UEFA Euro 2012

Sweden will enter Euro 2012 hoping and praying that Zlatan Ibrahimovic can do something spectacular, and score a few goals.

There is no doubt the team’s fate is largely tied to the play of the AC Milan striker who, is by far, the obvious focal point and biggest threat, an asset that makes them dangerous for any opponent, although it also but also threatens to make them one-dimensional.

For group members England, France and Ukraine, the plan is simple: Stop Ibrahimovic, and you will probably stop Sweden.

Coach Erik Hamren told The Associated Press recently. “For me, it’s about seeing the opportunities. Zlatan is a world-class player who gives us opportunities. He’s the kind of player who can decide a game, the kind of player every team wishes they had.”

With ex-superstars Henrik Larsson and Fredrik Ljungberg now long gone, Ibrahimovic is the only member of the Sweden squad playing for a top-level European club.

The backbone of the team is made up of players like Lyon midfielder Kim Kallstrom, Sunderland winger Sebastian Larsson, Galatasaray forward Johan Elmander (ex-Bolton) and John Guidetti, the 20 year-old Manchester City striker, who netted 20 times when on loan to Feyenoord last season. These players are all capable of scoring goals, but are unlikely to strike much fear in opposing defences.

A handful of other players, like playmaker Rasmus Elm, West Brom defender Jonas Olsson and forward Ola Toivonen, are all quality players who will have to be on top of their game if Sweden don’t want an early exit..

As always, the players wearing yellow and blue will work extremely hard, but we all know that Sweden are one of the weaker nations in Euro 2012 and I can’t see them making it through to the knockout stage.