England drawn with Italy as Three Lions face arduous Euro 2024 qualifying group
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England have been drawn in the same group as Italy for their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
The Three Lions’ hearts were broken by Roberto Mancini’s side in the Euro 2020 final, after the Italians overcame Gareth Southgate’s side in a gut-wrenching penalty shootout. England also struggled against Mancini’s men in this season’s Nations League, as a 1-0 defeat at the San Siro consigned Southgate and his team to the second tier of the Nations League.
And their slack performance in the Nations League has come back to bite the Three Lions, as they face the arduous task of facing Italy yet again – a side they haven't managed to beat since a friendly 10 years ago. Ukraine and North Macedonia, who surprisingly ended Italy’s chances of World Cup qualification this season, have also been drawn in the same group.
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This tough group can be somewhat attributed to England's poor performance in the Nations League. The relegation to the second tier ended the Three Lions' hopes of being among the top seeds for the draw.
Meanwhile, Scotland were also drawn in a very tough group, as they must face Spain, Norway, Georgia, and Cyprus. While a meeting with Spain and a Norwegian side powered by Erling Haaland would always be daunting, Scotland do have a slight safety net, courtesy of their performance in the Nations League.
Steve Clarke’s side forced their way into the top tier after overcoming Ukraine over two legs. Their endeavours in the Nations League means they have guaranteed themselves a place in the Euro 2024 Play-Offs.
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While they can still gain automatic qualification by topping their group, Scotland will still have an excellent opportunity to qualify regardless of their performance in the qualifying stages.
Meanwhile, Wales will need to overcome Croatia, Armenia, Turkey and Latvia if they are to qualify for their third consecutive European Championships. Republic of Ireland have been drawn into what is arguably the Group of Death, as they will need to beat the Netherlands, France, Greece, and Gibraltar.
Northern Ireland have been drawn into Group H, where they will face Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, and San Marino. The full groups are below:
Group A, Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
Group B. Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
Group C. Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
Group D, Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia
Group E, Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands and Moldova
Group F, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia
Group G, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group H. Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino
Group I. Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra
Group J. Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein
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