Croatia have only played in three of the four European Championships that have been held since the split from Yugoslavia. Twice they have reached the quarter-finals and this year they will be hoping to repeat that feat, but it will be a tougher challenge than in previous tournaments. Croatia should provide the fans with glimpses of quality but they probably do not have enough star names to trouble the bigger sides in the competition.

Keep an eye out for midfield maestro Luka Modrić. Coming out of another stellar season for club side Tottenham Hotspur, Luka has stated he will decide his club future after this tournament, so it is assumed he will be using the tournament to stamp his name on the international scene and entice the best clubs from around Europe to bid for his signature. Modrić's skill and creativity will be paramount if Croatia hope to advance from the group stage of the tournament. Coach Slaven Bilic will undoubtedly be hoping that Modrić and Spurs team-mate Niko Kranjčar can form a formidable partnership in the middle and create problems for the likes of Italy and Spain, as they have done regularly when playing together at Spurs.

In contrast to their group opponents Ireland, Croatia's strength really lies in their attacking options. Joining Modric and Kranjcar in the midfield is captain Darijo Srna and Ivan Rakitić. Srna offers a huge threat down the right wing and Rakitic is one of the best deep-lying playmakers today, not only offering fantastic vision in his passing but also a tenacity in defense. Keep an eye out for his long-range shots and his free-kicks – they're known to cause considerable damage.

Meanwhile, the front line is abundant in goalscoring talent. Ivica Olić offers formidable pace and an astonishing work-rate, often creating chances for himself and his team-mates. Olić is joined by Eduardo who, despite injury troubles in the past, regularly delivers for his adopted country, scoring 22 goals in 45 international appearances. Alongside them is Everton striker Nikica Jelavić, who has had a terrific 2011-12 season. Starting off at Rangers in Scotland, Jelavić scored an impressive 14 goals in 22 league games before making a January move to Everton where he scored 9 goals in 13 English Premier League appearances. Also keep an eye out for Mario Mandžukić who can cause havoc coming off of the bench.

Unfortunately for Croatia, their defense could be their downfall. Whilst it may seem solid, the backline can be shaky at times and seems to lack a world-class defensive marshall. In saying that, defenders such as Vedran Ćorluka, Josip Šimunić and Danijel Pranjić offer the versatility to play in multiple defensive positions. Behind the defensive line will most likely be Stipe Pletikosa. With ninety international caps to his name, it's very unlikely that either of the experienced pair of Ivan Kelava or Danijel Subašić will be picked ahead of Stipe.

Prediction: Group Stage

It’s hard to see Croatia fighting off Italy and Spain to advance from a very tough Group C. Although they have a number of talented individuals, the strength in depth of their opponents may well prove too much for them. Their attacking quality may be enough to see off Ireland in their opener but the lack of real quality in defense may see them struggle to cope with the world class strikers elsewhere in their group.

Sunday, June 10, 2012 v Ireland
Thursday, June 14, 2012 v Italy
Monday, June 18, 2012 v Spain

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Ivan Kelava (Dinamo Zagreb).

Defenders: Domogoj Vida (Dinamo Zagreb), Vedran Corluka (Bayer Leverkusen), Josip Simunic (Dinamo Zagreb), Gordon Schildenfeld (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ivan Strinic (Dnipro), Danijel Pranjic (Bayern Munich), Jurica Buljat (Maccabi Haifa).

Midfielders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Tomislav Dujmovic (Real Zaragoza), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Luka Modric (Tottenham), Ivan Perisic (Borussia Dortmund), Niko Kranjcar (Tottenham), Milan Badelj (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivo Ilicevic (Hamburg).

Forwards: Ivica Olic (Bayern Munich), Nikica Jelavic (Everton), Mario Mandzukic (Wolfsburg), Eduardo da Silva (Shakhtar Donetsk).