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What do England need to qualify at Euro 2020 and who will they play?

 (EPA)
(EPA)

England head into the final game of Group D with qualification for the Euro 2020 knockout stages already secured.

Gareth Southgate’s side missed their first chance to rubber stamp a ticket to the last 16 with the draw with Scotland at Wembley on Friday night.

That leaves them in second place in Group D ahead of their final first phase game against Czech Republic on Tuesday evening.

LIVE: Follow live build-up to England vs Czech Republic at Euro 2020

However, Monday’s results elsewhere mean that England’s four points - gained from the win over Croatia and draw with Scotland - are guaranteed to be enough to be one of the four best third-placed teams, regardless of the result against the Czechs.

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Here’s how everything is worked out at Euro 2020:

What are the group stage rules at Euro 2020?

With 24 teams at the tournament the process of determining the final 16 teams for the knockouts is slightly more complicated than normal. At a World Cup, where there are 32 teams, the equation is simple with the top two from each of the eight groups going through.

At the Euros the winners and runners-up in each of the six groups automatically qualify for the next round. Then the four best third-placed teams also make it through. The tie-breaker between teams on the same points is head-to-head record followed by goal difference and goals scored between the teams in question followed by overall goal difference, goals scored, wins and disciplinary record.

What do England need to do to qualify?

Nothing. Results in other group games now mean England are through to the last-16 before playing their third game with placing in Group D - and the subsequent knockout tie - now the only thing to play for.

If they win the game against the Czech Republic they will vault Tuesday’s opponents and top the group and go through as winners.

A draw would also see them progress as the second-placed team in the group behind the Czechs.

A defeat would also be good enough even if Scotland beat Croatia and overhaul the goal difference gap between the two sides. England currently have +1 while Scotland are -2.

Croatia can get to the same points but having lost to England in the first game would sit below them on head-to-head record.

So who is next for the Three Lions?

If England win Group D

If England beat the Czech Republic on Tuesday night they will win Group D. That's the simple bit.

That would leave them to play the team that finishes second in Group F at Wembley at 5pm on Tuesday 29 June.

All four teams in Group F could still finish runners-up with Germany currently holding that position after their win over Portugal on Saturday.

World champions France top the group with four points from two games. Germany are second with three with Portugal also on three but third via head-to-head record. Hungary are bottom with one point.

Should both of the final group games go to form - Germany beat Hungary and France beat Portugal - then it will be the Germans who finish second and play England in the last 16.

A Portugal win over France could see them win the group or finish second, while a Hungarian victory over Germany coupled with a draw in the other game could see them be runners-up.

If France beat Portugal they will win the group, but should they slip up they could finish second leaving them as England’s next opponents.

If England finish second in Group D

If England draw with the Czech Republic they will finish second in the group behind Tuesday's opponents.

That would then leave them on course to face the Group E winners in Copenhagen at 5pm on Monday 28 June.

Again all four teams in Group E could still win the group after Spain failed to beat Poland on Saturday night.

Sweden currently hold top spot and should they beat Poland in their final game, they will win the group.

If they slip up then Spain could win the group with a victory over Slovakia providing there is a large enough goal difference swing between the two. Sweden are currently +1 with Spain on zero.

If England finish third in Group D

There is still a possibility that England could finish third in Group D if they lose to the Czech Republic on Tuesday night.

A defeat would most likely still see them finish second. However, Scotland can leapfrog their oldest rivals with a win over Croatia and a big enough goal difference swing.

Should that scenario play out, England will still end the groups as one of the four best third-placed finishers which would open up more routes through the knockout stages depending on who goes through and which groups end with three qualifiers.

One would see England play the winners of Group C in Budapest at 5pm on Sunday 27 June with that already confirmed as the Netherlands.

Another could see them head to Seville to play Group B winners Belgium at 8pm on Sunday 27 June.

The other scenario could see England again play the winners of Group E, this time in Glasgow on Tuesday 29 June at 8pm. Ahead of the final round of games Sweden are currently top of Group E with Spain, Poland and Slovakia all in contention.

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