Euro 2012: Group C Preview, Analysis and Predictions for Historic Tournament

Euro 2008 champion Spain will begin its journey toward another title in Group C. La Roja defeated Germany in the final four years ago, which helped boost their confidence level heading into the 2010 World Cup, which they also won.

That recent run of dominance is the challenge facing fellow group members Croatia, Ireland and Italy. All three of those teams would love to win the group, but in reality they are likely battling for second place and a spot in the knockout round.

Let's take a closer look at each team in Group C, examine a couple things to watch for and make a prediction for how the table will look when the dust settles.

Previous Group Previews:

Group A

Group B

Croatia

Biggest Strength: Efficient attack

Croatia manager Slaven Bilic knows his team doesn't have as much firepower as top-tier teams like Spain, so he relies on a possession-based offense that focuses on quality over quantity when it comes to scoring chances.

It was on display in the team's final tune-up against Norway. The Vatreni had 56 percent of the possession, but only four shots on goal. If not for a late goal allowed, it would have worked to perfection.

They must stick to that game plan in the tournament.

Biggest Weakness: Shaky back line

The Croatia defense allowed a goal in the 92nd minute in the Norway friendly. A massive mistake like that in the European Championships could likely be the difference between advancing to the next round and going home early.

Veteran Josip Simunic has played nearly 100 games for the national team and is always reliable at the back. His fellow defenders haven't been nearly as consistent, though. They need to learn from the Norway experience and excel for the Vatreni to succeed.

Key Player: Luka Modric

In order to compensate for potential problems at the back, Modric will have to showcase elite form throughout the group stage. The Tottenham star has become popular transfer window fodder, but he needs to focus solely on leading the Vatreni attack.

He has deceptive pace and great playmaking skills, a combination that makes him a nightmare to defend when he's playing up to expectations. Croatia doesn't have too many other marquee players, so he'll be in the spotlight from the opening kickoff.

He needs to deliver the goods.

Make or Break Match: Ireland (June 10)

For Croatia to advance, a victory over Ireland in the opener is virtually essential. Since there's really only one spot available, every team other than Spain has the same plan: beat each other and hope to steal a point against the Spaniards.

That makes the first group game a de facto elimination contest for both sides. A loss by the Vatreni would all but end their hopes of moving on, so they really need all three points and no less than one to make the other games important.

Ireland

Biggest Strength: Experience

Unlike other teams that decided to go with youthful squads, Ireland has stuck with its veteran core in hopes that experience can lead to a surprising advancement. The squad has five players with at least 70 caps, and all of them are expected to play a key role.

Damien Duff needs to shine as the team's main playmaker, while the onus will be on John O'Shea to keep things under control at the back. Only time will tell if the Boys in Green have enough talent, but they certainly won't be pushovers.

Biggest Weakness: Goal scoring

Robbie Keane has more than 50 goals during his international career. Nobody else on the Ireland roster has more than 10. That wide gap in goal-scoring prowess is going to be an issue against three teams that know how to find the net.

The key player is Kevin Doyle. The Wolverhampton striker started both of Ireland's warmup matches, but failed to make a significant impact. Unless he's able to raise his level of play once the tournament starts, Ireland will struggle to score.

Key Player: Robbie Keane

Since the team has a lack of offensive stars behind him, Keane will be under a lot of pressure throughout the stage. He's scored three goals in nine games for the Los Angeles Galaxy this season, but he's no longer the dynamic forward he once was.

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni will be hoping the 31-year-old star can have a resurgent tournament to lead the offense. While it's not beyond the realm of possibility, most fans will want to see it before they believe it.

Make or Break Match: Croatia (June 10)

As mentioned on the previous slide, the opening game between Croatia and Ireland is as important as games can get in terms of the group stage. A win would provide an instant boost to the Boys in Green, making them much less of a long shot.

If Ireland has one advantage, it's the fact that Croatia's back line has just as many question marks as the Irish attack. Whichever side can gain the edge from that matchup will put itself on the path to the next round.

Italy

Biggest Strength: Balance

Italy has a good mix of players on its roster. From veterans like Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon to young contributors such as Mario Balotelli, the Italians should have somebody on the roster to fill every possible role.

Most of the squad play their club football for one of the top Serie A clubs, so there shouldn't be many chemistry issues to deal with. That's always a hurdle early in these tournaments when players from all around the world are trying to become one unit.

