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SBI’s Euro 2008 Predictions

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So who will win the European Championships? As we learned in the 2004 tournament, when Greece surprised the field, it isn’t easy picking the winner of such a competitive tournament. That won’t stop me from giving you my predictions of how the 2008 Euros will go.

Germany is the favorite, but not many people seem to be picking Zee Germans to lift the trophy. Neither am I. No, I’m not picking a complete long-shot like Romania or Switzerland (though I like both teams to pull some shockers), but I won’t be going with Michael Ballack and Co.

Euro 2008 is as wide-open a tournament as any in recent memory, but there is one team I see with the elements on the field and the path on the schedule to be crowned champions when the final is played a month from now.

Here is how I see the tournament going:

GROUP A

Portugal will win the group as expected, and will have a much easier time than most other group leaders. The Czech Republic the second choice by most but I think the loss of Tomas Rosicky will prove too much. Switzerland will be the second qualifier in the group, making full use of home-field advantage to edge out the Czechs. Turkey will be fun to watch but I just don’t see them having what it takes to advance.

GROUP B

Germany should be thanking somebody for the group it wound up in. While Group C is truly a Group of Death, Group B is a Group of Blah, with only Croatia looking capable of challenging the Germans. German wins the group while Croatia pushes them for the top spot before settling into second place. Poland and Austria will be out-classed.

GROUP C

The toughest group in the field is very tough to call but we begin and end with the reigning world champions. Italy has too much class not to finish on top if this loaded group. France is the second choice and while the French haven’t looked good in recent friendlies, I see them straightening things out and advancing. The Netherlands has talent but I have concerns about their defense and actually see Romania edging the Dutch out for third place and making a real challenge for second place in the group.

GROUP D

A tougher group than some people realize, Group D features the defending champions as well as a team many, including myself, like to win this year’s tournament. Spain will top this group with relative ease. The brutal battle will be for second place, with Sweden, Greece and Russia all being capable of advancing. My pick is Sweden to survive.

QUARTERFINALS

Portugal edges Croatia in one of the more entertaining matches of the tournament. Germany holds off a feisty challenge from Switzerland, which won’t have the luxury of playing at home. Italy knocks out Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden. Spain beats France and gets some revenge for their 2006 World Cup loss.

SEMIFINALS

Portugal proves just a bit too strong offensively for a Germany defense that can’t slow down Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco. Fernando Torres takes advantage of the absence of Fabio Cannavaro as Spain edges Italy in a truly memorable semifinal.

FINAL

Talk about a star-studded final. Ronaldo and Deco vs. Torres and Fabregas. In what will be one of the most entertaining finals in tournament history, Spain beats Portugal, 2-1, to win the 2008 European Championships.

Now it’s your turn. Who do you see winning the tournament and why? Share your thoughts on who will win Euro 2008 below.

Comments

  1. I would die happy for a Spain vs Portugal final (with Spain kicking major keister of course) but after watching netherlands play, I’m having second thoughts

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  2. Ives, although the Swiss looked very good until they lost Frei, its hard to believe the Swiss can still make it out of the group after thier loss to Czech. Looks like this now:

    QF

    Ger-Cz

    Por-Cro

    It-Gr

    Sp-Fr

    Semis

    Ger-Cro (too much Ger offense)

    It-Sp (losing Canavaro hurts too much)

    Final Ger over Sp (thrilled to be there Spain)

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  3. Quarter Finals:

    GER > POR

    CZE > CRO

    ITA > SWE

    ESP > FRA

    SF:

    GER > CZE

    ITA > ESP

    Final:

    GER > ITA

    I predict no real surprises this year. In other words, there will be no “Greece”. All the teams that are supposed to win, will win.

    The most over-rated team award this year goes to Portugal. With the loss of Pauleta, Maniche and Figo, they are undoubtedly a weaker team. They will reach the QF only because of their weak group.

    Germany over Italy in the final simply because their offensive talent is too overwhelming for Italy’s defense without Cannavaro. If either of Klose, Podolski or Ballack gets injured or suspended, then Italy then has a good chance of taking it.

    Good luck to all.

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  4. With all due respect this talk about Germany dominating Portugal, let’s remember one thing. Portugal got jobbed in that France game with the Henry foul which was nonsense and they did not want to play in that stupid third place game. Keep things in perspective. Germany didn’t really play Portugal in that World Cup unless you buy into that stupid third place game. Their tournament ended when they lost to France which was unfair. Carvalho never fouled Henry. Go look at the tape.

