ENGLAND: The match between England and Italy at Wembley on Tuesday is scheduled to start at 7:45 p.m., with a win or draw ensuring England’s Euro 2024 spot. The Three Lions are three points ahead of Italy and Ukraine in Group C. Gareth Southgate’s final two games are against Malta on November 17 and North Macedonia three days later.
Germany has automatically qualified as one of the 24 participating countries in the Nations League, with the top two teams from each of the 10 groups automatically qualifying. The playoffs will determine which three teams advance.
As of Group A, Scotland has qualified for Euro 2024 due to Norway’s failure to defeat Spain, making it impossible for either of their Group A rivals to pass. Spain, who qualified for the tournament with a 1-0 goal differential, secured the Group A lead. Scotland’s final two qualifiers are on November 16 at home against Norway and against Georgia away from home.
Ireland’s chances of qualifying automatically from Group B have been squandered, with Stephen Kenny’s team still having the option to qualify for the tournament next summer. Ireland’s home loss to Greece and 4-0 victory over Gibraltar left them second worst in Group B.
The Netherlands won 1-0 over Greece, moving ahead of Greece and into second place. Greece hosts France, with its final two games against Ireland and Gibraltar. France secured their place with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands.
If England defeats Italy on Tuesday or draws with them, they will advance to the finals. The Group C standings would be as follows if the game ends in a draw and Ukraine defeats Malta: England 14 (P6), Ukraine 13 (P7), and Italy 11 (P6). In the final game, Italy will face Ukraine.
Italy can gain 17 points if they defeat Ukraine, but Ukraine’s 13 points would fall short of England’s 14. If Ukraine defeats Italy, they would have 16 points, but Italy would have 14 points and lose to England on the first tiebreaker. If Italy and Ukraine tie, Italy could surpass England with 15 points, while Ukraine would have 14 points and fall short of England.
Turkey advanced from Group D with a 4-0 victory over Latvia, thanks to two late goals from Cenk Tosun. Croatia dropped to third place behind Wales, as Mario Pasalic’s 75th-minute goal was insufficient for recovery after Harry Wilson scored twice.
The Czech Republic secured a 1-0 victory over the Faroe Islands in Group E, thanks to a Tomas Soucek penalty, while Poland secured a 1-1 draw against Moldova, keeping them in third and fourth place, respectively.
In Group F, Belgium secured their place in the Euro 2024 finals by defeating Austria 3-2. However, their match with Sweden was postponed due to two fatal shootings. Austria qualified for the tournament with a 1-0 win over Azerbaijan, tied with Belgium on 16 points. Sweden has three games left but has six points, unable to overtake the top two.
In Group G, after defeating Serbia on Saturday, Hungary now controls their own destiny and leads Group G by three points. Hungary would move to Germany if it defeats Lithuania on Tuesday night, and second-place Serbia lost to Montenegro on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland’s chances of making it to the finals via play-offs are slim, despite Slovenia and Denmark’s victories on Saturday preventing automatic qualification from Group H. The remaining three points for Denmark and Slovenia would guarantee their passage.
Switzerland secured a 3-3 tie in regulation time, ending Belarus’ hopes of advancing to the top two in Group I. The Swiss, who took the lead through Xherdan Shaqiri in the 28th minute, maintained their unbeaten record with late goals from Manuel Akanji of Manchester City and Zeki Amdouni of Burnley.
Belarus is no longer guaranteed a spot in Euro 2024, with two games remaining and a nine-point difference between the top two teams. Romania’s Ianis Hagi helped secure the top spot.
As for Group J, Portugal secured a spot in the 2024 European Championship by defeating Slovakia 3-2. They maintained their perfect record by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-0. Slovakia’s lead over Luxembourg increased to five points with a 1-0 victory. Slovakia’s final two games are against Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The final tournament will take place in December 2023 at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, with Germany as the host and automatic seed in pot 1. The opening match is on June 14, with the championship game on July 14.
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