MILAN, June 2) - Italy and the Czech Republic start as favourites in Group E but both Ghana and the United States will fancy their chances of springing a surprise and making it to the second round of the World Cup finals.

If all goes according to plan however when Italy meet the Czechs in their last group match in Hamburg on June 22 they should both be looking at clinching top spot in the group.

Italy face Ghana in their opener in Hanover on June 12 then play the United States in Kaiserslautern on June 17. The Czechs open against the U.S. then face Ghana five days later.

The group echoes a first round group in the 1990 finals when Italy, the old Czechoslovakia and the United States were all grouped together along with Austria.

Italy and Czechoslovakia both advanced to the next stage.

But Italy, world champions in 1982, have underachieved in recent tournaments -- they failed to make it out of the group stage at Euro 2004 and were knocked out in the second-round by co-hosts South Korea in the World Cup four years ago.

The current match-fxing scandal back in Italy has not helped their cause, but might not have hindered it too much either.

Since Marcello Lippi took over from Giovanni Trapattoni following the poor showing in Portugal two years ago, the Azzurri have toughened up and also have some fresh options in attack including one of Europe's top goalscorers this season - Fiorentina's Luca Toni.

Established players such as captain Fabio Cannavaro, defender Alessandro Nesta and Roma's Francesco Totti are at their prime and know this could be their last chance to win the biggest prize in the game.

Although this is the first time that the Czechs will appear at a World Cup finals as an independent nation, as Czechoslovakia they were runners-up in 1934 and 1962.

Since separation from Slovakia, the Czechs reached the final of Euro 96 and made the semi-finals in Portugal two years ago with midfielder Pavel Nedved, the former European Footballer of the Year, having featured in all those tournaments.

The form book suggests Karel Bruckner's Czechs will compete with Italy for top spot in the group but the United States's steadily improving status in the game makes them also serious contenders.

Four years ago the US reached the quarter-finals, beating Portugal in their opener before knocking out Mexico in the second round to before losing to eventual finalists Germany.

Bruce Arena's side contains plenty of players with experience of playing in top-flight European football including Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Kasey Keller, PSV Eindhoven's DaMarcus Beasley and Manchester City's Claudio Reyna.

Ghana, featuring in their first World Cup finals, are the outsiders in the group but have some exciting talent that will concern their rivals.

Inspired by the midfield acumen of Stephan Appiah and Michael Essien, Ghana came from behind to beat South Africa away from home in June and then won their last two qualifying matches to make sure of their place in Germany.

They will be under-estimated at their opponents' peril.