Whenever we head into a major international soccer tournament, there are always a few teams who are instantly considered favorites beforehand. As always, Germany, who have won the European Championships on 3 separate occasions are among the betting odds favorites to win it all, but they are not really looking like the powerhouse that they have been in the past. Ukraine look as though they are going to be the toughest challenge for the Germans in Group C, with Poland and Northern Ireland the other members of the group. Germany should cruise through this lot, but they have been a little shaky since winning the World Cup in 2012, and while they did win their qualifying group, it was not the smooth sailing that many expected. This should be a good test for both teams, as it’s expected that both will move on to the knock-out stages. They may be happy with a draw in this one, but both know that a win would put them very much in the driver’s seat.
