BOTH Irish teams can look forward to memories of Euros past if either makes it through the play-offs to reach next summer’s tournament.
It was already known that Spain – who beat the Republic of Ireland en route to winning Euro 2012 – would be in the same group (E) as the winners of Path B, but Poland and Sweden were confirmed as the other potential opponents.
Those two countries were in the respective opening matches for Northern Ireland and the Republic at Euro 2016, with neither Irish team getting off to a winning start.
Northern Ireland played poorly in losing 1-0 to the Poles in Nice while the next day the Republic of Ireland were pegged back in a 1-1 draw against the Swedes at the Stade de France in Paris.
Poland, who pushed the Republic into a play-off for Euro 2016 following their qualifying group, will be the opening opponents – in Dublin on Monday June 15, 2020 – for whichever team makes it through play-off Path B.
Sweden will then be in action at the Aviva Stadium against that TBC team on Friday June 19.
The third round of matches in Euro 2020 Group E will be Sweden v Poland in Dublin and Spain v the play-off winners in Bilbao, which is the Spanish base for the group stages.
Although it could have been tougher, with France and Portugal potentially able to be drawn alongside Spain, Group E is still a daunting prospect.
Sweden’s only defeat in qualifying came away to Spain and they comfortably finished second in a group which also included Norway and Romania. The Swedes are currently 17th in the Fifa World Rankings, 12th overall in Europe.
Poland also lost just once in qualifying, in group G, away to Slovenia, but still topped that section with eight victories and a draw from their other nine matches, finishing well clear of Austria. They are rated 19th by Fifa, making them 13th overall among Uefa nations.
The winner of Group E at Euro 2020 would face one of the four best third-placed teams at Hampden Park in Glasgow on Tuesday June 30.
More likely destinations for the Irish teams, if either of them even gets to the Euros, would be another trip to Bilbao to take on the winner of Group B in the round of 16, or a journey to face the top team from Group C in Munich; both of those matches will take place on Sunday June 28.
The runners-up in Group E could potentially meet England, if Gareth Southgate’s men also finish in that position in Group B; that pairing would take place in Copenhagen, a familiar venue for the Republic of Ireland in recent years.
England will be up against 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia (who beat them in the semi-finals in Russia), the Czech Republic (who beat them in qualifying in Prague), and whichever team emerges from play-off path C – potentially Scotland, with Israel, Norway, and Serbia also in contention.
All England’s group games will be at Wembley – if they win that section their reward will be a meeting with the runners-up from Group F in Dublin on Tuesday June 30, the last match of the round of 16. That could be a massive match against World Cup-holders France, reigning European champs Portugal, or Germany – or perhaps the winner of play-off Path A, which includes Iceland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
Wales were drawn into Group A, alongside Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey, so will play their group games in Roma and Baku (Azerbaijan).
EURO 2020 MATCH SCHEDULE
Group stage:
Friday, June 12:
GAME 1: Group A - Turkey v Italy, 8pm, Rome
Saturday, June 13:
GAME 2: Group A - Wales v Switzerland, Baku
GAME 3: Group B - Denmark v Finland, Copenhagen
GAME 4: Group B - Belgium v Russia, St Petersburg
Sunday, June 14:
GAME 5: Group C - Holland v Ukraine, Amsterdam
GAME 6: Group C - Austria v Play-Off winner, Bucharest
GAME 7: Group D - England v Croatia, London
Monday, June 15:
GAME 8: Group D - Play-Off winner v Czech Republic, Glasgow
GAME 9: Group E - Spain v Sweden, Bilbao
GAME 10: Group E - Poland v Play-Off winner, Dublin
Tuesday, June 16:
GAME 11: Group F - Play-Off winner v Portugal, Budapest
GAME 12: Group F - France v Germany, Munich
Wednesday, June 17:
GAME 13: Group A - Turkey v Wales, Baku
GAME 14: Group A - Italy v Switzerland, Rome
GAME 15: Group B - Finland v Russia, St Petersburg
Thursday, June 18:
GAME 16: Group B - Denmark v Belgium, Copenhagen
GAME 17: Group C - Holland v Austria, Amsterdam
GAME 18: Group C - Ukraine v Play-Off winner, Bucharest
Friday, June 19:
GAME 19: Group D - Croatia v Czech Republic, Glasgow
GAME 20: Group D - England v Play-Off winner, London
GAME 21: Group E - Sweden v Play-Off winner, Dublin
Saturday, June 20:
GAME 22: Group E - Spain v Poland, Bilbao
GAME 23: Group F - Play-Off winner v France, Budapest
GAME 24: Group F - Portugal v Germany, Munich
Sunday, June 21:
GAME 25: Group A - Switzerland v Turkey, Baku
GAME 26: Group A - Italy v Wales, Rome
Monday, June 22:
GAME 27: Group B - Russia v Denmark, Copenhagen
GAME 28: Group B - Finland v Belgium, St Petersburg
GAME 29: Group C - Play-Off winner v Holland, Amsterdam
GAME 30: Group C - Ukraine v Austria, Bucharest
Tuesday, June 23:
GAME 31: Group D - Croatia v Play-Off winner, Glasgow
GAME 32: Group D - Czech Republic v England, London
Wednesday, June 24:
GAME 33: Group E - Play-Off winner v Spain, Bilbao
GAME 34: Group E - Sweden v Poland, Dublin
GAME 35: Group F - Portugal v France, Budapest
GAME 36: Group F - Germany v Play-Off winner, Munich.
Round of 16:
Saturday, June 27:
GAME 37: Winner Group A v Runner-up Group C, London
GAME 38: Runner-up Group A v Runner-up Group B, Amsterdam
Sunday, June 28:
GAME 39: Winner Group B v Third Place Group A/D/E/F, Bilbao
GAME 40: Winner Group C v Third Place Group D/E/F, Munich
Monday, June 29:
GAME 41: Winner Group F v Third Place A/B/C, Bucharest
GAME 42: Runner-up Group D v Runner-up Group E, Copenhagen
Tuesday, June 30:
GAME 43: Winner Group E v Third Place A/B/C/D, Glasgow
GAME 44: Winner Group D v Runner-up Group F, Dublin.
Quarter-finals:
Friday, July 3:
GAME 45: Winner Game 41 v Winner Game 42, 5pm, St Petersburg
GAME 46: Winner Game 39 v Winner Game 37, 8pm, Munich
Saturday, July 4:
GAME 47: Winner Game 40 v Winner Game 38, 5pm, Baku
GAME 48: Winner Game 43 v Winner Game 44, 8pm, Rome.
Semi-finals:
Tuesday, July 7
GAME 49: Winner Game 45 v Winner Game 46, 8pm, London
Wednesday, July 8:
GAME 50: Winner Game 48 v Winner Game 47, 8pm, London.
Final:
Sunday, July 12:
GAME 51: Winner Game 49 v Winner Game 50, 8pm, London.
*Kick-off times not yet confirmed for all matches. Those that are have been listed in BST.
