REUTERS
PA
PA
AP
REUTERS
PA
AP
REUTERS
PA
PA
PA
Getty Images
Getty Images
REUTERS
AFP via Getty Images
REUTERS
Getty Images
PA
ngland will face World Cup finalists Croatia at Euro 2020 as the Three Lions learned their group-stage opponents in today’s draw.
England suffered a heartbreaking World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia in Russia back in 2018, but will have a chance to avenge that loss at Wembley on June 14.
The Three Lions also face Czech Republic, while the toughest group draw sees Germany, Portugal and world champions France face off in Group F – and England will face the runners-up of that group in Dublin.
If England come through that match, they would play a quarter-final in Rome. The Italian capital will host the opening game of the tournament, with Italy taking on Turkey on June 12.
The semi-finals and final will all be at Wembley, with the final itself being played on Sunday, July 12.
SPONSORED
Can’t see the blog? Click here for the desktop version.
Group A | Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland
Group B | Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia
Group C | Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, playoff winner D
Group D | England, Croatia, Czech Republic, playoff winner C
Group E | Spain, Sweden, Poland, playoff winner B
Group F | Portugal, France, Germany, playoff winner A
Good afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of the Euro 2020 draw.
England and Wales will soon their learn their fate ahead of next summer’s competition while Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland will have an eye on today’s proceedings – with all three involved in play-off matches in March.
Will have all the build-up as we count down to the draw – and all the information you need along the way.
Euro 2020 draw – the basics
Therer will be six groups of four this afternoon – 20 teams already have their names in the hat with four more to battle it out in play-offs in March.
Pots
Pot One: Belgium, Italy, England, Germany, Spain, Ukraine.
Pot Two: France, Poland, Switzerland, Croatia, Netherlands, Russia.
Pot Three: Portugal, Turkey, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic.
Pot Four: Wales, Finland, play-off winner 1, play-off winner two, play-off winner three, play-off winner four
The play-offs
The draw for the Euro 2020 play-offs was completed at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland earlier this month with 16 teams discovering their fate.
We already know 20 of the 24 qualified nations heading to next summer’s European Championship, with each of four play-off ‘paths’ producing another after two semi-final ties and a subsequent final.
In Path A, Scotland will meet Israel in a one-legged semi-final at Hampden Park on March 26 for the right to face either Norway or Serbia in the final, with that latter clash set to be away from home.
Scotland took on Israel twice in 2018 as part of the inaugural Uefa Nations League, losing 2-1 away and winning 3-2 on home soil.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland were already guaranteed to meet Bosnia-Herzegovina in the semi-finals as part of Path B, while they could yet play the Republic of Ireland in the final, with Mick McCarthy’s side in action on the road against Slovakia first.
That match, should it come to pass, would take place at Windsor Park in Belfast, with Northern Ireland guaranteed a home final should they win in Bosnia.
In Path D, Georgia will face Belarus and North Macedonia battle Kosovo, while in Path A Iceland take on Romania and Bulgaria battle Hungary.
The teams in the draw today
Belgium
Italy
Poland
Russia
Spain
Ukraine
France
Turkey
England
Czech Republic
Finland
Sweden
Croatia
Austria
Netherlands
Germany
Portugal
Switzerland
Denmark
Wales
Possible Group of Death for England
The worst case scenario for Gareth Southgate’s men would be to be drawn against both of the 2016 European Championship finalists France and Portugal, whilst Serbia are the highest-ranked of the sides in play-off Path C.
Group of Death for Wales?
Being in the fourth seeding pot means they face a tough draw whether they end up in Group A or Group B. Group A could involve facing an Italy side with home advantage, world champions France and reigning European champions Portugal.
Group B would mean facing the world’s number one-ranked side Belgium, plus away games against Russia and Denmark.
Southgate: England will be feared
Gareth Southgate believes England deserve to be feared as they prepare to find out their Euro 2020 opponents.
Southgate’s side will discover who will join them in Group D when the draw is made in Bucharest on Saturday.
England could end up facing both holders Portugal and world champions France but will have home advantage, with all three of their group games taking place at Wembley.
And Southgate feels their run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, and to last summer’s Nations League finals, means other teams should be worried about facing England.
Getty Images
“I think we’ve gained some respect and I think people would view us as a threat, which certainly wasn’t the case ahead of Russia,” he told BBC Sport.
“We also know we have got to improve to another level. It’s hard to assess exactly where we are after this qualifying campaign, but if we looked at the World Cup semi and the Nations League semi, we’ve done all we could in terms of qualifying with the most goals in Europe, so we are on a good track.
“The difference on one day between any of the top 10 teams is so marginal in football.
“It’s different in rugby where only four or five are contenders, with us in the Euros it’s always been more random than a World Cup – you could look at any one of 10 teams and think they could win it.”
England would face Scotland at Wembley should Steve Clarke’s side come through their play-off semi and final in March next year.
The Scots face Israel at Hampden Park and would then travel to Norway or Serbia for a one-off match to secure their place. They would play their other two Group D matches in Glasgow.
Wales, who booked their place in the finals with victory over Hungary earlier this month, know they will go into Group A or B.
Group A features Italy, who will play all three of their group matches in Rome. Wales are in pot four, so could also be joined by France and Portugal in that group.
Group B only has one slot left to fill, with Belgium, Russia and Denmark already in it. Wales would play one match in Copenhagen and two in St Petersburg in that eventuality.
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are fighting for one place in the finals when play-off path B takes place in March.
If either emerge victorious in that four-team mini-tournament, they will head into Group E alongside Spain, with matches in this pool to be hosted in Bilbao and Dublin.
Path to the knockouts for England?
The semi-finals and final are all at Wembley, but to get back there England would have to play a last-16 match in Dublin and a quarter-final in Rome if they won Group D.
If they finish second, they would be in Copenhagen for the last 16 and St Petersburg for the last eight.
For Wales, we will have to wait and see which group they end up in, but the winners of Group A and B play their last 16 matches in London and Bilbao respectively.
Best case scenario for England?
England might quite like Poland from pot two and the Czech Republic from pot three – although the Czechs beat them in qualification. Israel are the lowest-ranked of the sides in play-off Path C.