The group stage of the Euro 2020 Championship is approaching its climax. In all six groups, teams have only one match left, which will be decisive for many.
Group A
In Group A, Italy has performed strongly in their first two matches and with six points, they’ve secured a spot in the knockout stage. Ahead, the leaders face Wales, a game that won’t change much for them. However, for the Welsh, it’s a chance to grab a direct qualification to the playoffs; even a draw would work.
In the other match, Switzerland will face Turkey. The Swiss have a better shot at advancing. They need a win and hope that Wales loses to Italy.
Remember, if points are tied, head-to-head results are considered first, followed by goal difference.
As for Turkey, two losses to start have eliminated their chances for direct qualification to the playoffs, but they could still earn three points and fight for a knockout spot via the third-place rankings.
Group B
In Group B, Belgium is locked in for either first or second place. Their final match against Finland likely won’t change that. For Finland, though, picking up points would be helpful, as they currently have the same points as Russia.
As for the Russian team, they could end up second or drop to fourth.
There’s a scenario where three teams tie on points: either Belgium, Russia, and Finland with six each, or Russia, Finland, and Denmark with three.
Group C
A similar situation in Group C, but the Netherlands will play a team with zero points—North Macedonia. North Macedonia can’t reach second place, as they’ve lost to the teams they could have caught up to in points: Austria and Ukraine.
By the way, Austria and Ukraine will face each other in the final round to decide who advances. One of them is guaranteed to gain points, so North Macedonia is out of luck.
If the match between Ukraine and Austria ends in a draw, both teams will be tied on points, head-to-head, and goal difference. In that case, Ukraine should finish higher, as the tiebreaker will be goals scored, and Ukraine has more.
Group D
After drawing twice in the second round, the teams in Group D have made things tough for themselves. Currently, Czechia and England lead with four points each and will advance if they draw.
For the chasing teams, everyone needs a win. Croatia needs the Czechs to win their parallel match, while Scotland benefits if England wins. Either way, every team has a chance to advance or be eliminated.
Group E
The favorite of Group E, Spain, could still miss out on the tournament. They currently have two points and face Slovakia in the final match. It’s straightforward: win to advance, lose to go out.
Poland will play Sweden in the third round. If they win, Lewandowski and company move on, but they need Slovakia and Spain not to draw. A draw would leave three teams on four points and Spain on three, with goal difference deciding, as all three leaders have played each other.
Group F
In the group of death, the situation is critical—no other way to put it. No team has secured a spot, and none is out. Amazingly, even Hungary has a chance to reach the playoffs.
In the final round, France will play Portugal, which could be the deciding factor. On the other side, Germany has the easiest opponent in Hungary, so it’s all in their hands. They just need a win to advance.
Rankings for Third Places
Besides the top two from each group, four teams from the third places in their groups also advance to the final stage. Currently, the rankings for third places look like this:
