Before I head off to Polski to drink myself half to death in support of the Irish team, here are my group guides starting with the weakest group on show.

1st - Russia
Russia would seem the obvious choice for this Group. They come into the tournament with the 3rd longest undefeated run out of the 16 nations involved. Russia are a bit Jekyll and Hyde, awful against Lithuania last week, outstanding a few days later as they ripped Italy apart, winning 3-0. Hiddink favours 1 up front with Pogrebnyak, Kerzhakov and Pavlyuchenko pushing to start. Alan Dzagoev will be the player to watch. If Russia can find some consistency, they could go far.

2nd - Poland
Poland could well be the surprise package of the tournament. They have the backing of the home crowd and are blessed with more creativity than in recent history. The Dortmund trio of Pisczek, Blascykowski and Lewandowski are coming in on the back of an excellent, successful season. Lewandowski is my outside bet for top scorer in the tournament. His hat-trick in the German Cup final demonstrated what he is all about.

And the rest:
The Czechs and the Greeks should be the also-rans of the tournament. Both lack creativity and rely on older players. The Czechs lack of strength of front is highlighted by the fact that Milan Baros is still their main threat. The Greeks will be tough to beat but won't score enough to get through the group.

Opening Fixtures Predictions:
Poland (-0.5) vs Greece at 2.00
Russia (SU) vs Czech Republic at 2.150 is a steal