England face Euro 2024 nightmare if they make one group stage mistake as potential route to final confirmed
England could be hit with a Euro 2024 nightmare if they finish second in their group.
The Three Lions are one of the favourites for the tournament and have been placed in Group C alongside Slovenia, Denmark, and Serbia.
With the way the draw is, if England top the group as expected, they will face the best third placed team from Group D, E or F.
Austria, Czech Republic or Slovakia would appear to be most likely opponents if that happens.
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Holders Italy could be quarter-final opponents, with France potentially waiting in the semis and England facing Germany, Spain or Portugal in the final.
It won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination but England's task will be made much harder if they finish second.
They could potentially take on hosts Germany in Dortmund in the round of 16, though it's worth noting that England beat Die Mannschaft at the same stage on the run to the finals at Euro 2020.
Spain could be quarter-final opponents if England get through that, with Portugal waiting in the semi-finals for a showdown at the Allianz Arena in Munich on July 9.
France will likely be England's opponents in the final in a rematch of the World Cup quarter-final in Qatar.
England lost to Brazil on Saturday before drawing 2-2 with Belgium at Wembley after a late Jude Bellingham leveller.
June 7 is the deadline for Gareth Southgate to name his squad, but a longer list of players will be named ahead of warm-up friendlies with Bosnia and Iceland.
He told a presser: "Yeah, it’s going to be complicated, because firstly the injury situations that we have.
“Some will be back playing at the weekend, some will be back playing in a couple of weeks, some will be really close to the end of the season.
“Then we’re going to have the European finals, the FA Cup final and the two friendlies that we’ve got ourselves.
"It’s inevitable we’re going to be naming a longer squad, which is what we did before the Euros here even though we were dealing with 26 then."
Josh Lawless