Mario Gomez and the 10 Best Pure Goal Scorers at Euro 2012

Over the first two days of UEFA Euro 2012 it was Germany vs. Portugal which seemed the most appetising of the games on offer.

However, despite disappointing in the entertainment stakes Mario Gomez reminded us of one key ingredient that is integral to trophy-winning sides, especially in international tournaments.

You have to take your chances when they come your way. Any failure to do so, and you will no doubt be looking for an early flight home.

So following from yesterday's feature of defences, let's take a look at some of the most clinical strikers that will be on show this summer.

Mario Gomez

The Bayern Munich front man had a rather frustrating time of it yesterday, toiling away but not really getting anywhere.

Miroslav Klose was waiting in the wings, ready to enter the fray and see if he could force a breakthrough.

It was then though that Gomez leapt into the air and fired his header past Rui Patricio and into the corner.

The 26-year-old got a goal for each of his years in last year's Bundesliga, edging ahead of Klose, who was the top scorer in qualifying with nine goals, to get the nod to start.

Germany are many people's pick to go all the way this year and end the disappointment of losing in the final to Spain four years ago. If they do achieve that, this competition for places can't be underestimated.

Miroslav Klose

After highlighting the benefits of such competition on the previous slide, it would be criminal not to give Klose a more detailed mention.

After all the Lazio striker is simply a goal machine, and has been his entire career.

Following a career in the Bundesliga, some thought his career was starting to slide following his exit from Bayern Munich.

The 34-year-old, however, simply took it in his stride, and off to Italy and to Lazio it was.

What followed were 20 goals in all competitions, 13 in Seria A, with his nine in qualifying for this tournament also making him the top scorer for his country again.

He was unfortunate that he didn't at least equal Ronaldo's 15-goal World Cup tally. Klose has 14 and his next tournament in Brazil in two years is looking unlikely for him, while he is only a handful away from Gerd Muller's record internally.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Love him or hate him, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored goals wherever he has played.

The tall Swedish hit man with the temperamental atmosphere has long had a reputation for drifting out of matches on the big occasion, but he remains key to his nation's hopes this summer.

And confidence should be at an all-time high for the big man, who plundered a stunning 28 goals in 32 Seria A games in the 2011/12 season.

Sweden are also going to fancy their chances of progress from group B, but will need an Ibrahimovic firing on all cyclinders to do so.

Fernando Llorente

With David Villa injured and Fernando Torres misfiring for much of the season, Spanish hopes could well rest with Fernando Llorente this summer.

The Athletic Bilbao striker has shot to prominence this season, with 29 goals in all competitions of which 17 were in La Liga, but he is by no means a new phenomenon.

He has been a member of the Spain squad for some four years, perhaps being overshadowed by his high-profile compatriots, and has hit the back of the net regularly at club level.

Llorente is heavily linked with a move away this summer, particularly with Premier League clubs, and a good tournament could see his price tag inflate hugely.

Cristiano Ronaldo

A man who needs little introduction, he simply loves scoring goals and does it with ridiculous frequency.

With Real Madrid Ronaldo sits 10th in their all-time top scorer list with 146 in three seasons, during which time he became the fastest player to ever reach the century figure in La Liga.

He also managed 69 goals in 61 games last term with 46 of those coming in 38 league games, so confidence should be little trouble for the man from Madeira.

As with at the club level, he is also the crux of the national side.

Ronaldo is integral to progression and success, but the debate does still rage as to why he doesn't replicate club form at national level.

Last night did little to disprove that, but the tournament is still young and if one goal comes you'd expect many more to follow.

Robert Lewandowski

If it wasn't clear before the tournament then it certainly is now that if Poland are going to progress from their group, Robert Lewandowski is absolutely crucial.

Before Friday's opener everyone was eager to get a glimpse of the Borussia Dortmund front man to see whether he take his stunning form domestically to the international stage with what is a mediocre side.

In the opening exchanges it certainly looked so, as the co-hosts bombarded Greece with Lewandowski in particular making himself a nuisance.

He is a big physical presence and able to hold the ball up to bring others into play, but most importantly he knows where the net is.

Linked with moves all around Europe he looks set to be on the move this summer, but where to?

Roman Pavlyuchenko

Whether he was given a fair crack of the whip at Tottenham Hotspur is a debatable subject, but Pavlyuchenko crucially felt he wasn't getting enough game time and so he had to move.

Now back in Russia with Lokomotiv Moscow, he made it into his nation's Euro 2012 squad and highlighted why he should be given a starting role in Friday night's cameo.

Entering the fray for the ineffective Aleksandr Kerzhakov, who wasted chance after chance, he proved huge hit.

He set up Alan Dzagoev's second before turning the defence inside out and smashing it past a helpless Petr Cech to get on the score sheet himself.

A goalscorer who will no doubt be starting Russia's next game.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

The conundrum for Bert Van Marwijk heading into yesterday's opener with Denmark was which striker to start with.

He is a big fan of having one up top and three creative attack minded midfielders behind, if either was to be the free-scoring Robin Van Persie or Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

This is not a bad situation to have, it would seem. Surely a win-win situation?

That is, until the man you pick, Van Persie in this instance, plays with a whimper all game.

Huntelaar, with an incredible 29 Bundesliga goals in 32 games last season, will surely be given the nod next time out in the must-win game against Germany.

He also top-scored in qualifying with 12 goals, and it was good to see a natural goal-scorer getting his game back to the top level after difficult spells in both Spain and Italy.

Robbie Keane

The Republic of Ireland's top scorer certainly still has it despite what many viewed as a negative move to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

This was proven by last season's cameo at Aston Villa, where he endeared himself to the Villa Park faithful by injecting some fight into a struggling side.

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker Keane has recently stated that the disappointment of missing out on a place at the 2010 World Cup due to Thierry Henry's hand ball spurred his side on to reach this summer show piece.

His seven goals also had a huge slice in achieving that, and the top scorer for his country at the 2002 World Cup will have to hit form if the Irish are to escape Group C.

Karim Benzema

Finally living up to his reputation at Real Madrid is Karim Benzema, part of the troublesome trio at the La Liga champions alongside Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Strong and powerful with a potent finish to match, he is another like Ibrahimovic who is often accused of getting lost in the big games.

He has, however, gone some way to silencing those critics this year, netting 21 times for Jose Mourinho's side in addition to three in qualifying for Euro 2012, the joint most for his nation alongside Yoann Gourcuff.

Quietly going about their business, Laurent Blanc has got France ticking again after the huge disaster of South Africa two years ago.

Huge favourites to win group A, there is great talent in the squad and with an in-form Benzema leading the line, write them off at your own peril.