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Euro 2012 Czech Republic vs. Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo Goal To Make Difference: The first match on the Euro 2012 quarterfinals schedule kicks off on Thursday night at National Stadium, where the Czech Republic look to pull off the upset of Portugal. These two teams both know that they are relatively lucky to be in this position, yet both now all of a sudden think that they should be amongst the favorites on the Euro 2012 betting lines. Join us for our Euro Cup picks for the Czech Republic vs. Portugal fixture on Thursday!

Losing the first match in the group stages often leads to disaster, but both the Portuguese and the Czechs were defeated to start this tournament. One of the two will be in the semifinals of this clash, and the possibility is there as well that the team that the winner of this one will be going against will be France, another team that was defeated in one of its matches in the group stage. Of course, what could be waiting instead is Spain, the defending Euro 2012 and World Cup champions. Both of these teams are in good shape of late though, as each took six points from their final two matches in the group stage.

It was a rough first match and change in this tournament for the great Cristiano Ronaldo, but now, he is back in the fold for the Euro 2012 Golden Boot. He scored twice against the Netherlands in what proved to be the pivotal match in the Group of Death in Group B, and that sent the Portuguese from the outhouse to the penthouse and the quarterfinals of Euro 2012. There were five goals scored by Portugal in the opening stage of this tournament. Helder Postiga and Silvestre Varela were both goal scorers as well along the way, and the two have both played some crucial minutes for their country. Nani has been one of the top midfielders for this side, but there have been some struggles in the center of the pitch. In the back, Portugal has been solid, though not nearly the most outstanding team in the tournament. Rui Patricio has allowed four goals thus far in the Euro Cup, though we must admit that that isn’t all that shocking against what proved to be a very, very tough group.

There was a time that the Czech Republic was looked upon as potentially the worst team in this tournament. After all, Russia crushed the Czechs 4-1 in just the second match of this tourney, and the latter were written off as a result. Petr Cech really struggled against the Russians, allowing four goals, many of which could have been stopped in his better days. However, he really bounced back, allowing just one goal in his last two matches. The midfield for the Czechs has been simply awesome over the course of these last two Euro 2012 fixtures. Vaclav Pilar has two goals, and Petr Jiracek also has a pair of strikes. Up front, Milan Baros has been a bit quiet, but he has largely been by himself at the front of the pitch. The question in this match is going to be whether the Czech Republic captain, Tomas Rosicky is going to be able to get back in the fold. He missed what turned out to be the decisive 1-0 victory over Poland almost a week ago with an Achilles injury. Rosicky is up in the air for this one, but we tend to believe that he is going to be on the field either as a starter or a sub when push comes to shove.

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Czech Republic vs. Portugal Match Preview & Analysis: This is where the rubber meets the road for the Czechs. They did make it through the group stage, but there is a big difference between the teams on the slate in Group A and the one that is going to be on the other side of the field this time around. Portugal is one of the Top 15 teams in the world, and the only other time that the Czech Republic has met a team ranked in the Top 15 in this tournament, it was beaten 4-1. Yes, the Czechs are playing well now, but Ronaldo, Nani, and the likes are clearly going to be the best players on the pitch in this one. Don’t be all that shocked if Ronaldo bags a third goal in his last two matches, and if that turns out to be the difference maker in the first quarterfinal clash.

Czech Republic vs. Portugal Punting Tip: Portugal -0.5 (-130) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Czech Republic vs. Portugal Score Prediction: Czech Republic 0 – Portugal 1

2012 Euro Cup Fixtures, Team Previews, and Match Previews: Euro 2012 is about set to get underway, and here at Total Soccer Source, we are going to be keeping a very close eye on how all of the teams are doing in this illustrious tournament. Don’t miss any of our Euro 2012 match previews or any of the Euro 2012 Poland/Ukraine team previews that are going to be listed right here! We will continue to keep this page up to date throughout the entire tournament, from the very first kick of the ball on June 8th all the way through the Euro 2012 Final on July 1st.

Euro 2012 Standings: Group A

Czech Republic 2-0-1 (6 Points, -1 GD)
Greece 1-1-1 (4 Points, 0 GD)
Russia 1-1-1 (4 Points, +2 GD)
Poland 0-2-1 (2 Points, -1 GD)

