Timothy Gyang's Blog: Euro 2016 team guide: A comprehensive look at each of the six groups ahead of the big kickoff

The draw seems a lifetime ago and the tournament proper is now just around the corner - Mirror Football runs you through the sides

The wait is almost over - Euro 2016 is nearly here.
December's draw seems a lifetime ago and the tournament proper is now just around the corner. Excited? You should be.
There are some mouthwatering Euro 2016 fixtures straight out the gate with England drawing Wales in a marquee tie in the group stages.
Elsewhere, the Republic of Ireland are drawn in with Belgium, Italy and Sweden while Northern Ireland are in Group C with Ukraine, Poland and world champs Germany.
But who will triumph in France at the now 24-team feast of football? Here's Mirror Football's comprehensive team-by-team guide...

Group A

France

Manager: Didier Deschamps
Men to watch: Paul Pogba, Hugo Lloris, Olivier Giroud
In 1984, Michel Platini led Les Bleus to European success on home soil. Zinedine Zidane did likewise at the World Cup in 1998.
Now French hopes are pinned on the elongated gait of Paul Pogba, the brilliant Juventus midfielder, who is primed to be the star of the tournament.
Since walking away from Manchester United the uber-talented star - who will kickoff the tournament with the word 'Pogboom' shaved into the side of his head - has seen his career from strength to strength and now he's the man set to lead France's charge. Alongside him, Anthony Martial and Kingsley Coman are both sensational precocious talents, while Antoine Griezmann enters the tournament after scoring 32 goals for Atletico Madrid.

However, while they remain among the favourites, widely expected to reach at least the semi-finals, they aren't without their problems.
Defensive duo Raphael Varane and Mamadou Sakho are both injured, as is first-choice holding midfielder Lassana Diarra, while Hatem Ben Arfa - after a standout season with Nice - and Real Madrid star Karim Benzema have both been controversially excluded.
But still the talent at Didier Deschamps' disposal is the sort that many managers heading to the finals would kill for. Now the France boss must decide how best to deploy his troops, and needs to find a way to solve their two major problems: scoring goals and stopping them.

France stars doing keepy-ups during training

Romania

Manager: Anghel Iordanescu
Men to watch: Vlad Chiriches, Ciprian Tatarusanu, Nicolae Stanciu
Romania do not arrive in France as the great entertainers.
Managed for the third time by veteran Anghel Iordanescu, their success in reaching their first major tournament since 2008 was based on defensive solidity.
They had three successive scoreless draws at one point and conceded only two goals as they remained unbeaten, although their 10 qualifiers produced just 13 goals.

Vlad Chiriches signs for Napoli — Defensive rock: Chiriches is vitally important at the back

The Tricolours finished second behind Northern Ireland despite winning 2-0 at home, but managed to finish above bitter rivals Hungary. Iordanescu, who played in the 1986 Steaua Bucarest team which won the European Cup, came out of retirement for the campaign.
He lifted his country to third in the FIFA rankings in 1997 after taking them to Euro 96 and to the knockout stages of France 98. He left football to become a politician in 2007 and sat in the country’s Senate before returning to the national cause in October 2014.
Romania play the opening match against hosts France at Saint-Denis on Friday. They would settle for a goalless draw now and will then try to nick wins off Switzerland and Albania.

Keep it tight: Iordanescu's men are extremely well organised

Albania

Manager: Gianni de Biasi
Men to watch: Lorik Cana, Elrit Berisha, Shkelzen Gashi
Albania will play in their first major tournament under Italian coach Gianni De Biasi after scoring the fewest number of goals of any of the qualifiers.
The Eagles actually scored only seven times as they were awarded a 3-0 win for their abandoned clash with Serbia. And the potential group whipping boys have not beaten France, Switzerland or Romania in 18 competitive matches, although they beat the hosts in a friendly in Tirana last June.
In pictures - The abandoned Serbia vs Albania match:

Their ability to reach future big events is now under threat after neighbouring Kosovo was elected to FIFA last month. Five players, including captain Lorik Cana, are eligible to play for the former Serbian province and FIFA is expected to look at applications to switch nationalities on a case-by-case basis.
It will certainly affect future recruitment.
Only four of the usual starting team were born in Albania with Swiss-born Taulant Xhaka opting to represent Albania at international level while his younger brother Granit plays for Switzerland. Only the two reserve keepers play in the domestic league.

