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Who will win Euro 2012?

Spain (Getty Images)

Euro 2012 kicks off on Friday, with Poland playing Greece and Russia facing the Czech Republic in the opening matches of the highly anticipated tournament.

None of the four are favored to be crowned European champions, though, as that distinction largely belongs to defending European and World Cup champion Spain and prime contenders Germany and Netherlands, while France is also a popular selection to complete a return to glory.

The field also includes some other candidates that might be entering play a bit under the radar because. Portugal labored through a lackluster qualification campaign and was put the Group of Death with Germany and the Dutch, but Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of carrying his talented side a long way. Italy is sidetracked with a match-fixing scandal that has marred the sport in the country, but Cesare Prandelli's side is capable of making a run as well.

Those are just a handful of the 16 teams vying for Europe's grand prize. Who do you think will win Euro 2012? Cast your vote after the jump:

 

 

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How did you vote? Which nation will lift the trophy in Kiev on July 1 and why?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I really hope The Netherlands because I’m Dutch. But group B couldn’t be much harder. All of the teams are in the best 11 of the Fifa World ranking. I think the winner of group B will win Euro 2012. Let’s hope it will be The Netherlands!

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  2. For me it’s really a question of who ends up playing who in the Quarter/Semi rounds….Let’s say GER and NED progress through a brutal group stage only to meet up again and beat each other up. Not to mention potential trip ups vs POL or RUS.

    On the other side you have to think Spain will have an easier run in both the group stage and the quarter finals….I think that’s also how France could really get in a groove….

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  3. exactly how i feel. Spain should win, but everyone will be gunning for them. there are probably two teams in the whole pool that will actually try and play with them and not bunker down and counter. this will probably play out a lot like the World Cup, lots of 1-0 wins. i think eventually they will fail to break a team down and lose one on the counter

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  4. Oh and On any given day Manuel Neuer or Petr Cech or Hugo Lloris are the best goalkeepers in the world, so I’ll agree that Casillas is ONE of the best.

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  5. I agree it is theirs to lose, but the entire pool of players is physically and emotionally exhausted and every opponent they face wil be gunning for them. It’s a very very steep climb.

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  6. Germany and Poland in the final. Spain will run out of gas, the Dutch will implode as they always do. the French will make their semifinal match against Germany one for the ages. The Poles will stymie the Spaniards and Dutch, winning in penalties and will try to do the same with the Germans, only to have die Mannschaft get a late goal in regulation to win it all.

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  7. Spain is still the favorite, officially and in my opinion. This tournament is theirs to lose.

    Spain is the Barcelona midfield + Silva and Xabi Alonso with better finishers, better defenders and the best goalkeeper in the world.

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  8. Im feelin Germany. They’ve really changed the way they play completely. Much more proactive and dominant over the flow of the game. They’re also still a good counter-attacking squad, so Spain may have issues were it to come down to the two.

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