Biggest Weakness: Off-field turmoil

It's been a rough month off the field for Italy. A tragic earthquake in the country forced the cancellation of a warmup game, while the country is dealing with a match-fixing scandal and Balotelli has threatened violence if racism occurs at the tournament.

Whenever there are so many outside issues having an influence on a team, the results usually end up being well below expectations. Italy certainly didn't look in form during a 3-0 loss to Russia, raising questions about its readiness for the event.

Key Player: Mario Balotelli

Balotelli has an immense amount of talent, there's no doubt about that. Unfortunately, he struggles to keep his head on straight sometimes, and it often has a negative impact on his team. That's something the Azzurri can't afford.

He's the team's most explosive offensive player and will have to lead the way if Italy is going to advance. So he needs to avoid any unnecessary cards and other mental errors. If he can remain locked in, it will set the tone for the entire team.

Make or Break Match: Croatia (June 14)

Operating under the safe assumption that Spain will advance, Italy's game against Croatia sets up as a battle for second place. The Azzurri have to face La Roja first, so their backs will likely be against the wall heading into this match.

The key for Italy will be making sure it isn't too aggressive. The tendency against a team with defensive holes like Croatia would be to use an all-out attack, but that tends to backfire. The Italians needs to exercise some patience and wait for openings to develop.

Spain

Biggest Strength: Elite talent

No team in the tournament has more talent from top to bottom than Spain. It's that remarkable depth that has allowed La Roja to stay on top of the football world for so long.

If a player gets hurt, someone else steps in without missing a beat. The same goes for a player who's out of form.

And it seems like the players really enjoy playing together. Even though many of them come from rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, once they step on the pitch together, all of that bad blood disappears and they start making magic.

Biggest Weakness: Overconfidence

Spain isn't like other teams. La Roja doesn't have an obvious void for teams to attack, so the only thing that can really slow them down is being too confident. It's frequently an issue for elite squads, and it's definitely an issue to keep an eye on.

It's easy for them to lose focus against an opponent like Ireland when most people are assuming they are just going to roll with ease. As long as they don't fall into that trap, Spain should cruise through the group and beyond.

Key Player: Sergio Ramos

A lot of attention is placed on Spain's offensive stars, but Ramos headlines an equally impressive group of defenders. He already has 86 appearances for the national team even though he's only 26, and he will once again feature prominently throughout the tournament.

The one thing about him that always stands out is his ability to read the play. Any time it appears an opponent has a opening, he shuts it down, often before there's even time for a pass to be made. That's what puts him in a different class from almost everybody else.

Make or Break Match: Italy (June 10)

Spain opens with a match against Italy. To make sure the group stage doesn't become more stressful than it has to be, La Roja must take advantage of the Azzurri's lack of form to produce a couple early goals.

If they let them hang around, Italy will become dangerous.

Dropping the first game will not only make Spain's journey out of the group more difficult, but it will help the confidence to the other contenders by making the defending champions look beatable.

An easy victory will get them on the right track.

Game to Watch: Italy vs. Croatia

There should be plenty of drama in the game that's likely to decide second place in Group C. Even though Italy has the more complete team, Croatia is in better form and has enough offensive weapons to cause problems for Gianluigi Buffon and Co.

Ultimately, I give the slight edge to the Vatreni. With all the issues surrounding the Italians, it's hard to have any assurance as to what type of performances to expect from them right now. They could advance with ease or get knocked out right away, and I lean toward the latter.

A late goal from in-form striker and potential super sub Nikica Jelavic will secure all three points for Croatia.

Prediction: Croatia 2, Italy 1

Player to Watch: Fernando Torres

Spain will be in the championship mix no matter what type of production it receives from Torres, but if he's able to build off his recent strong run of play, La Roja will become unstoppable.

Even though the 28-year-old striker has gone through his fair share of problems over the past few seasons, both physical and mental, he finally seems to have bounced back. He helped lead Chelsea to the Champions League with his improved play.

It's unclear what role manager Vicente del Bosque plans to use Torres in to start the tournament, as fellow striker Alvaro Negredo is also in good form. If he plays up to his potential, Torres will earn that spot and make Spain even more dangerous, which is a scary thought for other squads.

Final Prediction

1. Spain

2. Croatia

3. Italy

4. Ireland