At Euro 2024, Group E, made up of Romania, Ukraine, Belgium and Slovakia, has become a fascinating example of how small details can determine the fate of teams. In a last day full of tension, the results of the matches have been decisive for the outcome of the group. Belgium drew 0-0 against Ukraine, while Slovakia and Romania drew 1-1. Even though all teams finished with the same points, the only team hurt by these results was Ukraine, and here we explain why.
All the teams in the group have won one game, lost another and tied one, thus adding the same number of points. According to Euro 2024 rules, when teams are equal on points, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head matches. However, in this case, all teams are also tied in their head-to-head matches.
The next criterion is the goal differential, that is, the difference between goals for and goals against. This is where Ukraine suffers. During the group stage, Ukraine suffered a resounding 3-0 loss to Romania, leaving them with a goal differential of -2. In contrast, Romania, thanks to its victory against Ukraine, finished with a differential of +1. Belgium also finished with a differential of +1 and Slovakia, with a differential of 0.
These differentials are crucial. While Ukraine has a negative differential, the other teams have positive or neutral differentials, which places Ukraine in the last position of the group. As a result, Ukraine is eliminated from the tournament. The other teams, due to their superior points and goal differentials, advance to the next phase. Romania and Belgium qualify by their group positions, and Slovakia advances as one of the best third-place finishers. This outcome underlines the importance of consistent performance and goal management in a tournament as competitive as the European Championship.
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