Hosts Poland are Euro 2012 underdogs

Poland have not played a competitive match since 2009 and a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign which saw them finish second from bottom in their group. They have been drawn up with the likes of Greece, Russia and Czech Republic. On paper it's one of the easier group but Poland still remain outsiders to reach the second round.

Coach Franciszek Smuda has plenty of experience to call upon for the finals, and star striker Robert Lewandowski, fullback Lukasz Piszczek and midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski will have to carry the team's burden on their shoulders if they have any chance of making it to the knockout stages.

Poland is one of the youngest teams at Euro 2012, but Smuda has put together a roster that strikes an excellent balance between youth and experience. Playing in front of their home crowd will give huge boost to the players. But despite elements of quality in the team, this is not a great era for Polish football. Long gone are the days of third place finishes in the 1974 and 1982 World Cups.

But the biggest weakness for them is their defence and lack of creative midfielders. Fullbacks Sebastian Boenisch and Damien Perquis have been injured throughout the just concluded season and their lack of match fitness could further hamper a defence that does not possess any star names. In the goal Wojciech Szczesny is coming after a great season with Arsenal and could turn out to be be real show stopper.

In the midfield, Poland has hard-working players down the flanks but the lack of a genuine playmaker that can operate in the centre of midfield and provide threatening balls to the attack can hurt them badly. If the coach goes with a conservative approach, relying on two holding midfielders to operate in front of the back four, then it can work in their favour as it will get difficult for the other teams to break down the defence. Speed and one-touch passes in the team's buildup is Poland's forte and that technique can also work wonders.

Home hopes largely resolve around Robert Lewandowski. The Borussia Dortmund strike was awarded Poland's Player of the year in 2011, and has been in fine form in the Bundesliga this season. Along with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, he must perform should the hosts not suffer an embarrassing early exit from what looks a weak group.

Poland squad:

Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny, Przemyslaw Tyton, Grzegorz Sandomierski

Defenders: Lukasz Piszczek, Marcin Wasilewski, Jakub Wawrzyniak, Marcin Kaminski, Grzegorz Wojtkowiak, Sebastian Boenisch, Damien Perquis

Midfielders: Eugen Polanski, Dariusz Dudka, Adam Matuszczyk, Adrian Mierzejewski, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Ludovic Obraniak, Maciej Rybus, Kamil Grosicki, Rafal Murawski, Rafal Wolski

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski, Artur Sobiech, Pawel Brozek

Recent Euro performances:

2008 - Group Stage

2004 - Did not qualify

2000 - Did not qualify

1996 - Did not qualify

Keep an eye on: Robert Lewandowski, Lukasz Piszczek, Wojciech Szczesny

Prediction: Euro 2012 is a priceless opportunity for Poland's football team to get into the spotlight and with a few star players up their sleeves, they have a realistic chance to make it to the quarterfinals but not beyond than that.

Fixtures:

June 8, 2012: Poland vs Greece – National Stadium, Warsaw

June 12, 2012: Poland vs Russia – National Stadium, Warsaw

June 16, 2012: Czech Republic vs Poland – Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw