Predictions for the U-21 Euros: Champion, top scorer, and more

Here's how we see the European Under-21 Championship playing out.

Group results

Of the 12 teams competing in Poland this year, seven have won the tournament at least once. Italy is the most successful nation, boasting five titles, while Spain sits on four. Portugal, surprisingly, is looking for its first U-21 crown.

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While England looks well-positioned to emerge from Group A, Spain battles Portugal in a heavyweight tilt for Group B honours, and Italy and Germany lock horns in Group C.

Here's how we predict the three sections will unfold:

• Group A: England, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia
• Group B: Spain, Portugal, Serbia, Macedonia
• Group C: Italy, Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic

Final four

With the tournament expanding to 12 teams for the first time, the format of the knockout stage has been rejigged: the three group winners will automatically advance to the semi-finals, while the fourth slot will be assumed by the second-place team with the best record.

• England vs. Portugal
• Spain vs. Italy

Finalists

England vs. Spain: A clash between the tournament's two most successful sides would be a fitting final, but the format of the competition will likely see Spain and Italy meet in the penultimate contest. Thus, we're left with a rematch of the 1984 final, when the Young Lions earned their second consecutive U-21 title with a 3-0 aggregate triumph.

Tournament winner

Spain: Talented as England is - Aidy Boothroyd's side is littered with players boasting plenty of Premier League experience - it's just impossible not to be in awe of Spain's squad. Marco Asensio is the best player in the tournament; Saul Niguez has already shown he can take over Champions League matches; Hector Bellerin and Jose Gaya are the best set of full-backs on offer in Poland; Inaki Williams is a defender's nightmare; and Sandro Ramirez will push for the Golden Boot. Sometimes, it's just not that complicated: the team with the best players wins.

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Top scorer

Tammy Abraham: The gangly Chelsea forward, who scored 26 goals in all competitions while on loan at Bristol City last season, is the prime candidate to lead the competition in scoring, checking off a number of boxes. He's the focal point of the attack for a team loaded with skill all over the pitch, he gets to play in the weakest of the tournament's three groups, and he should see his side make a deep run, giving him extra chances to bulge the twine. Don't sleep on both Sandro Ramirez and free-scoring Denmark forward Marcus Ingvartsen, but Abraham is the logical play here.

Biggest flop

Germany: The much-lauded German pipeline is still producing excellent youngsters at an impressive rate, but this inexperienced squad is the second-best team in Group C after Italy. And despite some marquee names, the absence of imposing centre-back Jonathan Tah through injury is a massive loss for Stefan Kuntz's side. Germany is expected to win every tournament it enters, at various levels, so a group stage exit would be viewed as a huge disappointment.

Best player

Marco Asensio: The standout player on a Spanish squad that has an eye-popping name at every turn, Real Madrid's Asensio has the enviable blend of technical ability and tactical awareness that makes him a manager's dream. Capable of playing multiple attacking positions, expect the 21-year-old burgeoning superstar - and his golden left foot - to follow in the footsteps of Thiago Alcantara and Juan Mata in being named the best player at the tournament.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)