.

Finland

The Fins are entering their first major tournament on a real high, playing well and without the burden of expectation.

Norwich star Teemu Pukki will be a serious threat after his impressive 26 goals this season, a strike rate of one in four shots, which makes him one of the deadliest strikers in the tournament. He has also scored a further ten in the qualifiers.

The strength doesn’t end there. Glen Kamara has had a terrific season at club level helping Rangers win their first title in 10 years and going the whole season unbeaten.

Another standout player for the Fins is goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky who plays for Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen. He has an outstanding record for both club and country with a total of 13 clean sheets.

I see them progressing to the Round of 16. Despite the Danes being Scandinavian neighbours, the two have not played each other in 10 years, while there is a tasty rivalry between the Fins and Russia.

I take Finland to edge it with their first win against Russia, making a lot of people sit up and notice.

Denmark

It could arguably be said that Denmark are going into this tournament with the strongest team they have had in years. They have a strong spine to the team as well an array of attacking and defensive talents.

They were unbeaten in qualification, although it went down to the last game in Dublin where a draw saw them through. Since then they they took four points off England in the Nations League and six from Iceland. They are going into this tournament in fine form.

Kasper Schmeichel has been superb for Leicester helping them qualify for the Europa league and putting in a man of the match performance to win the FA Cup Final. The rest of the defence is none too shoddy either, with Andreas Christensen putting in an incredible performance in the second half of the Champions League final for Chelsea and Simon Kajaer superb for AC Milan, helping to get them back into the Champions League for the first time in seven years.

The Danes have kept three clean sheets out of three during World Cup qualifying matches, while their ability to score goals from defence gives them an extra attacking threat. The midfield is also strong with Thomas Delaney and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg having partnered in the anchoring roles for four years together.

Chrsitian Eriksen has had a barren season by his standards with just four goals, but given half a chance he’s got it in his DNA to pull off a special moment.

The Brentford duo of Jensen and Nörgaard will be full of confidence after helping Brentford reach the Premier League for the first time in their history, though Nörgaard has been hampered by injury. Jensen is statistically the most in-form player with seven goals to his name this season and two assists.

They know that the very best outcome would be to get second place in the group. Expect the Danes and the Fins to focus on taking three points off each other as this would be a big lift in their quest to qualify after likely losses to Belgium.

Russia

Russia could arguably end up in the same position as they were in Euro 2016 which is bottom of the group. They have been poor since qualification.

Golovin (Monaco) and Cheryshev (Valencia) have failed to live up to expectations since their big transfers and the young players are also struggling.

Goalkeeper Anton Shunin has had an average season with only 10 clean sheets for Dynamo Moscow. And while Russia’s defence only conceded eight goals during the qualifying games they have started to show some cracks and have not kept a clean sheet since November 2020.

In attack they still rely heavily on the ageing Dzyuba who has bagged 21 goals this season for Zenit. He was the top scorer in qualification with nine goals so if the Russians are to have any chance they need their creative midfielders to make things happen and Dzyuba to be on the money.

Group C: Winner, Holland; Runner-up, Ukraine; Fail to qualify, Austria; Fail to qualify, North Macedonia

Holland

The Dutch have an enormous amount of pressure going into this tournament after failing to qualify for the last two major tournaments. But their performance in the Nations League gave fans hope that this team can go on and do great things.

They do have setbacks to overcome, with Ronald Koeman leaving for the Barcelona job last year and Van-Dijk still recovering from injury. But Ukraine are the only threat within the group.

Defensively they were very good during the qualifying campaign only losing once and winning six out of their eight matches. Since Koeman left they have kept three clean sheets and while Van-Dijk is a big miss, De Ligt and De Vrij are well established defenders. De Vrij was part of the Inter side who won the league, helping to keep 17 clean sheets.

The full-backs seem to be the weakest link in the side but there’s an array of talented midfielders with Georginio Wijnaldum and Frenkie de Jong anchoring the midfield. What makes these two a threat is their ability to retain the ball. Both can pop up with goals, de Jong netting seven and eight assists this season.