We always knew that Group A was going to be up in the air, and that proved to be exactly the case over the course of the first three sets of fixtures in this tournament. The Russians looked like they were going to be the talk of the town here in Poland and the Ukraine in Euro 2012, but alas, after taking a resounding 4-1 victory in their first match, they floundered and are now heading back home after amassing just one point in their last two matches. The host nation, Poland had a great start to Euro 2012 as well, scoring the first goal of the tournament. Unfortunately for them, there was just one other goal to speak of for the other two matches, and that was only good enough for one point as well. That first goal came against a Greek team that was behind 1-0 and 2-0 in their first two matches of the tournament. Granted, Greece was only good enough to get one point from those two fixtures, but a single goal against Russia changed the entire tournament. Now, the Greeks are into the knockout round of Euro 2012 as the runners up of Group A, the first time that they have been in the knockout stages of an international tournament since winning Euro 2004. However, it was really the Czech Republic that proved to be the difference here in Group A. They might have finished with a -1 goal differential, but the Czechs did their job, taking the full three points from both Poland and Greece after losing that opening match to the Russians. The bitter taste of losing out on the quarterfinals in Euro 2008 is now gone, and with one of the host nations out of the tournament and the other likely to be gone by the middle of the week, the Czechs might be the team that the locals root for, knowing that they have the closest country to the rest of the action.

Euro 2012 Standings: Group B

Germany 3-0-0 (9 Points, +3 GD)
Portugal 2-0-1 (6 Points, +1 GD)
Denmark 1-0-2 (3 Points, -1 GD)
Netherlands 0-0-3 (0 Points, -3 GD)

In the end, the Group of Death didn’t end up being as bad as it seemed for Germany and Portugal. There were definitely some nervy moments over the course of the last match day of Group B action, though. For a short period of time, it looked as though the Germans were going to be in a position to actually be knocked out of this tourney, as they were nearly behind against Denmark, while Holland was beaten Portugal. That being said, the results flipped back to more of what we expected to see as the matches progressed. Cristiano Ronaldo came alive after two suspect matches against Germany and Denmark to score twice to ensure his team’s progression into the quarterfinals of Euro 2012. Germany was able to find the strike to finish off the Danes as well, though the truth of the matter is that there was little that Denmark could do to salvage the match when push came to shove. The real question right now, is what the state of Dutch soccer is going to be after the team scored just a total of two goals in three matches against five allowed. We knew that this group was difficult to say the least, but the Netherlands was the third favorite on the Euro 2012 odds at the outset of this tournament, and now it feels like it really shouldn’t have ever been considered as a possible champ. The World Cup in two years might be the best shot that this team has at claiming glory, something that has really alluded the team at this level, and one has to wonder whether we have seen the end of Bert van Marwijk’s rule over the Dutch soccer team.

Euro 2012 Standings: Group C

Spain 2-1-0 (7 Points, +5 GD)
Italy 1-2-0 (5 Points, +2 GD)
Croatia 1-1-1 (4 Points, +1 GD)
Ireland 0-0-3 (0 Points, -8 GD)

So the fix wasn’t in after all. The Italians definitely had a bit of a measure of vindication on the final match day in Group C, as they were able to get into the second round of this tournament after getting knocked out from Euro 2004 thanks to a “wink, wink” type of a match. Croatia and Spain both could have advanced and done so in a lot better form had they just agreed to a 2-2 match, but it was clear that the fixture between the two was played on the up and up. Spain was able to win Group C with a late game-winning goal after a relatively drab game against the Croats, and though that took Italy from the top of Group C to second best, that clearly wasn’t all that much of a bother. The Italians were just happy to get into the quarterfinals of this event. Croatia knew that it really was in some trouble when it only drew against Italy in the second match of Group C, and four points turned out not to be enough after losing to Spain. Ireland put up as valiant of an effort as it was able to, but in the end, this was the worst of the 16 teams that were in this tournament, and it shouldn’t be all that much of a surprise to think that it was one of the two teams in this tournament to fail to pick up a single point in any of its first three matches. This was clearly the worst team in Euro 2012 from start to finish, though the Irish probably are thrilled to know that they had the two weeks in Poland and the Ukraine.

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Euro 2012 Standings: Group D

England 2-1-0 (7 Points, +2 GD)
France 1-1-1 (4 Points, 0 GD)
Ukraine 1-0-2 (3 Points, 0 GD)
Sweden 1-0-2 (3 Points, -2 GD)

Group D is now said and done, and matters clearly didn’t go according to the way that we figured going into the final match day. The Ukrainians really tried their best to get into the second round of this tournament, but without Andriy Shevchenko out on the pitch, they just didn’t stand a chance. Yes, they deserved a point for their efforts after getting a goal wasn’t allowed that should have been against the Brits, but in the end, it didn’t make a single difference. Ukraine was still finishing third in the group either way, and the Three Lions were going to end up on top. It was a great switch for an English side that really wasn’t all that optimistic about its chances here at Euro 2012. Now though, Manager Roy Hodgson and the gang are on their way to the second round as the Group D winners, and they get to avoid playing Spain in the knockout rounds. Instead, that distinction goes to France, a team that has to be scratching its head after losing to Sweden in the final match of the group stage. The Swedes had been one of the worst teams in this tournament, but in the end, they were able to band together and at least get three points against Les Bleus to leave Poland and Ukraine with a shred of dignity intact.

