GARETH Southgate will discover the basic path to Euro 2020 glory at the most complicated finals draw in tournament history.
Disgraced former President Michel Platini’s masterplan to hold the event in 12 countries means the draw, which takes place at 5pm today in Bucharest, will be a total mess.
England could be handed a nightmare Euro 2020 draw despite finishing top of Group ACredit: Reuters
England, guaranteed to play all three group games at Wembley, face the potential prospect of a nightmare draw against BOTH World Cup winners France and defending European champions Portugal.
But Southgate’s side, top seeds after easing through their qualification group with seven wins out of eight, could also face a seemingly easy path to the knock-out stage.
With all the host nations guaranteed at least two home games out of three if they qualify, it means seven teams – top seeds England, Italy, Germany and Spain, plus Russia, Denmark and Holland – were pre-drawn into their finals group once they sealed their place.
Three other co-hosts, Scotland – who would be drawn into England’s group – Romania and Hungary, still have a chance of qualifying through the Nations League play-offs in March.
The two other top seeds, Belgium and Ukraine, also know their groups, because Uefa will not allow Russia and Ukraine to meet.
That means Belgium in Group B, based in St Petersburg and Copenhagen, where they will be joined by either Wales or Finland.
In turn, Ukraine join Holland in Group C.
England will found out their Euro 2020 group opponents in the draw in BucharestCredit: EPA
Harry Kane could play against the likes of Raphael Varana and Ruben Dias in the Euro 2020 group stageCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
England, confirmed as the top seed in Group D, will face the Scots, Israel, Serbia or Norway as the fourth side, although their identity will not be confirmed until March.
France lead the list of potential second seed opponents, followed by Croatia, Poland and Switzerland.
The third seeds that Southgate’s team can face are Portugal, Turkey, Austria, Sweden and the Czech Republic, who handed England their sole qualifying defeat last month.
Wales, despite sealing automatic qualification with their last game win over Hungary, are bottom seeds and can only be drawn in the group with Belgium, Denmark and Russia or in Group A, headed by Italy.
Final preparations are made ahead of the Euro 2020 draw at the Romexpo Exhibition Centre, BucharestCredit: PA:Press Association
Ronaldo helped his country win their first ever major trophy in 2016Credit: AFP – Getty
Both Northern Ireland and the Republic, who could meet in the Nations League B final, know that their prize will be to be drawn alongside Spain in Group E, with two games in Dublin and the third in Bilbao.
But just to add to the confusion, if Romania win the League A play-offs, then they will be in Group C with the Dutch and Ukraine.
If not, then it will be the winner of League D – one from Georgia, Belarus, North Macedonia and Kosovo – in Group C, with Iceland, Hungary or Bulgaria in Group F, alongside Germany.
Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final but England will have to play the first two knock-out games away from London to return to the Arch.
Should England win their group, they would travel to Dublin for the last 16 against the runner-up from Germany’s group, before a likely quarter-final with Spain in Rome.
Going through as runners-up would mean a clash with the second team in Spain’s group in Copenhagen followed by a likely date with the Germans in St Petersburg.
And if England squeezed through in third, they could face trips to Budapest and Baku – one of three potential paths – to earn a passage back to Wembley.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