The Dutch need to play a more advanced midfielder which, for me, should be Davy Klaassen, as he is definitely the best candidate with a record of 16 goals and five assists for Ajax this season.

The striker position could be given to Wout Weghorst who has scored 20 goals in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and another five in other domestic competitions. He has also been linked with clubs all over Europe, most notably West Ham and will be looking to impress.

Memphis Depay is another player who will be putting in his best performance in order to impress European clubs. He has bagged over 22 goals for Lyon as well as 12 assists.

Topping the group would enable them to get a favourable knock-out game against a third place team. Coming second is not an option as this would mean they are likely to be drawn against Italy, resulting in an early exit.

Ukraine

Ukraine are entering this tournament with very mixed form. Their qualification campaign was superb as they topped a group which included Portugal and Serbia.

However, since the the pandemic their form has dropped and they have only recorded one win. A considerable amount of players who were heavily involved with their squad have now retired resulting in Shevchenko trying to establish a successful system again.

It is worth noting that many of these players play for only a few teams, with 17 coming from either Dynamo Kiev or Shakhtar Donetsk. This will be an advantage as the players are familiar with each other and already have a team chemistry.

The key player defensively seems to be Mykola Matviyenko, the Shakhtar centre back. He has been superb and has attracted clubs across Europe and his form will be key to the Ukrainians navigating their way out of the group. The goalkeeper Pyatov has been between the sticks for years and has been a reliable keeper for his national team.

Zinchenko has recently won the Premier League with Manchester City so his confidence could help them on the left while Yarmolenko, the West Ham winger, could also be a danger on the right. Roman Yaremchuk has been the top scorer with a total of 23 goals for Gent.

The Ukrainians know they can beat anyone with their team spirit. I still think they will qualify as they are better than Austria and North Macedonia.

Austria

Austria really need to try and rectify their poor performance at Euro 2016 where they picked up only one point.

They have already played Macedonia in qualification where they took six points off them and they have also won five of their last nine games.

The Austrians have some strong players, goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann helping to get Watford promoted back to the Premier League with 13 clean sheets in 23 games.

Defensively they have some decent players like David Alaba who recently signed for Real Madrid, Red Star Belgrade’s Aleksandr Dragovic and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Martin Hinteregger.

Their main threat from midfield is Marcel Sabitzer who is at RB Leipzig, who has grabbed nine goals and five assists making him Austria’s danger man in the midfield. While Hoffenheim’s Christoph Baumgartner has similar stats with nine goals and seven assists giving the Austrians an even bigger threat in the midfield.

Xaver Schlager should be an automatic starter as he is an excellent player and contributed to Wolfsburg qualifying for the Champions League. He is versatile and can play both as an attacking or defensive midfielder.

The Austrians forwards are definitely their weak link and could be their downfall when it comes to securing second spot or the third qualifying spot. Their top scorer at club level this season, Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic is the exception with 19 goals this season.

Despite Kalajdzic, I think the Austrians will miss out again. The Ukrainians have a lot more to offer. North Macedonia are very familiar with Austria so I can see a draw between the two.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia are going into this tournament with little fear as qualifying for the first time ever is already a victory so they have nothing to lose.

Though they are the lowest ranked side in the competition they do still have some decent players. Most notable to Premier League fans is Ezgjan Alioski who is the left-back for Leeds. Alioski’s performances have been more than decent this season with three goals and eight assists in 38 matches and he has also grabbed six goals in 22 matches for his country.

They also have a very talented midfielder in Elif Elmas who plays for Napoli. He has bagged six goals in 22 matches for his country making him the top scorer for the national team.

The forward area seems to be their weak spot with Goran Pandev a 37-year-old veteran still playing up top. Although he is the country’s top scorer with 37 goals he isn’t the same player that he was but still managed seven goals and three assists for Genoa in 29 appearances.

This man can still do some damage but I don’t think it will be enough to help them qualify for the last 16.

Group D: Winner, England; Runner-up, Croatia; Qualify, Czech Republic; Fail to qualify, Scotland

England

The country under the most pressure to succeed.