Tough guy Cana: The defender will skipper Albania this summer

Switzerland

Manager: Vladimir Petkovic
Men to watch Xherdan Shaqiri, Ricardo Rodriguez, Granit Xhaka
Switzerland have never got out of the group stages in their three previous appearances at the European Championships, even when they were co-hosts in 2008.
But this time the team of creative talent coached by Vladimir Petković has a strong chance to qualify behind France in Group A.
Finishing second in the qualifying behind England, the Swiss have experienced players from top European leagues, like Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri and Valon Behrami of Watford, Juventus’ Stephan Lichtsteiner and new Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka.

Man in charge: Swiss chief Vladimir Petkovic

The defence is full of experience with former Arsenal centre-back Johann Djourou and Wolfsburg’s Ricardo Rodriguez though they have no proven top-class goalscorer. The well-travelled forward Haris Seferovic, who was signed by Fiorentina in 2010 after his starring role in the Under-17 World Cup, is now with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Gokhan Inler meanwhile, so long a midfield mainstay and captain, failed to make the squad after his season with Leicester.
France beat Switzerland 5-2 in the World Cup in Brazil and their meeting in the final group game should decide the group winners.

Granit Xhaka speaks for the first time as an Arsenal player

Group B

England

Manager: Roy Hodgson
Men to watch: Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Joe Hart
Roy Hodgson has gone with an attacking outlook on paper, but hopefully he'll prove more restrained than two years ago, when effectively going with four forwards saw the Three Lions dumped out at the group stage by Italy and Uruguay.
It's strange that Hodgson, with his reputation for conservatism, was so gung-ho in Brazil, but now, he has a plethora of central midfielders and a genuine anchorman in Eric Dier which should ensure balance.
Still there are questions over formation - 4-3-3, the 4-4-2 diamond - not to mention the role of Wayne Rooney.
Harry Kane is the undisputed centre-forward and Jamie Vardy's form the Leicester and three international goals since March makes him very much his most likely partner - in most people's eyes. The England skipper however has been pushed into a midfield role at club level and now Hodgson has to figure how to shoehorn him into his starting XI again.

...But Hodgson has a conundrum over skipper Wayne Rooney

There's also the Jack Wilshere conundrum - having been called into the squad, should he start? - but in a group that England should *should!* roll through with at least seven points, his side can learn on the job and should improve as they go.
The path to the quarter-final doesn't appear too tricky, but that's when the acid test is likely to come, with a potential tie against Portugal or Italy. And that's where we'll see the crunch.
Whether all those recent failings still weigh too heavy on minds, whether the fear factor is still there. Because all too often it's when the first 'big' side comes knocking, that England tend to fail to answer.
However, with a lot of new faces in the squad, and a positive mindset throughout, the Three Lions are looking to impress, particularly with young stars like Dele Alli and Kane.

England enjoying first training session in France

Russia

Manager: Leonid Slutsky
Men to watch: Fedor Smolov, Artem Dzyuba, Aleksandr Golovin
Russia boss Leonid Slutsky has got a strong reputation. He succeeded ex-England boss Fabio Capello and is nicknamed the Russian Mourinho.
The 45-year-old’s playing career was limited by injury but he has enjoyed an outstanding managerial career. He is still in charge of CSKA Moscow and has left people guessing what he will do after the Euros but is very popular after rescuing Russia’s qualifying campaign.
Slutsky has won seven titles, including this season, getting the entire squad onside and even the fans of Spartak Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg – fierce rivals of CSKA Moscow – are behind the national team. He is a very popular manager because he is smart, friendly and very media savvy.

In command: Slutsky has done well since replacing Capello

Striker Fedor Smolov has scored 20 goals in the Russian Premier League and is fast with a very good shot. He is the main danger and though he is only 26 he is vastly experienced.
Artem Dzyuba is a tall, powerful striker, who may prove to be better than Roman Pavlyuchenko because he’s more technically skilled. He will almost certainly play against England.
And Aleksandr Golovin is a young midfielder they could rely on to replace Alan Dzagoev who is injured. It is his first season at the top level but his potential is huge – and he scored twice in his two first games for Russia.

