The group stage of Euro 2024 is coming to an end, and the battle for a place in the round of 16 can be described as an "undercurrent". Now that 11 teams have been confirmed, who will win the remaining 5 places? Let's find out!
First, take a look at the teams that have already qualified: Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia and Austria, who have already qualified for the round of 16 and can prepare for the next round of matches with peace of mind. For the rest of the team, they are "under a lot of pressure".
Hungary in Group A, who beat Scotland 1-0 in their final group game, are now third and have a chance to qualify as the 'best third'. They have a good chance as they now have more goal difference than the other third-placed groups and just need to remain unbeaten in the final round of fixtures to secure progress.
Croatia in Group B, who lost to Italy in the group stage, are in third place, and whether they can advance depends on the results of the third place in the other groups. They are in a dangerous situation as goal difference is not dominant, they need to beat Albania in the final round of fixtures, and they will have to pray that the other third-placed groups will not 'cause an upset'.
Serbia in Group C, they have no chance of qualifying, so they can only go home to wash and sleep. They did not perform well in the group stage, losing both games and already losing their chance of qualifying.
Poland in Group D, they have also been eliminated, and they can only watch others "fight" on the field. They managed just one draw in the group stage, lost two and lost the possibility of qualifying.
The four teams in Group E, Romania, Ukraine, Belgium, and Slovakia, it is difficult to say which of them will advance, because they are all on the "edge of life and death". Of these, Romania and Ukraine are in the most dangerous situation, having lost both of their group games and must emerge victorious in the final round to keep their hopes alive. Belgium and Slovakia, on the other hand, are in slightly better shape, with both claiming a victory, but still have to give it their all in the final round.
In Group F, Turkey and Georgia are also unsure of whether they will qualify or not, so they can only do their best to seize their chances in the final round. Turkey are now second in the table and a win over the Czech Republic in the final round will secure progress. Georgia will need to beat Portugal in the final round and pray that the third-place finishers in the other groups will not be "upset" in order to qualify.
Let's talk about how the "best third place" came about, which is the key to determining which teams will advance to the round of 16. The criteria for a "tie for third place" are:
First, the points of the group stage; second, the goal difference in the group stage; third, the number of goals scored in the group stage; fourth, the number of wins in the group stage; fifth, discipline points (based on yellow and red cards); Sixth, the ranking of the European qualifiers. These six criteria, like a "tight spell", tightly bind these "third-place" teams, making them have to do their best to qualify.
Hungary, for example, had a strong performance in the group stage and could have qualified as group winners if they had beaten Germany in the final round, with Germany relegated to a "tie for third". If Croatia win against Albania in the final round and the other third-place finishers lose their matches, then Croatia could qualify as "tied for third".
With the final day of the Euro 2024 group stage just around the corner, who will "come out on top" and who will "come out on top"? Let's wait and see!