[Football] England's R16 Opponents - Confirmed as Slovakia

[Mellotron]

 

[Jackthelad]

England V Austria just got more likely. From what I've seen so far, that's the sort of game we'd lose

Yep, they look good, just the sort of opponent England would underestimate just like Euro 2016 against Iceland.

 

[stewart12]

I don't think a 24 team tournament really works and it needs to be 8, 16 or 32 teams really

would a 32 team Euro's really be out of the question? The top 8 sides that didn't qualify are (excluding Russia):

Sweden
Wales
Norway
Greece
Rep. Ireland
Finland
Iceland
North Macedonia


and they are all ranked higher than Georgia who have hardly disgraced themselves in this tournament

my two worries are:

-I think a lot of countries would struggle to host a 32 team tournament. This tournament has been great having it in 1 country and I always prefer there to be 1 host nation
-qualifying would be a bit of a farce with 32 of the 55 teams qualifying for the tournament

 

[Hotchilidog]

At the moment England's biggest R16 opponent is themselves. The team is good enough to beat anyone, but dysfunctional enough to lose to anyone also.

 

[Jim in the West]

Assuming we finish top of our group ( ), can anyone tell me in a few short sentences what results we want from the other matches today in order to avoid having to play anyone decent in the last 16? I realise this is possibly explained in one or more of the above posts, but I'm pushed for time and don't have my slide-rule to hand...

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

At the moment England's biggest R16 opponent is themselves. The team is good enough to beat anyone, but dysfunctional enough to lose to anyone also.

100% this.

 

[Happy Exile]

Assuming we finish top of our group ( ), can anyone tell me in a few short sentences what results we want from the other matches today in order to avoid having to play anyone decent in the last 16? I realise this is possibly explained in one or more of the above posts, but I'm pushed for time and don't have my slide-rule to hand...

Paraphrased from Sky:

If England win the group:
We probably want Austria to lose to the Netherlands, then we may play Austria.
If Austria beat the Netherlands and France beat or draw with Poland then we may play the Netherlands
If Austria win and France lose to Poland we may play France.

or

We could play Belgium, Romania, Ukraine or Slovakia - any could be a banana skin but we probably at least want Belgium to beat Ukraine to avoid De Bruyne etc then we'd probably want a draw between Romania and Slovakia so we play Slovakia (I think)

or

We could play Czech Republic or Turkey (unless Georgia cause an upset and beat Portugal). Out of those two we probably want Turkey and Czech Republic to draw or Turkey to win so we play the Czechs.

OK! now...If England don't win the group:

We'd probably end up playing either Portugal, Romania, or Belgium.

Whatever happens there's at least 3, possibly more, not entirely unlikely scenarios where it feels like the next round might be a bridge too far.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Paraphrased from Sky:

If England win the group:
We probably want Austria to lose to the Netherlands, then we may play Austria.
If Austria beat the Netherlands and France beat or draw with Poland then we may play the Netherlands
If Austria win and France lose to Poland we may play France.

or

We could play Belgium, Romania, Ukraine or Slovakia - any could be a banana skin but we probably at least want Belgium to beat Ukraine to avoid De Bruyne etc then we'd probably want a draw between Romania and Slovakia so we play Slovakia (I think)

or

We could play Czech Republic or Turkey (unless Georgia cause an upset and beat Portugal). Out of those two we probably want Turkey and Czech Republic to draw or Turkey to win so we play the Czechs.

OK! now...If England don't win the group:

We'd probably end up playing either Portugal, Romania, or Belgium.

Whatever happens there's at least 3, possibly more, not entirely unlikely scenarios where it feels like the next round might be a bridge too far.

If England come second, we’ll definitely be playing Germany on Saturday night. I think

 

[Midget]

The UEFA mobile app has started allocating the teams into their respective R16 ties. It has the Winner of C (England's group) playing 3rd in D/E/F. Oddly, it has Spain playing 3rd in A/D/E/F. No idea why they have the additional space for 3rd in A.