The success of getting to a World Cup semi-final in 2018 has led to much excitement and high expectation across the country. The big question is can this young English team handle it? The majority would say they can with players from Chelsea and Man City fresh from competing in the Champions League Final.

Despite the talented squad at his disposal I think Southgate is struggling with team selection compared to 2018 where the starting eleven was more obvious.

The one real position of weakness is most definitely the goalkeeper. While Pickford has some moments of class he is also very error prone and more so in recent years. In order to have any chance of winning the tournament it is imperative he’s at the top of his game.

England’s central defence is also a bit suspect and a lot will rest on whether Maguire, who has been given every chance to prove his fitness, plays any part as he is not only their best defender but also a real leader.

Choosing four right backs has caused much debate, but England might have some serious rotation issues when it comes to that position. There is also the problem of who starts in midfield and attack. Henderson would have been the starting centre- defensive midfielder along with Rice but having not played a match in over three months it is unlikely that he will partner the West Ham midfielder.

Mount and Foden have both had exceptional seasons for their clubs but who is the best choice for Southgate to make up the midfield? Grealish needs to be considered. He is the most fouled player in the Premier League, so he will be a threat in helping to draw fouls for set- pieces.

Sterling, Sancho, Rashford, Foden and Saka offer a huge array of talent, but there’s not space for them all. Sterling and Foden prefer the left side as they seem to score most of their goals from that position, with Sterling scoring eight out of his 14 goals from there this season and Foden scoring nine out of his 16.

Foden has definitely been the stronger player this season which could see Sterling relegated to the bench. Rashford is clearly best suited to playing on the right and has scored 21 goals this season for Manchester United.

Kane is the man who seems to be guaranteed a spot as he is England’s best striker and top scorer for the past seven years. He grabbed six goals last time in a major tournament and with this England attack I can see him going for the golden boot.

I think England have the players to go far and with the advantage of all three group games at home, I can see them qualifying from what is a difficult group, with fierce rivals Scotland and a Czech team that beat them in qualifying stages. Although an ageing team Croatia still have a lot of class and could do a job on England again. Topping the group would see England meeting the runners up from Group F, the group of death. England would do better coming second meaning they face a team from the weaker Group E.

Croatia

The feeling is that the Croats aren’t half the team they were three years ago. The dip in form has led many to believe that they are on the decline after their poor performance in the Nations League, but I’m not buying that.

They are England’s first game which could be a good or bad thing. The disadvantage is that England will have an excited Wembley cheering them on, whilst the advantage for Croatia is that England will be under huge pressure to win and may crumble under the stress.

They have won two out of their last six opening matches. In attack they have Andrej Kramaric who has scored 25 goals this season for Hoffenhiem who have had a poor season.

Rebic and Vlasic are still threats with a tally of 16 goals and 14 assists between them. And you cannot ignore the young talent in Mislav Orisic who has had 24 goals and nine assists for Dinamo Zagreb, including a hat-trick against Spurs in the Europa League.

The midfield has not changed since 2018 with the ever-present Modric, Kovacic and Brozovic still in the line up. These three are familiar with playing with each other and will be tough to break down. Their only problem is their lack of goals with just eight and 15 assists between them.

Subasic retiring has left a real goalkeeping void though to be fair to Livakovic he has performed well since stepping in. He should be full of confidence as he was superb in helping Dinamo Zagreb reach the quarter- finals of the Europa league with six clean sheets in 11 games. I can see the Croats getting out of the group and maybe causing a surprise by topping it. Going any further is something I don’t think will happen.

Czech Republic

The Czechs are going into this tournament as the real outsiders of the group. One possible advantage is that seven of their players are from Slavia Prague.

Their main players have to be the West Ham duo Soucek and Coufal who have been superb. Soucek was named West Ham’s player of the year and has been part of a team that is a world apart from where they were a season ago.

Soucek was named Czech player of the year in March and is shortlisted for Premier League player of the season and team. He has grabbed 10 goals this season for his club. He is magnificent with his feet but a beast in the air with his aerial presence his biggest attribute.

This is something that the English players are all too familiar with not just because of the Premier League but at international level as the Czechs beat England in Prague, 2-1.

