Today’s accounts: Czech Republic and Ukraine must win, Slovakia, Romania and Belgium look for the point
Everything seems perfectly clear. The Czech Republic will only reach the round of 16 of Euro-2024 if they beat Turkey. However, the other contexts of this game, and the other games of the day, offer ideas for speculation. For example, Slovakia and Romania could easily draw each other to advance and both teams could be satisfied.
A Czech national team has its motivation assured. A defeat in the last game of the group stage would be embarrassing, and a draw would solve nothing – a trip back home would also follow.
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And unless Georgia beat Portugal by a significant margin, a win would put the Czech Republic in second place in Group F. That would put them in a round of 16 match against Austria in Leipzig. The arrangement could not be better. The Czechs would be up against a relatively viable opponent and playing just a few miles from the border.
Turkey is the Czechs’ direct rival for a promotion spot in Group F. In this case, the situation is more complicated. The Turks can afford to lose to the Czechs by two goals, taking into account the three points they have already won, and the evolution of the other groups. It looks very treacherous. But perhaps even coach Vincenzo Montella suspects this would be the path to destruction. The third team in the Group F table is already waiting for Spain or England in the round of 16.
Slovakia and Romania just need a draw
For the Slovak national team, but certainly also for Romania, qualifying in the Euro-2024 group would be a huge success. A brief look at the results suggests that both teams only need a draw. Romanian striker Valentin Mihailu confirmed this fact.
“Neither the player nor the team can go into the game with the idea of a draw. But if there is a 0-0 draw in the 90+1 minute and both teams qualify with a draw, then perhaps the game will be played with caution. But I don’t want to make calculations,” Mihailu said at the pre-match press conference.
In Group E, where kick-off for both games is scheduled for 17:00, Belgium also needs a draw to advance. Ukraine, on the other hand, is the only one that needs to win. In fact, for the first time in the history of the European championship, all teams in the group have the same three points before the last round.
However, the motivation to win the group is certainly another place in the round of 16. The team that finishes third in the group will face either Spain or England in the play-offs. Second place means a duel with France. First place, on the other hand, offers a variant between Slovenia and the Netherlands.
Why Denmark is above Slovenia
An interesting situation already occurred on Tuesday night, when Denmark and Slovenia ended their Group C clashes with identical records of three draws and a record of goals scored and conceded of 2-2. And as both teams drew in the game against each other (1-1) during the tournament – and also had the same number of disciplinary points after three games (both teams had 6 yellow cards) – the last possible parameter to determine classification came into play.
In other words, the highest position in the general classification of European qualification. In this case, the previous clashes in the qualifiers are already decisive, where, ironically, Denmark and Slovenia faced each other in the same group. And, although both teams finished with the same 22 points – and the Slovenes even had a better score -, the game was decided by the mutual matches in which Denmark achieved more points (1-1 e 2-1).
It was only on Wednesday morning that UEFA issued a statement explaining that the Slovenians had received yet another yellow card, which was given to assistant coach Milivoje Novakovic, and that the reason for Denmark’s second place was therefore a disciplinary issue. But that did not change the standings.
Whether this is a victory for the Danes, however, is a question mark. The fact that they come second place puts them in the fibak round of 16 match against hosts Germany. On the other hand, the Slovenians, third placed, could face Portugal, but also the winner of Group E, which could also be one of four countries: Belgium, Ukraine, Romania or Slovakia.
2024-06-26 12:14:52
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