Euro 2012 Bracket: Players to Watch in Group C

Group B may be the proverbial group of death at the Euros this year, but Group C isn't anything to sneeze at either.

With Spain headlining the group, strong squads like Italy and Croatia vying for the second quarterfinal berth and a gritty Irish group sure to have a say in the proceedings, Group C could end up being the most interesting set of teams in the group stage.

So which players from each team should you be paying attention to? Which stars or elite players are most likely to impact their teams' chances?

Let's take a look.

Italy: Daniele De Rossi, Mario Balotelli

De Rossi is one of the better midfielders in this tournament, and he'll probably sink back defensively in Italy's first game against the highly talented Spanish team, especially if the team runs a 3-5-2 to clog up the midfield.

If Italy is to survive with either a tie or win against Spain, De Rossi will have to be fairly solid anchoring the defensive third.

And then there is Balotelli, the enigmatic yet highly talented striker who is as likely to amaze you as he is to leave you slapping your head after a boneheaded play. If he is on top of his game and can net a few goals in group play, Italy is a lock to advance out of this group.

Spain: Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Juan Mata and David Silva

Yeah—Spain's midfielders are pretty good. Anyone from this group could be a hero.

Iniesta and Xavi are two of the finest footballers in the world, period. Mata, Silva and Fabregas are all extremely dangerous on the wing. Busquets and Xabi Alonso are as solid as they come.

While Spain will sorely be missing the striking capabilities of David Villa, they'll still control possession in any game they play. Take your pick from the above list—someone will be a hero for Spain.

Croatia: Luka Modric

The Tottenham midfielder pretty much controls the game for Croatia, for better or worse.

He's the right man to handle such a responsibility. Modric is a tireless worker who impacts the game in every conceivable way in the central midfield, even scoring goals when called upon. If he can control the attack with his precise passing, Croatia could surprise a team like Italy and finish second in this group.

But if he isn't on his game, Croatia is in trouble, plain and simple.

Ireland: Robbie Keane

Who else could it be?

Keane has 53 goals in 116 caps for Ireland, and if they are going to survive a group few expect them to advance from, it will be because the striker has a bit of international magic left in him.

There are few teams tougher or grittier than Ireland. But in a group with so much skill, all that spunk will be wasted if Keane doesn't find the back of the net.

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