Euro 2012 Scores: Teams That Must Go Big or Go Home in Next Match

Plenty of surprises in the early going of Euro 2012 have left some unsuspecting teams with their backs against the wall—even teams you wouldn't expect to be struggling.

Now that we're just about halfway through the first round, teams like Croatia and Ukraine are standing tall while superpowers like England, France and the Netherlands are fighting for their Euro lives.

Here's a look at the teams with the most on the line in their next matches.

Netherlands
Last Game: 2-1 loss to Germany
Next Game: Sunday, June 17 vs. Portugal

The Netherlands barely stayed alive after their second match of the tournament, as they dropped a 2-1 decision to Germany. That's nothing to be too ashamed about, considering Germany is among the favorites to win it all this summer (11-4 odds via PaddyPower). However, after dropping their first match to Denmark, the Dutch couldn't afford to lose again.

Fortunately for the Netherlands, due to the fact that Portugal defeated Denmark 3-2 in their second game, qualification is still a possibility. The Dutch have yet to register a point at the event, so to advance, they need to beat Portugal by two or more goals on Sunday and need Germany to beat Denmark. There are good odds of that happening. Without a win on Sunday, though, this team is done.

Italy
Last Game: 1-1 draw vs. Croatia
Next Game: Monday, June 18 vs. Ireland

Italy couldn't have a better item next on its agenda. Ireland is not only the most hopeless team in Group C—it's the most hopeless team in all of Euro 2012 with the longest odds to win at 275-1. Suffice to say, Italy needs to take advantage and snag its first win of the tournament against the least formidable squad of them all.

Nothing is working out the way it was supposed to in Group C, and Italy needs to right the ship before it's too late. A 1-1 draw against Spain in its first game was nothing to be ashamed of, considering it was facing the 5-2 favorites to win Euro 2012, but this team should have been able to beat Croatia in its second contest.

Instead, Italy is stuck with two draws and a looming must-win game against a very beatable team. However, as we've seen from the way things have gone down in Group B, beatable is not a foregone conclusion (See: Denmark). For that reason, it is essential that Italy avoids getting caught in a trap game or else it can kiss Euro 2012 goodbye.

France
Last Game: 1-1 draw vs. England
Next Game: Friday, June 15 vs. Ukraine

France has only played one match thus far, so it still has time to make up for its shortcomings. However, it will be no easy feat against a Ukraine team that's been one of the biggest surprises of all at Euro 2012. With a resounding win over Sweden in its first matchup, the co-hosts are now on the very top of Group D, and France will have to contend with that confidence—and a very pro-Ukraine crowd.

France's draw against England wasn't unexpected. The two teams were evenly matched and figured to be the two top teams in the group. However, in upcoming matches against Ukraine and Sweden, France have no choice but to win if they want to come out on top of the group. Considering that England is facing Sweden—one of the worst teams in the tournament—France needs to keep pace with a win.