Euro 2012 Schedule: Quarterfinals

Thursday June 21st: Czech Republic vs. Portugal (2:45 ET, ESPN, ESPN3.com)
Friday June 22nd: Germany vs. Greece (2:45 ET, ESPN, ESPN3.com)
Saturday June 23rd: Spain vs. France (2:45 ET, ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
Sunday June 24th: England vs. Italy (2:45 ET, ESPN, ESPN3.com)

The Euro 2012 quarterfinals are set, and all eight of the teams involved have to think that they have a great chance of beating the Euro 2012 betting lines when this tournament is said and done with. The draw really has opened up a bit for Germany, as some of the best teams left standing here in Poland and Ukraine are likely on the other end of the bracket. We are quite intrigued by this Spain vs. France fixture, knowing that these are two of the best sides in the world. Both were impressive at times, but not all that impressive in others at the group stage level, and both prefer playing a defensive brand of soccer that should make for a more level match than some might suggest. Italy almost didn’t end up playing in this tournament due to match fixing scandals back home, and England really didn’t have all that much confidence with a slew of injuries and Wayne Rooney’s suspension to deal with. Alas, both teams are here, and one of the two will be in the last four of Euro 2012. The opening match though, is the one that is full of the most intrigue on the Euro 2012 quarterfinals schedule. Both the Czech Republic and Portugal were beaten in their first match of this tournament, yet both have locked up the maximum six points since that point. One will get through on Thursday, and it will be interesting to see which can get the job done.

England vs. Italy Match Analysis: Confidence For Both Italy and England To Provide Draw: You aren’t going to find all that many matches in the world of soccer that are expected to be as close and as evenly matched as the Euro 2012 quarterfinal fixture between Italy and England. These two teams look remarkably similar to one another, and they both have to be happy to be in the last eight standing in this tournament, and one will become the feel good story of the Euro Cup semifinals following Sunday’s match at Kiev Olympic Stadium. Don’t miss our England vs. Italy tips and predictions for what should be an absolutely outstanding 90 minutes, and quite possibly more of soccer.

To get to this point in the tournament, there was a heck of a lot of drama for both England and Italy. Neither team had to feel all that great about its chances, knowing that the Azzurri almost withdrew from the field before the tourney ever got started. Meanwhile, the Three Lions had to play without a heck of a lot of their stalwarts that have become commonplace in their lineup due to injuries, and Wayne Rooney had to sit out the first two matches via suspension. However, England got the job done by taking a point from France in the first fixture and then consecutive victories to storm into this juncture, while Italy was able to salvage a pair of draws before beating the Republic of Ireland to just barely squeak into the second round.

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There really isn’t a heck of a lot of optimism in England about Euro 2012, and we can definitely understand why. The team wasn’t necessarily considered a shoe-in to make it to the quarterfinals in the first place, and more importantly, there hasn’t been a win in the knockout stage of any major tournament since the 2006 World Cup. However, Manager Roy Hodgson might have found the right combination of strikers, using Manchester United teammates Danny Welbeck and Rooney together at the front against Ukraine. Sure, the match ended in a seemingly pedestrian 1-0 victory, but that was a match that was played on the road in a huge venue, and in a huge spot for the hosts. This could be a different story for sure against an Italian side that, though it has a great defense and a fantastic net minder, won’t have the same type of backing from the hometown crowd in Kiev. Team Captain Steven Gerrard has had himself a heck of a tournament to date, including setting up Rooney’s goal against the Ukrainians to ensure that the Three Lions would be on their way to the quarterfinals.

If not for the great play of Gianluigi Buffon, it is anyone’s guess whether the Azzurri would still be in this tournament or not. He made some remarkable stops against Spain in the first match of Group C to preserve what turned out to be quite the crucial point, and he also was massive in the shutout of Ireland to move on to Round 2. Defensively, Italy is as stout as any team in this tournament, and offensively, there are definitely some stars that could be set to shine. All three of the team’s usual strikers, Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano, and Antonio Di Natale have found the back of the net in the opening three matches, and Andrea Pirlo, one of the best midfielders in the world also has a strike. There have definitely been some questions asked of the defenders, knowing that only Leonardo Boncci and Giorgio Chiellini have played in all three fixtures, but it seems like whatever combination gets trotted out there by Manager Cesare Prandelli is working, as the team has allowed just two goals in three matches.

England vs. Italy Match Preview & Analysis: This should be just a fantastic fixture. We would be shocked to see either team be able to really pull ahead of the other at any point with all that much gusto, and we think that there are going to be moments of brilliance on both sides. Expect to see both score a goal in regulation, and then potentially again in the next 30 minutes that we think are going to ensue. In the end, we’ll go with the Italians to go through on PKs, but we still think that this could be a match that easily goes either way. Look for extra time in Kiev for our England vs. Italy predictions, picks, and tips.

