Euro 2012 Bracket: Breaking Down the Quarterfinals Matches

If the quarterfinals of the 2012 European Championships are anything like the group stage, we are all in for some excellent action starting on Thursday.

Powerhouses Germany and Spain remain the favorites, while teams like Portugal and England impressed in the group stage and look poised to potentially move on to the semifinals. Of course, you can never count out the Italians and the French, and the Czech Republic and Greece won't simply roll over and lose, either.

Below, you'll find a full schedule for the rest of the tournament—with dates, times and television and online broadcasts—along with predictions for every game.

Enjoy.

Schedule

Date	Matchup	Time	Round	Watch
6/21/2012	Czech Republic vs. Portugal	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals	ESPN/ESPN3
6/22/2012	Germany vs. Greece	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals	ESPN/ESPN3
6/23/2012	Spain vs. France	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals	ESPN2/ESPN3
6/24/2012	England vs. Italy	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals	ESPN/ESPN3
6/27/2012	Quarterfinal 1 winner vs. Quarterfinal 3 winner	2:45 p.m. ET	Semifinals	ESPN/ESPN3
6/28/2012	Quarterfinal 2 winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner	2:45 p.m. ET	Semifinals	ESPN/ESPN3
7/1/2012	Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner	2:45 p.m. ET	Finals	ESPN/ESPN3

Predictions

Czech Republic vs. Portugal

With Tomas Rosicky unlikely to play in this match, it seems incredibly unlikely that the Czechs will advance past a Portugal squad playing excellent football. 

It's already a tough enough task dealing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani on the wings. Ronaldo showed how capable he is of dominating a match in his performance against the Netherlands, while Nani has been one of the more consistent facilitators in this tournament. 

But Portugal has also looked extremely solid in the midfield and generally strong in the defensive third, and they should be favored whether Rosicky plays or not.

Look no further than the 4-1 loss the Czech Republic suffered against Russia. In that game, the Russians absolutely destroyed the Czechs on the counterattack, and the Portuguese have far more dangerous options on the counter.

If the Czechs aren't careful—and Portugal actually finishes a higher percentage of the opportunities they create—this one could get ugly.

Prediction: Portugal wins, 3-1.

Germany vs. Greece

Poor Greece.

The gift they receive for beating Group A favorite Russia and earning a quarterfinal berth is a date with Germany, the best side in the tournament thus far.

Germany hasn't just won all three games; they did so by beating Portugal, Netherlands and Denmark by a combined total of five goals to two. They're the only country to win all three of its games and did so against three of the finest sides in the world.

Greece will sink into a shell, hope to frustrate the Germans and sneak a goal in on a set piece. But this German team is too balanced and technically skilled, and they have star power that Greece simply can't match.

Expect the Germans to control this match from beginning to end.

Prediction: Germany wins, 2-0.

Spain vs. France

There was exactly one result that France absolutely could not afford against Sweden: a 2-0 loss.

So, of course, that's exactly the result they managed.

Had Ukraine beaten England—and they had plenty of chances to do so—France would have been eliminated from this tournament. Thankfully for them, England prevailed, but it still sets up a less-than-ideal tilt against Spain.

I don't like this matchup at all for France, who can't match the finesse or skill of the Spaniards' midfield. Spain has won the last two games between the countries, and there is always the danger that France's confidence will be shaken after the loss to Sweden.

This one will be tight, but in the end, the Spanish possession and finesse will win the day.

Prediction: Spain wins, 1-0.

England vs. Italy

In my opinion, this one is a toss-up.

England have played far better than I expected in this tournament, winning Group D with seven points (even if they may have been a bit lucky to escape with a win against Ukraine).

Despite a number of injuries, the English side have gotten excellent performances from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck and now have Wayne Rooney available. Frankly, I'd like to see Walcott either start or come on for James Milner much earlier in games—he's provided a spark that Milner can't match.

Italy has impressed as well, with Mario Balotelli recovering nicely after a lackluster effort against Spain and Antonio Cassano and Antonio Di Natale giving the team excellent energy.

With Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi in the midfield—or possibly in defense for De Rossi if Italy goes back to the 3-5-2 it used so effectively against Spain—the Italians are certainly a side to be reckoned with.

This one could play out cautiously. Both sides have shown the tendency in this tournament to approach the game from a defensive perspective and look to create on the counter, so there could be a rather annoying period of feeling one another out early on.

This one will come down to which team capitalizes on its chances, which could be sparse. Look for England to squeak out a win here.

Prediction: England wins, 1-0.

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