The group stage of the EURO 2024 is reaching a thrilling climax, with several teams battling it out for a spot in the prestigious Round of 16. With hosts Germany and Switzerland already securing their spots in the knockout stages, having emerged first and second respectively in the just-concluded Group A, the attention now turns to the teams in the rest of the groups to vie for the remaining 14 spots.
Let’s take a closer look at the scenarios facing the teams in Groups B through to F as they aim to secure their place in the knockout rounds.
Group B:
In Group B, Spain leads the group with 6 points and a goal difference of 4. Italy is in second place with 3 points and a goal difference of 0. Albania is third with 1 point and a -1 goal difference, while Croatia is fourth with 1 point and a -3 goal difference.
The high-stakes clash between Albania and Spain tonight at 10 pm, will determine the group winners and runners-up.
Spain have already booked their place in the Round of 16 as group toppers, but the battle is on for the second qualification spot.
Italy will secure their place in the next round if they avoid defeat against Croatia. A win will see the Italians finish as group runners-up, while a loss will open the door for Albania to potentially leapfrog them.
Albania must defeat Spain and hope Croatia beat Italy to finish second, provided they can better Croatia’s overall goal difference or other tiebreaker criteria.
Croatia are also in contention for the second qualification spot. They need to beat Italy and hope Albania don’t overcome Spain. If Croatia win and Albania loses, the Croats will advance as group runners-up.
Matches (Monday, June 24th) at 10 pm:
Albania vs Spain
Croatia vs Italy (Live on NBS Sport)
Group C:
In Group C, England tops the table with 4 points and a goal difference of 1. Denmark and Slovenia are tied for second with 2 points and a goal difference of 0 each. Serbia is in fourth place with 1 point and a -1 goal difference.
England are well-positioned to progress, needing only to avoid defeat against Slovenia to book their place in the Round of 16. A win would see them top the group, while a draw could still be enough depending on the result between Denmark and Serbia.
Denmark will reach the knockout stages if they defeat Serbia. A draw would also be sufficient if England and Slovenia share the spoils.
Slovenia need to beat England to qualify for the Round of 16, while Serbia need to beat Denmark and hope Slovenia don’t beat England.
Matches (Tuesday, June 25th) at 10 pm:
England vs Slovenia
Denmark vs Serbia
Group D:
The Group D table has the Netherlands and France tied for first with 4 points and a goal difference of 1 each. Austria is third with 3 points and a goal difference of 1, while Poland is fourth with 0 points and a -3 goal difference.
The Netherlands are in the driver’s seat, needing just a point against Austria to secure a top-two finish. A win would see them top the group, while a draw could still be enough if France failed to beat Poland.
France will also progress if they avoid defeat against Poland, or if Austria don’t beat the Netherlands. A win for the French would see them top the group, but a defeat could open the door for Austria to finish in the top two if they can overcome the Dutch.
Austria must beat the Netherlands to guarantee their place in the Round of 16. Anything less and they risk missing out, even if France stumble against Poland.
Poland cannot qualify.
Matches (Tuesday, June 25th) at 7 pm:
Netherlands vs Austria
France vs Poland
Group E:
This group is the most interesting as far as qualifying for the knockout stages is concerned. With all teams standing at 3 points, Romania, Belgium, Slovakia, and Ukraine are all locked in a four-way battle for the two qualification spots.
Romania and Belgium have a goal difference of 1, while Slovakia has a goal difference of 0. Ukraine is in fourth with 3 points and a -2 goal difference.
Romania and Belgium will advance if they avoid defeat against Slovakia and Ukraine, respectively. A win for either would see them top the group.
Slovakia and Ukraine both need to win their final matches to have a chance of finishing in the top two. If both games end in draws, the final group standings will be determined by a complex set of tiebreakers, with goal difference and goals scored playing a crucial role.
Matches (Wednesday, June 26th) at 7 pm:
Slovakia vs Romania
Ukraine vs Belgium
Group F:
Lastly, in Group F, Portugal leads the group with 6 points and a goal difference of 4. Turkey is second with 3 points and a -1 goal difference. The Czech Republic and Georgia are tied for third with 1 point, with the Czech Republic having a -1 goal difference and Georgia having a -2 goal difference.
Portugal have already booked their place in the Round of 16 as group winners, but the race is on for the second qualification spot.
Turkey will secure their place with a draw against the Czech Republic, while the Czechs need to win and hope Georgia don’t upset Portugal.
Georgia’s path to the knockout rounds is quite a hectic one; they must beat Portugal and hope the Czech Republic don’t overcome Turkey. Anything less and the Georgian dream will end.
Matches (Wednesday, June 26th) 10 pm:
Georgia vs Portugal
Czech Republic vs Turkey
Note:
In addition to the 10 teams that will automatically progress from the group stages by finishing first or second in their respective groups, there are 4 additional spots available for the best third-placed teams to also advance to the round of 16.
The criteria used to rank and select these four third-place teams is based on a set of factors. The primary consideration is the number of points the third-place teams have accumulated. If two or more third-place teams are tied on points, the next tiebreaker is goal difference, followed by goals scored, and then the highest number of wins.
If the teams are still level after these criteria, the team with the lower number of disciplinary points will be ranked higher. As a final tiebreaker, the overall European Qualifiers ranking of the national teams will be used to determine the order of the third-place teams.
