Euro 2012: Favorites Sure to Live Up to the Hype

The field for this year's European Championship might be congested with talent, but the front-runners will still battle it out and put on the scintillating show that's expected of them.

Performances in the Champions League aside—or, in the case of Spain, on account of performances in the Champions League—players will show up ready to dominate in this monthlong showdown. And as always, it will favor the clubs that we're accustomed to seeing succeed.

Here's a look at how the early favorites will fare in this summer's festivities. 

Germany

Despite Bayern Munich's recent loss to Chelsea in the Champions League final, have no fear that the eight players joining Germany's Euro 2012 team will have shaken off the cobwebs by the time the monthlong tournament begins in Poland on June 8.

After all, these players managed to knock off Real Madrid to reach the final, despite the enormous pressure that accompanied the prospect of playing in front of their home crowd. Even against Chelsea, they were still dominant and only lost on penalties.

Germany consistently ranks among the front-runners in the European Championship. It has built a tradition of excellence that won't be compromised by lingering heartbreak stemming from Bayern's loss. It'll take time to get over it, but a few weeks is plenty.

National team director Oliver Bierhoff isn't worried about the effects of the loss. He told the Associated Press' Nesha Starcevic: 

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You can’t expect them to show up here, drink a cup of magic potion and then everything is good. It’s a process. Clearly, there is a huge void after such a game. Had they won, they would have come here full of confidence. But they can still win a title. 

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Bierhoff is right when he says that a change of scenery will be good for the team, as will a chance to burn off some of the aggression that has doubtlessly built up following the heartbreaking loss to Chelsea. Lingering emotions, after all, don't have to be a hindrance.  

Netherlands

The Netherlands has earned the respect of Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. It will be one of the toughest to beat this summer.

Ronaldo recently told Goal.com: 

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[Netherlands are] a tough team, but in another way. It will be interesting because Portugal want to play against good teams because the concentration is different when you play against other teams. They're a great team. They are special. 

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Perhaps he should be careful what he wishes for. The team will feature Arsenal striker and captain Robin van Persie as well as Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong, who are particularly driven to win after being ousted by Spain 1-0 in the World Cup in 2010. As one of the other front-runners is well aware of, there's nothing like a crushing loss to fuel a team to victory on one of soccer's biggest stages.

Still, according to ESPN.com, Netherlands will need to be the beneficiary of some luck in order to emerge victorious this summer.

If the two other favorites—Spain and Germany—falter, the Netherlands will be the team that gains the most from it. But there is still a shot. After lots of futility pre-1988, when it last won the international trophy, the Netherlands has been able to advance to the quarterfinals every year and demonstrated its dominance despite losing the World Cup. 

Spain

Spain is the team to fear most of all, coming off wins in the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 Euros, and it currently sitting atop the FIFA world rankings.

Spain has long dominated the international soccer world, and there's no indication that that will cease this summer. It will enter the festivities as the 5-2 favorites, according to Bet123.com, and the only thing that could hinder its chances is the pressure that comes with being the most dominant squad in the field.

One big blow, however, is that the team will be without striker David Villa, who is still recovering from a broken leg sustained in December. He sits atop Spain's all-time scoring list with 51 goals and took home the Golden Boot in the nation's last Euro victory.

But still, given the rest of the talent on the squad—which includes recent Champions League victors Fernando Torres and Juan Mata—this will be the team to beat once again.