Euro 2008 : past performance is no guarantee of future performance.

Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain shone brightly in their first Euro 2008 game ?

If past History is any indication, pick the championship ultimate winner somewhere else.

As the perennial first game underachievers, the Italians have overdone themselves ; expect them to sail past Romania on an ugly goal and steal their way into the quarter finals and then...

Also note that Germany was prompt to correct the initial positive impression the team gave : their defeat against Croatia tends to prove the Germans could be, after all, serious contenders.

Portugal's pathetic impatience at reaching the quarter finals sadly confirms their neverending immaturity and that the rule of the Championship game still eludes them. Expect them to be at their usual ugly worst when they realise they were again picked up as suckers.

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