Euro 2012 Schedule: Crucial Clashes You Won't Want to Miss

With Portugal and Germany advancing on Thursday and Friday respectively, half of the 2012 Euro Cup semifinal picture has been set. You can be sure both squads will be eagerly watching this weekend to see which teams advance to face them next round, and what unbelievable matchups they'll be tuning in to see.

While the first two quarterfinal matches, Portugal vs. Czech Republic (1-0) and Germany vs. Greece (4-2), seemed predictable from the onset, the remaining games are anything but. With both matches featuring a clash of Europe's perennial soccer powers, this weekend's lineup of games is poised to give viewers a taste of the type of intensity and drama the rest of the 2012 Euro Cup may have in store.

Spain vs. France

When: Saturday, 2:45 P.M. EDT

Where: Donbass Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine

Spain entered the Euro Cup as one of the favorites and, while they haven't dominated the competition, they have advanced without any major hiccups. The biggest concern at this point for La Roja is their offensive attack. Replacing striker David Villa simply hasn't been as easy as the team may have expected. Fernando Torres has had flashes of brilliance on the pitch, scoring twice against Ireland, but hasn't brought the same consistent threat Villa does.

Offensive woes aside, Spain only ceded one goal in group play, a nice finish by Italy's Antonio Di Natale that was immediately equalized by Cesc Fabregas.

Comparatively, France is in shambles. They limped into the quarterfinals after losing a 2-0 shocker to Sweden in their final Group D match, a game that ended a streak of 23 consecutive wins. Following the loss, there were reports of issues between teammates.

France's coach, Laurent Blanc, denied there was a serious issue saying "there is no conflict" but also admitted "We took a bit of time to calm everyone down, and coming back to our base camp allowed us to do that. It did delay us in terms of when we could start preparing for Spain."

While these reports aren't nearly as bad as France's 2010 World Cup implosion, one has to wonder whether or not they will be able to put everything behind them and play quality football.

Additionally, France forward Karim Benzema is goalless thus far in the tournament. If he can't get things going offensively and Les Bleus continue to have to rely on their midfield for scoring, France might be in trouble. 

England vs. Italy

When: Sunday, 2:45 P.M. EDT

Where: Olympic Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine

This match pits the Group D winner, England, against the Group C runner-up, Italy.

England survived without the suspended Wayne Rooney against France and Sweden, but the impact of his shortened suspension return against Ukraine was felt almost immediately as his header in the 48th minute was the deciding goal in a slim 1-0 win. With Rooney having had a warm-up game, England's offense should be back in full force.

Italy is the only team to hold a lead against tournament favorite Spain, as short lived as it might have been. The biggest question mark for Italy coming into the Euro Cup was whether forward Mario Balotelli would be able to maintain his composure on the pitch in front of potentially hostile crowds.

Balotelli has played well and clean (with the exception of his yellow card against Spain), and has added another threat for opponents to defend. Italy has a dynamic offense, with four different players: Andrea Pirlo, Antonio Di Natale, Antonio Cassano and Balotelli all finding the back of the net for The Azzuri.

This is undoubtedly the most anticipated matchup of the 2012 Euro Cup quarterfinal games.