And then there were eight…
That’s how many teams remain in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers. The playoff round will whittle the remain field down in half, and those four nations will book their tickets for next summer’s tournament in France.
The two-legged playoffs will take place from Nov. 12-17. Here’s a look at the match-ups….
UEFA Euro 2016 playoffs on Sportsnet: Watch all of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying playoff matches live on Sportsnet from Nov. 12-17. You can also watch online at Sportsnet World NOW. To consult the broadcast schedule, CLICK HERE.
Ukraine vs. Slovenia
Of all the nations competing in the playoffs, given the current situation going on within the country, you could say all Ukrainians deserve and could use the short-term distraction. Ukraine lost both of its matches against eventual group winners Spain and only took one point out of six from runners-up Slovakia. Taking nothing away from Slovenia—who are a formidable opponent—but they would definitely be chosen first by any of the seven playoff participants if it was possible to select your opponent.
It’s been 15—going on 16—years since Slovenia’s last Euro campaign, while Ukraine last participated on home soil at Euro 2012, though they weren’t forced to qualify. Having only conceded four goals in 10 group fixtures, Ukraine’s defensive organization and structure will be a tough nut to crack for the visitors on Thursday at the Arena Lviv, a place where the national team is unbeaten in 13 competitive matches.
Players to watch: Ukraine – Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kyiv), Slovenia – Milivoje Novakovic (Nagoya Grampus)
Sweden vs. Denmark
The Friends Arena in Solna will host the first leg on Friday, and regardless of the long history and rivalry between the two Scandinavian nations, one name will always dominate headlines. This is Zlatan’s world, the rest of us just take up space. Ibrahimovic confidently stated in 2014 that it wouldn’t be a World Cup without Zlatan, thus the big Swede will give it his all to make sure he doesn’t have to once again be merely a spectator watching his peers compete on the big stage. Don’t be fooled to think otherwise, it’s always all about Zlatan, but his narcissism and unrelenting confidence is the key to his genius on a football pitch.
Love or hate him, Sweden will only go as far as Zlatan leads them. Ibrahimovic scored eight goals in qualifying, despite Sweden’s underachievement in having to qualify via the playoffs—losing out to Austria and Russia. The Danes underachievement was far worse, having lost out to Albania for the final automatic place despite their group consisting of only four other teams.
Players to watch: Sweden – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG), Denmark – Nicklas Bendtner (VfL Wolfsburg)
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Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Ireland
Both nations were among the lower-seeded third-place teams qualifying for the playoffs; clearly inferior to their respective group winners and runners-up. Getting to this point was a scrappy and exhaustive experience, with the Irish edging out Scotland by three points—largely due to their historic 1-0 victory over the reigning World Champions in Dublin. Martin O’Neil also guided the Green Army to a split of the points against the Germans in Gelshinkerken. Ireland has shown far more grit and determination to get to this last shot at the big dance.
Bosnia started qualification poorly and simply snuck in the backdoor, having amassed four of their five victories against lowly Andorra, Cyprus and Israel. Sure, they beat Wales 2-0 in Zenica, though the visitors had already qualified, thus their full effort comes into question. Regardless, all of that goes out the window in a two-legged affair. It all comes down to an X-factor, and this is where Bosnia has the edge thanks to Edin Dzeko. The Roma hit man can deliver under pressure, having scored the forgotten goal against QPR that led the way to Sergio Aguero’s title clinching strike to hand Manchester City its first Premier League crown. In response, the Irish have 2014 MLS Cup winner and MVP Robbie Keane. The edge is fairly obvious.
Players to watch: Bosnia – Asmir Begovic (Chelsea), Ireland – Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)
Norway vs. Hungary
Hungary’s football dynasty of the early 1950s has cast a cloud of burden over the preceding generations. Hungary has for the most part been on the outside looking in. They lost to West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final, and aside from a third-place showing at the 1964 European Championships and fourth-place finish eight years later, the Hungarians have been more or less a stepping stone for stronger opponents. Although, automatic qualification wasn’t achieved for Euro 2016, this is Hungary’s best chance in several decades to break their international curse.
Norway are similarly in the middle of an upward swing—having last participated in a major tournament at Euro 2000—and will host the first leg on Thursday in Oslo. The Norwegians are young and hungry—no pun intended—with only two players over 30 in the 24-man squad. Norway had by far the more difficult group to maneuver with trips to Italy, Croatia and Bulgaria. It’s now or never for the Hungarians, while Norway has a little more room to breathe in regards to their development strategy heading into the not-too distant future.
Players to watch: Norway – Alexander Tettey (Norwich City), Hungary – Adam Szalai (TSG Hoffenheim)