What determines Ireland’s game and how to go to Euro 2024 of the Nations League

The Greek national team welcomes Ireland to the OPAP Arena (21:45, Novasports Prime + ALPHA, live from SPORT24) in the most important match in Group B of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, after they dashed their qualification hopes in the final stage of the tournament. The tournament that will start in 364 days.

Our country has opponents in the group of France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Gibraltar and if it does not succeed in subduing Stephen Kenny’s team, it will not have a realistic chance of qualifying on the fields of Germany.

The start of proceedings was perfect, with a 3-0 win over Gibraltar and a day off, but things are now starting to get tough for Gustavo Puget’s side, who are called upon to rise to the occasion.

The first target is Ireland and in the background is the Netherlands

Ireland is at the same level as the national team and in fact three places higher in the FIFA rankings. Its goal is to surprise and be able to place one of France or the Netherlands in the lowest ranking, in order to qualify for Euro 2024.

In the premiere against the world finalists in Dublin, they managed to put up some resistance, but were beaten 1-0 by a goal from Benjamin Pavard. The French have already won 4-0 against the Netherlands, so they are already the favorites for first place, leaving “Uranye” as the team that the Irish and the Greeks will chase in the standings.

Ronald Koeman’s team’s performance in the Nations League semi-finals against Croatia, as well as against France, leaves a glimmer of hope for the two countries that follow. However, if any of them were defeated in the OPAP Arena, they would all be prematurely extinguished. In the event of a tie, it will be necessary to beat and score against Mbappe, in order for Greece and Ireland to remain in the qualification race.

It is noteworthy that in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, the initial classification criteria relate to the results between the tied teams, the goal difference in the matches between them and the best attack in these matches. Thus, any result in the matches between Greece and the Netherlands and Ireland could play a role in the bid for second place.

Greece results

• Gibraltar – Greece 0-3 (11′ Masouras, 45′ Siopis, 58′ Bakasetas)
• Friday 16 June 2023, (21:45) Greece – Ireland
• Monday 19 June 2023, (21:45): France – Greece
• Thursday, September 7, 2023, (21:45): Netherlands – Greece
• Sunday 10 September 2023, (21:45): Greece – Gibraltar
• Friday, October 13, 2023, (21:45): Ireland – Greece
• Monday October 16 (21:45): Greece – Netherlands
• Tuesday, November 21 (21:45): Greece – France

The ranking criteria are equal

1. More points in matches between tied teams
2. Best goal difference in matches between tied teams
3. The best attack in matches between equal teams
4. Reapply Criteria 1-3 between the teams that are still tied
5. Best goal difference in all group matches
6. The best attack in all team games
7. Best away attack in all group matches
8. More wins in all team games
9. More wins in all group matches
10. Fair play points (1 point for yellow card, 3 points for red card with yellow 2, 3 points for straight red card, 4 points for yellow card and then red straight)
11. Position in the Nations League standings

League of Nations lifeblood

The Nations League gives a second chance to the teams that failed to get a ticket to the final stage of the Euro Championship through the qualifiers.

The teams that topped their group in each of the first three categories of the Nations League will participate in successively three Final Fours with the ultimate goal of one of the last three tickets to the tournament in Germany.

If any of these teams secured a place in the Euro qualifiers, the next team in the Nations League standings without a Euro ticket would take their place.

In the event that Greece cannot overcome one of the hurdles of France or the Netherlands (or even Ireland), they are guaranteed a place in the Final Four of League C, as the winners of the second group of the category.

The remaining three winners are Turkey, Kazakhstan and Georgia, which means that if none of these countries secure a ticket through the qualifiers, it will be the four national teams that will fight for a place in Euro 2024 via the Final Four of the third division.

The semi-final duels are already known and our representative team will face Turkey in the semi-finals on March 21, 2024, and if they qualify for the final on the 26th of the month, they will face the winner from Georgia-Kazakhstan.

From now on, if one (or more) teams have a ticket to Euro 2024, the runners-up who will take their place are, in order: Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar.

Possible pairs of path C

1. 03/21/2024 Greece – Türkiye
2. 03/21/2024 Georgia – Kazakhstan

• last (03/26/2024): Greece or Türkiye – Georgia or Kazakhstan
  
• runner-up: Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar

path potential pairs b

1. 03/21/2024 Israel – Scotland
2. 03/21/2024 Bosnia – Serbia

• last (03/26/2024): Israel or Scotland – Bosnia or Serbia
• runner-up: Finland, Ukraine, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Ireland, Albania, Montenegro, Romania, Sweden, Armenia

potential pairs of path a

1. 03/21/2024 Netherlands – Italy
2. 03/21/2024 Croatia – Spain

• last (03/26/2024): Netherlands or Italy – Croatia or Spain
  
• runner-up: Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, France, Austria, Czech Republic, England, Wales