Monday June 11, Group D
ukraine v sweDen
Olympic stadium, kiev, BBC One 7.45pm
w
If Sweden’s hopes are pinned mainly on one man, Ukraine’s hopes are pinned on many. Home support in Kiev will be crucial in inspiring a fairly low-quality team that relies on Bayern Munich’s Anatoliy Tymoschuk to hold things together in midfield, while ‘new Shevchenko’ Andriy Yarmolenko looks to exploit the holes in the Swedish defence. Given that they lost at home to Sweden in a friendly last year, the omens aren’t great.
Friday June 8, Group a
POlanD v GreeCe
Gre 0-0 Pol 2011 Pol 2-0 Gre 2009 Pol 1-0 Gre 2004
national stadium, warsaw, BBC One 5pm
P
oland, the lowest-ranked team at euro 2012, against Greece, often the most grindingly negative team of any international tournament (even when they win it) — not an opening Group A match to set pulses racing. Poland do have a classy big man at either end, however. Wojciech Szczesny is in goal, but Poles will hope that their main striker Robert ‘The Big Lewandowski’ is the busier of the two — possibly supplied by his Borussia Dortmund teammate Jakub Blaszczykowski. Even the prolific Lewandowski will have his work cut out against Greece. Under coach Fernando Santos, the
Friday June 8, Group a
russia v CzeCh rePuBliC Municipal stadium, wroclaw, iTV1 7.45pm
D
Ukr 0-1 Swe 2011 Swe 1-1 Ukr 2011 Swe 0-1 Ukr 2008
Genius or showpony: which Zlatan will show up?
Last three meetings
o you want to watch a game where the two star players for either side are a pair of hit-and-miss, injuryprone, diminutive arsenal fringe players? Well, here it is! Group favourites Russia still rely on Andrei Arshavin and the ageing basis of their exciting Euro 2008 squad, but there is at least the exciting addition of the skilful Alan Dzagoev. The 21-year-old CSKA Moscow attacking midfielder top scored in qualifying (with four goals). Arshavin and Dzagoev will be the players Russia look to to break down a Czech Republic side that is defensively
Last three meetings
key Q:
team play a 4-3-3 that’s ever so slightly more attacking than under Otto Rehhagel; but Greece still play tough, defensive football when they need to, with two banks of players protecting the Greek goal. If Poland score first, expect a frenzied atmosphere and Greece being forced to come out and look for a goal. If Greece score, they will try to shut up shop. If no one scores, don’t be be too surprised.
key Q:
Can The Big Lewandowski prove himself the dude for the big occasion?
Last three meetings
Rus 3-3 Cze R 1996 Cze 1-1 USSR 1988 Cze 1-1 USSR 1981
solid, but which struggles for goals too. Their top scorer in qualifying also got four — and it was left-back Michal Kadlec (three of those goals were penalties). Tomas Rosicky, who at least looked resurgent for Arsenal towards the end of the season, is the creative hub, while Milan Baros — who rather unbelievably claims to be just 30 — remains the main man up front.
key Q:
Which team can conjure the attacking flair to crack a tough opposition defence? | 41
Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images, Louisa Gouliamaki/ AFP/Getty Images, Simon Bruty/Allsport
ith group favourites France and england to come, Sweden and Ukraine know that three points in this game is vital to their qualification hopes. Sweden, traditionally so robust, have a dearth of defensive quality at present, so have embraced attack; they netted 31 goals in qualifying (only Holland and Germany scored more). Essential to this more attacking philosophy is, of course, hoping that a man worth more than the entire Ukraine team put together — the giant ego known as Zlatan Ibrahimovic — shows the form he did in scoring 35 goals for AC Milan last season.