Monday, 4 December 2023

Another chance for England at Euro 2024

🟥 EURO 2024 FINALS ðŸŸ¥

GROUP A GROUP BGROUP CGROUP D
[A1] GERMANY[B1] SPAIN[C1] SLOVENIA[D1] PLAYOFF [A]
[A2] SCOTLAND[B2] CROATIA[C2] DENMARK[D2] NETHERLANDS
[A3] HUNGARY[B3] ITALY[C3] SERBIA[D3] AUSTRIA
[A4] SWITZERLAND[B4] ALBANIA[C4] ENGLAND[D4] FRANCE

GROUP EGROUP F

[E1] BELGIUM[F1] TURKEY

[E2] SLOVAKIA[F2] PLAYOFF [C]
[E3] ROMANIA[F3] PORTUGAL

[E4] PLAYOFF [B][F4] CZECH REP

ENGLAND avoided the non-seeded big-hitters in the Euro 2024 finals draw to provide hope that the Three Lions may yet deliver a long-awaited major trophy next summer.

Gareth Southgate's side will take on Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday 16 June (8pm), Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday 20 June (5pm), and Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday 25 June (8pm) in Group C. 

The Danes sit 19th in the current FIFA World Rankings - while Serbia are 34th and Slovenia are rated at a lowly 54th place.

So, on that basis, it really is a section which should prove pretty facile for a country which can call upon the likes of Bundesliga top goalscorer Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham. 

In particular, 20-year-old Bellingham has already made a huge impression in his debut season at Real Madrid with 15 goals and four assists in all competitions. 

An unused substitute as a teenager in the Euro 2020+1 Final at Wembley, the youngster genuinely could be the difference-maker this time if his overly-cautious head coach Southgate finally lets his players off the leash. 

Certainly, that tendency of Southgate to keep the handbrake on at vital moments remains the main concern for Three Lions supporters ahead of the tournament. 

Elsewhere, Scotland landed a far tougher-looking draw by being placed in Group A with hosts Germany, experienced tournament campaigners Switzerland, and a fast-improving Hungary side.

Indeed, the Scots will take centre stage in the tournament opener against the Germans in Munich on Friday 14 June (8pm) - before facing the Swiss in Cologne on Wednesday 19 June (8pm) and the Hungarians in Stuttgart on Sunday 23 June (8pm).

Some fine performances in qualifying - in which Scotland won their first five matches and beat Spain in Glasgow - provides hope north of the border that they might make it through the group stages of a major tournament for the first time ever. 

However, the Tartan Army will have definitely wanted a kinder result than that which was delivered at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. 

After all, Steve Clarke's men are - at 36th in the world - the lowest-ranked team in their section, behind Germany who are 16th, Switzerland who are 18th, and Hungary who are 27th. 

In terms of the rest of the draw, outright favourites France must contend again with the latent threat of the Netherlands in Group D. 

The pair actually came through the same qualifying section with Les Bleus completing a comfortable double over the Oranje including a 4-0 thumping of the Dutch in Saint-Denis. 

As such, French coach Didier Deschamps probably will not have sleepless nights about their next meeting in Leipzig on Friday 21 June (8pm) - while the Netherlands will concentrate on finishing above Austria and the winners of Playoff Path [A], which could be Wales. 

Defending champions Italy - a definite bogey to avoid after being placed in Pot Four following recent struggles - face Spain in Group B in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday 20 June (8pm) in a repeat of the Euro 2012 final

Croatia - who the Italians have never beaten in eight previous attempts - and surprise package Albania complete that set.

Finally, grossly-overrated Belgium and the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Euro 2016 winners Portugal will be pleased with their own kindly draws.

The Red Devils take on Slovakia, Romania and the winners of Playoff Path [B] in Group E - while the Portuguese have been pitted against Turkey, Czech Republic and the winners of Playoff Path [C] in Group F.

Frankly, both of those seeded sides have ageing teams which are past their peak - but, equally, both should have enough to get past their limited opponents.

The countdown can start to the finals properly now, with an all-important interlude in March to determine the sides to qualify from the three playoff paths.

In Path [A], Poland will expect to progress against minnows Estonia while Wales take on Finland in Cardiff.

Then, with the playoff final also scheduled in the Welsh capital, the draw could not have really worked out much better for Cymru who could only finish third in their qualifying group behind Croatia and Turkey.

Troublesome Path [B] features two countries at war with Israel taking on Iceland and Ukraine facing Bosnia-Herzegovina, leaving the venue unconfirmed for one of the semi finals and indeed for the final if the Ukrainians make it through.

Meanwhile, Euro 2004 winners Greece are by far the biggest name in Path [C] - though their need for this route is a measure really of how far Greek football has fallen recently.

