Euro 2016: Spain headline tournament’s toughest group

No weak links as Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic complete Group D

KARACHI: UEFA Euro 2016 Group D has all the ingredients to be called the most exciting group, as all four teams have the potential to go through.

Defending champions Spain will expect to top the group, while Croatia, Turkey and Czech Republic will all fancy their chances of finishing second.

The opening fixtures of the Group D will be played on June 12, when Turkey will face Croatia and Spain begin their title defence against the Czechs.

Croatia

PHOTO: AFP

This is the fourth consecutive time the Vatreni have managed to qualify for the tournament, doing so courtesy of a second-placed finish in Qualifying Group H behind leaders Italy.

Captained by veteran Shakhtar Donetsk defender Darijo Srna, Croatia will look to their star central midfield to make the difference, where the likes of Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic will line up alongside Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic.

Further up, left-winger Ivan Perisic and Juventus striker Mario Manzukic will provide the offensive threat.

In their most recent warm-up match, Ante Cacic’s men defeated San Marino 10-0; their biggest win in an international match.

Despite being placed in one of the competition’s toughest groups, there are reasons to believe this Croatian team will be good enough to make it to the next round.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Vargic (Rijeka),

Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Sime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo), Gordon Schildenfeld (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Strinic (Napoli), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen),

Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Marko Rog (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Coric (Dinamo Zagreb)

Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Nikola Kalinic (Fiorentina), Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb), Andrej Kramaric (Leicester City), Duje Cop (Dinamo Zagreb)

Czech Republic

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Czech Republic made their way into the tournament with an impressive display as they finished top of Qualifying Group A.

The presence of goalkeeper Petr Cech, one of the best keepers around, will aid the Czechs. Cech’s Arsenal teammate Tomas Rosicky will lead the side in midfield and they have plenty of experience in the squad, with 10 players aged over 30.

Qualifying for the round-of-16 is a possibility, but in such a tricky group, the Czechs may well be the team to miss out.

Squad: 

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Arsenal), Tomas Vaclik (Basel), Tomas Koubek (Slovan Liberec)

Defenders: Theodor Gebre Selassie (Werder Bremen), Roman Hubnik (Viktoria Plzen), Pavel Kaderabek (Hoffenheim), Michal Kadlec (Sparta Prague), David Limbersky (Viktoria Plzen), Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday), Tomas Sivok (Bursaspor), Marek Suchy (Basel)

Midfielders: Vladimir Darida (Hertha Berlin), Borek Dockal (Sparta Prague), Daniel Kolar (Viktoria Plzen), Ladislav Krejci (Sparta Prague), David Pavelka (Kasimpasa), Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal), Jiri Skalak (Brighton), Josef Sural (Sparta Prague)

Forwards: David Lafata (Sparta Prague), Tomas Necid (Bursaspor), Milan Skoda (Slavia Prague)



Spain

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Defending champions Spain enter the group stages on the back of three wins and two draws in their last five friendlies.

After winning nine of their 10 qualifying matches in Group C, Vincent del Bosque’s men come into the tournament high on confidence.

La Roja boast star players all across the field — with the central defensive pairing of Real’s Sergio Ramos and Barcelona’s Gerard Pique being arguably the best in the world — and in Andres Iniesta they have a man capable of inspiring them to the title. The Spaniard was the player of the tournament in Euro 2012 and with youngster Alvaro Morata and 35-year-old Aritz Aduriz the only out-and-out strikers in the side, Iniesta may have to conjur some magic from midfield. Despite a tough group, the defending champions will be looking to go through top.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Porto), David De Gea (Manchester United), Sergio Rico (Sevilla)

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Marc Bartra (Barcelona), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Bruno (Villarreal), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), David Silva (Manchester City), Pedro (Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Nolito (Celta Vigo)

Forwards: Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao), Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid), Alvaro Morata (Juventus)

Turkey

PHOTO: AFP

Turkey qualified for the European championships as one of the best third finishing side after taking 18 points in Qualifying Group A.

The team will be captained by Barcelona’s Arda Turan, who had a difficult first season at the Camp Nou, as he is tipped to leave the Spanish giants before the start of next season.

Turan, Bayer Leverkuson’s Hakan Çalhanoglu and Borrussia Dortmund’s Nuri Sahin will be looking to inspire Turkey from midfield. Ay-Yıldızlılar are coming on the back of four wins out of their last five games, with their only defeat against England.

In any other group, Fatih Terim’s men would have been one of the favourites to make it through, but such is the competition in Group D that they may well settle for a high third-placed finish.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Volkan Babacan (Medipol Basaksehir), Onur Kivrak (Trabzonspor), Harun Tekin (Bursaspor)

Defenders: Gokhan Gonul (Fenerbahce), Ahmet Calik (Genclerbirligi), Sener Ozbayrakli (Fenerbahce), Hakan Balta (Galatasaray), Mehmet Topal (Fenerbahce), Semih Kaya (Galatasaray), Ismail Koybasi (Besiktas), Caner Erkin (Fenerbahce)

Midfielders: Emre Mor (Nordsjaelland), Volkan Sen (Fenerbahce), Hakan Calhanoglu (Leverkusen), Nuri Sahin (Borussia Dortmund), Oguzhan Ozyakup (Besiktas), Ozan Tufan (Fenerbahce), Selcuk Inan (Galatasaray), Arda Turan (Barcelona), Olcay Sahan (Besiktas)

Forwards: Burak Yilmaz (Beijing Guoan), Cenk Tosun (Besiktas), Yunus Malli (Mainz)