A quick glance across Group A, and one could be forgiven for thinking, comparatively at least, that the group is the weakest, and thus least interesting of the tournament. Lacking a true 'Big Name' country, certainly the group does not have the commercial appeal that a Spain, France or Italy may bring. Quality though, is something that the group does not lack, and if anything, that lack of a Big country, only serves to bring the group even tighter together; There will be no easy winner in this group.

The Contenders
Russia will consider themselves favourites for the group, as will most people watching on from the stands. Semi Finalists at the Euro 2008, the Russians quickly became the darlings of the last edition of the tournament, but were ultimately unable to compete against a rampant Spanish team. They were able to progress through what proved to be a tough qualifying group, with relative ease.

Looking past the likely top place of Group A, and things become a little harder to predict. Greece were one of the major disappointments of 2008, Failing to register a single point in defence of their 2004 crown. However, they impressed through qualifying for this years edition, going undefeated to top Group F, over a much more fancied Croatian side.

The Czech Republic meanwhile, struggled to secure progress until the last match day, earning second place by just two points from Scotland (behind a dominant Spanish side). From there, things were a little more straight forward, with a 3-0 victory over Montenegro confirming their place at the tournament. Another to have disappointed at the 2008 tournament, the Czechs will have much to prove in this years tournament.

Rounding out the group, will be this years co-hosts, Poland. Normally, they would be considered rank outsiders, but a home advantage is not something to be scoffed at. Although obviously missing qualifiers, key players have been performing domestically, and they will have high hopes of pushing into the top 2 in front of their home crowds.

Beyond the Group Stage
All four sides stand a fair chance of topping the group. Russia are obvious favourites, but the three remaining sides all have the potential for strong showings. Certainly, there are no 'definite' results that can be taken from this group. A slip up against any opponent will definitely put the pressure on, even more so than is normal in these short group stages. Such an evenly placed group can often throw up the most interesting results, and do not be surprised if all four teams stand a chance of progression going into the last round of fixtures.

Looking beyond the group into the KO Stages of the tournament, and it's hard to see any of these sides progressing through to the final. There is a lot of potential, but it will have to be fully met and utilised for any of them to impact the tournament in that way. Truly a group of The Dark Horse.