After nine days of thrills and spills, surprises and disappointments, the final matchday for Group C's group stage UEFA Euro 2016 campaign has arrived. Germany, Poland, Northern Ireland, and Ukraine will be all keen on concluding with a win, but only three of these sides are in the running for a spot in the round of 16. We take a look at how they can seal a berth and what lies ahead for them in their final group stage clashes.
How Germany can qualify automatically
As the reigning World Cup champions, Germany are viewed as one of the heavyweights at this summer's competition. However, Joachim Low's men have yet to really kick into another gear and die Mannschaft supporters are looking forward to Germany really asserting themselves as this tournament progresses.
Despite being undefeated, Germany's performances have not been up to par. Yes, they beat Ukraine 2-0 in their opener, but they did not cruise to victory as expected and in fact, labored for parts of the match. They put in a good shift defensively against Poland to keep star striker Robert Lewandowski quiet, but their offense was rather dull and not as clinical as fans are used to seeing as they had to settle for a scoreless stalemate.
Nonetheless Germany, who are hoping to make it an unprecedented four Euro title this July, have done enough to presently sit on top of Group C. Still, they are not guaranteed a spot in the round of 16 and top spot will be a three way fight between themselves and two other sides as shown in the table below:
As you can see, die Mannschaft are guaranteed at least third place, regardless of whatever happens. However, they obviously do not want to take their chances at one of the third-placed teams. Here's how Germany can secure an automatic spot:
1. Draw (or of course, beat) Northern Ireland for a top-two finish. They will also top their group if Ukraine manage to draw or beat Poland.
2. If they do draw with the debutants and Poland win, Germany will have to settle for a runners-up finish.
3. If die Mannschaft lose AND Poland lose, Germany could be automatically on to the round of 16 - or end up in third. This will depend on their goal difference in ALL group games as they drew Poland 0-0.
How Poland can qualify automatically
Poland were the highest scoring side in qualifying as they racked up a whopping 33 goals. However, the White Eagles have been unusually subdued since arriving in France, with just one goal so far in their group stage campaign.
Still, they have already made history - by beating Northern Ireland on June 12th, and are on the cusp of an even bigger achievement - by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time ever. In fact, they are 90 minutes away from booking their spot in the round of 16, but how can Lewandowski and his colleagues ensure it's automatic?
Poland's standing ahead of their upcoming match against Ukraine on Tuesday evening
It's pretty straightfoward. Well, at least the first three scenarios are. Poland is guaranteed a top two spot if:
1. They draw Ukraine. Regardless of whatever happens in the Northern Ireland-Germany match, the White Eagles will finish in second.
2. They beat Ukraine AND Germany either draw or lose to Northern Ireland. This will guarantee they finish as group winners.
3. If Poland lose to Ukraine AND Northern Ireland lose to Germany, they are through automatically as the second-placed side.
4. If they lose to Ukraine AND Northern Ireland draw Germany, they will still finish second due to their head-to-head record against Northern Ireland.
How Northern Ireland can qualify automatically
As one of several debutants at this event, Northern Ireland are firmly in the "underdogs" category. However, as we all saw with Leicester City winning the Premier League, or Greece shocking the world when they won Euro 2004, anything is truly possible in football. The Green and White Army suffered a 1-0 loss to Poland in their first ever Euro match, but rebounded in style to earn a well-deserved 2-0 win against Ukraine.
This means that they will at least finish in third, but is automatic qualification within their grasp? Certainly. Let's have a look how that could happen:
1. Beat Germany. Simple as that - albeit it's obviously easier said than done. Regardless of how Poland fares, they are guaranteed a top two finish. A loss or draw for Poland in this scenario would see Northern Ireland finish top of Group C.
How Ukraine can qualify automatically
It might sound harsh, but if you're a Ukrainian fan, you are out of luck. Ukraine have the dubious honor of being the first team to be eliminated from UEFA Euro 2016 after losing 2-0 to Northern Ireland last Thursday. Mykhaylo Fomenko's men also have failed to score so far at this tournament and in fact, have not found the back of the net in Euro competition since beating Sweden 2-1 at Euro 2012.
As such, a win against Poland would merely be a consolation. Even if Northern Ireland lose to Germany, Ukraine's poor head-to-head record would still send them packing.
Where to watch UEFA Euro 2016 Group C matches simultaneously?
Both the Parc des Princes and the Stade Vélodrome will be buzzing as Germany take on Northern Ireland and Poland clash with Ukraine. If you're fortunate to be at either location to catch one of these games live, great. However, if you are like millions of fans worldwide who will be tuning in, LiveSoccerTV.com has all the options to catch either - or perhaps both - of these games via TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Did we mention both games? We certainly did. You may want to tune in to one, then the other. Or if you're into multi-tasking, you can certainly follow both Northern Ireland vs. Germany and Ukraine vs. Poland at the same time. Below you will find all the choices to view one (or both) of these games for the following countries:
- In the USA at 12.00 EST: For Northern Ireland vs. Germany, check out ESPN, WATCH ESPN, ESPN3 USA, SiriusXM FC, ESPN Deportes Radio, and ESPN Deportes TV. If you're following Ukraine vs. Poland, then have a look at ESPN3 USA, ESPN2, WATCH ESPN, ESPN Xtra, and ESPN Deportes Radio.
- In the UK at 17.00 BST: Northern Ireland vs. Germany will be shown on TalkSport Radio UK, BBC iPlayer, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Radio 5 Live, and BBC One UK, whilst Ukraine vs. Poland will be featured on TalkSport Radio UK and BBC Red Button.
- In Canada at 12.00 ET: You can catch Northern Ireland vs. Germany on TSN3, RDS, and TSN1. Meanwhile, if you want to see Robert Lewandowski in action, tune in to Ukraine vs. Poland on TSN4, TSN5, and RDS 2.
Live elsewhere? No problem. Simply check out our special broadcast pages! You will find all the viewing information, options, and times for Northern Ireland vs. Germany and Ukraine vs. Poland for wherever you call home.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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