England vs. Italy Punting Tip: Draw (+200) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

England vs. Italy Score Prediction: England 1 (2) – Italy 1 (4)

Soccer Betting Tips for Euro 2012: Expect Defense To Rule For France vs. Spain: In what might amount to be the best of the Euro 2012 fixtures to date, France will take on Spain at Donbass Arena on Saturday night. These two sides are clearly amongst the best in the world, and they both have a very similar style of play that could make for a great match. Don’t miss our Euro Cup quarterfinals picks for the duel featuring Spain vs. France with a spot in the semifinals on the line!

Spain and France both looked like they were going to coast into the second round of Euro 2012 after both had four points to show for their work in their first two matches of play in their respective groups. That being said, the Spanish knew that they ran into some problems against a stingy Croatian team that nearly send them out of the tournament in shocking form in Group C. France ended up getting some help along the way from its rivals from England in the form of a Three Lions win over Ukraine, but in the end, a 2-0 loss to Sweden definitely wasn’t the way that Les Bleus wanted to go into the quarterfinals, as it set up this brutal match against La Roja instead of getting Italy.

Spain’s defense is always one of the best in the world, and we have seen that over the course of the last two international tournaments. La Roja only conceded a single goal to Antonio Di Natale against Italy in the opening match of this tournament, and since that point, there have been over 200 consecutive scoreless minutes. The Spanish love to control the ball and make some very calculated moves in the center of the field, and the talent level that is out there is just remarkable. Cesc Fabregas has had to play off of the bench just to get into the midfield, and Jesus Navas has only made two appearances as well. There hasn’t been a lot that we have seen out of Iker Casillas in net, but he has just that one goal to show against him thus far. Fabregas and Fernando Torres both have two goals to their name, but a lot of their work came against the Republic of Ireland in a 4-0 romp. Aside from that, David Silva an Navas have the goals of record.

If Les Bleus wanted a challenge, they certainly have it. This is a young team that is supposed to be on the up and up to challenge a team like Spain, and this is the first chance that the club has had to do one of the toughest deeds in European soccer. Manager Laurent Blanc knows that his side needs to keep up its defensive intensity. If it lets up and concedes a goal, particularly early, there really isn’t a heck of a lot out there to help the team. Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud are the only two strikers on the roster for Euro 2012, and the best offensive weapon might be Samir Nasri out of the midfield. His goal against England was one of the best goals of Euro 2012, and it might take some magic out of his feet to give France a chance of moving on to the semifinals. Hugo Lloris and his defense are going to be tested by some of the top strikers on the planet, and if Zlatan Ibrahimovic was able to find space against this unit, we can only imagine what Torres and the likes will be able to do as a unit.

Spain vs. France Match Preview & Analysis: That being said, we just don’t know if the ability is there for these two teams to combine for three goals. There can only be one goal if we are to be winners, and in truth, we aren’t so sure if there is going to be that one either. Spain has been a cagey team throughout this tournament, but France can be quite stingy as well. Don’t be surprised if this one goes through at least the first 90 minutes without a strike, and don’t be shocked either if the French can force this one all the way to PKs without a single ball finding the back of the net. If that’s the case, we’ll take our chances with Lloris to get the job done to get the French their biggest victory since winning the 1998 World Cup on their home turf. Still, the easier bet to make in this match is for a low scorer.

Spain vs. France Punting Tip: Spain/France Under 2 (-105) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Spain vs. France Score Prediction: Spain 0 – France 0

Germany vs. Greece Picks: Germans To Keep Rolling, Knock Out Greeks: Euro 2012 betting action continues on Friday night at the PGE Arena, where one of the most talented sides in the world has to take on one of the up and comers looking to make a big time splash at this juncture of the tournament. Germany vs. Greece tips are going to be hot and heavy on Friday, knowing that only one of these teams can move on to the Final Four at Euro 2012. Don’t miss our Euro 2012 betting predictions for what should be a remarkable match.

Germany was the only team in Euro 2012 that was able to get all nine points from its opening matches, and it did so against the toughest group in the field. That’s why the Germans are now the favorites on the Euro 2012 betting lines, and they are going to probably be the toughest team to get rid of here in Poland and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Euro 2004 champs from Greece are looking to rekindle that fire and magic that struck eight years ago in this illustrious tournament against one of the best sides in the world. It took a miracle just to get Greece into the knockout rounds in the Euro Cup, and it might be a team that could find a way to do some real damage if it can stay organized.

