Sport
France, Germany or Spain – who will win Euro 2016?
France, Germany or Spain – who will win Euro 2016? The European Championship will take place in France next summer and there are a number of leading nations who will fancy their chances of success in the competition. Current holders Spain, World Cup winners Germany and host nation France are just three of the continent’s elite sides and all three will believe they can go all the way and win the tournament.
On paper, France have a real chance of going all the way next summer. Didier Deschamps has an incredibly strong pool of talent to select from and France will be especially strong on home soil.
The likes of Manchester United striker Anthony Martial, Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud and talismanic Real Madrid frontman Karim Benzema will all play integral roles in France’s attack.
Defensively, Deschamps’ side are both organised and reliable – two of the main traits needed to succeed in a major competition. They have a plethora of talent across the defensive line and their full-backs are among the best in the business.
Bacary Sagna and Patrice Evra are experienced, seasoned professionals and both full-backs will be crucial in both attack and defence next summer.
In fact, France may well possess the best group of attacking players in the tournament. They will certainly cause numerous problems for opposing defences and, with the support of their home crowd, Deschamps’ men will be dangerous.
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the host nation reach the latter stages of the competition and, with a bit of luck, they could even win the tournament.
Meanwhile, we all know what to expect from Joachim Lowe’s Germany. Although they were well beaten by France on Friday night, external circumstances affected both sides in that match and it would be foolish to read too much into the outcome of that game.
Germany boast talented stars all over the field and they have match winners on both sides of the football.
Perhaps the key for Germany will be in the midfield. Although they have a number of talented, younger players, Bastian Schweinsteiger remains instrumental to their success.
At 31 years old, it would be foolish to suggest that the United midfielder cannot handle the demands of a major tournament but Lowe will need to use him wisely throughout the competition.
Many will be backing Germany to go all the way next summer and who could blame them? If they perform at their very best, Lowe’s men are arguably favourites to win the tournament but they mustn’t allow the external incidents at the Stade de France on Friday to play on their mind next summer.
It will be tough but, if they can defeat their psychological demons, Germany stands a great chance of claiming a record fourth European Championship title.
As for Spain, they are looking for a third straight European Championship victory. Although Vicente del Bosque’s men have lost a number of key personalities since their success in 2008, Spain remain one of Europe’s top nations.
Yes they crashed out of the 2014 World Cup at the group stage but that was an anomaly. More often than not, Spain will reach the latter stages of a major tournament and that trend should continue next summer.
Defensively, Spain are much more organised than in previous years. While many still believe that Iker Casillas should rank as Spain’s number one goalkeeper, Manchester United shot stopper David de Gea will surely enter the tournament as their starter.
De Gea is an incredible talent and has proven himself as a genuine match winner on countless occasions for his club throughout the past few years.
Unfortunately for Spain, injuries could hinder their chances of success. They have the most talented squad in the world of football but the majority of their stars are prone to various injuries and niggles.
If the likes of David Silva, Diego Costa and Sergio Busquets avoid serious problems between now and the end of the season, Spain will stand alone as the outright favourite for glory next summer – and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Del Bosque’s men cruise to the title if they fulfil their capabilities.
