Euro 2020: Who is likely to qualify?
This past weekend saw the draw for the qualifying round of Euro 2020, with games set to take place in March, June, September, October and November of 2019 to decide the first 20 countries to enter the tournament.
There will be 4 further spots decided via playoff matches, but the advent of the UEFA Nations League has changed the way that teams can reach those playoffs, meaning incredibly, the whole lineup for Euro 2020 won’t be revealed until April 2020 – just two months before the tournament begins!
It sounds convoluted, but given the quality of this summer’s World Cup – as well as the great matches we’ve seen in the inaugural Nations League thus far – Euro 2020 should prove to be a much-anticipated tournament once it comes around.
But which teams are likely to qualify from those groups that were drawn this weekend, filling the first 20 spots? It’s time to take a look, group-by-group.
Group A: England, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Kosovo
Group A looks relatively straightforward for Gareth Southgate’s England side, if we’re frank. There were some doubts about how the young Three Lions team could follow their surprising run to the World Cup semi-finals, but after some stirring performances in the Nations League – beating both Spain and Croatia – England fans should be confident against any team in Europe.
This draw certainly shouldn’t worry them too much; the Czech Republic are probably the next best side in the group, but they haven’t looked good since a poor Euro 2016 campaign, as they missed out on the World Cup and were comfortably beaten to the top of their Nations League group by Ukraine. They also don’t have the superstars that they once did in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Could Bulgaria spring somewhat of an upset and qualify ahead of the Czechs? Stranger things have happened; they beat Sweden and the Netherlands in World Cup 2018 qualifiers, started strongly in their Nations League group before fading and being pipped by Norway, and look like a solid outfit despite a lack of star names.
Montenegro and Kosovo – despite the latter team’s Nations League success that has seen them promoted into League C – will likely struggle here, although their results against the Czechs and Bulgaria could prove to be crucial for the chances of those two sides qualifying.
I’d expect England to likely win all ten games here; the chances of a slip-up seem minimal these days and the Czechs were probably the weakest side in Pot 2. In terms of a runner-up, I think Bulgaria might have more momentum than the Czechs right now and if they can start well, they could make it. It’ll help them that they don’t face England until September 2019, for starters.
Prediction: England and Bulgaria to qualify