Croatia or Wales will be the last direct participants in the European Football Championship after the matches of the last qualifying round on Tuesday, and Monday has three treats in store, in all three groups on the program, the competitors for the second place will play directly.
England has secured the first place in the group and is visiting North Macedonia, which has already lost every chance to reach the Euros, completely relieved. The evening derby is played at the BayArena in Leverkusen, where Ukraine welcomes the European champion Italy and can once again send it to the hell of the play-offs. -2), which pushed them into the play-offs for the last World Cup, while Ukraine won in Malta 3-1. Ukraine and Italy are tied on points, and as the Italians won in the first game, they now have a point to qualify, while formal hosts must go for the win. Bookmakers give them only a 20 percent chance.
One of the most pleasant surprises of these qualifications is certainly Albania, who will play in a major competition for the second time after Euro 2016, they secured their place with a draw in Moldova on Friday, but not yet the first place. Admittedly, it should be a formality because the Faroe Islands are arriving in Tirana. It will be much more interesting in Olomouc, where the Czech Republic welcomes Moldova. Yes, the national team that finished last seven times in the qualifications for major competitions, and never better than fourth place, is one victory away from qualifying for the final tournament. Despite the expansion of the Euro to 24 national teams, it would be a sensation in every sense. Moldova is only 157th in the Fifa ranking, behind it are only Andorra, Malta, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein and San Marino, and it can reach the Euro without play-offs. The bookies give it only an 8.5 percent chance, a draw is enough for the Czech Republic, and in case of failure, it will go to the play-off, where it can also catch up with Croatia.
Another premier placement at the European Championship in this century, after that of Serbia, is on the horizon on Sunday. Slovenia spilled the first match point in Denmark on Friday, but they are offered another one that they must not miss. Kazakhstan is coming, which is very much alive. The selection of the Asian country, which has never qualified for a major competition, took advantage of the failures of Finland and Northern Ireland and achieved a respectable six victories in nine games, defeating Denmark at home, Northern Ireland twice, and Finland away. But she needs another scalp, a victory in Ljubljana. The Slovenians have been to the Euros only once, back in 2000 in a group with Spain, FR Yugoslavia and Norway, they were eliminated with two draws, and now they could return to a major competition for the first time after the World Cup championship in the Republic of South Africa in 2010, when they were also led by Matjaž Kek. A draw is enough for the Slovenians, they cannot make the play-offs, unlike Kazakhstan, and the bookies give them an 89 percent chance.