The Greeks take on Kazakhstan in Athens at the same time as Georgia face a vastly-improved Luxembourg outfit in Tblisi, with the final staged by the winners of the latter tie.

The playoff semi finals are scheduled for 21 March, with the playoff finals expected to be held on 26 March, and the three winners of those matches will complete the identity of the 24 competitors at Euro 2024.

Euro 2024 itself will begin on 14 June with Germany v Scotland and will run for exactly a month until the Final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on 14 July.

GROUP A
14-June(8pm)GERMANY v SCOTLANDMunich
15-June(2pm)HUNGARY v SWITZERLANDCologne
19-June(5pm)GERMANY v HUNGARYStuttgart
19-June(8pm)SCOTLAND v SWITZERLANDCologne
23-June(8pm)SWITZERLAND v GERMANYFrankfurt
23-June(8pm)  SCOTLAND v HUNGARYStuttgart

GROUP B
15-June(5pm)SPAIN v CROATIABerlin
15-June(8pm)ITALY v ALBANIADortmund
19-June(2pm)CROATIA v ALBANIAHamburg
20-June(8pm)SPAIN v ITALYGelsenkirchen
24-June(8pm)ALBANIA v SPAINDusseldorf
24-June(8pm)  CROATIA v ITALYLeipzig

GROUP C
16-June(5pm)SLOVENIA v DENMARKStuttgart
16-June(8pm)SERBIA v ENGLANDGelsenkirchen
20-June(2pm)SLOVENIA v SERBIAMunich
20-June(5pm)DENMARK v ENGLANDFrankfurt
25-June(8pm)ENGLAND v SLOVENIACologne
25-June(8pm)  DENMARK v SERBIAMunich

GROUP D
16-June(2pm)PLAYOFF [A] v NETHERLANDSHamburg
17-June(8pm)AUSTRIA v FRANCEDusseldorf
21-June(5pm)PLAYOFF [A] v AUSTRIABerlin
21-June(8pm)NETHERLANDS v FRANCELeipzig
25-June(5pm)NETHERLANDS v AUSTRIABerlin
25-June(5pm)  FRANCE v PLAYOFF [A]Dortmund

GROUP E
17-June(2pm)ROMANIA v PLAYOFF [B]Munich
17-June(5pm)BELGIUM v SLOVAKIAFrankfurt
21-June(2pm)SLOVAKIA v PLAYOFF [B]Dusseldorf
22-June(8pm)BELGIUM v ROMANIACologne
26-June(5pm)SLOVAKIA v ROMANIAFrankfurt
26-June(5pm)PLAYOFF [B] v BELGIUMStuttgart

GROUP F
18-June(5pm)TURKEY v PLAYOFF [C]Dortmund
18-June(8pm)PORTUGAL v CZECH REPUBLICLeipzig
22-June(2pm)PLAYOFF [C] v CZECH REPUBLICHamburg
22-June(5pm)TURKEY v PORTUGALDortmund
26-June(8pm)PLAYOFF [C] v PORTUGALGelsenkirchen
26-June(8pm)CZECH REPUBLIC v TURKEYHamburg

LAST 16
29-June(5pm)[38]  RUNNER-UP A v RUNNER-UP BBerlin
29-June(8pm)[37]  WINNER A v RUNNER-UP CDortmund
30-June(5pm)[40]  WINNER C v THIRD PLACE D/E/FGelsenkirchen
30-June(8pm)[39]  WINNER B v THIRD PLACE A/D/E/FCologne
01-July(5pm)[42]  RUNNER-UP D v RUNNER-UP EDusseldorf
01-July(8pm) [41]  WINNER F v THIRD PLACE A/B/CFrankfurt
02-July(5pm)[43]  WINNER E v THIRD PLACE A/B/C/DMunich
02-July(8pm)  [44]  WINNER D v RUNNER-UP FLeipzig

QUARTER FINALS
05-July(5pm)(45)  WINNER [39] v WINNER [37]Stuttgart
05-July(8pm)(46)  WINNER [41] v WINNER [42]Hamburg
06-July(5pm)(48)  WINNER [40] v WINNER [38]Dusseldorf
06-July(8pm)  (47)  WINNER [43] v WINNER [44]Berlin

SEMI FINALS
09-July(8pm)WINNER (45) v WINNER (46)Munich
10-July(8pm)  WINNER (47) v WINNER (48)Dortmund



🟥 EURO 2024 QUALIFYING GROUPS ðŸŸ¥
Fifty-three teams were drawn into seven groups of five teams (A-G), and three groups of six teams (H-J). The top two teams in each group qualified directly for the finals.