Russia's Artem Dzyuba and Serbia's Nemanja Milunovic in action — Knows where the net is: England will be wary of Zenit's Dzyuba

Wales

Manager: Chris Coleman
Men to watch: Gareth Bale, Ashley Williams, Aaron Ramsey
This will be Wales' first bow at a European Championships and their first major tournament since 1958.
But confidence is high within the camp, after a qualifying campaign where they didn't concede against a much-fancied Belgium side and where Chris Coleman's side found a way of playing which suits them.
It chiefly involves defending deep, stringing five men along the back and being hard to play against. But when they have the ball, they're quick to hit the front, using the movement and hold-up play of Hal Robson-Kanu and looking to Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale to make the difference.

Often, he does just that. Bale scored or assisted nine of Wales' 11 goals in qualifying, making him the most influential individual anywhere across Europe. The 26-year-old loves playing for his country and Coleman will hope he thrives on the pressure in France.
If Bale is vital in attack, then skipper Ashley Williams is just as important in defence. The Swansea captain marshals his defence and puts his body on the line for the cause; he was instrumental as Wales conceded just four goals in 10 qualifiers, losing just once.
A 3-0 friendly defeat to Sweden in the buildup left Coleman disappointed and admitting his side must do better at the finals. But Bale and co. will be hard-to-beat, hard-working and will bank on the £85million man doing his stuff, as they aim for a place in the knockout rounds.

Ashley Williams during training — Stopper: Williams is vital to Wales' success

Slovakia

Manager: Jan Kozak
Key player: Jan Durica, Marek Hamsik, Martin Skrtel
Slovakia boss Jan Kozak has made Slovakia a force to be reckoned with - and a major danger in England’s Group.
They beat Spain in qualifying, finished ahead of Ukraine in their Group and are 24th in the FIFA world rankings.
Kozak has used a 4-2-3-1 system with star player, Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik, in a free role.
Up until recently, Hamsik has not produced his best form for his country but now is delivering for Slovakia as well. Hamsik, 28, is the biggest danger to England and will provide the assists and openings for Slovakia.

Sampdoria defender Milan Skriniar has been included in Slovakia’s 23-man squad for Euro 2016, despite only making his international debut last week.
But Kozak caused surprise by only picking two forwards, Viktoria Plzen’s Michal Duris and Willem II’s Adam Nemec.
They beat Georgia and Germany in warm-up games and won their qualifying Group.

Group C

Germany

Manager: Joachim Low
Men to watch: Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil
If there is one nation who can deny France a hat-trick of tournament wins, on their own soil, and Spain a European Championship treble, then it is Germany.
The Germans are the ultimate tournament team, as evidenced by their superb triumph in Brazil two years ago when they became the first side from outside South America to win the World Cup on that continent.
Their team is packed with proven big-game players, like Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels, not to mention the world’s best goalkeeper in Manuel Neuer and goal machine Thomas Muller. They also have one of the world’s top international coaches in Low and unrivalled big-tournament know how.

However all is not rosy in the German garden as they bid to emulate France and Spain by following up winning the World Cup by triumphing in the Euros and Low has major injury concerns.
He has left out Marco Reus because of fitness concerns, Ilkay Gundogan is out and skipper Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mats Hummels only returned to training days before the Euros big kickoff.
The influential Schweinsteiger, who is coming off an unimpressive season with Manchester United, has not played since March because of a knee injury, while Hummels has a concern over his calf.
The former is expected to rotate alongside Kroos with Juventus' Sami Khedira, but Low is banking on the latter being fit to partner Jerome Boateng.

Nous: Low has been at the helm for 10 years now

Ukraine

Manager: Mikhail Fomenko
Men to watch: Andriy Yarmolenko, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Denys Garmash
Such is the pessimistic mood around Ukraine that many of their supporters do not think they will get out of their group. They failed to make it into the knock-out stages four years ago as co-hosts and their fans are still scarred by the memory.
Ukraine look set to battle it out with Northern Ireland for one of the four best third-place finishes up for grabs as a ticket into the last 16.
Coach Mykhaylo Fomenko has included veterans Vyacheslav Shevchuk and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, both 37, and captain Ruslan Rotan, 34. But he has also picked 19-year-old Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Ukraine’s stand-out players are wingers Yevhen Konoplyanka, a Europa League winner with Sevilla, and Andriy Yarmolenko, who is their leading scorer with an impressive 24 goals in 58 internationals.

