Seven teams across Groups A and B will fight tooth and nail until the full-time whistle for a place in the Round of 16, as the final round of the first-round fixtures is upon us. Host nation Qatar stands no chance for a spot in the next round, having already been mathematically eliminated after its 2-0 loss to Senegal 2-0, its second in as many matches.
Let us take a look at the different scenarios across the two groups, starting off with Group A.
Group A
The remaining fixtures of Group A (both at 8:30 pm IST) are:
* Ecuador vs Senegal at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha
* Netherlands vs Qatar at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor
Netherlands and Ecuador are on 4 points apiece with the same goal difference (+2 GD) while Senegal is in the third position with 3 points (0 GD) to its name. Qatar is at the bottom of the pile in Group A with 0 points and a GD of -4.
Both Ecuador and the Netherlands need to avoid a defeat in the final fixture for a spot in the Round of 16. Even a defeat for either team could see it move to the next round should the other team lose by a bigger margin.
However, in that respect, the Netherlands has an advantage as Qatar is highly unlikely to do Ecuador a favour, while Senegal will be a tougher test for the South American side.
Should both Netherlands and Ecuador win their final fixture, the team with the bigger victory will top the group since the two teams are tied on points (4) and GD (2). However, if both teams win by the same margin the differentiator will be the goals scored and conceded. But, as things stand both teams have scored 3 and conceded 1 goal.
This means the teams' disciplinary records will come into the picture to separate the two sides. Ecuador currently has three yellow cards while the Netherlands has only one - neither has a red card yet.
What about Senegal?
If Senegal wins, it will finish with 6 points and a guaranteed spot in the Round of 16. Should it win and the Netherlands also beat Qatar, Senegal will finish second in the group. However, if the Netherlands somehow loses to Qatar, Senegal will finish top of Group A. It will then just be a matter of who finishes second, as both the Netherlands and Ecuador will finish with 4 points in this scenario.
The host nation Qatar can only be a party pooper since it was the first team in the tournament to be eliminated.
Group B
There is all to play for in Group B as each team has a chance to progress through to the next round.
The remaining fixtures are:
*Iran vs USA, at the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha
*Wales vs England, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan
England is top of the group with 4 points and a GD of +4, Iran is second with 3 points and -2 GD, USA is in third with 2 points and a 0 GD, and Wales is fourth with 1 point and -1 GD.
England is definitely in control of this group as all three results can see the Three Lion progress.
A win will see England undisputedly top the group with 7 points to its name. Should it draw against Wales, it will still finish top of the group (5 points) if the USA beats Iran by 4 goals or FEWER, which will see the Americans occupy the second spot.
If England draws and Iran beats the USA, England will finish second in the group as the Iranians will have 6 points.
In the unlikely event England loses, it can still progress if:
*England loses by fewer than 6 goals and Iran beats the USA.
*If the USA beats Iran by a bigger margin than Wales's victory over England.
There will be a 3-way tie between England, Wales, and Iran if Wales wins and Iran draws. This would see the three teams on 4 points apiece, and the team with the better goal difference will move ahead.
In that respect, England has the biggest advantage while Iran has the odds against it after it conceded 6 goals in the opening game against the Three Lions.
Fixture timings
Group A matches will take place at 8:30 pm IST while teams in Group B will battle at 12:30 am IST.
Round of 16 fixtures
The winner of Group A will face the runner-up of Group B at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday, December 3, at 8:30 pm IST.
The winner of Group B will take on the Group A runner-up at the Al-Bayt Stadium, on Monday, December 5, at 12:30 am IST.
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