The countdown to Euro 2016 has already started as fans from all over the world are eagerly waiting to witness their favourite team fight for glory. There is no dearth of choice for teams which are the contenders of the tournament, with Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Belgium and England the obvious frontrunners.
While an obvious fan will expect one of those 7 teams to win the prized silverware, there are some teams which can, well cause a few upsets. Who knows, they may go on to emulate a Leicester City!
Without keeping in further suspense, let us take a look at the five underdog teams who may not be underdogs anymore by the end of this tournament.
5) Sweden
They are the perennial underdog team to watch out for in every FIFA tournament, thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Finishing third in their group with 18 points from 10 matches, they defeated Denmark 4-3 in the playoffs to reach the main draw. Their maverick talisman Ibrahimovic scored 11 goals from 12 matches and was the second highest goal scorer of the Euro Qualifiers. Hinting at retirement after the Euro 2016, this will be the last international tournament of his career and he will strive to finish it on a successful note.
Apart from Ibrahimovic, Marcus Berg and Kim Kallstrom are their other key players. The best part about Sweden is that they play as a team. While they have some tough opponents like Italy and Belgium in their Group, an upset can well set them on course for the knock outs.
4) Croatia
A team full of talented players, Croatia haven’t done well in recent FIFA tournaments. They performed below par in the World Cup 2014, and had finished third in their group behind Brazil and Mexico. However, they could well turn the tides this time, if they perform to their potential.
They had a good Qualifying campaign, finishing 2nd with 20 points, 4 points behind group leaders Italy. They drew both their matches against Italy, which is a testimonial of how good a team they are. With a plethora of skilled players in their side, they will definitely be a contender to qualify for the knockouts, from a Group which has Spain, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Ivan Perisic was the leading goal scorer in their qualifying campaign with 6 goals and he will be expected to replicate his form in the main draw. Along with Perisic, they will have the experience of Mario Mandzukic up front and Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric in the midfield.
Modric, fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid will want to add another piece of silverware by the end of this season. Croatia’s strength will be their midfield, as they have plenty of quality players to play that position.
Expect them to at least reach the Quarter Finals.
3) Switzerland
Switzerland have evolved as a team through years and have developed an uncanny ability to perform in big matches. They had a good qualifying campaign, racking up 21 points from 10 matches, finishing second in their Group.
Granit Xhaka has been in the news for his transfer to Arsenal and will hold the key to a successful Euro 2016 for Switzerland. The ex-Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder has been in sensational form, and will be the driving force for a spirited Swiss side.
Apart from Xhaka, they will have the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Valon Behrami in the midfield as well as Yannick Sommer behind the sticks. Five-time Scudetto winner Stephan Lichtsteiner will lead the Swiss side.
Switzerland have Romania, France and Albania in their Group. While France can be guaranteed to qualify from this Group, the Swiss side will hold the edge over other teams to finsih second and qualify for the knockouts.
2) Poland
Poland had finished fourth in their group in the World Cup Qualifiers, thus missing out on the FIFA World Cup 2014. They had a point to prove to the world and they did that emphatically.
The Poles were the most attacking team among all the other nations in the Qualifiers, amassing 33 goals from their 10 matches. They finished just a point behind the World Cup champions Germany, whom they had defeated once in their qualifiers as well. Talk about form!
Such has been their meteoric rise that teams now will give a second thought facing them. Their phenomenal run has to be attributed to their star man, Robert Lewandowski. He was the scored the maximum number of goals in the Euro 2016 Qualifiers with 13 goals from 10 matches. One of the best forwards in the world at the moment, he has the ability to win matches on his own.
With Lewandowski leading a boisterous Poland attack, they have the Sevilla work-horse Grzegorz Krychowiak and Jakub Blaszczykowski to drive the midfield. Wojciech Szczesny will be their probable stopper.
Drawn with Germany, Ukraine and Northern Ireland, it won’t be the easiest of roads for the Polish. However, with the kind of firepower that they possess in their ranks, Poland may go on to and surprise everyone by the end of this tournament.
1) Wales
1958 FIFA World Cup.
2016 Euro Cup.
Yeah, that’s right! They had not qualified for any major international tournament for 58 years. The world seemed to have forgotten them. A team ranked 117 four years ago is hardly considered to pose any kind of threat. Fast forward to 2016, and it boasts the world’s most expensive footballer along with an all-time highest ranking of 8 in 2015!
It doesn’t matter if they were not considered a force to reckon with some time back. It doesn’t matter if they haven’t played competitive football at the highest stage for 58 years. What matters is that they have a certain Gareth Bale on their side.
Finishing runners-up in their Euro Qualifiers group with 21 points from 10 matches, they finished just 2 points shy of group winners Belgium. But that’s not all. They had defeated Belgium at home and drew the away match in the Qualifiers.
Drawn with England, Slovakia and Russia, they will enter the tournament with nothing to lose. Their trump card will undoubtedly be Bale who had almost single-handedly helped Wales qualify with 7 goals and 2 assists. Along with Bale, they have Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen who can make notable contributions.
