Since Monday evening, the Blues have qualified for the round of 16 of the Euro. Yes, but who will they play against? The results of this Tuesday’s matches (France-Poland and Netherlands-Austria at 6 p.m.) will help us see things more clearly. And it is an understatement to say that Didier Deschamps’ men would be well inspired to finish at the top of their group.
A first place in Group D would indeed ensure the Blues a more accessible path than if they finished in second place, or even worse, third, which is also possible, although highly improbable. The team at the top of the group will face the second in Group F in the round of 16, namely Turkey or the Czech Republic. The two teams face each other this Wednesday (9 p.m.) to try to be as high ranked as possible.
In the quarter-final, France would face the winner of the match between the leader of group E, still very open (Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia and Belgium are all on three points), and a third group between groups A, B, C and D. For the moment, it is a poster between Belgium and Slovenia, but nothing is written in stone in this Euro, which has already shown us three times in this last day of the phases of hens that the fate of a nation can evolve until the last minute.
Things would only get tougher in the semi-final, where the Blues would face Italy, Switzerland or England if they finished at the top of their group. But a second place cannot be ruled out either for the Three Lions, who would then face the Mannschaft in the round of 16.
A high-level draw game in the event of second place
To finish first in their group, the Blues must achieve a better result against Poland than the Netherlands against Austria. With four points both, France and the Netherlands are tied, also on goal difference, but the Oranje are currently at the top of the group, because they have scored two goals, against only one for the Blues. The objective for the latter is therefore to take care of this goal difference against the Poles, already eliminated, to finish first.
If they are second, the French would move to the other part of the table. And if the Blues will play their eighth against the second in group E, who can be an affordable opponent, things would get complicated from the quarters. An opposition against Portugal would be highly probable before a possible semi-final against Spain or Germany.
