The 2024 European Championships commence on July 14 at the Allianz Arena, with hosts Germany facing Scotland on the opening day of the tournament. But, before the month long competition begins the final three places available in the groups need to be decided and tonight the final Play-offs take place...
Georgia - greece
ukraine - iceland
wales v poland
Twelve teams entered the Play-offs based off of their positioning in the 2022-23 Nations League and on Thursday the semi-finals took place to whittle it down to the final six teams.
There are three paths available Wales v Poland is Path A, Ukraine v Iceland is Path B and Georgia v Greece is Path C
Path A Play-off winner joins Group D with Netherlands, France and Austria
Path B Play-off winner joins Group E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania
Path C Play-off winner joins Group F with Türkiye, Portugal and Czechia
wales v poland
Rob Page created newfound expectations for his Wales side after reaching the nations first World Cup in 64 years, however a disappointing group stage exit left fans feeling a sense of 'what could have been' in Qatar.
Wales finished third in Group D for the Euro 2024 qualifiers behind Türkiye and Croatia and even though they've done it the hard way they are confident of qualifying for a third consecutive European finals.
Meanwhile, Poland suffered a disastrous capitulation in their Euro 2024 qualifiers group resulting in the dismissal of blockbuster managerial appointment Fernando Santos after only six games.
The former Portuguese manager endured three detrimental defeats to rivals Albania, Czechia and Moldova which saw Poland scrapping for a Play-off place. Despite this, they thrashed Estonia 5-1 on Thursday in the semi-final and are the toughest opponents Wales could have faced in this final showdown.
wales star player
Brennan Johnson - The 22 year old has 10 goal contributions in his debut season at Tottenham and is such a versatile attacking option for Rob Page, either deployed on the left-wing or through the middle. While previously he was a raw talent lacking that clinical edge, he has developed into a threat who is capable of running in behind and stepping up in decisive moments.
poland star player
Piotr Zielinski - A standout performer in Napoli's Scudetto winning Serie A campaign last season, the midfield is technically gifted with a creative vision which is instrumental in initiating attacks. If Wales play a low block 3-4-2-1, his passing range and ability to control possession will be key to breaking through the lines. Within a midfield three he will enable Poland to dictate the play in the centre which could be how they win the game.
prediction: 1-2
Poland have big-game stars like Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczesny who could give them the edge in a one-off final. But, it might be the collective unity and organisation of Wales which could nullify Poland out of the game, it should be a tight contest.
ukraine v iceland
Ukraine missed out on automatic qualification on goal difference, in a tough group against Euro 2020 finalists England and Italy. They have suffered a recurring curse of 'just falling short' after the heartbreak of losing the World Cup Play-off final to Wales which meant so much more than just football.
In the semi-final against Bosnia they showed character to come from behind in the second-half and score two late goals courtesy of strikers Artem Dovbyk and Roman Yaremchuk and its this mental fortitude and spirit which will be key in overcoming this final hurdle before qualification.
Iceland's golden generation which saw them reach a World Cup and European Championships for the first time back-to-back, looked to have eroded after a dismal qualification showing for Qatar 2022 which saw them finish fifth.
Therefore, it was a surprise to see them in the Play-off's and after a resounding 4-1 win away at Israel the famous underdogs are just one further upset away from adding the latest chapter into their evolving history book.
ukraine star player
Mykhalo Mudryk - Devoid of confidence in a car-crash Chelsea career so far, the 23 year old has experienced a mini reinssance lately with two goals and two starts in his last four games. For Ukraine, he can escape the ridicule that encompasses him in the Premier League and play with freedom, which is when he is at his best taking on defenders in one on one's and utilising his electric pace.
iceland star player
Albert Gudmundsson - The 26 year old has 10 goals for in Serie A for Genoa this season, and last Thursday scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Israel. He's in outstanding form which is just what you need in a Play-off final from your striker and his finishing could be the difference that is crucial for Iceland.
prediction: 3 - 2 aet
This game screams goals with 14 goal Girona target man Dovbyk and in-form Gudmundsson. Both teams don't boast outstanding defences and it could become a all or nothing shoot out. But, Ukraine look like they will have the legs in the long run to win this game.
georgia v greece
Willy Sagnol has taken Georgia further than they've ever been before to put them on the brink of a historic first ever qualification for an international tournament. Despite a 1-7 thrashing by Spain during the Euro qualifiers where they finished fourth, an unbeaten Nations League campaign saw them reach the Euro 2024 Play-offs.
They beat Luxembourg 2-0 in the Semi-finals and have possibly the greatest team in their history featuring Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Georges Mikautadze and Giorgi Mamardashvili. Why can't they make the Euros?
Greece pushed the Netherlands all the way in Group B of their Euro qualifiers but finished third despite an impressive 2-2 draw with France. They are aiming to reach their first international tournament in ten years and on Thursday despatched of Kazakhstan 5-0. They will be seen as the villains if they crush the dreams of the Georgians tonight, but they won't get a better chance to reach the Euros.
georgia star player:
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - While he is not having quite as productive season as 2022-23 when he contributed 28 goals and assists for Napoli, he still managed 15 this season. He gives Georgia star quality, capable of producing that game changing moment which will be influential if Georgia are to pull off this mammoth task.
greece star player:
Evangelos Pavilidis - The goal-machine is leading scorer in the Eredivisie this season, with 23 goals in 26 games for AZ Alkmaar. Gustavo Poyet opted to bench him on Thursday against Kazakhstan, but surely he will start against Georgia with the form that he is in.
predicition: 0 - 3
Greece looked formidable infront of goal against Kazakhstan and it just seems the Georgian fairy-tale might burst at the final hurdle. Arguably they've faced easy opposition so far and Greece represent too strong an opponent this time.
Written by - Lewis Eadie
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