If there are 16 teams and only the top two teams in each group qualify, winning two games does not actually guarantee early advancement from the group.
Because there may be a situation where three teams have two wins and one loss, and the other unlucky team has lost all three games.
In this way, the three teams need to look at the goal difference to determine the top two in the group.
This situation is rare, but it has happened in the World Series.
In the 12th World Cup in 1982, Algeria, West Germany, and Austria in Group B all had 2 wins and 1 loss. Algeria was eliminated in third place due to a low goal difference.
A similar situation actually occurred in the Champions League.
The Champions League group stage is a double round-robin, and this score must be multiplied by two. So in the 2013-14 Champions League group stage, Arsenal, Naples and Dortmund all had 4 wins, 2 losses and 12 points. In the end, Naples was eliminated in third place.
But in this European Cup, the third-placed team with the best results can qualify, so the Swedish team can be said to have entered the top 16 ahead of schedule!
After all, it’s not uncommon for a 6-point third place finisher to appear in a group, let alone five or more 6-point third place finishers…
"This somewhat surprising victory allowed the Swedish team to get 3 points, making them the first team to qualify in this group of death."
“In this game, Italy’s performance was indeed a bit disappointing. They defeated the favorite Belgium in the first game, which made everyone look at this Italian team with admiration and think that they may have better performances in this cup. performance.”
"But in fact, the Italian team was not too impressive in front of the Swedish team. On the contrary, the Swedish team showed convincing strength for the second consecutive game."
"In other words, the overall performance of the Swedish team today is even better than when they played Ireland in the first game. Their offense and defense are also relaxed and they always control the game situation steadily. Considering that the Italian team is stronger than Ireland, this way The performance was indeed a bit surprising.”
"If we just rely on this one game, the Swedish team can even let people see their infinite possibilities. After all, not just any team can beat the Italian team in such a mess!"
"Of course, if the Swedish team wants to go further in this European Cup, they will undoubtedly need to maintain this state for a longer time. This will also test Pan Yi's overall understanding of this kind of tournament system. The ability to take control.”
"But now there is a very favorable situation for Pan Yi's Swedish team. That is, they have qualified early, which also makes the Swedish team's final round match against Belgium a less important game. Pan Yi can also take the opportunity to let More main players have been rested to prepare for the more brutal knockout matches."
"This is very critical. Because whether it is the European Cup or the World Cup, the schedule is actually very intensive. Such a chance to rest is really rare!..."
In the slightly excited commentary of the commentator, the Swedish players on the court were already celebrating excitedly.
Before the start of the European Cup, almost everyone was not optimistic about Sweden, thinking that they would be eliminated at the bottom of the group. Even after Pan Yi took over, this view did not change much;
This also made everyone in the Swedish national team furious.
Now, they have qualified ahead of schedule!
Two consecutive wins in this group of death!
Therefore, the aggrieved emotions before can finally be vented properly, which makes this group of Swedish international players very excited.
On the other hand, the players of the Italian team competing in the same field all had their heads lowered and looked very depressed.
Originally, they were the team that was expected to qualify early!
But since they lost to the Swedish team, they will have to face Ireland in the final round. In fact, it is not that sure.
After all, the Italian tradition is that when you are strong, you are not weak, and when you are weak, you are not strong. When you think he is strong, he is weak. When you think he is very weak, he will be strong to show you...
"Congratulations, boss!" De Sciglio saw Pan Yi walking towards him, and an indescribable stiff smile immediately appeared on his face.
On the one hand, it's because Italy lost, and on the other hand, it's because he didn't even get a chance to play for one minute in this losing Italian team!
This also shows that after Pan Yi left Milan, De Sciglio's career development was not as smooth as he expected.
It cannot be said that it is very bad - after all, he can be selected for the Italian national team, but it is definitely not a big success.
In general, he is a qualified player in the five major leagues, nothing more.
"I wish you good luck too!" Pan Yi could only pat De Sciglio on the shoulder to express comfort.
The master leads you in, and practice depends on yourself.
De Sciglio's future still depends on himself.
Fortunately, he is only 23 years old this year and still has the opportunity to improve...
——
The post-game press conference was packed.
Reporters and media from all over the world have gathered here. They are all waiting for the head coaches of both sides to appear, hoping that they can make some comments on this game, especially Pan Yi.
Conte played first, but he lost the ball today and was obviously not in a good mood.
After briefly answering a few reporters' questions, he left the venue in a hurry.
When Pan Yi appeared, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly reached a climax.
Obviously, this is not only because of Pan Yi's reputation as the world's number one coach, but more because of the two games he led the Swedish team to play.
