We've known for many months that the European Championship trophy won't be heading to these shores this summer, but just who will emerge victorious at Euro 2008?

That's the question we posed to our panel of Soccer Saturday experts ahead of the big kick-off in Austria and Switzerland this weekend.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo fire Portugal to glory? Will Spain finally end their long wait for an international trophy? Or will the class of the Germans prove too much for the competition?

Will the winner emerge from the group of death which contains Italy, France and Holland? Or will England's conquerors Croatia emerge as the dark horse for the title?

The Soccer Saturday pundits have been enjoying a well-earned break since the end of the Premier League season, but we dragged them away from their sunbeds to get their predictions ahead of the finals.

We also found out which players they think will have an impact on the tournament and who they'll be following - if they're following it at all!

Jeff Stelling

My tip is... ITALY. I fancy Italy strongly. It's nearly the same squad that won the 2006 World Cup with the exception of Nesta and Totti, who I think is a waste of space so it's a big bonus that he's not there. The players know each other and they know how to win games when they need to, as we saw at Hamden Park. It's been 40 years since they won the European Championships, so it's about time.

The dark horse will be... CROATIA. Not so dark in English eyes, but Croatia are dark horses. Eduardo is going to be a big miss, but any side with the likes of Kranjcar and Modric in their team has got to have a chance. They are going to create opportunities and if they can stick one or two of them away then they've got a great chance.

The top scorer will be... CRISTIANO RONALDO. You need to look at the sides that will go a long way, such as the Germans, so Miroslav Klose will probably have a chance. But this has to be Cristiano Ronaldo's hour doesn't it? You'd fancy Portugal to go some way and after the goalscoring streak he's had in England he now has the opportunity to show he can score consistently on the world stage.

I'll be following... CROATIA. To be honest I'm not looking forward to the tournament a great deal, but of all the sides I'm looking forward to seeing Croatia. I know they put England out, but they're going to be one of the most exciting sides to watch. But I'll mainly be keeping an eye on the Premier League-based players and those who might end up here over the next year or two.

Phil Thompson

My tip is... ITALY. For the simple reason that they have lots of match winners and big tournament players. They won the World Cup in 2006 despite all the the problems they were having in their domestic league with the bribes and everything and I just feel they are a big tournament team.

The dark horse will be... SPAIN. I don't think there is a dark horse but if I have to pick one it would be Spain. The reason being is that everyone has already written them off because like England they are the great under achievers.

The top scorer will be... MIROSLAV KLOSE. I don't think there will be anyone who is going to set the tournament alight but I think Klose of Germany will be there again. He is such a natural goalscorer and a real penalty box predator so he has a great chance of finishing the tournament as top goalscorer.

I'll be following... SPAIN. Like most people here on Merseyside I will probably be going España because we haven't got anyone there and there's quite a few of our players in their squad.

Charlie Nicholas

My tip is... FRANCE. I've been thinking about this for about a week but I still can't quite make my mind up. I don't fancy Germany or a lot of the main sides which are being tipped. My two outsiders are Croatia and Holland and then if I had a preference after that it would be France.

The dark horse will be... CROATIA. I'm surprised that they are still outsiders because any team that can beat England at Wembley is going to be a force. So I'll certainly be fancying a bit of each way cash on them.

The top scorer will be... THIERRY HENRY. I genuinely believe that one of the big names will come through in this. Ruud Van Nistelrooy is just back from injury and will probably be raring to go but I think Thierry Henry will be the top goalscorer. He's pretty fresh because it hasn't been a particularly taxing season for him playing wide left for Barcelona and I think playing down the middle again will inspire him to really go on and set this tournament alight.

I'll be following... FRANCE. I've always liked France because I'm a big fan of Thierry Henry's so I'll be following them.

Paul Merson

My tip is... SPAIN. Purely based on the fact that I've been watching Fernando Torres for a year. I know they're renowned for choking when it comes to the big tournaments but I've just got a feeling about them this year, especially with Torres.

The dark horse will be... NONE OF THEM. I don't see anyone winning this tournament other than the big three of Italy, Germany and Spain. I don't think France will win because they're a bit like Chelsea in that they never kill teams off and so you're always in the match against them.

