HOW DO THEY PLAY?
The Ukraine squad has been depleted by injuries to its defence but manager Oleg Blokhin will hope that key midfielders Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka can provide the firepower for the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Andriy Voronin. The co-hosts are a team that likes to counter attack but must do without experienced goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovsky and injured Shakhtar defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy, so there will be areas to exploit. Voronin tends to drop behind Shevchenko but the former AC Milan and Chelsea forward can also do the same with Marko Devic the lone striker.
Likely formation: 4-4-1-1
Possible starting XI: Andriy Pyatov; Oleg Gusev, Olexandr Kucher, Taras Mikhalik, Yaroslav Rakitskiy; Andriy Yarmolenko, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ruslan Rotan, Yevhen Konoplyanka; Andriy Voronin; Andriy Shevchenko.
STAR MAN
Andriy Shevchenko (pictured right) was once one of the most feared strikers in the European game, and the 35-year-old will see playing on home soil at Euro 2012 as the perfect way to bow out from international football. However, chronic back pain threatens to ruin Shevchenko's fairytale finish.
The forward has been undergoing medical treatment in a bid to be ready for the tournament, and has been used relatively sparingly by his understanding club, Dynamo Kiev. Shevchenko insists publicly that he won't play unless he is fully fit, but it would still be a major surprise if he was not involved.
Shevchenko regularly terrorised defences in Serie A with AC Milan, and won the Ballon d'Or in 2004. However, by the time he moved to Chelsea in 2006 for a British record fee his physical attributes had started to decline, and he managed just 10 Premier League goals in two full seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Allowed to return to Kiev in 2009, he provided a timely reminder of his technical ability in Dynamo's Europa League win against Manchester City last season.
ONE TO WATCH
Should Andriy Shevchenko's fitness problems prevent him from making an impact, his Dynamo Kiev team-mate Andriy Yarmolenko may be the best alternative. The talented 22-year-old underlined his credentials with a goal in the recent friendly against Germany.
Yarmolenko scored on his full international debut against Andorra in 2009, but still took part at this summer's European Under-21 Championships in order to gain tournament experience.
SWEDENHOW DO THEY PLAY?
Former Sweden coach Lars Lagerback: "When Erik Hamren took over he wanted to play attacking football but during qualification he quickly realised you need to have a lot more balanced line-up and they are more balanced now, particularly defensively. They are a well-organised Swedish team with everyone working hard in defence. They can keep the ball very well but also hit teams on the attack too. They will look to do that as much as possible."
Likely formation: 4-4-2
Possible starting XI: Andreas Isaksson; Mikael Lustig, Jonas Olsson, Olof Mellberg, Martin Olsson; Seb Larsson (if recovered from injury), Rasmus Elm, Anders Svensson, Kim Kallstrom; Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Johan Elmander
STAR MAN
One of the most outspoken names in European football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic (pictured right) is Sweden's totem. No question - the former Barcelona striker has rich talent. But doubts remain about his ability to apply it on the biggest stage. Here, perhaps, is his chance to silence those critics. He once said he was the best player in the world. Let's see.
ONE TO WATCH
Lyon's left-footed midfielder Kim Kallstrom conjured up seven assists in qualifying - the most of any European player across the entire campaign (along with Germany's Mesut Ozil). He also chipped in with three goals. The 29-year-old will be aiming to utilise the influence he has gained in winning more than 80 caps for his country.
FRANCEHOW DO THEY PLAY?
Coach Laurent Blanc has experimented with a number of different formations over the past two years. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and centre-backs Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes always play when available, Yann M'Vila is the mainstay in midfield, and Karim Benzema is the first-choice striker. Under Blanc, Les Bleus have become more attack-minded; they invariably aim to dominate possession using their short passing game, and rely on the skills of Franck Ribéry, Samir Nasri and Benzema to unsettle defences.
Likely formation: 4-2-3-1
Possible starting XI: Hugo Lloris (c); Mathieu Debuchy, Adil Rami, Philippe Mexès, Patrice Evra; Yann M'Vila, Yohan Cabaye; Loic Rémy, Samir Nasri, Franck Ribéry; Karim Benzema.
STAR MAN
Karim Benzema (pictured right) was left out of France's World Cup squad because of disappointing form during his first season at Real Madrid, but new coach Blanc has shown more faith in him.
The 24-year-old has also won over Jose Mourinho this season. Benzema's improved form at the Bernabeu is in part down to a new fitness regime that helped him to shed seven kilos over the summer. He scored 32 goals in all competitions and assisted 15 others, and has begun to justify his €30m price tag. Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo netted a combined 118 league and cup goals this term, breaking the record for a trio (previously set by Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry in 2009).
Benzema contributed three goals in qualifying and netted decisive strikes in friendly wins against Brazil and England. The former Lyon star will be keen to make amends for his lacklustre display at Euro 2008, when he started two games but made little impression.
ONE TO WATCH
Yann M'Vila . The Rennes holding midfielder played for France at every youth level before making an accomplished senior debut in Laurent Blanc's first game in charge, a friendly defeat to Norway. He was a regular in qualifying, scoring once in eight appearances.
ENGLANDHOW DO THEY PLAY?
There is little time for new boss Roy Hodgson to experiment, so he is likely to stick with many of the players who gained qualification. The former West Brom, Liverpool and Fulham manager is renowned for playing a 4-4-2 formation, but without Wayne Rooney he is likely to try Steven Gerrard behind Danny Welbeck to start with.
Defensive organisation has been a lynchpin of Hodgson's success, but he has loaded the squad with attacking midfielders to add an attacking threat. Don't expect fireworks without Rooney, but England have shown in recent games that a counter-attacking approach suits them.
Likely formation: 4-2-3-1
Possible starting XI : Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole; Scott Parker, Frank Lampard; Theo Walcott, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Young; Danny Welbeck
STAR MAN
After more than a decade as one of the world's best midfielders, can Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (pictured right) haul England's underachievers to the heights which were expected of them at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?
One of the so-called 'Golden Generation' upon whom the lights are starting to fade, at least at international level, much will rest on inspirational Gerrard initially - if fully fit - in the absence of his fellow Liverpudlian Wayne Rooney, who is banned for the first two group games.
ONE TO WATCH
Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck is being tipped by many pundits to break into the England team following a promising season at Old Trafford, which has seen him keep Dimitar Berbatov out of the side. The 21-year-old has made four England appearances to date and scored five goals in 14 games for the Under-21s but needs to fully recover from an injury suffered at the end of the season.
Source: FOOTYMAD
