Euro 2012 Schedule: Preview and Predictions for Group C Battles

After an exciting first two days of Euro 2012, the participants of Group C are ready to keep the momentum going.

The first match of the day is one of the marquee contests of the tournament. Spain and Italy will battle in a matchup of the last two World Cup champions.

There is no denying that Spain has been the best team in the world over the last four years. Not only have they won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008, but they have been almost flawless in the process. They won 14 straight games and have a record of 37-1-2 in the past 40 competitive games.

However, the past success could lead to future failure if the team loses its focus.

With the pressure off, complacency might start to set in. The drive to win is not as great after their past championships, and that alone could be enough to falter.

Italy knows firsthand how quickly things can go awry. After winning the 2006 World Cup, the Italians did not even reach the quarterfinals in 2010.

They still have one of the best goaltenders in the world in Gianluigi Buffon, but they might not have enough offense to stay with one of the most talented teams in the world.

On the other side of the group, there are two teams with much less history but a solid future.

Croatia does not have much experience against this level, but veteran Darijo Srna should still be able to lead his squad to a victory or two. 

Ireland should just be happy to be here, but they have consistently improved over the past few years and are certainly on their way up on the international stage. In a few years, they could be real competitors.

Prediction

Italy has a solid defense with an amazing goalie in Buffon, but the offense is lacking at this level. Even without Carles Puyol and David Villa, Spain should be able to handle the Italians 1-0.

In the second match, Croatia is aggressive on offense but sloppy. Still, there should be enough talent surrounding them to come out with a 2-1 win.

As for the rest of the matches, Italy has not proven recently that they can take care of business when needed. They are a shell of the powerhouse from a few years back, and it would not be surprising if they falter in one of the "easier" games.

Spain will win the bracket and Croatia joins them in an upset showing in the quarterfinals.