Are the Germans the best in the world? Really, save for Spain, we don’t think that there is that much of an argument, especially amongst the eight teams that are left standing going into the Euro 2012 quarterfinals. Germany scored five goals with just two responses in the first stage of this tournament, and there really wasn’t a match that one could say that maximum points wasn’t the fair result. The team has just had some great contributions up front, especially from Mario Gomez. There was talk that Gomez could be taken out of the Starting XI in place of Miroslav Klose, but that just hasn’t been the case. Instead, Gomez has three strikes to lead the team, and he could very well be well on his way to the Golden Boot. Klose has been coming off of the bench instead, and he has found his way into all three of the matches for Manager Joachim Low here in Poland. Lukas Podolski has a goal, as does Lars Bender. Bender’s strike against Denmark proved to be the difference for the Germans in the last match in Group B, but at that point, it really didn’t make a difference; they already knew that they were going to be the Group B winners.

Greece on the other hand, has itself a heck of a lot of work to do. This was a team that came out of absolutely nowhere to win Euro 2004, but since that point, we haven’t heard a lot from the side. Matters look gloomy to say the least for the Greeks virtually every step of the way in Group A. They fell behind 1-0 against the hosts from Poland before storming back to take a point, and then they were beaten relatively badly by the Czech Republic in a match that probably didn’t look as bad on paper with a 2-1 final score as the play on the pitch would have suggested. That being said, Greece needed to take all three points from Russia, the toughest team in Group A, to get into the second round, and it did just that, winning 1-0 on the strike by Giorgos Karagounis right before the intermission. The problem for Karagounis, though? He picked up yet another yellow card, marking his second in this tournament, earning him a suspension for this match. That means that Kostas Katsouranis, who is the only other midfielder to play in all three matches for the Greeks in this tournament to date, will be the acting captain for the soiree. The only two goal scorers thus far in Euro 2012 for Greece are Fanis Gekas and Dimitris Salpingidis. The goaltending switch has been a good one for the Greeks as well. Michalis Sifakis hasn’t allowed a goal since replacing the injured Kostas Chalkias, who suffered a knock 23 minutes into the match with the Czech Republic. At the time, Greece was being outscored 3-1 in the tournament. It has outdone its foe 2-0 since that point.

Germany vs. Greece Match Preview & Analysis: Still, there is only so much magic that one team can provide in a tournament. Without its captain and one of its only offensive threats, we just don’t see Greece being able to do all that much against the stout Germans. There is just going to be too much offense for the men in white and black, and we just don’t see how Germany is going to fail. This could be a very one-sided match in the end.

Germany vs. Greece Punting Tip: Germany -1.5 (+110) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Germany vs. Greece Score Prediction: Germany 3 – Greece 0

Croatia vs. Spain Match Analysis: Fix Could Be In For 2-2 Draw: The Croatia Euro 2012 campaign might have come across a stroke of luck. The final fixture in Group C for the Croats looked to be the most difficult one against Spain, but thanks to common hatred of the Italians and the desire for both to get through to the second round of this tournament, we could see some real shenanigans taking place on the pitch at Arena Gdansk. Our Croatia vs. Spain free picks, predictions, and tips definitely are calling for a suspect result to say the least.

Spain is the team that is in the best shape in this match. As long as the Spaniards procure at least a point, regardless of what the final score actually reads, they will be through to the second round. A draw of 2-2 or greater though, and they are guaranteed to be the Group C winners and will await the runner up of Group D in the quarterfinals, thus also avoiding Germany until the finals of this event. For Croatia, that 2-2 draw is the key result. Scoring at least twice and drawing or winning would give the Croats the second spot in the quarterfinals out of Group C. That being said, with the mutual result helping both sides, we could be seeing some real antics here, just as we saw eight years ago when Denmark and Sweden played to a 2-2 draw in Euro 2004 to knock this very same Italian team out of this tournament.

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What we have seen out of Croatia in these opening two matches of this tournament is some fantastic defense. Against Ireland in the opening fixture of Group C, we saw the Croats really dominate the possession of the ball, especially early in the second half when the match got out of hand. Yes, they did end up conceding a goal in the first half, but that was entirely a matter of fluke more so than anything else. The second match against Italy was certainly a heck of a lot more difficult, and though the Italians did win the battle of possession by a slender margin, their seven attempts on target were one shy of what the Croats were able to put on Gigi Buffon. In the end, Andrea Pirlo’s goal in the 39th minute was cancelled out by a late goal by Mario Mandzukic, which gave Croatia the much needed point that it had to have to really have a legitimate shot of getting into the quarterfinals coming into this fixture.

