After months of build up, Euro 2012 is nearly upon us and it is set to be a fantastic tournament with plenty of contenders for success. Fans, pundits and punters have made their selections, the heat is on as the tournament kicks off. Will your free bets come good?

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Kicking things off on Friday evening is co-hosts Poland and Euro 2004 winners Greece. The home side will be relishing the chance to show the rest of Europe what they can do, while Greece will be out to upset the party atmosphere.

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It is a game that will be watched the world over and perhaps set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Having said that, there is also every chance it could be a tense affair and perhaps not the most pleasing contest for the neutral. The pressure is well and truly on after all.

After this opening fixture, the second Group A game takes place as Russia and Czech Republic go head to head on Friday evening. In a competitive group, this is a very important match for both sides.

Of course, no team wants to start with a defeat and this is the case across the whole weekend. Holland will be desperate to avoid slipping up against Denmark for example, while Germany v Portugal could be crucial to see who progressed from Group B.

You then have two European giants meeting on Sunday evening with Spain and Italy looking to get off to a winning start. The two home nations are also involved this weekend with Republic of Ireland taking on Croatia and England facing a much fancied France side.

Rounding off the weekend’s action is co-hosts Ukraine and Sweden. This should be another close encounter as both teams look to set themselves up nicely for qualification from Group D.

Overall, as soon as the action gets underway on Friday evening, there is non-stop football action. It should be a fantastic few weeks, so don’t take your eyes off it.