2016 European Cup Predictions

Hey All, I am surprised nobody started this thread yet, so I thought I'd go ahead and start this. So What are all your predictions for who will advance from the group stages? Also for the knockouts, I'll wait to predict those until they actually happen, but we can start predicting the group stages now. So who do you think will advance? Also what is your take on the groups? Feel free to include explanations on your take on each group and also why you predict your predictions if you want to!

I'll start by telling my predictions:

Group A: France, Romania, Albania, and Switzerland
This group will sadly be the most boring group to watch with the exception of the France vs Switzerland match. Also probably the easiest to predict as well. France are the hosts here and have huge talent. Its possible Benzema will be banned but if you ask me, I don't think he is really as key as many people say. A team with the likes of Varane, Evra, Pogba, Matuidi, Griezmann, and some youngsters including: Schneiderlin, Kondogbia, Coman, and Martial will top this group easily. I will say this is easy and France will top it with 9 points. It must not be forgotten though that Albania beat France in a friendly and drew them in another but after all those were just friendly matches. France will win this group I'm sure with 9 points. Switzerland has more than enough quality to be able to get 6 points which would secure second place. I wouldn't actually be too surprised if Switzerland would be able to hold France to a draw but speaking that they failed to beat England in both qualifiers including one which was when England already qualified as well as failing to take 6 points from Slovenia makes me think France have too much quality for them. Despite them not looking too convincing in qualification I think with the likes of Lichtsteiner, Xhaka, and Shaqiri they will take second place. Romania and Albania are just here for the experience and won't take any points against France and Switzerland, and I see a booring 0-0 draw when they play each other which leaves them at one point resulting them both exiting the tournament. Also I must note that France will definitely be under some pressure in the opening match especially being the hosts but they have been given a gift that their opening opponent is only Romania with no world class players so they should be just fine.
1. France, 2. Switzerland

Group B: England, Russia, Wales, and Slovakia
Despite any of these teams being favorites to win the whole thing, this will be quite an interesting group because you could almost call this the hardest group to predict and the most even group, although if you ask me there is still a gap in quality. Anyway I must point out that England are probably very lucky to be given a group that they are the favorites to win. England did have a 100% record in qualification, but I was pretty sure their luck would change when they go to France before the draw, but after the draw I think they have the quality to win this group. The other teams will cause England problems and give them huge trouble but in the end I think England has this group. It will be very interesting to see who grabs second but I am gonna give the edge to Slovakia. Slovakia seems like a team that can upset big teams when it matters and can do quite well as the underdogs. Some of their players are world class such as Hamsik, Skrtel, and Kucka. Stoch and Vittek will cause problems as well. One thing I also see in this team is they are quite organized especially in defense and Kozacik is a really good goalkeeper to add to that. Their upset against Spain in qualifying was really impressive and I think Slovakia have the confidence and mentality to take second place. Russia is a very inconsistent team and we really don't know which Russia we will see but since Capello has left I think the players gained for confidence. Capello used to be the Juventus manager along time ago and trust me he really to strict and can be discouraging sometimes. Now they have the CSKA manager that will coach them at the Euros which I honestly think is a good choice, not to mention the Russian league has been improving and getting better which I think will add to the confidence. Kokorin, Cheryshov, and Dzuyba will be players to watch out for. I think Russia have what it takes to go through as one of the best third placed teams. Wales is an overrated team honestly and many people think they will be second but I don't think so. Ramsey, Bale, and Ashly Williams are their only world class players and when I watched them they always seemed to be playing kind of scared and very disorganized. The reason why the even made it here is because they caught Bosnia and Belgium out of form. Even the 1-0 win over Belgium was a huge mistake from Nainggolan who gave the ball to Bale unmarked in a dangerous position. So honestly I don't see Wales doing anything in this tournament.
1. England, 2. Slovakia, 3. Russia