If Spain wants to win this match, it will likely end up doing just that. The Spaniards have been the dominating side here in Group C, scoring five goals against just one conceded, and the truth of the matter is that they should have bagged at least one or two more against the Italians in the opening match. If that were the case, Spain wouldn’t still have work to do to qualify for the second round as it has right now. Losing this fixture would see it out of the tournament in all likelihood, and that is a factor that cannot be forgotten. Fernando Torres logged a double against Ireland, and that was just a part of the massive 4-0 onslaught that ensured that the Spanish would likely be okay in this tournament to get into the knockout rounds. It was clearly the most dominating match that we have seen in Euro 2012 to date, and we really don’t anticipate seeing a heck of a lot more impressive of a showing out of any side still in this field at this point. The Spaniards really are the best team in this tournament, and they are still aiming for that third straight major tournament title, joining their Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 crowns.

Croatia vs. Spain Match Preview & Analysis: Still, we think that that 2-2 draw is just too enticing to pass up. The price on the draw has dipped a bit in this match over the course of the last few days, but we still think that the Euro 2012 odds are going to shake out in such a way that it helps both of these clubs. There just isn’t a reason to try to do anything else. What would be better for the Spaniards? Knocking out Italy now, or potentially having to face them down the road in the Euro 2012 Finals? And for Croatia, this is self-explanatory. Getting into the knockout rounds and keeping its tournament alive is of the utmost importance. It might look a little shady in the end, but we still think that this match has a 2-2 draw written all over it.

Croatia vs. Spain Punting Tip: Exact Score 2-2 Draw (+900) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Croatia vs. Spain Score Prediction: Croatia 2 – Spain 2

Soccer Betting Tips for Euro 2012: Irish To Crash Out Of Euros With No Points: After two days of thrilling and chilling soccer betting action on the final match day of the group stage of Euro 2012, we have our first team that is playing with nothing to play for but pride on Monday afternoon. Our Euro 2012 picks today feature Ireland playing against Italy in a game that could be everything to the Italians, or absolutely nothing for either side depending upon how the other game on the Group C Euro Cup fixtures pans out. Check out our Ireland vs. Italy picks for what should be a highly entertaining match.

Irish eyes definitely weren’t smiling on their homeland over the course of the last week. With no points and just one goal to show for their first two fixtures, the Irish are going to be headed back to Dublin once this match is over regardless of the outcome. Anything less than a win, and Ireland is going to finish in dead last in Group C, though we must admit that it was a result that was awfully predictable when push came to shove. For Italy though, it is going to be all about scoreboard watching. Eight years ago, the Italians were essentially screwed out of Euro 2004 when Denmark and Sweden played to a 2-2 draw on the final day of the group stage to knock them out of the tournament. Now, if Croatia and Spain play to that same result once again, regardless of what happens here in Poznan, the Italians will be knocked out of this tournament.

Italy knows that it clearly has the better team at its disposal, but it needs to find some more consistent offense to make sure that it gets three points from this match. After all, anything less than a win, and even if the 2-2 fix between Croatia and Spain isn’t in, the Italians will be bounced. The only goals of this tournament thus far for Italy came from Antonio Di Natale against Spain, and Andrea Pirlo against Croatia. Still, the 1-1 draw against the Croats was a distinct reminder that matters just aren’t quite right for the Azzurri. They aren’t playing all that well defensively, allowing far too many breakdowns at the back and leaving Gianluigi Buffon with far more to handle than he should. They also aren’t getting enough chances offensively. Mario Balotelli has been rather MIA over the course of this entire tournament, and so too has Antonio Cassano. This was supposed to be one of the best striking tandems in Euro 2012, and that just hasn’t been the case for the most part.

The poor Irish have just been badly outclassed over the course of the first two games in this tournament. Matters don’t figure to get all that much better either here in Poznan. The team has just one goal, and a fluky score at that it was against Croatia in the team’s opening fixture. Since that point, it has been all downhill. There have been seven goals allowed, and Shay Given has had an absolutely atrocious time in net. This is going to be the 100th match for his country for Damien Duff, and he is going to be wearing the captain’s band for this match in honor of that accomplishment. Unfortunately for Duff, he knows that there is nothing that his team can do to advance into the quarterfinals at this point, but perhaps taking three points from the 2006 World Cup champions would do wonders for the advancement of Irish soccer.

Italy vs. Ireland Match Preview & Analysis: Still, we just don’t see how Italy isn’t going to run roughshod over Ireland like Spain did. Remember that the Spanish absolutely dominated possession of the ball in that fixture four days ago, and there is just no reason to believe that that won’t be the case once again in a very important match for the Italians. Don’t be all that surprised if this one gets ugly early, just as the match against Spain did. Italy is clearly the stronger of the two sides, and we think that about the only thing that the Irish will be happy about, is perhaps a stray goal that gets past Buffon.

