Finalists Tips for Euro 2012

This year’s Euro Finals promises to end with a bang especially that every team’s fate is as if already decided given their group assignments. Let’s take a look at how Euro 2012 could eventually turn out after the dust settles.

It’s important to acknowledge the top three contenders for the Euro title this summer and work on how these three teams could position themselves in the semi-finals and the finals. So here goes: we have Spain, Germany, and Holland as the three teams favored the most to make the finals this year. Given the three teams, let’s take a look at the three scenarios that could be realized come the finals.

First Scenario: Spain v Germany

Perhaps the likeliest scenario, it’s almost inevitable for Spain and Germany to cross paths. And they will do so late in the tournament that you can only marvel at how destiny created Euro 2012 for them. Spain in Group C and Germany in Group B means that they will never meet until the semi-finals or the finals. More importantly, if they take separate paths and take on different opponents in the semi-finals, both teams are expected to dominate, hence the higher possibility of moving on to the finals to face each other.

A Spain v Germany Euro 2012 is too ideal to judge, but we fancy Germany to win this tournament. While most people will be keen on rooting for a Euro 2008 repeat where the Germans lost to the Spaniards, the case is certainly different this time around. Germany is healthier, fitter, and hungrier to take the fight to death. The roster list alone tips the balance in favor of the Germans albeit only slightly. Then again, even the slightest advantages can blow up and make the biggest difference come the finals (especially that Group B winners will have an easier route to the finals after a very difficult groups stages).

Second Scenario: Germany v Holland

Having a group that contains some of the biggest teams in the tournament doesn’t sound so appealing unless you are one of the biggest teams. Well after all, a difficult group stage could only mean an easier quarter-finals match up for the stronger teams. And given that Group B’s counterparts in Group A are not as big as they are, expect the runner-up from this group of death to make it as far as the semi-finals with ease.

The only thing that makes this scenario less likely is the fact that the team that finishes as runners-up in the group stages could go up against Spain in the semi-finals. Between the two teams, it’s Holland that’s very likely to take this path. Given that Holland have a fighting chance against Spain, it’s possible that the finals could be a showcase between the Group B winner and the same group’s runner-up. In this case, you would definitely fancy the Group B winner to repeat their exploits in the finals, and since Germany is set to box out Holland in the group stages, the Germans could very well be the champions in this scenario.

Third Scenario: Spain v Holland

A Spain v Holland Euro 2012 finals showdown could happen given two occurrences – first Holland will need to win their group, with Germany emerging as runners-up (or to the delight of both Spain and Holland, send the Germans crashing out of the tournament at the end of the group stages). The second condition is that Spain and Germany should meet in the semi-finals, with Spain winning this fixture while Holland secures their other semi-final match. Both conditions are, as you would believe, too unlikely to happen given the pedigree of the four-time Euro winners Die Mannschaft. But given that anything can happen in major tournaments, you might as well consider the possibility no matter how unlikely it may seem.

A Spain v Holland finals match-up is a replay of the 2010 World Cup, however with minor revisions. This time around Spain will be with key absences, and some of the key players that will be featuring for the Red Fury have had a number of fitness issues in the recent past. Holland meanwhile doesn’t have major absences, and Oranje will be featuring players who are coming off a great season. On this level you couldn’t heavily rely on a history-repeats-itself scenario, and it remains to be seen which team will take it all. Still, we fancy Spain to win against Holland if they meet in the finals.

All odds are from Bet365.com (£200 FREE BET!).