But Ukraine do not boast a huge goal threat and Dnipro striker Roman Zozulya, expected to lead their attack in France, only has two.
Zozulya gave money to Ukraine’s military fighting Russian separatists in the east and the squad will be keen to make their country proud in uncertain times.
Another man to look out for is Dynamo Kiev playmaker Denys Garmash, who reads the game well.

Worries: Fans worry Fomenko's side won't get through the group

Poland

Manager: Adam Nawałka
Men to watch: Robert Lewandowski, Arkadiusz Milik, Kamil Glik
Poland will be driven by the memory of their woeful campaign as co-hosts of Euro 2012. It was supposed to be a showcase for a new, confident and emerging team, but instead they finished bottom of their group and without a win.
Coach Adam Nawalka and his squad will benefit from being under less pressure in France.
Their stand-out player is striker Robert Lewandowski – their best since the legendary Zbigniew Boniek – who scored 42 goals for Bayern Munich last season. He has been criticised for not replicating his domestic form for his country, but had little support in the past leading Poland’s attack.
Now he has help from Ajax’s Arkadiusz Milik, who contributed six goals and six assists in qualifying, while Lewandowski top-scored with 13.

Robert Lewandowski holds off Jeffrey Bruma — The guy: Lewandowski struck more than anyone else in qualifying

Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski is in goal, Torino provide centre-back Kamil Glik and in midfield there is Europa League winner Grzegorz Krychowiak of Sevilla and Liverpool-target Piotr Zielinski. Borussia Dortmund’s Jakub Blaszczykowski is a threat on the right.
Should make the quarter-finals at least.

Poland's Artur Jedrzejczyk celebrates a goal with his teammates — More freedom: Good enough to make the last eight

Northern Ireland

Manager: Michael O’Neill
Men to watch: Kyle Lafferty, Steven Davis, Jonny Evans
Michael O'Neill has warned that Northern Ireland will be everyone’s worst nightmare at the Euros.
O’Neill led his nation to their first major tournament in 30 years after topping their qualifying group. And the Northern Ireland boss now believes they can pull off another major shock and reach the knockout stage despite being in Group C with Germany, Poland and Ukraine.
O’Neill believes no one will fancy playing his side, ranked 25th in the world, as he believes they are on a hiding to nothing because everyone is expecting to beat them.
But they're dogged, organised, resolute - and always capable of nicking a goal at the other end.

Kyle Lafferty proved vital in qualifying with his goals and has proved a talismanic presence, seemingly more suited to the rigours of international football than that at club level.
Major pluses for O'Neill are the form of Southampton midfielder Steven Davis, his captain, and Jonny Evans, who re-established himself as a top Premier League defender with West Brom last term, having been binned by Louis van Gaal.
The loss of injured Chris Brunt, and his delivery from wide, is a blow however.

Talisman: Lafferty did the business in qualiying

Group D

Spain

Manager: Vicente Del Bosque
Men to watch: Aritz Aduriz, Lucas Vazquez, Nolito
Here’s a reminder: Spain are reigning European champions. In fact, they've won the last two incarnations of this tournament.
Yes, it’s easy to forget. They had a nightmare World Cup of course, dumped out at the group stage after being savaged by Holland and then beat up by Chile.
But even with Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso gone, they still remain a major force and threat. That's why players like Saul Niguez, top scorer in qualifying Paco Alcacer, Real Madrid's Isco and Diego Costa have NOT been included in Vicente Del Bosque's squad.

Serial winners like Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are again trusted to do the business, along with Atletico Madrid's brilliant midfielder Koke. Once more, their tiki-taka stylings will see them dominate possession, while if they do get through a tricky group, it's worth noting that they haven't conceded a goal in knockout football since 2006.
The question now is who will get the goals, with only Alvaro Morata and veteran Aritz Aduriz named in the squad as a recognised striker. And neither of that pair is guaranteed to start.

Contenders: Can Spain win a third successive European Championships

Czech Republic

Manager: Pavel Vrba
Men to watch: Ladislav Krejci, Tomas Necid, Pavel Kaderabek
The Czech Republic are still struggling to realign expectations after finishing as runners-up in their first ever European Championships as an independent nation 20 years ago this summer.
They also achieved third place in 2004 with the dying embers of their golden generation – but this summer their most talented player for a decade will bow out and reality will set in.
Tomas Rosicky has struggled with injuries as his career has drawn to a close, but the Arsenal midfielder showed in the pre-tournament friendlies that he is still capable of dictating games at the highest level.