Especially being able to suppress Italy like this today and make Conte's team play so uncomfortable, this fully reflects the fighting power of this Swedish team.
It can be said that after this game, anyone who criticizes Pan Yi and his Swedish team is really lying.
After all, this is the first team to qualify for this European Cup!
"Mr. Pan Yi, what do you think of this victory?" A reporter was the first to raise his hand and ask.
"This was a very tough game. Italy was very strong and posed a lot of threats to us, but in the end we won the game, which is very important. The victory belongs to everyone and the whole team."
Pan Yi's answer was very formal, which also gave Conte enough face.
Another reporter stood up: "Mr. Pan Yi, which player on the Swedish team do you think performed best today?"
Pan Yi smiled and said: "Everyone performed very well. Of course Ibrahimovic and Isaac who scored goals for us were very good, but I especially want to praise Lindelof today. He completely prevented the opponent's top scorer Peggy. Rai, I think he has the potential to play in a big club."
The reporters all nodded.
Since Pan Yi joined the team, Lindelof seems to have become a different person.
In addition to being a good defender, he also took on the important task of Sweden's ball delivery in the backcourt, making the Swedish team's originally chaotic ball delivery system more orderly.
This has to make people admire Pan Yi's accuracy in employing people.
After all, under his predecessor, Lindelof was nothing more than a reckless man who often got into trouble.
At this time Pan Yi continued: "Of course I still want to emphasize that playing in a big competition like the European Cup depends on the joint efforts of the 23 players on the team, rather than relying on one or a few players. of."
At this time, another reporter raised his hand: "After two consecutive victories, the Swedish team has actually qualified from the group. Will you make some lineup adjustments when playing Belgium?"
"Of course!" Pan Yi nodded, "I have to consider the game from an overall perspective. If there is an opportunity to give my players a rest, why not? Of course, the ranking of the group will also affect the opponents in the knockout rounds, and I will do the same. considerate."
"But since the third place in the group can also qualify, is it difficult to predict our opponents in the top 16 now?" the reporter asked, "The qualifying situation will be much more chaotic than before."
Pan Yi smiled and said: "Then, let's try to occupy a good position in the group, and then let others think about how to avoid us."
——
Soon, the match between Belgium and Ireland also started.
Compared with the starting lineup, Fellaini, Nainggolan and Seaman were taken down by Wilmots and replaced by Dembele, Carrasco and Meunier respectively.
However, in the first half of the game, the offense of both sides was lackluster, and the two teams drew 0-0.
After the start of the second half, Belgium's offensive came in waves.
In the 48th minute, Ireland's free kick attack failed. Belgium launched a quick counterattack. De Bruyne gave the ball to Lukaku. The little monster succeeded with his left foot in the penalty area. Belgium led Ireland 1-0. This was Lukaku. First goal in the European Cup.
In the 61st minute of the game, Belgium continued to cooperate. Meunier sent a cross from the wing. Witsel quickly moved forward and scored a header in the penalty area, helping Belgium lead 2-0.
In the 70th minute, Belgium scored again. Hazard calmly knocked in the penalty area and Lukaku scored in front of the goal. Belgium led Ireland 3-0. Lukaku scored twice.
In the end, Belgium defeated Ireland 3-0.
This victory allowed Belgium's points to jump to second place in the group, while Ireland lost both games and swallowed five goals, so there is little hope of qualifying.
The situation of the Swedish team has long been clear, that is, as long as it remains undefeated in the final round, it can qualify as the first in the group.
For Italy and Belgium, who have three points in hand, the same is actually true. If they don't lose, they have a high chance of qualifying. The difference is only the ranking of the group and the opponent in the knockout round.
Given that the first place team in Group E has a high probability of meeting the second place team in Group D, and Group D is composed of Croatia, Spain, Turkey, and the Czech Republic;
The second place team in Group E will meet the first place team in Group F. The four teams in Group F are Hungary, Iceland, Portugal and Austria;
Analyzing this situation, perhaps finishing second in the group is not such a bad choice.
Of course, finishing third in the group must be avoided, because they will meet the first place in Group A. At present, the host France team is very likely to be in that position. They just defeated Albania 2:0. Also won both games.
But this is still a theoretical arrangement.
Since we don’t know which group’s third place will appear, there are certain variables here and cannot be completely confirmed.
——
The last round of Group E is scheduled for June 22, which is the last day of the group stage.
Therefore, before the start of the two games that start at the same time, Italy VS Ireland and Sweden VS Belgium, the rankings of other groups have already been settled.
