Euro 2016 Qualifying Standings: Biggest Surprises from Early-Round Matches

For those international football fans still suffering from a 2014 World Cup hangover, let the early buzz from the Euro 2016 qualifying matches serve as a bit of the hair of the dog. The World Cup served as an excellent example of what dedicated and united underdogs can do with the right coaching and belief—looking at you, Costa Rica.

If these Euro 2016 matches are any indication, there could very well be some potential upstarts ready to topple qualifying expectations and make a deep run in this prestigious tournament.

No doubt about it, there is a high concentration of footballing talent on the European continent. As more and more countries are introduced to modern coaching, physical training and tactical techniques, the potential for upsets grows.

Small countries (from a population standpoint) with a feverish devotion to football, such as the Netherlands and Germany, may still reign supreme as some of the top national sides in the world, but they aren't immune to lapses in play. 

Let's take a look at three surprising teams from the early-round matches.

Note: Full standings can be found at UEFA.com.

Poland Defeats Germany 2-0

Alik Keplicz/Associated Press

No one batted an eyelash when Poland opened up their qualifying campaign with a 7-0 win over tiny Gibraltar. Results like that are par for the course against such microscopic foes. 

Defeating Germany 2-0 for the first time ever after Die Mannschaft are coming off a World Cup championship? Yes, that will be followed by blinks of disbelief. 

Poland rode goals from Sebastian Mila and Arkadiusz Milik to the shocking result over their continental rivals. BundesligaFanatic.com's Cristian Nyari noted just how shocking the loss was for German football:

And it's not like Germany put out a B-list side. Stars such as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos and Mario Gotze (among others) were on the pitch for the ignominious defeat. If Germany coach Joachim Low is worried about a post-World Cup lull in his team's play, he isn't showing it.

"We created numerous chances but didn't manage to score any. We lost, but it is not a dramatic defeat. Life will not be any harder after this loss," he said (via UEFA.com's Piotr Kozminski).

Poland stands alone atop Group D and should be able to fend off the likes of Ireland, Georgia and Scotland in making it to the next round, especially with the unexpected win in hand.

It's certainly not a result that will derail Germany's Euro campaign, but it could signal the start of a new, more consistent era for Poland.

Iceland's Dominant Displays

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Perhaps this Iceland squad realizes that they are something of a golden generation of talent and in danger of missing out on scoring any notable victories after coming oh so close to making the 2014 World Cup. They've played like a team on a mission in their first two Euro qualifiers, defeating a strong Turkey side 3-0 and then recreating that scoreline in a dominant win over Latvia on October 10.

Stars such as Swansea City's Gylfi Sigurdsson, Cardiff City's Aron Gunnarsson and Ajax's Kolbeinn Sigthorsson are some of the more talented players Iceland has ever had, and all are in their mid-20s.

Dutch Football noted that Sigthorsson has managed to keep Poland hero Milik out of the starting lineup at Ajax:

"

Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik puts Poland 1-0 up on Germany. Still can't start ahead of Sigthorsson though.

— Dutch Football (@football_oranje) October 11, 2014"

All three players have found the back of the net so far in qualifying and are set to take on a motivated Netherlands side on October 13. Should Iceland manage so much as a draw from the upcoming contest against Holland, these players from the far north will become rock stars on the mainland and perhaps around the world.

Czech Republic Upsets Netherlands, Defeats Turkey

Petr David Josek/Associated Press

Now, the Czech Republic certainly isn't a minnow in the European landscape, but they are definitely punching above their weight by defeating Netherlands 2-1 on September 9 and following up that performance with a fine 2-1 victory over Turkey.

Midfield captain Tomas Rosicky noted it took a strong, tactical-minded effort for his side to defeat Holland in September:

"We tried to sit deep in defence, keep a good shape and play a tactical game. We did very well and worked hard for it. We were maybe a bit lucky that they made a big mistake at the end, but as a team we worked very hard, and it is a great reward for us," he said, reports UEFA.com's Ondrej Zlamal and Vojtech Raiman. 

That game was a sign of their increased devotion and presence on the world stage, as it took a stoppage-time winner from Vaclav Pilar to pull out three points from that contest.

A tactical approach will be necessary for the Czechs to navigate a suddenly tricky matchup against Iceland on November 10. Don't expect a letdown against Kazakhstan on October 13 to get in the way of a surprise run. Only the group winners and runners-ups are guaranteed passage to the next round.

It will certainly be a dogfight between the Czech Republic, Iceland, Turkey and the Netherlands to make sure they aren't the odd team out, although the best third-place finisher in the competition will also move on, per UEFA.com. It could very well be a surprise finisher from Group A that nabs this coveted spot.