Group C: Germany, Ukraine, Poland, and Northern Ireland
This is one of the best groups honestly and I am really looking forward to watching this group. Germany probably have the best team on paper here but I have watched Germany in Qualification and they looked quite questionable. This is not at all the same Germany that won the 2014 World Cup. Lahm, Klose, and Mertasacker retired and the replacements aren't the best. Germany still has tons of talent but I think the problem with Die Mannschaft is that they have too much talent in certain positions and lacking talent in other positions. In the midfield and on the wings is definitely Germany's strongest players with the likes of Schweinsteiger, Gundogan, Khedira, Kroos, Ozil, Muller, Reus, Bellarabi, and Gotze. Hummels and Boateng I expect to be their two main center backs. One thing about Germany though is they haven't been very clear on which players will start in the Euros. They kind of used different players every game and haven't actually had one game with their full starting squad fit in my opinion. They are a little lacking in pace though and they still are looking for a number 9 striker that is world class and can score goals. Muller, Reus, and Gotze can all play their but its not their best position. Against Ireland especially they looked very questionable in both legs. They really struggled to break down the Irish defense, and because they did I expect them to find Ukraine a very tough opponent because they are also a very defensive team and are even better organized and skilled than Ireland. Ukraine also have two very special players: Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko who have pace, skill, and are pretty much good at everything and with the lack of full backs Germany have, Ukraine look to cause them real problems. And in addition to the two wingers they have Rotan who plays between them behind the striker who I have watched and I'm telling you he is aging and has a lack of pace but he is really good at shooting and hitting the target and can put a lot of power in his long shots. Ukraine with their defense and then Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko with Rotan between them is really a team not to be underestimated. Spain have a proper defense and I can tell you after watching Spain vs Ukraine which Spain won 1-0 in Kiev, if De Gea wasn't eager to win the starting place and at his best that day, Ukraine would have been up 4-1 at least, I am not kidding nor exaggerating. Poland is also a tough team and not to mention they have arguably the world's best striker Lewandowski who usually plays alongside Milk who is a young striker with potential. Poland can be quite shaky in defense a bit though. I have watched them, and they are far from comfortable if they try to sit back and look for counters. Fabianski is an average goalkeeper and he is sometimes good but also can be under too much pressure if the other team are pressing Poland in their own half and there is tons of drama in and around the penalty box. However I think Germany still have enough to win this group if they try hard but I don't see them getting 9 points. I think Ukraine will be second and by the way will grab 1 point from Germany, leaving Poland third who will advance with 4 points. I expect Poland and Ukraine to draw, but Ukraine will have the edge due to also taking 1 point off Germany. Northern Ireland are just here to enjoy the competition and won't pose much of a threat to any of these other teams.
1. Germany, 2. Ukraine, 3. Poland

Group D: Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, and Croatia
Also gonna be a very fun group to watch. This is one of the groups of death in my opinion because there is no team in this group that you can call rubbish or that won't be a threat because all these teams are a huge threat to each other in my opinion. Every team is gonna have to take every single game seriously and be at their best in all of them if they want to advance. Spain are probably the favorites to win this group here and they have so much quality and not to mention players like Callejon, Mata, Bernat, Thiago Alacentra, Isco, Juanfran, and Carvajal are only players that will likely sit on the bench. Spain really has a squad not just a starting lineup. There have been quite a few concerns on who will be their number 9 striker with Costa out of form and never really performing for the national team, but for tactical reasons I think Alcacer has this all but locked up. Morata is a good option as well. This is gonna be really tough for Spain and they will have to be at their very best to win this group, but I do think overall Spain will have the quality to do it, and I predict Spain to do it either with 7 points on goal difference, or all 9 points. I see Croatia being second place and I am telling you Croatia are a team to take very seriously. Their midfield with Modric and Raktic is deadly. Perisic as been exceptional for the national team and he has the shooting skills and pace to cause any defense problems. Brozovic on the other wing will also be a threat. Mandzukic is a world class striker and if he really wants this he will be amazing. Croatia do have some defense problems but they know how to sit back and defend well despite not so good of a defense on paper, and Subasic usually looks comfortable in goal with the defense right in front of him. I honestly think Croatia is even a better team than England and Portugal. They really know how to play as a team. I think Croatia should be able to take 3 points against both Turkey and the Czechs and even 1 point off Spain if their lucky. Anyway Croatia will be second in this group. Now Czech Republic and Turkey also have quality and will put up a great fight. Both these teams are about the same level but at the end I kind of see them wanting it equally which will result in a 2-2 draw knocking both of them out of the tournament. Sorry Czechs and Turks but I am afraid this group is too tough for you.
1. Spain, 2. Croatia

