Spain Euro 12: Why Spain Should Be Favored to Repeat

Spain is the best team in the 2012 European Championship, and there is not a team in the field who should be favored over Vicente Del Bosque's squad in their quest to win the tournament for a second consecutive time.

The group they have drawn gives them a huge advantage over their main competition in the tournament, such as the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal. While those three teams are running each other into the group, Spain will have a much easier road through group play. Italy, Ireland and Croatia are a far cry from the talents of the members of Group B, better known as the "Group of Death."

Today in their first group match, the Netherlands looked terrible against Denmark. They outshot the Danes 32-8, but simply could not finish. Holland is supposed to be one of the toughest opponents for Spain down the line, and if they were unable to notch a goal against the Danes, they'll be hard-pressed to do so against Spain if the two teams are to meet in the knockout stages.

Germany and Portugal just finished up a gritty match in Lviv that ended in a 1-0 victory for the Germans. Mario Gomez found the back of the net on a header in the 71st minute. The game was laden with plenty of physical play at a decent pace. The Germans certainly weren't at the top of their game, and it can be extremely detrimental for a team to get off to a lackluster start in a major tournament.

While all the best teams in the competition are grinding each other to a pulp in the opening games, Spain is sitting idle, waiting for their first game against Italy on Sunday. Spain has won two of its last three matches against the Italians

The general consensus is that Spain won't have a problem finishing atop its group. That will prove to be fact when the Group C matches come to a close on June 18.

Once group play is over and Spain has cruised to a group victory, it will meet the runner-up of Group D. The group is made up of France, England, Sweden and Ukraine.

France comes into the tournament on a roll, but that's where the good fortune ends for the teams in the group. England will be without Wayne Rooney until their third match against Ukraine, so it's not a given that they will finish in the top half and advance. Sweden can be dangerous, but they is much older and less athletic than Spain. Ukraine simply isn't that good and were lucky enough to gain automatic entry to the tournament as a co-host.

The odds say that the runner-up of this group should be the English. If so, Spain won't have any issues getting a victory against a club that has been known for its disappointing performances in major tournaments lately.

The main thing that is working in Spain's favor is their favorable draw. They will avoid Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal until the semifinal stage . Their road to the semis will likely lead them to either England or France. England is the No. 6-ranked team in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings, but they are no match for Spain's tiki-taka style of play that has been regarded as one of the best methods in the world.

In a tournament that sees so many games in such a small span of time, an easy group stage is essential to success. Spain will build plenty of momentum heading into the knockout round, while all of their prospective opponents will be scratching and clawing their way out of their group.