At the back, Tomas Kalas who plys his trade at Bristol City will be paired with Ondrej Celustka. Both defenders have experience playing a good level, Kalas having played a few games at Chelsea while Celustka was part of the Slavia Prague team that went far in the Europa league.

Up front Patrik Schick, who plays for Bayern Leverkusen, is not much of a goalscorer with only 13 goals in 36 games, whilst his international scoring record is slightly better with 10 goals in 24 games. He is a big forward who will be looking to hold play up however he is unlikely to stretch teams. On the positive side Tomas Pekhart might do some damage as his record this season has been good with 24 goals in 33 games for Legia Warsaw.

One to look out for is Adam Hlozek, with the 18 year-old already attracting attention from Premier League sides.

Scotland

Scotland are going into this tournament with real optimism buoyed by the fact that they have two home games at Hampden Park as well as the fact they are playing England at Wembley which always lights their fire.

The big question is can they get out of the group? The players Scotland have at their disposal suggest that they can, despite many viewing them as the weakest team in the group. They have a strong midfield with Premier League stars such as McTominay, McGinn and Armstrong making up the core of their team.

This trio may have to make up for the lack of a real goal threat. Their so-called best striker Che Adams has had a mediocre season with nine goals and five assists this season for Southampton.

Defensively Scotland have just been ok, however in qualification they did concede more goals than Belgium and Russia who qualified automatically. They have not really improved in fact they have only won one match since they qualified which shows this team’s defence is not good enough despite the presence of Tierney and Robertson.

Scotland are really depending on the Hampden crowd in their two home games and need a heroic performance against England at Wembley otherwise an early exit awaits them.

Group E: Winner, Spain; Runner-up, Poland; Qualify, Sweden; Fail to qualify, Slovakia

Spain

Although they eased through qualification with eight wins and two draws, I don’t think Spain will make any serious headway in the competition, especially with Morata up front and a lack of big name players.

Their group is quite competitive with a strong Polish side and a decent Swedish outfit. It’s difficult to gauge which way Spain will go, they might either fly in this group or struggle. What is extremely evident is that there is no superstar player.

The recent addition of Laporte gives the Spanish not necessarily a great player but at least a serial winner, with eight trophies in the last three years. The Spanish are looking for someone to possibly fill the large boots left by Ramos. Could Laporte be the man?

But Spain do have some real talented passers of the ball in midfield. Busquets, Thiago and Rodri will be able to cut out play and restart attacks. However, they do lack finishers with Morata scoring 20 goals for Juventus, but only 11 in the league. More hope then from Gerard Moreno, who scored 30 goals which led Villarreal to the Europa League.

Perhaps with better players around him he could be Spain’s secret weapon.

Poland

Poland will be eyeing up the possibility of not only winning the group but going far. They possess Europe’s hottest striker in Robert Lewandowski who has scored 48 goals for Bayern Munich this season.

They have two good goalkeepers in Szczesny and Fabianski with the West Ham man perhaps pushing his claim for the No 1 spot after 11 clean sheets this season to Szczesny’ s nine. Whilst defensively they were sound in qualification, conceding only five goals, there is a feeling they are an ageing team with their main centre-back Glik now 33.

I think he still has some big performances in him. Helik had a great season for Barnsley, where they not only got to the 5^th round of the FA Cup, but also reached the play-offs.

Bednarek had an average season for Southampton. Overall defence looks fairly solid and equipped to battle any side. Their midfield has two decent players in Krychowiak and Klich. Krychowiak has experience playing with Europe’s elite in the form of PSG and has been an important part of the Polish midfield for a few years.

Klich has had a great season for Leeds as a defensive midfielder with four goals and four assists. The way Leeds play he will be able to adjust to the high intensity games that the Poles might face.

On the off-chance Lewandowski is not performing, it will be up to Milik to get the goals, however, he has a tendency to be inconsistent.

Sweden

The injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic might be a blessing for the Swedes. Their performance in the World Cup was superb without him. I think Zlatan casts a shadow over the Swedish team with the focus almost always being on how he can change a game and how far can he take them.

