The madness of Euro 2016 qualifying reaches its climax with the two legged playoffs that will determine the final four teams to join the already 20 that have qualified for France.
Yes, do the math and that adds up to 24 teams—an eight team increase from the last time UEFA organized tis even in Ukraine and Poland.
Eight more teams means a lot more money for UEFA, but despite the fact that it will also mean a weakening the field, it does add a bit more intrigue to the playoff round.
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Overall? As much as I dislike the tournament growing to 24 teams, I did enjoy the new qualifying format. Also, these six-day international breaks, as much as they cause the poor beleaguered club sides a headache or two, did the job and gave us wall-to-wall international soccer.
So, who is left, what strafe will toil and provide us with some wonderful drama over the next week or so?
Norway vs. Hungary
Ah yes, two old foes and two sides very different from each other. Norway a young and emerging team that loves to attack, that really found its feet as qualifying progressed. Meanwhile, Hungary is a physical and pragmatic side that limped into the playoffs with only one win in its last five. Norway has not lost to Hungary in their last nine encounters, and I expect to see the Norwegians, led by the exciting Alexander Tettey, advance to France 2016. To think that through the absurdity of the format Hungary only just failed to qualify automatically as the best third-placed team.
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Ireland
It is amazing what a coaching change can do for a side. After going winless in its first four qualifiers, Bosnia fired Safet Susic. His replacement Mehmed Bazdarevic led the team on a 5-1 run that sees them on the cusp of a spot in the finals. Bosnia boasts such class attacking players as Miralem Pjanic and Edin Dzeko (who may not even start such is the team’s depth), while Ireland is strong defensively, play safe organized soccer, and oh yeah, had four points against Germany in Group D. Some suspension and injury concerns will do Ireland no favours, but dismiss them at your peril.
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Ukraine vs. Slovenia
Ukraine’s golden generation may have come up short, but this current generation is somewhat of an enigma. Brilliance out wide in Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka, yet the strength lies in the organization at the back. Only four goals conceded in Group C brings out a collective wow, as does a 0-5 record in playoffs! Quite the contrast to Slovenia’s rather impressive 3-1 record in knock-out football at this stage, including that Euro 2000 win against, you guessed it, Ukraine. If not free scoring, Slovenia knows where the goal is with an eleventh-best 18 goals for in the group stage.
Sweden vs. Denmark
The experts tell us this is the one to watch, two less than marquee but juicy enough sides with plenty of storylines. Not least to do with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish talisman is yet to dominate an international tournament, and failed to even reach the World Cup in 2014 courtesy of the most ghastly of failures—a playoff loss to Portugal. Ibra was brilliant for his country, but unfortunately Cristiano Ronaldo was even better for his. One hundred and four times Sweden and Denmark have met with the Swedes enjoying the slimmest of edges. Denmark enters having seen their chance of qualification evaporate with three straight failures to score. A classic encounter between too ancient rivals.