And finally, Group D. This is certainly not an easy decision.

Group D

The other co-host is obviously not quite as pleased as their neighbour, but it's hardly a simple proposition for the other three involved. There could be upsets here.


UKRAINE
High: 1792 (2010/09/07)
Low: 1711 (2011/09/06)
Biggest rise: 27 (England 1-0 Home, WC Qualifier, 2009/10/10)
Biggest fall: 28 (Greece 0-1 Home, WC Qualifier, 2009/11/18)

Unlike their co-host Poland, Ukraine are quite capable of qualifying for major tournaments without hosting them, as they demonstrated in 2006 when they reached the quarter final, and again in 2010, when they lost just one qualifying game (to England at Wembley) but were beaten in the playoffs by a single goal from Greece. This, however, is their first ever Euros, and their Greek experience may be a clue to their performance this time. Like Dynamo Kyiv (the home of several key players), the Ukrainians just can't finish a game when it matters. In defeat to England, the winning goal came five minutes from time. They faced a Greece side with a shaky defence (9 goals conceded in 8 matches) and couldn't even get a single goal over two legs. Having played no competitive matches since then, it's hard to gauge their real strength, but their limp performance in their friendly with Turkey suggests they just don't have the heart to get the job done. Dynamo Kyiv went undefeated almost the whole season, before losing to Shakhtar Donetsk in the final weeks, and drew their final two matches against lowly teams, losing out by a small margin. Since most of Shakhtar's best players are foreign, this is more or less Dynamo Kyiv Plus, and they'll probably mess it up in just the same way.


SWEDEN
High: 1857 (2012/05/30)
Low: 1724 (2009/06/06)
Biggest rise: 29 (Netherlands 3-2 Home, EC Qualifier, 2011/10/11)
Biggest fall: 27 (Hungary 1-2 Away, EC Qualifier, 2011/09/02)

Most of the talk from the English media has been about the threat of France, which is strange given that Sweden are pretty damn good themselves. Currently they are ranked higher than France, and it's not without merit: they scored 20 in 8 games in qualifying, reaching the finals as best runner-up, and they had to contend with the Netherlands and a Hungarian side that have shown great promise. In warming up for the tournament, they're one of the only teams to win their last four matches, including a solid 3-1 defeat of fellow finalists Croatia. In Zlatan Ibrahimović they have a true match-winner who can both score and create, and the quality runs right through the team. Being in a group with France and England is a tough task, but they've shown time and again that they can blow any defence apart, even if their own defence could do with some work. Given the lack of firepower offered from England and Ukraine, they should progress.


FRANCE
High: 1903 (2008/08/20)
Low: 1711 (2010/09/03)
Biggest rise: 30 (Bosnia 2-0 Away, EC Qualifier, 2010/09/07)
Biggest fall: 48 (Austria 1-3 Away, WC Qualifier, 2008/09/06)

The Azzurri's catastrophic fall is mirrored by Les Bleus - in that it's the opposite. France were atrocious at the World Cup (and some were surprised when I predicted their downfall), and it spelt the end of Raymond Domenech and, perhaps, the end of an era. But what a difference Laurent Blanc has made. After a shaky start losing at home to Belarus, France have not looked back, winning their group in, admittedly, less than spectacular fashion, and confidence has been growing. With friendly victories against the likes of Germany, Brazil and England (plus, amusingly, both Ukraine and Poland in the space of three days - both away games), France's new generation has already shown their potential. Now it's time for them to make the most of it.


ENGLAND
High: 1986 (2009/09/09)
Low: 1888 (2008/08/20)
Biggest rise: 46 (Croatia 4-1 Away, WC Qualifier, 2008/09/10)
Biggest fall: 55 (Germany 1-4 Neutral, World Cup, 2010/06/27)

Where to begin with the Three Lions? Despite being the highest-rated team of the group, most realistic England fans would agree that their position is a little inflated. Sure, they went undefeated through their qualifying, but Montenegro drew with them twice to finish second, and even the mediocre Czechs were able to beat them in both legs of the play-offs. And yes, they've performed well in friendlies, beating Spain and Sweden. But think back to the World Cup. A 0-0 draw with Algeria, the slenderest of victories against Slovenia, followed by humiliation from Germany. France and Sweden are not equal to the United States and Slovenia. Add into the mix a few new developments: the coach walking out and being replaced by someone with no competitive matches to prepare with; Wayne Rooney unavailable for the two most important games (the final game against Ukraine is probably redundant); numerous players being forced out of the team through injury; John Terry's pending court case (and Rio Ferdinand['s agent]'s public outcry over his non-selection)... France and Sweden come into the tournament with huge momentum, and play each other last. England are a team with many problems, and no time in which to solve them.

Prediction: FRANCE & SWEDEN QUALIFY

That's the four groups done with. Now go off and enjoy the group stages, and come back afterwards to get the low down on the quarter finals.