E-Paper
Permutations that confuse everyone
PARIS: Third place and you’re out. That’s the way it used to be. A simple formula that everyone could understand.
PARIS: Third place and you’re out. That’s the way it used to be. A simple formula that everyone could understand.
But one dropped for this Euro 2016, which has been expanded to 24 teams. Getting to a round of 16 means the clear formula of the past two decades has been ditched.
Third place and you’ve now got a chance. A team that ends third may have to hang around until Wednesday before knowing if it gets through or goes home.
The first three steps in a five-stage tiebreaker process are clear to see.
Points total is the first resort. After two group games, it appears that any third-placed team with four points will almost certainly advance, and those with three have a strong chance, too. Next, it goes down goal difference. A plus number should be decisive here.
Then it comes down to goals scored. If teams still can’t be separated, it gets trickier. Fair play record is the fourth tiebreaker - basically, judging teams by how many yellow and red cards their players got in the three group games.