Group E: Belgium, Italy, Ireland, and Sweden
Another group of death and this will be my favorite group because my team is playing. Before I start with this group, please all of you I might be a little bias in favor of Italy because they are my team, so please forgive me if there is anything you think I am saying is bias. Belgium vs Italy will arguably be the best match of the whole group and this match will very likely determine who wins the group and who comes second. Belgium are a great team with the likes of Hazard, De Bruyne, and Kompany specifically. Lukaku also has potential and I think will be key for them. De Bruyne will be their biggest threat and the one to watch out for I think. Now on to my team. Kind of like Germany, Italy have been quite on clear on who they will start in the Euros as we have been starting different players every game, and we didn't have even one qualifier with our whole starting squad availible. Anyway one HUGE advantage Italy has with this whole tournament is that about 50% of their starting squad play together at Juventus all season so they all know each other. Also Florenzi and De Rossi play together at Roma. So Chiellini, Bonucci, and Barzagli will be the defenders, and I honestly think this is the best defense combination this generation by far. The BBC knows each other well and really know how to work together and defend. Also our midfield will play a huge part which I think is one of our strengths. Marchisio is at his prime at the moment and his passing, dribbling, and tackling are spot on and really good. Verratti has high potential and he is a huge key player for PSG and he played arguably the biggest part of PSG's success last season against Chelsea, and the win against Barcelona in the group stages 3-2. Verratti is a great playmaker and has vision and skill that not many midfielders have. He is also very comfortable on the ball and always knows what to do with it when he gets it. Also to complete the Azzurri on the flanks we have Insigne who is world class and great skill in dribbling and shooting. He didn't get much playing time recently though due to spending most of last season injured, but he will adapt pretty soon I'm sure. Berardi on the other wing who is also very new to the Azzurri but I can tell Conte loves him a lot and has confidence in him. Berardi is very young and has so much pace and again great at shooting skills. We were gonna lineup with Berardi and Insigne on the wings last qualifier but both got injured. I expect them to get experience together in the upcoming friendlies in march though. The problem for Italy though is they don't have a world class number 9 striker. Pelle will probably start with that position because at least he can score goals and has confidence, and with the support from midfield and flanks I think he will work just fine there although I expect nothing spectacular from him by himself though. Gabbiadini will likely take that position later but the Euros is too soon I think and Gabbs hasn't found a club to be a regular starter yet, so he will likely be a backup. Also Candreva is an experienced player that will likely be on the flanks at times as well. Giovinco as a second striker I also expect to take big part. Anyway with the midfield and defense Italy has, I expect them to seal top of the group. Belgium have a lot of talent but their problem is putting that together as a team which is why they haven't stood out much in qualification but I think they are working on it and will get there soon. I expect Ireland to go through as third place after beating Sweden and also I expect them to snatch a 1-1 or 0-0 draw against us in their last game after we have secured top spot in the first two games. Sweden's only good player is Ibrahimovic and I don't expect anything from them. All the teams need to do is make sure Ibrahimovic is marked at all times and they have got it. Sweden couldn't even get 3 points against Austria or Russia in two legs. I just don't see Sweden doing much here. Ireland has the defense to mark Ibrahimovic well and counter.
1. Italy, 2. Belgium, 3. Sweden

Group F: Portugal, Iceland, Austria, and Hungary
This team will also be interesting to watch despite it not having any serious contenders really for the tournament. Portugal can sometimes struggle in tournaments. Iceland has never made it to a tournament before and Austria has only made it once as the hosts. It will be interesting to watch. Portugal I think will top this group because they have quite a bit of world class players. Ronaldo is their main standout but there are other players I see as threats to, Pepe and Eder to name a few. One problem I see about this team though is organization. The whole team seems disorganized and is all over the place at times. Anyway I think Portugal's experience will also help them and they should claim top spot. Many people tip Austria to come in second but people are really overrating them if you ask me. They were very impressive in their group but their group was like the easiest group ever. They beat Russia when they kind of lost confidence to to Capello being very strict and they hit Sweden when most of the team was aging and Ibrahimovic was the only threat. Otherwise they haven't been that impressive if you ask me. One player to watch out for is Alaba though. He is the best full back in the world and will be a big threat. Janko is another one that I expect to be a threat. Anyway I think Iceland has looked way more impressive in qualifying than Austria and I expect them to be second in this group. Iceland are a very organized teams and Largerback is arguably one of the best managers coming into the tournament and is a genius when it comes to tactics, organization, and game plans. Their wins against Turkey and Czech Republic looked impressive. They did calm down as soon as they qualified but for them being new I don't blame them for this. I think all Iceland wanted to do is qualify for this tournament, and relax after that until it begins, so their draws against Latvia and Kazakhstan were flukes. Sigurdsson and Gunnarson will be players to watch out for. Their strikers Sigthorson and Finnbogason are also great finishers and really know how to shoot. Sigthorson has been quite impressive in the Europa League. Their defense always seems very organized and comfortable as well. I honestly see Iceland taking 1 point of Portugal actually. Iceland will take second place, and Austria to go through as a third placed team.
1. Portugal, 2. Iceland, 3. Austria



So these are my predictions. Tell me what you all think, and what you predict as well?