Will players like Isak and Forsberg put in performances that are getting interest from pundits and sports writers alike?

Sweden have players like Lindelof, who have gone from strength to strength since joining Premier league club Manchester United. His understanding of playing big games will be crucial in helping them get out of the group.

Forsberg is the main player in Sweden’s midfield and will look to engineer some class after a season with nine goals and six assists for Leipzig.

Dejan Kulusevski is someone to watch out for. He is 21 but making numerous appearances for Juventus and has seven goals and seven assists in 47 games.

Another is Alexander Isak. He is also 21 and already showing signs that he will further improve. At such a young age he grabbed 17 goals this season for Real Sociedad, a decent team in a good league and shows he’s a player with a serious future ahead of him.

Sweden could beat Poland to second as well as being a dark horse to make it to a quarter-final for the first time in many years.

Slovakia

Slovakia pretty much limped over the line to qualify for this summer’s Euros. Their mediocre displays in the play-offs where just enough to beat the Republic of Ireland on penalties.

Their key players are goalkeepers Dubravka and Rodak. What’s interesting is that neither has played much for their clubs this season, with a combined total of 20 games and five clean sheets.

Defensively the Slovakians know they need a masterclass from Milann Skriniar to have a chance of sneaking out of the group. He has just won Serie A with Inter which is a huge boost for the national team as he will be on top of his game going into this tournament.

Marek Hamsik, their star player for the last nine years is a shadow of his former self, while others like Duda have also dropped off. Their goals from midfield are non existent. I can’t see how they will be able to mastermind a surprise with a midfield that has nothing to offer.

Lobotka who is currently at Napoli has played 23 matches this season but has not produced an assist or a goal. He is 24 years old and should be looking to nearing his peak. Their leading scorer this season at club level is Ivan Schranz with 16 goals for Slavia Prague.

They are counting on a team performance the like of which we have never seen before. It is evident in the way they qualified that they are just simply there to make up the numbers.

Group F: Winner, France; Runner-up, Portugal; Fail to qualify, Germany; Fail to qualify, Hungary

Germany

Germany will most definitely be looking for a much better performance in this tournament after a disastrous World Cup which saw them get knocked out of what was supposedly a very winnable group.

This time they are in a harder group. They are in the group of death which could either work in their favour or see them crash out early again in what is Joachim Löw’s last tournament.

In his first Euros he helped the Germans get to the final only to be beaten by Spain. It would not surprise anyone if he succeeded in getting to another final. The Germans are blessed with a superbly talented side with great players all over the pitch. They have Neuer in goal who seems to improve with age. He is guaranteed a starting role ahead of Leno and Trapp.

Their defence is most definitely their weak point. This was very evident when they conceded six to Spain and lost 2-1 to North Macedonia in a World Cup Qualifying match.

Hummels is not half the player he was and is now 32. His performances have been on the decline since Euro 2016 and it was very evident in World Cup 2018.

While they do have Chelsea’s Champions League winner Antonio Rudiger, he is prone to mistakes. Sule is also a winner, with Bayern Munich taking the Bundesliga again this season, but is thought to be on the way out of the club.

It will be a challenge for this defence to handle Mbappe or Ronaldo.

Going into their midfield Germany have a large range of choices. Kimmich, Kroos and Gundogan can make it a seriously difficult for their opponents. They have the ability to control the midfield and pick out a pass from nowhere.

Gundogan offers the ability to score from midfield with 17 goals and five assists for Manchester City this year. They cannot forget about Goretzka who can come off the bench and supply passes as well getting assists. Their attack consists of Champions League winners Havertz and Werner. These two players have had an okay season but they have not reached the levels many thought they would.

Werner’s inconsistency in front of goal won’t give the Germans a lot of confidence. It will be up to the likes of Muller, who is adept at scoring in major tournaments, while Sane and Gnabry are very good finishers, with Sane scoring 10 goals and 12 assists and Gnabry 11 goals and 7 assists.

Home advantage could help slightly but I just don’t think they are there as a team.

