World champions Germany will be one of the top contenders in Euro 2016. And of course, Die Mannschaft is the hands-down favorite to rise above Group C, too. But the road for them might not be as easy as many people think especially with other nations like Poland and Ukraine more than capable of pulling off some upsets.
Read on below for a full look at the level of competition in Group C. And while you’re at it, check out our breakdowns of the other groups as well: A, B and E.
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Die Mannschaft is the clear favorite here. Germany, in fact, is also pegged at +350 to hoist the Henri Delaunay Trophy. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, the Germans can’t let their confidence get the better of them.
Yes, this team is surrounded with world-class talent and one player, in particular, who will garner most of the spotlight. That man is Thomas Muller.
Muller, without question, will be under immense pressure to find the net especially with Miroslav Klose’s retirement from international play. Well, that shouldn’t be too much of a task for the 26-year-old star midfielder, who led Germany in goals (nine) during the qualifiers and is coming off a sensational offensive season for Bayern Munich. That already serves as an assurance that Muller’s heading into France oozing with confidence.
A reason for concern, though, is Germany’s injury blows. The team will have to go on with life without a number of key players in Ilkay Gundogan, Antonio Rudiger and Marco Reus, who have all been ruled out of the tournament.
Nevertheless, they’re still packed with options. And surely, team manager Joachim Low can find the right replacements and make the necessary adjustments to keep Germany as good and as ready as possible.
Poland appears to be the most legitimate threat to the Germans. This country made some serious noise during the qualifiers, as it led all nations with 33 goals and also pulled off a major upset over Germany. A testament to that success was none other than Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who was the leading scorer in qualifying with 13 goals. There’s no doubt that this man is a superstar and his offensive prowess should be able to help Poland turn a few more heads in France.
Ukraine shouldn’t be underestimated despite being its first time to qualify for the European Championships. The Ukrainians still have a lot to prove, but even so, you can expect them to compete well enough against any opponent. They have a solid tandem in Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka on their side, after all.
Those two can score at any given moment, and the world bared witness to that during Ukraine’s campaign in the qualifying round. Yarmolenko scored six of the nation’s 17 goals, while Konoplyanka netted in two of his own.
Also, Ukraine isn’t just one-sided team. Its defense is pretty solid, as the Blue and Yellows only surrendered five goals in the qualifiers.
In all honesty, it’s hard to be optimistic about Northern Ireland’s chances of making some noise in France. This club deserves a lot of credit for simply making it to its first major tournament since the 1986 World Cup, and the Irish Northerners should be already satisfied with that feat.
But if they suddenly prove us wrong, you can bet that Kyle Lafferty will be a big reason for their success. Lafferty led them in scoring with seven goals in qualifying, and is currently their second-highest goal scorer (17).
Writer’s Prediction
Germany (-250) reigns supreme over Group C. Expect them, however, to get eliminated in the semifinals.
