England's Euro 2004 opponents

14 April 2012

If Sven-Goran Eriksson's England side are to stand a chance of fulfilling the nation's dream of Euro 2004 success, they will first have to get through Group B in Portugal.

Since the 0-0 draw against Turkey in Istanbul that clinched their place, Rio Ferdinand's high-profile suspension, crucial injuries and speculation over Eriksson's future have provided plenty of negative headlines.

But now all that can be forgotten, and Croatia, Switzerland and reigning European champions France are the only teams blocking England's path to the tournament's knock-out stage.

Here we take a look at what Sven's men will have to contend with.

CROATIA

Croatia edged past neighbours Slovenia to qualify for Euro 2004, but only narrowly made it into the qualifying play-offs after finishing ahead of Belgium, thanks to a superior head-to-head record.

After a 2-1 defeat by Germany in February and a 2-2 draw with Turkey in March, Croatia's 1-0 victory over Macedonia last month was their first win this year.

Otto Baric's side have struggled to deal with the retirement of players such as Alen Boksic, Robert Prosinecki and Davor Suker - the 'golden generation' famous for Croatia's third place in France 98 - and the new-look team failed to reach the knockout stage of the 2002 World Cup.

The keys to success in Euro 2004 must include Juventus defender Igor Tudor, who has struggled with injuries all season, and Monaco striker Dado Prso, scorer in both play-off legs and Croatian player of the year.

Tudor, however, is suspended for his side's opening match against Switzerland - a match which many see as a must-win if Croatia are to stand a chance of making it past the group stage.

There is concern over the form and fitness of Hertha Berlin's Niko Kovac and AC Milan's Dario Simic, both of whom have not been playing regularly at club level.

Liverpool defender Igor Biscan, meanwhile, will almost certainly miss the tournament after being banned from the national team for six months for leaving the squad's training camp on the eve of Croatia's qualifying match against Bulgaria.

FRANCE

Defending champions France will be hoping their performance in Portugal is a repeat of their Euro 2000 success, and not the 2002 World Cup finals which saw them depart without scoring a single goal.

Les Bleus looked very impressive in the qualifiers, beating Slovenia, Israel, Cyprus and Malta to first place without dropping a point.

They scored 16 goals without reply in their first three home matches, and scored 10 with only one conceded in their four away wins.

If France can reproduce this form when it really matters, another trophy could be well within their grasp.

Coach Jacques Santini, who has no serious injury concerns ahead of Euro 2004, is in the enviable position of being able to leave world-class talent on the bench.

Midfielders Claude Makelele, Patrick Vieira and Olivier Dacourt are masters in holding their positions behind Zinedine Zidane, while Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord can be called upon to provide width.

Les Bleus can also count on striking talent at the height of their powers, with Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Juventus' David Trezeguet the usual choices.

Santini's side are not completely worry-free, however, with Djibril Cisse set to miss the tournament. Cisse is serving a four-match international ban following his red card in the under-21 match against Portugal.

SWITZERLAND

Kobi Kuhn's Switzerland side emerged from the Euro 2004 qualifiers with considerable credit after taking top spot in Group 10.

Cynics might suggest that their success was down to their main opponents, Russia and the Republic of Ireland, underperforming, but the Alpine nation can still boast the makings of a fine team.

In midfield, Basel's Hakan Yakin is the man to look out for, with plenty of skill to his name and a useful knack for scoring goals as well as supplying them.

But the real danger man during qualifying was Alexander Frei, who has struggled to find the net for French club Stade Rennais, but cannot stop scoring for his country.

Switzerland's performances in 2003 are not quite on a par with those at the start of their European campaign, when a 2-1 win in Ireland pushed them to the top of the group.

There was, in particular, some cause for concern in their match in Moscow, which saw them ripped apart by Russia 4-1.

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