Euro 2008 Overview: The European Championship finals are more than a year away, but the outcome of several key qualifiers over the next week could have a significant bearing on who gets there.

With 14 months to go before the championship opens in Basel in June 2008 only co-hosts Austria and Switzerland are assured of their places in the 16-team event. Forty qualifiers are being played today and next Wednesday and, although a handful of qualifiers were played during the winter months, this is the first time all the major nations have been in competitive action since November.

Reigning European champions Greece, Sweden, the Netherlands and Scotland could all take significant steps along the qualifying path. Conversely, defeats for established powers like world champions Italy, England or Portugal could seriously hamper their chances while defeat for Spain could kill off their hopes completely.

Greece, largely unimpressive for two years after surprisingly winning the title in Portugal in 2004, missed out on the World Cup last year. But they have won their opening three matches in Group C and are just behind Turkey on goal difference. They now play the Turks, who have also made a perfect start with three straight wins, in Athens today and then travel to Malta next week. Whoever wins today will boost their chances considerably.

With the top two in each of the seven qualifying groups advancing and no play-off deciders to come, a consistently strong campaign is essential.

No team has started better than Sweden in Group F where the Scandinavians have opened with four straight wins. A fifth successive victory over Northern Ireland next week will put them in a commanding and probably unassailable position in their group, leaving Spain, among others trailing in their wake.

Spain have won one and lost two of their opening three matches in Group F - and if they were to lose again to unbeaten Denmark in Madrid today or even Iceland in Mallorca next week - their campaign would effectively be over.

The Netherlands are another side who have started well with three wins and a draw and victories over Romania at home and Slovenia away next week will put them even closer to qualifying from Group G.

Scotland have made almost as good a start in Group B with three wins - including a 1-0 victory over France - and just one defeat from their first four games.

They face Georgia and world champions Italy in their first competitive matches under new coach Alex McLeish and would also take a huge step to the finals for the first time since 1996 with a win (over Georgia) and a draw (against the Italians).

Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez insists that talks about his future can wait until after the next two qualifiers. He is focusing on plotting a path past bottom-of-the-table Liechtenstein today and group leaders Sweden on Wednesday. Sanchez said: "I have had no discussions with the IFA regarding my future beyond this campaign. It is a distraction I do not need at the moment as I am concentrating on the game on Saturday."