Euro 2012: The qualification equation
England and France are favourites to qualify from Group D, but who will be the one to face defending champions Spain and who will face Italy?
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
Here, ESPNSTAR.com explains what teams need to do and avoid in order to advance to the next round coming into the final round of fixtures in the round.
It's a complex equation which saw Russia go out on head to head while Netherlands hung on to a thread of hope that they will advance on the basis of a three-way tie.
With groups being so competitive and tight, read on to see what your team needs to make it to the knockout stages of Euro 2012.
UEFA's criteria of qualification if teams end level on points:
- higher number of points obtained in the matches among the teams in question
- superior goal difference in the matches among the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal on points);
- higher number of goals scored in the matches among the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal on points);
- superior goal difference in all the group matches;
- higher number of goals scored in all the group matches;
- position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system
- fair play conduct of the teams (final tournament)
- drawing of lots
Find out the standings of all the teams in the group stages of the Euro 2012 here!
Group D
England (vs Ukraine): Beating or drawing against Ukraine would ensure passage to the next round. If they lose then France would qualify instead of them with a win or a draw but should Les Bleus also lose to Sweden, then the team with the better goal difference gets to progress.
Ukraine: Only a win against the English will ensure qualification for Andriy Shevchenko's men.
France (vs Sweden): A win or a draw would ensure qualification for Laurent Blanc's team. A loss would not necessarily see them out of the tournament as in the case of an England loss, only an inferior goal difference would ensure their exit.
Quarter-finals
Greece will play Germany while Czech Republic face Portgual in the last eight.
Spain will also get to play against the runner-up in Group D and Italy will play the winners of England's group.