Italy vs. Ireland Punting Tip: Italy -1.5 (+120) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Italy vs. Ireland Score Prediction: Italy 3 – Ireland 1

Euro 2012 England vs. Ukraine: Three Lions To Move To Quarters: One of the hosts of Euro 2012, Poland, has already been knocked out of this tournament. Now, the other co-host is going to be up against it on Monday night at Donbass Arena when Ukraine has to take on England in the final match for both teams here in Group D. This could be quite the offensive affair, as both of these teams have shown the ability to score goals, and the well-needed boost from getting Wayne Rooney back in the lineup might be just what the Brits need in this crucial match for both sides. Our England vs. Ukraine tips are set to rock and roll here at TSS, and we think that we have a great angle for this Euro 2012 fixture.

With four points to show for their work in their two matches, England is clearly the team that is in the driver’s seat. It knows that it will be able to get into the second round with just a draw, though a win will likely be the only way that the team has a shot of getting into the knockout rounds as the Group D winners. For Ukraine, the test is going to be quite simple. It’s win and in, lose or draw and go home. The Ukrainians know after a 2-0 loss to the French four days ago, that they are now in a position where they are going to need to take care of business and get all three points, or their tournament is going to be over even if the French get knocked off by Sweden at Metalist Stadium in a match running concurrently.

Manager Roy Hodgson has his first real dilemma of a decision that has to be made before this match gets underway. Wayne Rooney is back from his two-match suspension, and he figures to be in the Starting XI regardless of what else happens. Does that mean that Andy Carroll is headed to the bench? It could be a possibility, though the idea of leaving Danny Welbeck out of the Starting XI is a possibility as well. Knowing that a draw is good enough to get the job done, we figure that the idea of using three strikers it out of the realm of possibility for Hodgson and the Three Lions, though the mindset has to at least somewhat be enticing to put all three on the field at the same time. The English really did well four days ago playing against Sweden in what proved to be one of the more impressive feats of the tournament. England led 1-0 but fell behind 2-1 after an own goal that threatened to really kill the team’s shots at getting into the knockout rounds. That being said, Theo Walcott came off of the bench to equalize for the Three Lions, and Welbeck scored the goal with less than a quarter of an hour remaining in the match to send them to victory and to bounce the Swedes out of the tournament.

We really figured that Ukraine was going to be the team that put on the offensive clinic here in its homeland. We saw some of that on display with Andriy Shevchenko in the opening match against Sweden, as he led a personal comeback from down 1-0 to take a 2-1 lead with back to back strikes within 10 minutes of one another. Aside from that burst of electricity from the team’s veteran leader though, there hasn’t been a single goal to speak of. The chances just weren’t there against the defense of Les Bleus in the last match, and a crushing 0-2 score line was the end result. That means that now, it will be to Shevchenko to most likely go the full 90 minutes once again to get the job done in what should be quite the massive offensive attack against England.

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England vs. Ukraine Match Preview & Analysis: The Brits have been known to have some breakdowns at the back, but we don’t think that they are going to be in the worst shape in the world in this one. They are clearly the better of these two teams, and though there might be a moment of brilliance coming out of Shevchenko in what very well could be his last international match for his country, we just don’t think that it is going to be enough.

England vs. Ukraine Punting Tip: England -0.5 (+120) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

England vs. Ukraine Score Prediction: England 2 –Ukraine 1

Denmark vs. Germany Picks: Germans To Finish Sweep of Group of Death: Euro 2012 betting action continues on Sunday afternoon at Arena Lviv, where the Germany Euro Cup campaign surges on in the Group of Death. The Germans already have six points to show for their work in the first two matches of this tournament, and they’ll be looking to come up with the clean sweep to make their way through Group B as the winners of the group, where a date with Greece will be waiting. The Denmark Euro 2012 competition started off with sound and fury, but without taking a point from this match, the Danes will be sent packing after a relatively short stay.

Germany isn’t quite into the second round yet, but it would take a loss, a Portugal win, and a heck of a lot of goals to be scored against it to get bounced from this tournament. In short, we just don’t see any way that all that needs to go wrong actually going wrong. That being said, getting a point would be a big time advancement for sure, as the Germans would much rather be taking on Greece in the quarterfinals than the Czech Republic. Just getting a point would suffice. A point might be enough for Denmark as well, but you can bet that it will be scoreboard watching during this whole match as well. The Danes need to better the result that the Portuguese have against the Netherlands to be able to get into the second round of the tournament, so perhaps even a victory won’t quite be enough to get the job done.

Denmark was more or less the forgotten team in the Group of Death. However, what we really have forgotten is that this is a squad that is ranked in the Top 10 in the World FIFA Rankings, and that just cannot be underestimated. In the opening match against Holland, there was no doubt that the Dutch had the superior talent. However in the end, it was the teamwork and the spirit of the Danes that got them the three points. That same spirit nearly gave way to a massive comeback against Portugal as well. Denmark was facing a 2-0 deficit, only to get a two-bagger in the second half from Nicklas Bendtner to perhaps save the day. Alas, our questions that we originally asked from the Danish defense really started to come through. Stephan Andersen really didn’t have a great match, allowing three goals, and he really should have allowed a fourth to Cristiano Ronaldo as well. The defense simply wasn’t all that stunning for the Danes during the whole match, and it was truly night and day from the effort that was put forth against Holland four days prior.

