In YoYo’s second look at the Euro 2016 groups, we look at Group B and those teams most likely to get furthest in the tournament…

England

Perhaps the team most of our readers will be watching this summer, England will look to put that all-too-familiar tournament disappointment behind them. Fans should be quietly confident too, as without the weight of expectation that came with names like Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes, Beckham etc a young Lions team could find freedom to play and express themselves.

With names like Rashford, Kane, Dier, Alli, Stones and Barkley all making the preliminary squad, this tournament is likely to be a taste of the future, with Hodgson looking to profit from the good form of Tottenham, Leicester and Liverpool. But perhaps it’s the lack of big names that will limit their success; there are significant gaps in defence in the absence of Terry and Ferdinand which are only partially filled, and you can’t help but feel that the aforementioned duo’s leadership has not been replaced yet.

Vardy has his eyes set on a cheeky blue WKD as he lets Rose and Kane get better acquainted

Nonetheless, it’s an exciting tournament for England, especially off the back of a victory against the World Champions two months ago (to add to two World Wars and one World Cup).

A lot comes down to Hodgson. Does he stick with the players he obviously trusts but haven’t performed that well? Or does he go with the players who have had an electric year in the Premier League?

The first one to watch obviously has to be Jamie Vardy. What can we say that hasn’t already been said? His game is simple, unrefined and yet so effective. He scores goals, and that’s what England need. Fans will hope for more like his flick against Manuel Neuer come the Euros.

Hopefully his strike partner, Harry Kane is another one we expect to have a good tournament. Very much in the same mould as Vardy, he has had a fantastic season with Tottenham, taking home the Premier League Golden boot with 25 goals. He’s another likely to be a good choice of fantasy players everywhere.

Something of a wild card due to his age is Dele Alli. He’s shown that he can lose his head occasionally but his raw talent cannot be doubted. He’ll look to hold down a box-to-box position alongside Dier, contibuting to England’s efforts with goals and assists. A lot of his success will come down to his discipline, and with Roy’s favourite Jack Wilshere making the squad he won’t have chances to make mistakes.

England fans should be optimistic, but don’t expect anything too mind blowing…that way when Vardy scores the winner in the final (whisper it quietly) you can all act surprised.

Russia

While the Russians have never really had a dominant performance at a major tournament, they always provide a stern test in the Group Stages and, as shown in 2008, in the knockout stages too. Their resurgence under Leonid Slutsky make Russia an in-form team with some top players who will want to have their say in the tournament.

Alan Dzagoev, the most Russian-looking man in the Motherland

The first of these is Alan Dzagoev. The CSKA Moscow attacking midfielder has shown himself to be top drawer in the last two tournaments and will look to use his ability on the ball to create and finish chances for the Russians. Roaming between the lines from left to right, Dzagoev should be an exciting part of the Russian team.

One to watch is Denis Cheryshev. The Real Madrid winger has only made a handful of appearances but has been outstanding for the Castilla and at Villareal last season. Trigger-happy, if Slutsky uses Cheryshev right he could be a lethal component of Russia’s attacking threats this summer.

Between the sticks it will be Igor Akinfeev who will be a key part of defence, with the experienced CSKA Moscow captain looking to build on a strong reputation. The 30 year old has made 332 appearances for CSKA Moscow in his 13 year association with the club and his experience will be invaluable in Euro 2016.

Russia will be looking for qualification, competing with England and Wales for the top two places for automatic progression. They may find themselves relying on third place however, with failure to progress unacceptable to the hordes of Russian fans but also to the quality of this side.

Wales

June 11th will mark Wales’ first venture into a major tournament for nearly 60 years. It is a huge feat accomplished by a talented crop of top level players, with most of the Welsh team representing teams in the top two tiers of English football.

Wales will look to counterattack, building on their mightily impressive defensive record during qualification and the pace they have on the wings, complemented by the strong centre midfield that they boast. But who will stand out when an entire nation is watching?

First, and most obvious: Gareth Bale. He’s one of the world’s best and has led the Welsh attack during the entire campaign. Without putting too much pressure on him, welsh hopes entirely rest on the Real Madrid man’s shoulders, but lucky enough for them, he has hit superb form in the final few weeks of the season and will look to decide games in the summer.

He’s good, and he knows it too

Another vitally important is the captain Ashley Williams. At the heart of defence, Williams will look to marshall his team and continue the strong goals conceded record that brought them to this point in the first place. A favourite of the fantasy football managers out there, Williams is also a danger from set pieces.

The final one to watch from Wales is Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey. Perhaps the other big name in the team aside from Bale, Ramsey will look to improve upon a somewhat underwhelming season at Arsenal with goals and assists at the Euros. We know he has the talent and ability, it’s all about whether he shows it this summer.

Slovakia

This tournament marks Slovakia’s first european competition, having last played in the 2010 World Cup. Their highlight that year was beating Italy 3–2 in the final game of the group stages, and they will need to summon some of the same spirit under their manager Jan Kozak if they hope to get further than the group stages this time around.

Their main threat comes in the form of the questionably-haired Marek Hamsik, the Napoli attacking midfielder who was part of the attacking trio alongside Lavezzi and Cavani which made Napoli such a force in 2012. All attacking play will come through this man, with his driving runs at pace and his keen eye for a pass. Key for him in this tournament is that he is given free license to be at his devastating best.

The “conga” celebration didn’t quite catch on

Another attacking threat comes from Robbie Mak, who has used his incredible pace at PAOK in Greece to contribute assists and goals, cutting in from the right and using his potent left foot.

In defence, it will be the role of experienced Martin Skrtl to marshall and control the Slovakian backline, with the Liverpool man also one to contribute with a goal every now and then. What’s certain is that he will have his hands full this summer, as each of the teams he is facing have very strong attacking threats who will need to be contained.

Summary

Group B looks to be a hotly contested group at first glance, with England favourites to take the top spot. But with the British derby looming with Wales, it’s highly unpredictable, which could open up space for the Russians to sneak second place. For us, it’s between Wales and Russia for the second qualification spot, but with the talent that Wales have going forward (that’s you, Gareth) we find it hard to see Russia overpowering them. It’s going to be a tough ride for Slovakia too, but to have made it this far is an achievement in itself for such a small nation.

It’s all about England though, as Hodgson should look to benefit from strong domestic form of Leicester and Spurs to send the Three Lions flying into the knockout round. We’ve probably jinxed it now, but it has to be said that there is enough talent in that team to take them out of the group stages for sure. We’d expect the final table to look like this:

England 2. Wales 3. Russia 4. Slovakia

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