In the final round of Group A, which ended first, France drew 0:0 with Switzerland, while Romania lost 0:1 to Albania. This made the final ranking of Group A France 7 points, Switzerland 5 points, Albania 3 points, and Romania is out with 1 point.
Then there is Group B. After Wales unexpectedly defeated Russia 3:0, they actually occupied the first place in the group!
England, ranked second in the same group, also has the right to qualify, while Slovakia, ranked third with 4 points, also ensures the right to qualify.
The rankings in Group C are Germany with 7 points, Poland with 7 points, Northern Ireland with 3 points, and Ukraine with 0 points.
Group D, which Pan Yi needs to focus on, had a moderate upset in the last round. Croatia defeated Spain 2:1!
This also allowed Croatia to beat Spain to win the first place in the group, while Spain could only settle for second place.
Finally, in Group F, Hungary and Portugal completed a 3:3 goal battle, with Ronaldo scoring twice.
Hungary is first with 5 points, Iceland is second with 5 points and Portugal is third with 3 points after all three games.
Since in the previous groups, two teams, Albania and Turkey, were already ranked third with 3 points and a negative goal difference, Portugal has also qualified.
In this way, the final round of Group E is a bit tricky.
The opponent for the first place in the group will be Spain, second in Group D, and the opponent for the second place in the group will be Hungary, the first place in Group F. If the third place in the group also advances, then the opponent will be France, the first place in Group A.
In other words, the first place in Group E may not be as good as the second place after qualifying...
But Pan Yi didn't think about it that much, because he was ready to "let go".
Well, it’s not a waste of time.
It’s just a big rotation of the lineup!
All the players who started before sat on the bench, and all the original substitutes started!
Even the starting goalkeeper was replaced by Robin Olsen from Copenhagen.
As a result, except for the third goalkeeper Karlgren, all the players of the Swedish team have made their European Cup debut.
As for Belgium, since they cannot guarantee a qualifying spot, they still play with their main lineup.
But their mentality is a bit strange.
They want to qualify, but they also want to finish second in the group so that they can play Hungary instead of Spain.
Therefore, the Belgian players were a little absent-minded on the court and were not in a 100% fighting state.
"Swedish team's Lustig stole the ball and gave it to Hiemark. He dribbled the ball forward and passed it to Levitsky's feet..."
"Lewitsky took the ball, turned around, and pushed it behind Vermaelen. Kulusevski got the ball and went down to the baseline and passed..."
"The goal is in! Marcus Berry is in goal!!!"
Suddenly, the entire Nice Stadium burst into deafening cheers. Countless fans wearing yellow Sweden jerseys jumped up from the stands, raising their arms high and shouting loud celebration slogans. It makes the entire Nice Stadium seem to be in the whirlpool of a storm.
"In the 14th minute, just 14 minutes after the opening, the Swedish team took the lead in breaking through the Belgian team's goal!"
"1:0, this is a very sudden, but it feels like a natural goal. Because the Swedish team has been very proactive in attacking forward since the beginning, exerting a huge pressure on the Belgian team's defense. pressure!"
"And the Belgian team obviously did not adjust well. Facing the Swedish team, which played with all substitutes, they seemed to have no power to fight back?"
"If this continues, they will be in danger. Belgium's instant points are still 3 points, but the goal difference has dropped to 0. If they lose another goal, they may not be able to compare with Albania and Turkey..."
The live TV footage and the big screen in the stadium were replaying the entire process of scoring the goal just now.
Everyone can see that the moment the Swedish team switched from offense to defense after stealing the ball, the Belgian players obviously had no intention of counterattacking immediately. Even returning to defense was slow. It seemed that Looks listless and weak.
Vermaelen never regained his position after receiving the ball from Levitsky and then passing it diagonally.
When Kulusevski passed the ball, Alderweireld was naturally blocked by Marcus Berry. The latter headed the ball directly into the penalty area without much interference. The ball went in.
"There is obviously a problem with the Belgian team. After conceding this goal, it feels like many Belgian players are complaining to each other instead of encouraging."
At this time, the players of the Swedish team had returned to the court in unbridled celebrations, and the game was about to start.
But it is clear that Belgium's morale shows no sign of recovery.
"Now it seems that the news about the infighting in the Belgian dressing room before the game is very likely to be true."
Although the on-site commentator did not say it clearly, everyone could hear one thing from his tone, and that was disappointment.
This may be a chronic disease of Belgian football.
After all, in football, in addition to the team's level, the team's internal unity is also an important factor that determines the results.
In the past competitions, some strong teams often had internal strife due to many issues. For example, Yugoslavia had many ethnic groups, and the players in the national team were divided into gangs. The Dutch team had many players from the colonies, and they could not deal with the local players.
