Hmm

Can think of England Spain Germany France Italy Russia Spain maybe Portugal that's 8 off the top of my head. Through in some fantastic multi country bids

A British one ( without England) Holland - Belguim. Poland Ukraine. A Balkans one ( ok maybe not)

Its probably why in 2020 UEFA are taking the competition across Europe including Baku!

Exactly. Add to that Italy's reward for winning a group is to play a runner up who could easily have had 7 points and be an eventual finalilist whereas four other group winners play a side in third. Likewise you win Group F and get to play Belgium for that.

Whereas the other four winners play sides, that at best will have only won one match and finished third.

It always looked flawed. Italy or Belgium, Spain or Croatia compared to Iceland or Albania for winning a group.

Also are Iceland through if they get a draw tomorrow? As they will be on 3 points but better than Albania and Turkey due to GD..........

I am not sure that we will see host countries for a while now though.

Yes, Iceland will be through on Goal Difference if they draw tomorrow. It's going to defence v attack as Austria need to win.

Correct.

So we can look forward to another game where one team will be ultra defensive as they know a clean sheet is enough to go through.

The 24 team format just keeps on giving.

Portugal v Hungary will be much the same though that's not down to the 24 team format - even with only the top two qualifying Hungary would look to play out a draw.

Italy v Ireland will be interesting as I can see the Italians making ten, maybe eleven, changes with Spain on the horizon.

I hear Italy are checking with UEFA to see how many own goals it will take to get minus points after seeing the reward you get for winning the group. Maybe some crowd violence to get a UEFA to impose a points deduction?

It's hilarious really - Belgium's 'reward' for losing to Italy is to play one of Group F followed by Wales/Turkey/Northern Ireland/Albania then maybe Croatia. Italy's 'easier' route could well be Spain, Germany and France.

Never has a 2-0 win been such a bad result. Even if Spain had held on tonight it doesn't look much better; Belgium would have ran into Spain in the semis but Italy would still have to play Germany in Quarters, if all goes as expected.

Swings and roundabouts though. Turkey would have been out under the old format. Instead, they put in a great performance in what would have been a nothing game.

I've done some rough calculations and _think_ this is what the 8 teams still in contention for qualifying need to happen tomorrow. Corrections welcome, of course!

IRE, SWE, AUT: win to definitely qualify, otherwise out

ICE, POR: win or draw to definitely qualify, otherwise out

BEL: win or draw to qualify. Also, can afford to lose to SWE by up to 3 goals and would still qualify - provided IRE don't also beat ITA, in which case they're out. Lose by 4+ and they're out regardless of the IRE-ITA result.

ALB: need BOTH of the following to happen:
1. both IRE and SWE fail to win in Group E
2. HUN beat POR in Group F

TUR: need at least ONE of the two scenarios described for Albania above to happen.

Not sure how it's "hilarious". Wales and Croatia topped their groups. Why should they be considered easier than playing teams they finished above?

Ireland have to have a good chance here. This will practically be the Italy B team they're playing and the Italians will surely have their eyes on the Spanish game on Sunday.

Yes this is correct I believe.
Surely Group E will be extremely open matches as both Ireland and Sweden know they are THROUGH with a win. Belgium can still finish bottom of that group if both those win
Group F is more confusing; will Iceland, Hungary and Portugal play for 0-0s?? Portugal to avoid England, Iceland just to qualify with 3 points and GD?

I have such a headache as I have these 3 bets I placed weeks ago potentially about to payoff but I need to insure my liability on further combinations so that I guarantee profit:
1 - Turkey to reach last 16
2 - Portugal NOT to top group
3 - Italy/Sweden , Italy/ROI to finish top 2 in Group E

If I lose my Turkey to reach last 16 bet I could still lose bet 3 too as ROI could win and Belgium win/draw (ensuring Belgium in top 2) so i think if I bet on ROI to win vs Italy (thus eliminating Turks assuming Group F team wins) that would counterbalance Belgium still finishing in top 2 but ROI through at the expense of the Turkey.

I don't know what's going on in all honesty. I shall look at the order of play tomorrow

Italy topped their group as well, as did Germany. They'd have to play each other in the quarters. If Spain had managed to hold on to a lead Italy would have had to play Croatia whereas, say, second in Group B have an easier match playing second in Group F. It's very unbalanced and unneccesarily so.

There are 6 group winners and eight teams in the quarter finals so obviously you are going to have the chance of group winners meeting there.

Croatia may look like a tougher game but that is only because Austria and Portugal have not lived up to expectations so far. On pre-tournament predictions, all three teams were pretty evenly rated. Any "unbalancing" is due to teams performing better or worse than expected.

Hope Portugal get England and beat them.

A quick look at bookies odds will tell you that, England & Spain still much shorter odds even if they did finish 2nd. PS now with Spain in our half makes finishing second even worse?

People are saying Turkey can be through if Hungary manage to win - thus not having to worry about the results in tonight's games. Is that true?

if Portugal are 3rd what half do they end up in might be in Portugal interest to finish 3rd or 1st in the group.

Oh Dear. guess again

Phewwww .....that was a close one. So happy for Portugal. I was so nervous that they were not going to qualify to the next round.

Albania have won a game and aren't going through whilst Portugal draw 3 times and are through. How is that fair?