Now 35, Rosicky has been playing for so long that the first time he won Czech Footballer of the Year was in another millennium.
After earning his 100th cap against Russia last week, it seems like the only thing left for ‘the little Mozart’ to achieve is to win a tournament with his country.
That seems highly unlikely, but the skipper has admitted he’s “absolutely desperate” to go out on a high this summer.

Czech Republic's Tomas Rosicky and Tomas Necid celebrate scoring during the friendly match against Russia — Tough group: Can the Czechs progress?

Turkey

Manager: Fatih Terim
Men to watch: Arda Turan, Oguzhan Ozyakup, Ahmet Calik
Turkey’s lull is over, and their new golden generation has enough talent to be its best ever.
While Barcelona playmaker Arda Turan, a La Liga winner with Atletico Madrid two years ago, provides the obvious star quality, it is youngster Hakan Calhanoglu who may prove to be this tournament’s breakout star.

Arguably the world’s finest free-kick taker, no distance from goal is too far for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder to rocket one past scrambling goalkeepers, as evidenced by a quick search of YouTube that unearths his incredible repertoire of long-range howitzers.
Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are among the clubs who are monitoring the 22-year-old’s progress in the Bundesliga. But for now Calhanoglu is happy at Leverkusen, playing Champions League football and adding to his portfolio of spectacular goals from distance.
It won’t be long until someone gambles on his obvious talent, and a good showing to Turkey is only likely to speed up that process.

Hakan Calhanoglu celebrates after scoring the first goal for Turkey — Good fit: The midfielder already has six goals in 19 games

Croatia

Manager: Ante Cacic
Men to watch: Luka Modric, Ante Coric, Sime Vrsaljko
The secret to Croatia’s success lies on either side of el clásico’s divide, with two season-long adversaries reunited as teammates in one of the summer’s dark horse teams.
Luka Modric, now a two-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, will line up alongside Ivan Rakitic, Barcelona’s midfield dynamo, in an engine room that would make traditional powers of European football green with envy.

Key man: Modric is the heartbeat at the centre of midfield

Add in another Real Madrid midfielder, Mateo Kovacic, and Inter Milan star Marcelo Brozovic and you’re beginning to build the core of a team that begins to sound like a challenger.
If Modric, fresh from an utterly brilliant season with Spain, is the beating heart of this team, then Rakitic is the legs. The Barca man was charged with replacing Xavi at the Nou Camp and chose to do so by reinventing his role, adding industry and box-to-box energy.
A stellar defence behind them and Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic in front of that star-studded midfield gives these outsiders something to Cro about.

Mario Mandzukic of Croatia celebrates scoring his team's third goal against Cameroon — Super Mario: Can Mandzukic fire Croatia deep into the competition?

Group E

Belgium

Manager: Marc Wilmots
Men to watch: Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard
Could this finally be the tournament when Belgium's new golden generation sparkle?
They topped the FIFA rankings earlier this season and boast some of the Premier League's best players in Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Toby Alderweireld.
Yet few outside of Belgium give them much chance of triumphing and some bookies rank them at a longer price than England. Look closer at Belgium and it is clear that all is not perfect.

Coach Marc Wilmots has been criticised for not getting the most from such a talented pool, even though they only lost once to Wales in qualifying.
The Red Devils have also lost just one of their five games in the build-up to the Euros against Portugal. Yet there are concerns about some of their biggest names because of injury and lack of game time.

Belgium's coach Marc Wilmots with Toby Alderweireld and Divock Origi — Criticism: Questions have been asked of Wilmots' impact on his players

The injured Vincent Kompany is a huge miss, while Manchester City team-mate De Bruyne, Divock Origi and Jan Vertonghen have all been injured recently.
Marouane Fellaini and Christian Benteke have also endured frustrating domestic campaigns and it is clear that Wilmots' squad could be in better shape.
But they have the talent to progress and should reach the quarter-finals at least. The question then, is can they go further?