The Germans have three goals in this tournament to date, and all three of them belong to the man of the hour, Mario Gomez. We really weren’t all that sure how Gomez was going to fare in this lineup for Germany in this tournament, but what Manager Joakim Low has figured out is how to get all of his strikers on the field. Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose have gotten into both matches, and all of the big time midfielders have had their appearances as well. In defense, Philipp Lahm has led a very organized bunch as well, and that should fare well for the future of this tournament as well. There is a reason that Germany is amongst the Euro 2012 favorites at the moment, as the team hasn’t allowed a goal yet here in Poland and Ukraine. Manuel Neuer and his defense deserve a lot of credit for how well they have played at the back.

Denmark vs. Germany Match Preview & Analysis: We really just don’t know if the Danes are going to be able to get the job done in this one. Perhaps laying a goal is a bit risky with Germany, but at least we are getting plus odds. We think that more often than not, the Germans are going to win this match, and it seems more like that they are going to win it by multiple goals than the Danes would be at getting a point. It has been a good run for Denmark here in the Euro Cup 2012, but it will come to a close with a resounding defeat on Sunday.

Denmark vs. Germany Punting Tip: Germany -1 (+110) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Denmark vs. Germany Score Prediction: Denmark 0 – Germany 2

Euro 2012 Portugal vs. Netherlands: Dutch To Crash Out, Portugal To Survive: La Oranje hasn’t really had a whole heck of a lot of success here at Euro 2012, but now, they have a chance to salvage their Euro Cup fixtures if they can find a way to take three points from Portugal. The Portuguese know that this fixture means everything as well though, and it should make for one final fantastic match here in the Group of Death in Group B.

It is amazing to think that Holland is still in this tournament in spite of the fact that it doesn’t have a point to show for its work yet. That being said, three points and some help in the form of Denmark getting beaten by Germany, and the Dutch will be flying high into the quarterfinals as the runners up from Group B. Still, Portugal is salivating at the idea of just being able to get a point from this match. If it can do that, it should be able to advance into the second round. If Denmark is able to beat Germany though, the only result that would help out the Portuguese is a win in this fixture. As long as they match what the Danes are able to do on Sunday, they will have survived the Group of Death and will be in the quarterfinals of Euro 2012.

Portugal has had itself a great tournament to date. The team really was good enough to get a point out of that opening fixture against Germany, and though it just didn’t happen, there had to be an increased sense of optimism about how the team was going to play through the rest of the group stage of this tournament. Alas, what we saw at the outset of the game against Denmark was quite the impressive showing four days ago. The Portuguese jumped out to a 2-0 lead and looked prepared to sail to three points. Of course, the Danes were able to fight back and level the match at two goals apiece, and Cristiano Ronaldo simply fanned on a shot that easily would have been a goal 99% of the time otherwise. That being said, it was Silvestre Varela that was able to come off of the bench and save Portugal’s skins in the 87th minute to take down Denmark, and as a result, the Portuguese control their own destiny for the most part to get into the second round of Euro 2012.

The Netherlands Euro 2012 campaign really should be over at this point, as there is really no excuse for being in a position to have no points from two matches when you are ranked in the Top 5 in the world. The Dutch have just one goal to show for their work in this tournament, that coming from Robin van Persie against the Germans in their last match. That being said, we really haven’t heard much of anything from Dirk Kuyt, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Nigel de Jong, Mark van Bommel, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, and Rafael van der Vaart. That’s a heck of a lot of big time names that just haven’t been able to contribute to the offense quite yet in the Euro Cup 2012, and that means that there is a lot for this group to do to be able to get this team into the second round of the tournament. Maarten Stekelenburg would like some more help in front of him as well, as he has now allowed three goals in his first two fixtures here in Ukraine.

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Portugal vs. Netherlands Match Preview & Analysis: This match has relatively level odds for a good reason. We really don’t know if either of these teams are going to be able to take three points from the other. That being said, we know that the Dutch are going to have no choice but to go for broke and try to get three points, but in the end, we think that a first half goal by La Oranje will be eliminated late on by Cristiano Ronaldo or one of the other big time Portuguese players to let this match end in a draw. The question that will remain though, is whether that will be enough to get Portugal into the Euro 2012 quarterfinals. We think that it will.

Portugal vs. Netherlands Punting Tip: Draw (+230) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Portugal vs. Netherlands Score Prediction: Portugal 1 –Netherlands 1