Euro 2016 Draw: Germany Need to Watch for Poland...and the Nukowski

They get paired up again. After battling it out in the qualifying stage, the Germans are going to have to contend with the Polish boys again next year. The team that beat them, and that also have a Nuclear Weapon. Yep, if Lewandowski hits his best flow, he will be akin to a Nuclear Device for Poland. One can argue that he is the most lethal all round striker in the world. But unlike Germany, the Polish cats are not coming into the tournament as World Cup winners.






I've not been one of those who have picked Germany to be favorites for the tournaments. I get it, they are World Cup champions, they barbecued the hosts on their way to winning the trophy, and they have a very talented team. But the very fact that both Klose and Bart Simpson aka Lahm are not in the team, has made me less confident in putting them in as the team to beat. Those two were hugely important to them winning the World Cup and their ex-captain was so important in how they attacked.

I'm not being unfair or rude in saying Ukraine and Northern Ireland don't stand a chance to get through. Even with the third place opportunity, there are better teams with easier groups that should pip them. They are just not good enough to be anything resembling a threat in the tournament.

But it's football. Algeria were close to knocking out Germany by tactically exploiting their high line. If the Northern Irish or Ukrainians can try and outsmart Poland or the Germans by setting up well and catching them off guard, then there could be a surprise. But I highly doubt that.

Poland are the team that I think could surprise people. Apart from their ultimate weapon, they are a good team. The amount of problems they caused Germany showed that against anyone in the tournament, they'll be able to step to them. I would really like for a new team that nobody expects to go far and even win it, just like Greece did in 2004. But Poland are a much better team than the Greeks, and if they can get out of this group, which they should, and the chips fall right, they could find themselves in a semi-final.

With Germany, I just want all their players fit. For football lovers, it would be offensive and criminal if they don't have the pleasure of seeing the talents of Reus and Gundogan, who are yet to play a major tournament. These are two great players who many in the world don't see enough of because people just don't like broadening their horizons to watch the Bundeliga. And if Joachim Löw can get his tactics right, playing with a more balanced formation rather than experimenting with the false-nine and that high line, then Germany will be a pretty tough team to beat and outscore.




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 HH