Yes as in my post - if we finish top we play 3rd in D, E or F. It depends what four groups' 3rd places go through.

They are showing A/D/E/F for Spain as those were the original possibilities for winner of B. Originally there were 3 combinations of 3rd placed teams going through where winner group B would play 3rd group A. They are no longer possible but they probably haven't bothered updating until they get a name. They can't play D either now.

If 3rd in A go through, they will probably face winner of F now. There's one possible combination (ABDE) where they could face winner of E.

As I say, ees complicated. UEFA app will show the definites, I'm trying to narrow down the possibles. Just for 'fun'

 

[Midget]

Assuming we finish top of our group ( ), can anyone tell me in a few short sentences what results we want from the other matches today in order to avoid having to play anyone decent in the last 16? I realise this is possibly explained in one or more of the above posts, but I'm pushed for time and don't have my slide-rule to hand...

Impossible to tell yet as who we play depends on which four 3rd placed teams go through.

We'd play 3rd of group D, E or F next. So if we end up playing this group (D), you want whoever you think is easiest of France, Netherlands, Austria to finish 3rd.

Path through quarters, semi etc is really complex without knowing which 3rd placed teams go through.

But all of these 'possibles', and the potential path to the final (ha ha), will be certain by tomorrow night 10pm.

 

[Midget]

If England come second, we’ll definitely be playing Germany on Saturday night. I think

Yes correct.

 

[Midget]

Also - we will know later tonight where we finish in the group. So a lot of these possibilities will disappear tonight.

 

[Midget]

Update: Croatia are out.

Oh, and after 3 turgid games we somehow finished top of the group.

So if the 3rd place teams come from:

ACDE or ACDF, we play 3rd place D - Netherlands

ACDF or ADEF, we play 3rd place F - Türkiye, Czechia or Georgia

CDEF, we play 3rd place E - Romania, Slovakia, Belgium, Ukraine.

8 possibles. Certainty tomorrow.

We will play 5pm on Sunday.

If we win that game we'll play the winner of Switzerland v Italy in the quarters.

 

[Napper]

Update: Croatia are out.

Oh, and after 3 turgid games we somehow finished top of the group.

So if the 3rd place teams come from:

ACDE or ACDF, we play 3rd place D - Netherlands

ACDF or ADEF, we play 3rd place F - Türkiye, Czechia or Georgia

CDEF, we play 3rd place E - Romania, Slovakia, Belgium, Ukraine.

8 possibles. Certainty tomorrow.

We will play 5pm on Sunday.

If we win that game we'll play the winner of Switzerland v Italy in the quarters.

Is that correct . I thought we faced spain ( group winners ) in the quarters after we win our group ( assuming we win r16 of course )

 

[Midget]

Is that correct . I thought we faced spain ( group winners ) in the quarters after we win our group ( assuming we win r16 of course )

No, we'd be match 39, the winner would play the winner of match 37 Switzerland v Italy.

The winner of the Spain game (match 40) will play the winner of the Germany game (match 38).

 

[Napper]

No, we'd be match 39, the winner would play the winner of match 37 Switzerland v Italy.

The winner of the Spain game (match 40) will play the winner of the Germany gane (match 38).

Nice one

If we click then that’s winnable

 

[Midget]

If we click

 

[One Love]

The one thing Southgate is good at is getting great draws in these tournaments and it looks like it's continuing.

All the best teams in the other half of the draw.

 

[Eeyore]

From what I can see, England need the Czech Republic to beat Turkey tomorrow to avoid facing Netherlands and get one from Group E. Assuming Belgium overcome Ukraine, that would be Slovakia or Romania.

England in the 'easier' half of the draw. Although I'm not sure that anything is easier for them unless they up their game.

I swear Romania was 'Rumania' when I was a kid.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Goal difference.

If England hammer Slovenia.

Were you on bad drugs?