Euro 2020 play-offs draw: When is it, which teams are in, how does it work and when are the games?
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Your support makes all the difference.When is the Euro 2020 play-offs draw?
The draw for the Euro 2020 play-offs takes place on Friday 22 November at 11pm GMT (12pm Central European Time). You will be able to follow it live right here with The Independent.
How does the draw work?
This is where it gets a little complicated... Sixteen teams will be in the draw, which is split into four ‘paths’ – A, B, C and D. Each path will contain four teams, and those teams will be ranked based on their performance in the Nations League. They will be divided into two single-leg semi-finals, with the best-ranked team playing at home against the worst-ranked team, and the team ranked No 2 playing at home against the team ranked No3.
The winner of each semi-final will contest a final. The draw will decide which semi-final winner plays at home, which could well be a significant factor. The winner of each of the four play-off finals will book their spot at Euro 2020, joining the 20 teams who qualified the usual way through Euro 2020 qualifying to make a total of 24 teams at the major tournament.
Who is in the draw?
Path D: There will be a draw only to determine which semi-final winner plays the final at home. The semi-finals are as follows:
- Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Georgia v Belarus
- Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): North Macedonia v Kosovo
Path C: The three teams that are League C group winners are confirmed and will play in the semi-finals in the following positions:
- Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Scotland v (team to be drawn)
- Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): Norway v Serbia
A draw will be held to determine which team – Bulgaria, Israel, Hungary or Romania – complete Path C. A draw is also required to determine which semi-final winners plays the final at home.
Path B: There will be a draw only to determine which semi-final winner plays the final at home. The semi-finals are as follows:
- Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Bosnia and Herzegovina v Northern Ireland
- Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): Slovakia v Republic of Ireland
Path A: Iceland – the one team from League A – are confirmed:
- Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Iceland v tbc
- Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): tbc v tbc
The three remaining teams from League C – Bulgaria, Hungary, Israel, Romania – will be allocated to Path A to complete the semi-final pairings in the order of their ranking.
When are the play-offs?
The semi-finals will be played on Thursday 26 March, with the finals five days later on Tuesday 31 March. Kick-offs are expected to be at 7.45pm.
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