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  5. Franz Beckenbauer thinks that the final will be Germany-Italy. I certainly hope so, those games are always, always fantastic.

    I find the semifinal predictions to be suspect, though. Portugal edge Germany? Do you really think so?

    And Fernando Torres takes advantage of Cannavaro’s absence? The burned hand teaches best when it comes to Spain. If Italy and Spain do face off in competition, most rational people would know that Italy may skip around when it comes to friendlies but they always show up to games that really matter.

    I like all your predictions up until the semifinals.

    I think Germany will send Cristiano Ronaldo packing and that Italy will do the same to Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas.

    And then, considering the history between the two, I wouldn’t put it past Italy to steal another one from the Germans.

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  6. wait a minute…not saying you HAVE to pick Germany, but at least pick real reasons.

    Germany scored more than ANYONE in qualifying by a mile. Even if you exclude the San Marino results and knock off the top 2 scoring games from everyone else they’d still be up there. (I should point out though that even the Czechs didn’t utterly steam roll San Marino the way Germany did.)

    Germany pounded Portugal (who’s bringing a nearly identical team) in the World Cup a year and a half ago.

    Miroslav Klose brings his A game for every tournament (even the WC where he was the Golden Boot winner)

    Portugal might win a shocker, but not because they have more offense. There is no one in Portugal’s midfield who can match up with Ballack in the air.

    Germany wins it all.

    @Posted by: Oranje Mike | June 07, 2008 at 05:18 PM

    Käseköpfe ::rolleyes:: 🙂

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  7. My prediction: Germany will advance to the final and win, due in part to a breakout performance from Mario Gomez. Meanwhile, I will be vacationing in Israel, where I will be unable to cheer their victory in public.

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  8. Why is everyone so high on Spain this year? They never win anything and are historical underachivers. At least the Dutch have made two WC finals.

    NED over GER in the Euro Final!

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  9. As I’m apt to do, I tried to come up with a prediction by the numbers. I applied an old-school RPI rating to the teams playing in the tournament. It’s wide open, with the bulk of the great teams playing in the bottom half of the draw. My predictions for the knockout stages are as follows:

    Quarterfinals:

    Poland over Turkey

    Germany over Portugal

    Italy over Greece

    France over Spain

    Semifinals:

    Germany over Poland

    Italy over France

    Finals:

    Italy over Germany

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  10. I’d love to see Holland do it, I was friends with a Dutch guy in college and the time I spent crashing on his couch in Amsterdam included the ’98 WC and the run to the semi’s – good times! Bergkamp’s winner vs Arg is for me the best goal that ever happened. But man, I just see a flame out – Oranje flames.

    Benzema wins the golden boot and Frances pulls it together and beats Germany in the final.

    In other random predictions, Portugal will go out in the quarters with Ronaldo in tears, but Febregas and Torres take Spain to the semi’s where they’ll be happy to be there and lose. A dark horse team will make a run and be the 4th semifinalist.

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  11. I dunno bout Portugal over Germany, we dominated them in the world cup and Portugal hasnt looked all that good in their friendlies and qualifiers.

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  12. Nice goal by the Czech Republic, though completely against the run of play. Just a mistake in the back by the defense and the offensive player made no mistake.

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  13. My group stage picks are similar to yours, except that I picked Russia as the 2nd in Group D – Sweden is too aging and slow for my test. It will be a close and interesting battle between Russia / Sweden for the 2nd, but I think Russia takes it.

    I have Italy and Portugal meeting in the finals, with Italy taking the championships.

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  14. Hup, Holland!!! Cruyff comes out of retirement, Van Basten laces up the spikes, and Total Football rules.

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  15. I was going to pick Spain, but I won’t be playing Charlie Brown to their Lucy over the proverbial football.

    I’m taking France to beat Germany in the final.

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  16. MY FAVORITE: Germany (home town team!)

    DARK HORSE: Croatia

    BUSTS: Czech, Nederlands, Spain, France

    WATCH OUT FOR: Russia, Turkey

    Only way Spain does as well as EVERYONE is picking them too is if the GK/Puyol/Ramos/and the rest of the defensive players get them there. Torres is really over rated and I think it’ll show this tourny.

    Reply

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