In Belgium, they don’t even speak the same language within the team!
The Belgians are composed of French-speaking Walloons and Dutch-speaking Flemish people, and these two ethnic groups have always been at odds with each other.
This confrontation has a long history, and this conflict of culture and language has also been brought to the football field.
Belgium missed three European Cups and two World Cups from 2002 to 2012. A very important reason is that the Walloon and Flemish players in the team formed cliques.
Later, the emergence of Belgium's golden generation finally allowed them to participate in major competitions, but the conflicts within the team remained.
During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Belgian internationals Vermaelen and Witsel attended a press conference at the same time. At the scene, Vermaelen spoke Dutch, while Witsel insisted on speaking French...
There are even rumors that in order to avoid language conflicts, the Belgian team all speaks English, because English is safer and will not cause divisions within the team due to language.
This resulted in Belgium being able to rely on its own strength in the qualifying stage, but once it came to the competition, it was disheartened.
"Perhaps it is because of the current group qualifying situation that there are internal differences in Belgium." The commentator speculated, "For example, the Walloons think that they should strive for the first place in the group without fear of any opponents; while the Flemish people think that they should be ranked second in the group. Just fine..."
"Of course, this is just my guess. Maybe their internal conflicts are more complicated than I thought."
"For example, De Bruyne is Flemish, but he has some other conflicts with Courtois, whose father and mother are from Flanders and Wallonia respectively..."
"But the problem is, if this continues, their final fate may be to be eliminated from the group!"
——
Of course, Pan Yi has heard about Belgium's internal conflicts.
Well, since his previous life as a fan, he had heard about conflicts within Belgium more than once.
Even this contradiction continues until the end of the 2022 World Cup...
It can only make people lament that the golden generation that they finally emerged has gradually aged like this, and has not been able to win any decent championships.
This also shows that football is really not only a sport that tests physical and technical skills, but also depends more on whether the entire team can form a whole and work hard in one place.
This is why Pan Yi never likes those thorny players.
The same goes for Guardiola.
Wasn't Cancelo not strong in his previous life at Manchester City? At least they are among the top three at the same position.
But because he had conflicts in the locker room, including losing his temper when he didn't start the game, Guardiola couldn't tolerate him and sent him away directly.
After Cancelo left, Manchester City's results got better and better, and finally became the Triple Crown!
Although in Belgium now, there are several Chelsea players such as Lukaku, Hazard and Courtois, who can be regarded as Pan Yi's "hometown" team;
But he can only ensure that these people will not cause conflicts in the Chelsea team - well, it is not easy for just three people to form a clique.
But when it comes to Belgium, Pan Yike has nothing to do.
Even in the future Chelsea, Pan Yi may not be able to control it. After all, he is no longer the head coach of Chelsea...
——
With the referee's whistle, the game ended.
1:0, Sweden defeated Belgium!
In other words, Marcus Berry's goal in the 14th minute was the only goal in the game.
In the next 70 minutes, although Belgium was distracted, Sweden's substitute lineup was also very limited after all. Therefore, the two sides reached an inexplicable balance and maintained the score until the end.
This also made all the Swedish fans at the Nice Stadium shout excitedly in celebration.
None of them expected, absolutely did not expect that the game would become what it is now.
Belgium can be considered a strong team in Europe, after all, ranked second in the world.
The Swedish team played all substitutes. In the 70th minute, Pan Yi even replaced the third goalkeeper Karlgren on the field, allowing him to have a taste of the European Cup...
But even so, Sweden still won Belgium and achieved an amazing record of winning three games!
This is of course surprising, because no matter from any aspect, it is impossible for Belgium to be this weak, and it is impossible for the Swedish team to be this strong, but it just happened.
Then……
Even more surprising news came from another venue:
Italy surprisingly lost to Ireland 0:1!
Well, it seems that Italy’s loss is not a surprise?
But in this way, in Group E, Sweden has won three games with nine points, while the other three teams have scored three points with one win and two losses.
Just in this set, Belgium's goal difference is 0, Italy's goal difference is -1, and Ireland's goal difference is -4.
Therefore, Belgium "got their wish" and won the second place in the group!
Italy was third in the group and Ireland was eliminated in fourth.
And since Albania, third in Group A, and Turkey, third in Group D, both have a goal difference of 3 points and -2, this means that Italy has also qualified!
In the knockout round of the top 16, the fate of the three teams in Group E was also decided:
Belgium VS Hungary;
Italy VS France;
Sweden VS Spain! ! !
(End of chapter)