Romelu Lukaku scores screamer in Belgium friendly

Italy

Manager: Antonio Conte
Men to watch: Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele de Rossi, Giorgio Chiellini
Antonio Conte will be keen to bow out on a high with Italy before leaving to become Chelsea boss and the signs are positive that the former Juventus coach can enjoy a successful tournament with the Azzurri.
Conte has engineered a recovery in Italian football since taking over after the humiliating first-round exit at the 2014 World Cup.
They were unbeaten in their 10 qualifying games, although they have since lost friendlies to Germany and their opening opponents at Euro 2016 Belgium.
Italy have suffered as Serie A has declined and Italians were hurt by their clubs’ failure to reach the quarter-finals of either European competition last season for the first time in 15 years.

Still crucial: Juve pair Buffon and Bonucci

Typically, their main strength lies in defence in golden oldies Gianluigi Buffon and central defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini from champions Juventus.
They do have Southampton’s Graziano Pelle up top and he scored the winner in the recent friendly against Scotland.
Unfortunately for Italy, they no longer boast world-class players in attack or midfield and Daniele De Rossi and Thiago Motta are the wrong side of 30. It's a shame PSG starlet Marco Verratti and Juve midfielder Claudio Marchisio are both absent through injury.
Instead of flair, the new Italy is based team work and discipline and those qualities should get them to the knock-out phase.

Graziano Pelle of Italy (C) celebrates after scoring the opening goalduring the international friendly between Italy and Scotland — Leading the line: Pelle is expected to start for the Azzurri

Republic of Ireland

Manager: Martin O’Neill
Key player: Jon Walters, Shane Long, James McCarthy
After coming from behind to secure qualification - they were fourth in their group after a 1-1 draw with Scotland this time 12 months ago - the Republic of Ireland will again be underdogs in France.
Martin O'Neill's men will face Italy, Belgium and Sweden, having been offered a draw that couldn't have been much worse.
And O'Neill will have to use every bit of his managerial nous if he's to somehow guide them through to the knockout stages.

Record goalscorer Robbie Keane remains in the squad, but will have to get used to a super-sub role, with Shane Long and Jon Walters the preferred attacking choices.
Long, the £12million Southampton striker, is a major reason for Ireland reaching the playoffs - thanks to his winner against Germany in qualifying - before Walters did the business against Bosnia.
Defensively however, there's a lack of genuine quality, Seamus Coleman apart, and they'll need to scrap for every inch to ensure that they aren't on the first flight home.

Shane Long celebrates scoring the first goal — Running channels: Can Long get among the goals?

Sweden

Manager: Erik Hamren
Men to watch: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Berg, Kim Kallstrom
It's just as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic does not lack confidence because he will be carrying the hopes of his entire nation at the Euros.
Sweden have not reached the knock-out stages of a tournament since the 2006 World Cup and Swedes are hoping their star striker can end that run.
Ibrahimovic is the main reason why Sweden are in France and he virtually beat Denmark single-handed in the play-offs, scoring three goals over the two games.
Despite being 34, the Manchester United target is in the form of his life and has scored an incredible 50 goals in 53 games for Paris St Germain and Sweden.

Little wonder then that Swedes hail the former Barcelona and Inter Milan hitman as the best player their nation has ever produced.
This may well prove to be his last tournament, just to add even more pressure on him to shine.
Luckily for Sweden, the egocentric Ibrahimovic loves it all to be about him and expect him to deliver.
However, he has a very poor supporting cast and coach Erik Hamren’s side are a one-man team.
Their clash with the Republic of Ireland looks critical in deciding their hopes of making the last 16 and with Ibrahimovic in such prolific form, they can make it.
In pictures - Sweden 3-0 Wales:

Emil Forsberg celebrates with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and team mates after scoring — VIEW GALLERY

Group F

Portugal

Manager: Fernando Santos
Men to watch: Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafa Silva, Joao Mario
Having fallen at the first hurdle at the World Cup two years ago, Portugal will be looking for much better in France, having been handed a particularly straightforward group.
Fernando Santos stepped into Paulo Bento's shoes after defeat to Albania in their opening qualifier and led them to seven straight wins as they topped Group I.