France

The French are brimming with confidence at the moment. Currently world champions, Nations League finalists and favourites to win the European championships this summer.

The players they have at their disposal are incredible with Pogba, Kante, Griezmann, Benzema and Mbappe. They have players that can make things happen out of nothing.

The inclusion of Benzema has been widely debated. Many feel he will add an extra goal threat to an already threatening French side, whilst others think it will disrupt the chemistry in which the team has developed under Deschamps.

They would rather play Germany and Portugal in the later rounds. Things become even trickier if they finish where they could meet England in the round of 16 at Wembley.

Deschamps has a great record with this side only losing 18 out of 111 matches. If there is man to navigate this French team out of this group, it is him. The defence has not changed much since 2018. The inclusion of Kimpembe for Umiti is nothing too drastic. He was part of the successful side of 2018 which means he is familiar with everything within the set-up.

While the midfield speaks for itself. A mix of Pogba and Kante is very exciting. Kante covering the pitch while Pogba shows phenomenal passing ability and a shot which will upset a lot of teams. Indeed, many would say Pogba’s performances for France are better than at club level where this season he only managed to get six goals and nine assists.

In attack they are strong. Griezmann and Mbappe have been outstanding in previous tournaments.

I can see the French getting out of the group but how will they get out is the question? I feel if they get out fairly strongly then they are the real deal. Any other way and I can see them getting knocked out in the quarter-final by a more in-form team.

Portugal

The success of 2016 has led Portugal to be one of the favourites this summer.

Though they are in the hardest group in the competition they have shown from the last tournament that they can progress in the most unorthodox way. The players they have are far stronger then five years ago.

Ronaldo is still at the top of his game with him being Serie A top scorer at Juventus with 29 goals. Other players perform better around him. Bruno Fernandes has had a superb season for Man Utd, scoring 28 goals and assisting 17.

They also have Jota and Bernardo Silva on the wings who have shown in the Premier League they can tear teams apart. Jota got a total 13 goals and Bernardo weighed in with five.

Andre Silva and Pote have had great season for their clubs but cannot get ahead of Ronaldo. If Ronaldo is not firing or is injured they have two goalscoring forwards. If Pote comes on Bruno will be familiar with him having played with him at Sporting.

Ruben Neves has a serious shot on him and will be able to bring a deeper threat along with Oliveria. These two aren’t likely to start either. Portugal’s manager Santos is likely to go with the trusted pairing of Pereira and Moutinho who are both experienced when it comes to major tournaments.

They will have their work cut out in this group, but at the same time they have faced the French before in 2016 and did a superb job on Pogba and Kante.

Their defence is also very solid. Dias has been unbelievable for City, being named players’ player of the year. He is paired with Pepe who, even at 38, is still showing he has some quality.

The full-backs are a dream going forward and solid in the tackle. Cancelo might be slightly better with the season he has had with Man City. He has five assists but has been part of a side that were on a 21- match winning run.

Guerriero is not far behind him. He has scored six goals this season and has 11 assists for Dortmund.

The look of this Portuguese team is terrifying. It is built to win the competition. They know even if they are to get second or third they will be a scary prospect for any team who meet them. Their record against England in the last two major tournaments has seen the Portuguese come out on top. So a difficult round of 16 is nothing new to them.

Hungary

The Hungarians have got mission impossible on their hands. Their main aim is not to be humiliated. They did well to get out of the group in 2016, however, this time they don’t have much hope.

They will have home advantage which could spark the unexpected, a full house might make France or Portugal struggle to control the game. That is the serious hope for this team.

What makes their situation difficult is that their main player Dominik Szobosziai is out, so players like Adam Nagy who plays for Bristol City will need to perform at the levels that he is known for in the Championship.

Willi Orban was part of the Leipzig side that got out of a really difficult group in the Champions League, as was goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

Overall it is a tough task to get out of the group. I just don’t see it happening.

Prospects

Top goalscorer: Ciro Immobile, Italy

Player of the tournament: N’golo Kante, France

Player to watch out for: Dejan Kulusevski, Sweden

Young player: Ferran Torres, Spain

Winners: Italy

Runners-up: France