The top scorer will be... FERNANDO TORRES. I can't see past Torres; I think he's different class. A lot of people have been going with Cristiano Ronaldo but I don't fancy him. He's had a really heavy season and played a lot more games than Torres so I don't think he will do it.

I'll be following... SPAIN. I won't really be supporting anyone, but I'm quite looking forward to seeing Spain play.

Matt Le Tissier

My tip is...HOLLAND. I think they've got some super players going forward and the only slight handicap they have is that I don't think their back four is the strongest in the world. But certainly going forward they've got all the flair to cause teams problems.

The dark horse will be...CROATIA. I'm going to go with them even though they knocked us out! They might miss Arsenal striker Eduardo a bit, but they've still got a lot of good players and they're a decent side.

The top scorer will be...CRISTIANO RONALDO. I don't think you can look any further than Ronaldo can you? He's been on fire and with the season he's had he should be so confident going into these championships. The only question is can Portugal create enough chances for him?

I'll be following...SPAIN. I won't really be supporting anyone because there are no British nations there, but if I've got a bit of a soft spot for anyone it's Spain because I think Cesc Fabregas is a fabulous footballer. So I'll be watching how he does and hopefully he can do well for them.

Chris Kamara

My tip is...SPAIN. They've got a lot of young hungry players who have a lot of quality. They have had a tendency to choke in the past but they've got a lot of experience in manager Luis Aragones and some good young coaches alongside him.

The dark horse will be...HOLLAND. No one expects them to get out of the 'group of death', but I'm not so sure. I think France will start with the old guard instead of Karim Benzema and I'm not sure they've got the legs, so I think Holland will be the surprise ones to get through.

The top scorer will be... FERNANDO TORRES. My money is already on the Liverpool striker because I've got no doubt that he will take his Premier League form into this tournament.

I'll be following...SPAIN. With England not there I'll be supporting Spain because that's where my money is!

Alan McInally

My tip is...GERMANY. I fancy Michael Ballack to lead Germany to European glory this summer. Their preparation will be as good if not better than any team in Switzerland and Austria. They might not have the most talented individuals but as a team they always play really well together. They won it in Euro 96 when - in my opinion - they didn't have the best team, but as a unit they were fantastic and they have a great chance this time as well.

The dark horse will be...CROATIA. As an outside bet I would go with Croatia. There might be a little bit more optimism about them because they stopped England from qualifying, but they've got some really talented individuals.

The top scorer will be... CRISTIANO RONALDO. Everyone is talking about him and I think he will be the man at this tournament. Maybe we're expecting a little bit too much from him because he's done it all year for Manchester United, but I think with a little bit of sun on his back he will absolutely thrive out there.

I'll be following... GERMANY. I normally say anyone playing England, but I can't say that this year! So I'm going to go with Germany because of my German connections.

Tony Cottee

My tip is... SPAIN. I'd like to see Spain do something because I'm a big fan of Fernando Torres and I think they've almost been worse underachievers than England have over the years. They last won a major tournament in 1964, so they're long overdue and they've got some terrific players.

The dark horse will be... NONE OF THEM. I would have said Croatia, but the fact that Eduardo got injured will make it difficult for them. I really can't see beyond the big six - France, Italy, Holland, Germany, Portugal and Spain and I don't think it will be the year of the underdog.

The top scorer will be... FERNANDO TORRES. I was a big fan of his when he was at Atletico Madrid and thought it was only a question of time before he moved to a big club. I think he's had a terrific first season with Liverpool and I tipped him to be the Premier League's top scorer at the start of the season - and he wasn't far off in the end. He's full of confidence and I think he'll be right up there. Ronaldo deserves a mention, but I think Torres is a tremendous all-round forward who knows where the goal is.

I'll be following... NOBODY! I'll keep an eye on Spain and I will take an interest in the group of death with three big nations in it, but beyond that I will be very selective with the matches that I watch. When England are involved you watch anything and everything, but I just hope we see some good goals, some entertaining football and that it's a good tournament.