GROUP APts
GROUP BPts
GROUP CPts
(Q)SPAIN21  (Q)FRANCE22  (Q)ENGLAND20
(Q)SCOTLAND17(Q)NETHERLANDS18(Q)ITALY14
3Norway11[C]GREECE13[B]UKRAINE14
[C]GEORGIA84Ireland64North Macedonia8
5Cyprus05Gibraltar05Malta0










GROUP DPts
GROUP EPts
GROUP FPts
(Q)TURKEY17(Q)ALBANIA15(Q)BELGIUM20
(Q)CROATIA16(Q)CZECH REP15(Q)AUSTRIA19
[A]WALES12[A]POLAND113Sweden10
4Armenia84Moldova104Azerbaijan7
5Latvia35Faroe Islands2[A]ESTONIA1










GROUP GPts
GROUP HPts
GROUP IPts
(Q)HUNGARY18(Q)DENMARK22(Q)ROMANIA22
(Q)SERBIA14(Q)SLOVENIA22(Q)SWITZERLAND17
3Montenegro11[A]FINLAND18[B]ISRAEL15
4Lithuania6[C]KAZAKHSTAN184Belarus12
5Bulgaria45Northern Ireland95Kosovo11



6San Marino06Andorra2










GROUP JPts





(Q)PORTUGAL30





(Q)SLOVAKIA22





[C]LUXEMBOURG17





[B]ICELAND10





[B]BOSNIA-HERZ9





6Liechtenstein0







🟥 NATIONS LEAGUE 2022-23 RANKINGS ðŸŸ¥


LEAGUE A
LEAGUE B
LEAGUE C
LEAGUE D
(Q)SPAIN[B]ISRAEL  [C]GEORGIA  [A]ESTONIA
(Q)CROATIA  [B]BOSNIA-HERZ[C]GREECE50Latvia
(Q)ITALY(Q)SERBIA(Q)TURKEY51Moldova
(Q)NETHERLANDS(Q)SCOTLAND[C]KAZAKHSTAN52Malta

(Q)

DENMARK

[A]

FINLAND

[C]

LUXEMBOURG
53
54
Andorra
San Marino
(Q)PORTUGAL[B]UKRAINE38Azerbaijan55Liechtenstein
(Q)BELGIUM[B]ICELAND39Kosovo

(Q)HUNGARY24Norway40Bulgaria

(Q)SWITZERLAND(Q)SLOVENIA41Faroe Islands

(Q)GERMANY26Ireland42North Macedonia

[A]POLAND(Q)ALBANIA(Q)SLOVAKIA

(Q)FRANCE28Montenegro44Northern Ireland

(Q)AUSTRIA(Q)ROMANIA45Cyprus

(Q)CZECH REPUBLIC30Sweden46Belarus

(Q)ENGLAND31Armenia47Lithuania

[A]WALES32Russia [banned]48Gibraltar

KEY
(Q)   Qualified directly for the Euro 2024 finals
[A]   Path A playoff competition
[B]   Path B playoff competition
[C]   Path C playoff competition
All other teams have been eliminated

SUMMARY
 The top four teams in League A, League B and League C shown above all won their Nations League group
 The Nations League overall rankings determined which of the 12 teams - who did not qualify directly - entered the three playoff path routes to qualify for Euro 2024
 However, almost all teams from League A qualified directly - except for Poland and Wales - leaving a shortage of teams to compete in Path [A] in the playoffs
 This shortage of teams for Path [A] provided a place for a team in League B which did not win their Nations League group - this was determined to be Finland in a random draw. The shortage also provided a place for the best-ranked team in League D, which was Estonia.
 Path [B] was taken up by the top four ranked teams in League B who had not already qualified directly and had not been selected to make up the shortage of teams competing in Path [A]
 Path [C] was taken up by the top four ranked teams in League C who had not qualified directly


🟥 PLAYOFF PATH DRAW ðŸŸ¥
Each of the playoff path winners will qualify for the Euro 2024 finals

PATH [A]
21 MarchPOLAND[SF1]ESTONIAWarsaw
21 MarchWALES[SF2]FINLANDCardiff
26 MarchWALES/FINLAND[F]POLAND/ESTONIACardiff/Helsinki

PATH [B]
21 MarchISRAEL[SF1]ICELANDTBC
21 MarchBOSNIA-HERZ[SF2]UKRAINEZenica
26 MarchBOSNIA-HERZ/UKRAINE[F]ISRAEL/ICELANDZenica/TBC

PATH [C]
21 MarchGEORGIA[SF1]LUXEMBOURGTblisi
21 MarchGREECE[SF2]KAZAKHSTANAthens
26 MarchGEORGIA/LUXEMBOURG[F]GREECE/KAZAKHSTANTblisi/Luxembourg City

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