Spain, Italy, Crotia, Ireland
- While not as good as Group B, Group C is no slouch. All these teams will fancy getting through to the quarter-finals. Spain is obviously the favourite to win the group but the other three teams can beat each other so the other spot is wide open.
- Games will be quiet defensive with the likes of Italy and Ireland traditionally playing that way, as well as the fact that Spain dominates possession whenever they play.
Spain- world ranking (WR)-1
- Why they will advance-Euro 2008 winners, 2010 World Cup winners, almost the same squad, play attractive, possession dominated football, will be very hard to beat.
- Why they may not advance- Long season for players may have worn them down, missing their best striker David Villa due to injury.
- Player to watch- Andre Iniesta-midfield. The Barcelona player had a great season and will look to carry on that form in the tournament. A great passer and facilitator in the midfield but also finishes very well.
Italy- WR- 12
- Why they could advance- Historically very sound at the back, this year they will be looking to play more attacking football after a pathetic World Cup performance which saw them knocked out in the group stages versus the likes of Slovenia and New Zealand. Have the ability up front to score against anyone.
- Why they may not advance- It's Italy, they can be very mediocre. Injuries and retirements have meant that their defence is very young and inexperienced, which is not what we are used to seeing in the Italian side. They also have Mario Balotelli.
- Player to watch- Mario Balotelli- enigmatic Man City striker who is a brilliant player but has severe maturity issues. He is the player to watch of the whole tournament!
- Why they could advance- The dark horses of the Group, Croatia have the potential to beat Italy and go deep into the tournament. Have a good midfield centred around Modric and solid strikers in Jelavic and Mandzukic.
- Why they may not advance- They have had a poor lead up to the tournament. If Italy and Spain are playing well their chance to make it to the quarter-finals is slim.
- Player to watch- Luka Modric-midfield. Fantastic player for Tottenham Hotspurs, will direct play and create scoring chances as well. The key to the whole Croatian team.
Ireland- WR-18
- Why they could advance- They have a very solid squad and have played well in the qualifying stages for the tournament against tough competition. Their Italian coach preaches defence which will be needed vs the likes of Spain and Italy where they will not have much possession.
- Why they will not advance- The teams in their group are just too good, lack of scoring will hurt them if they get behind.
- Player to watch- Shay Given-goalkeeper- has to play very well for them to compete, he will be under a lot of pressure in all the group matches.
Prediction of who is going through: Spain and Croatia upsetting the Italians to take the second spot.
NZ TAB bet of the Group: Croatia to qualify to advance- $2.50
Photo sourced from soccerprose.com
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