Santos' system has been based on staying solid and creating chances for Cristiano Ronaldo at the other end. He scored five of their 11 goals in qualifying and will back himself to add to his 58 international goals.
The task of feeding Ronaldo - who will likely play as the central striker - has been a struggle at times, but the emergence of both Joao Mario and Andre Gomes plus chief orchestrator Joao Moutinho, should see the Real Madrid star get plenty of opportunities in the group stage.
The knockout stages saw them suffer penalty heartbreak four years ago, losing to Spain in the semi-finals. However, four years on, with an ageing defence (Bruno Alves is now 34, Pepe 33 and backup Ricardo Carvalho 38) and still without a reliable scorer other than Ronaldo, a spot in the final four may be too far.

Cristiano Ronaldo reacts — Reliant: But can Ronaldo prove enough?

Iceland

Manager: Lars Lagerback
Men to watch: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson
Leicester City have shown what a group of less heralded players but bonded by a strong team spirit can achieve.
Back in their homeland, Iceland have been likened by some pundits to the new Premier League champions. Backing them to pull off a similar fairytale triumph might be taking it a bit too far.
But the smallest nation to ever qualify for the Euros – Iceland has a population of just 330,000 – are not there just to make up the numbers.

This will be their first major tournament and it has been a long time coming. The foundations of this successful qualifying campaign were actually laid in the previous one, when they reached the World Cup 2014
play-offs, losing to Croatia.
An Iceland FA drive started in 2000 to improve football facilities across the country has now paid off. Hopes are high that a squad considered Iceland’s ‘golden generation’ will progress from the group.
Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is probably their star man, while, 20 years after making his international debut, 37-year-old Eidur Gudjohnsen, now at Norwegian club Molde, finally gets his chance on the big stage.

Aleksandrs Fertovs and Gylfi Sigurdsson — Key role: Gylfi Sigurdsson will be charged with scoring and assisting

Austria

Manager: Marcel Koller
Men to watch: Marko Arnautovic, David Alaba, Aleksandar Dragovic
Austria are on the rise and determined to draw a line under almost two decades of underachievement.
Euro 2016 is the first tournament they have qualified for since the 1998 World Cup, also in France. They appeared at Euro 2008 but got there by virtue of being co-hosts. But there was nothing fortunate about how they got to Euro 2016.
Austria stormed through their qualifying group unbeaten, winning nine out of 10 games and drawing the other. They qualified with two games to spare with a 4-1 win in Sweden.

Strong work: Koller's men came through the qualifying process unbeaten

It is form like that that has helped Austria crack the top 10 of the world rankings, having been 70th when boss Marcel Koller took over in 2011, before slipping down to 11th.
A place in the last-16 is the minimum expected from this talented Austria squad. They boast plenty of experience with most of their squad playing in the top divisions in England and Germany.
A group of them have been playing together for years. The likes of David Alaba and Aleksandar Dragovic are among nine players who are products of a specialist training scheme launched in 2009 for the nation’s best 15 to 21-year-olds.

David Alaba prior to the international friendly match between Austria and Turkey at Ernst-Happel-Stadium on March 29, 2016 — Star man: David Alaba

Hungary

Manager: Bernd Storck
Men to watch: Balazs Dzsudzsak, Zoltan Gera, Nemanja Nikolic
For Hungary, just getting to France is an achievement.
Their two-legged play-off victory over Norway earned them a place at a major tournament for the first time in 30 years, since the 1986 World Cup. Their absence from the European Championships has been even longer – 44 years.
Many of their followers can’t believe they have managed to end their long wait. Subsequently, they won’t be arriving at the Euros burdened by expectation.

They have only two players who ply their trade in one of the continents major leagues. And one of those is Liverpool backup keeper Adam Bogdan, who failed to impress when given a chance by Jurgen Klopp. László Kleinheisler, who has only made a handful of appearances since joining Werder Bremen in January, is the other.
They do have some names who may be past their best but are more familiar to English audiences such as experienced trio Gabor Kiraly, Zoltan Gera and Tamas Priskin.
But their biggest asset might be their meticulous, bold, risk-taker German boss Bernd Storck who took over halfway through their qualifying campaign and led them to a historic qualification.

Up against it: Storck's men head to France with few expectations

*Reporting by John Cross, David Anderson, Adrian Kajumba, Neil McLeman, Ed Malyon and Alex Richards.

Timothy Gyang's Blog

Friday, 10 June 2016

Euro 2016 team guide: A comprehensive look at each of the six groups ahead of the big kickoff