 

Hey guys I made a mistake. In Group E, I meant Ireland to go through as third not Sweden.

 

Well I'll admit I don't know the Portugal team that well but in the past like during the world cup they were really lacking organization. I watched that friendly against Italy and honestly we were way more organized than Portugal, but just weren't really hungry and were playing horribly. Portugal played better than us but we were way more organized in that friendly. Anyway I never judge from friendlies. Some teams are serious and some aren't. You can never really judge from friendlies. If I judged from Friendlies I could easily say Germany is a rubbish team.

Portugal are more organized now, but still they lack it compared to some other teams. I think they have enough quality to top the group though, and yes I am very clueless about who they will start other than Ronaldo and Pepe.

 

No I meant the scoreline you can never really judge from friendlies. How they play you can, but you can't judge the scoreline, unless its a humiliation maybe like 5-0 or something I suppose you could.

 

Well the fact is those were friendlies. You can get some clues with friendlies but not that much. Some teams take friendlies seriously while others not so much, and some start their first while others their second or even their third team. So really you can't determine much from friendlies. If we could go by friendlies, Germany would be terrible, so friendlies only gives you certain clues.

is a great team but I think when they beat Poland 3-1 some of those goals were silly defensive mistakes. Ukraine definitly have the players Also Iceland and Czech Republic are good teams but Ukraine has two underrated world class wingers in attack that have pace, skill, and great shooting. Lewandowski is gonna be very key to Poland here, and I expect him to squeeze in a goal or two, but Ukraine have a really good defense and if they manage to shut down Lewandowski which I think they shouldn't have too much trouble doing, they have pretty much shut down their strongest threat although there are other good players from Poland. Also Poland's defense always looks uncomfortable. For example in qualifying did you see how easy it was for Scotland to break down their defense. Germany is a great team but I think when they beat Poland 3-1 some of those goals were silly defensive mistakes. Ukraine definitely have the players to cause huge problems for Poland's defense. Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko are world class wingers and can cause all sorts of trouble. Not just that but behind the striker they have Rotan who is aging and has lack of pace but is still really powerful with shooting and is also great at hitting the target.

Ukraine just have more of a complete team than Poland.

 

I see your point but you also need to evaluate each teams opponents on playstyle and not just how many goals they scored. By the way Ukraine 0-1 Spain was a fluke. Konoplyanka, Yarmolenko, and Rotan were killing them, but were the unluckiest team I have ever seen in a game. De Gea was at his best, but Ukraine was killing Spain in that game. Rewatch it again. Also Poland were lucky not to have many defensive teams in their group. Ireland was the only defensive-counterattacking team in Poland's group which they managed 3 points against at home but not in Ireland. Ukraine had many defensive teams in their group. Slovakia and Belarus are both defensive. Also Poland usually goes at attack while Ukraine itself is defensive so obviously Ukraine won't demolish teams like Poland do.

 

Well Poland obviously, but I overestimated Ukraine. Anyway they have the talent to beat Poland and to be better but Fomenko is ruining everything. Its so sad, because if you look at the players Ukraine have, some of them are world class. However the coach is horrible and they can't convert chances at all. I messed up and was wrong.

 

Its really interesting actually.

 

I think that is a good guess. Spain is not what they used to be, and seeing how Croatia beat Spain. Italy will do exactly the same style, as Italy and Croatia have very similar playstyles. Italy just has a much better defense, a slightly weaker midfield (maybe not so much since Croatia were without Modric), and normally Croatia has a slightly stronger attack (but again no Mandzukic, so they are probably the same).

Italy and Croatia I think are now my favorites. Then Spain and Germany. Then France and Belgium.

 

I am telling you, there is no way France will win this. Italy, Spain, Germany, and Croatia are all better teams. I said this from the very beginning before this tournament started.