Investogist - Latest: Match Day 13 Euro 2020 Match Preview

Group matches will come to an end today at four different venues. Below is a match-by-match preview of likely outcomes.

Let us look at the calculations we made on Sunday prior to the commencement of last set of group matches of who needs what to qualify for the knockout stages.

Group E:

Sweden will go through if they avoid defeat against Poland. If Sweden lose and the other game is drawn, Sweden, Slovakia and Poland will be split for first to third place on results between the three teams. If Sweden lose, they finish third.
Slovakia will go through if they beat Spain, or if they draw and Sweden avoid defeat.
Spain will go through if they beat Slovakia. If they draw, they will finish third unless Poland win.
Poland will go through in second place if they win and the other game is not drawn.
If Slovakia, Sweden and Poland all finish on 4 points (ahead of Spain on 3), they will be split on goal difference from matches between the three teams (the first two teams would be through, the third-placed team could also advance depending on the record of third-placed teams in other groups).
In that scenario, if Poland beat Sweden 1-0, and Slovakia draw, the order will be: 1 Slovakia, 2 Poland, 3 Sweden (be above Sweden on goal difference and to split the two their direct result, a Slovakia win, would apply).
If Poland beat Sweden 2-1, and Slovakia draw, the order will be: 1 Poland, 2 Sweden, 3 Slovakia (Sweden and Slovakia would be behind Poland on goal difference and to split the two their direct result, a Sweden win, would apply).
If Poland beat Sweden by any other one-goal margin, and Slovakia draw, the order will be: 1 Poland, 2 Sweden, 3 Slovakia.
If Poland beat Sweden by two goals or more, and Slovakia draw, the order will be: 1 Poland, 2 Slovakia, 3 Sweden.

Group E: Slovakia vs Spain (18:00, Seville)

Slovakia needs just a point to go through while Spain needs an outright win, else their fate would hang on another match’s outcome. All odds favour Spain to win but Slovakia has proven to rise to the task on occasions like this to triumph. They did it against Italy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup (3-2), against England at Euro 2016 (0-0) and against same Spain in October 2014 (2-1). They will be pushed by the fact that they always come to the party against the big boys.

Spain has not been too good lately, fumbling when it matters the most. With their pre-tournament visions, they would most likely not settle for a draw, most especially if Poland beats Sweden. Their fate lies in their hands within the allotted 90 minutes. Luis Enrique may have his job on the line should the La Roja not qualify from the group.

Spain has reached the knockout stages in every Euro since 1996 except in 2004. Slovakia advanced to the last 16 at EURO 2016, their first tournament as an independent nation when Czechoslovakia broke into two.

Group E: Sweden vs Poland (18:00, St Petersburg)

Poland are outsiders in today’s match if history is to be relied upon as Sweden have won their last five matches. Poland needs a win to go through and the team is brimming with strong belief of achieving their dreams. With Robert Lewandowski a goal away from becoming Poland’s all-time top scorer at the European Championships, he carries the hopes of the entire nation and would do everything to put smiles on the faces of Polish compatriots.

Sweden tops the group going into the match and cannot finish bottom because they are already guaranteed to reach the last 16, compliments of outcomes elsewhere earlier this week, though they need to finish between first and third to claim this bogus offer. This gives them enough confidence before the match. In Alexander Isak, they have a match for defenders’ nightmare, Lewandowski. Also, Marcus Danielson has played a pivotal role in both of Sweden’s opening matches at Euro 2020 whilst partnering Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof in the backline. He will be a busy man once more when tasked with marking Bayern’s goal machine Lewandowski.

Sweden is unbeaten in their last seven games against Poland winning six times and drawing once, scoring 18 goals in that sequence and conceding only three. The Swedes have won 14 of the 26 meetings between the teams overall, drawing four and losing eight.

Group E Standings