With 12 out of 16 national teams already assured in the main Europpean national team tournaments, 4 2-legged clashes will determine the ones to book the other vacancies in Poland and Ukraine next year.
Portugal vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Portuguese squad are the favourites to book this ticket to Eastern Europe competition. Specially because their main star, Cristiano Ronaldo, is going to be on the fray for the match in the city of Zenica. Other important Portuguese names are back to the squad: Danny, Fábio Coentrão, Pepe and Hugo Almeida, ruled out of their previous matches for several reasons.
In the Bosnian side, who also acknowledge Portugal's technical advantage, the coach Safet Susic wants to make an impact qualifying for the first time to UEFA Euro finals, using counter-attacks, lack of pressure and the quality of players such as Erin Dzeko, the confident striker of Manchester City, and the midfielders Zvjezdan Misimovic and Miralem Pjanic.
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| Nani is in line to make his 50th international appearance in Zenica ©Getty Images SITE: UEFA.com |
Montenegro vs. Czech Republic
In spite of a lot of changes in their squad in the latest years, especially in this UEFA Euro 2012, Czech Republic are still technically the favourites over Montenegro to be in Poland & Ukraine next summer. They will play the 1st leg at home, in Prague, and they want to use a youthful and very fit side, with the experience of the playmaker Tomás Rosicky and the set-piece plays by Michal Kadlec to assure the advantage with a great victory to have tranqüility in the 2nd leg. Montenegro, a country with less than 1 million inhabitants and just five year-old history-made, want a draw, at least, in the 1st match confident of a solid defensive formation, led by Elsad Zverotic, player of the Swiss club Young Boys, the Barclays Premier League midfielder Simon Vukcevic of Blackburn Rovers for set-pieces, and the very objective attacking pair, Stevan Jovetic and Mirko Vucinic, both playing in Liga di Calcio Serie A, converting the minimal chance they have.
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| Petr Cech wants to play in the 1st leg match, in spite of a broken nose. SITE: UEFA.com |
Republic of Ireland vs. Estonia
The Celts are, by far, the favourites to book this place. The first match will be in Tallin, and after a surprising 2nd place in a group led by Italy, upsetting Serbia and Slovenia (both participants in the latest FIFA World Cup in Africa), the Estonians pleads for calm in this euphoric moment for football in this Baltic nation, and their main players are the midfielders Konstantin Vassiljev and Ragnar Klavan, and the goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko. The Republic of Ireland, coached by the Italian Giovanni Trapattoni, have the same aspects of their past, with much more dedication and determination than flair, but the talent of their top-scorer Robbie Keane, the efficiency of midfielders such as Damien Duff, Aiden McGeady and Glenn Whelan, and a solid defensive system, whose mission is qualify their national team for their first UEFA Euro since 1988.
Croatia vs. Turkey
This is the most balanced clash in the play-offs for Poland/Ukraine and, of course, the most complicated 'battle' to make a prediction in these qualifiers. The apostrophe emphasizes what the two matches may be because in the latest UEFA Euro Finals, in Austria/Switzerland 2008, they met in the quarter-finals and Turkey eliminated Croatia in the penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes and one-goal a side during the injury time. Croatia, coached by the former national team player Slaven Bilic, have a fite side and consistent passing and goal-scoring. Turkey, coached by the world-travelled Dutch Guus Hiddink, have speed, more technique and a younger side than their opponents. Details are essential to decide the winner of this duel.
Tomorrow, the things start showing what they really are, and next Tuesday, the definition of the 4 places. The Group Draw for the finals will be on Friday, December 2, in Kyiv
QUALIFIED TEAMS FOR POLAND/UKRAINE 2012 (until now)
Poland & Ukraine (co-hosts), Germany, Italy, England, Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Spain, Russia, Denmark, France
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