The UEFA World Cup qualifiers will enter into their second round with eight teams set to play in two-legged matchups. Here is how the teams currently stack up.
Pot 1: Croatia, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine
Pot 2: France, Sweden, Romania, Iceland
The playoffs are contingent on matchup and anyone of the top four teams from pot one could potentially draw against France in what would be one of the most difficult matchups in years. If this were to be the case Portugal and Croatia might be the only teams capable of taking down Les Bleues in a two-legged playoff. Greece is a solid team defensively, but as showcased in the qualifiers, the team lacks the offensive firepower to cope with a solid French team. The Ukraine is also a solid option to top France. Ukraine has offensive punch and, as England would admit, can shut down even the best offenses.
The teams in pot one are likely hoping to draw Iceland in a matchup. The team has never gotten this far in the qualifiers and would be the heavy underdog against any team it has to face. Romania is another side that could be seen as a favorable matchup for any squad in the first pot. Meanwhile Sweden, which can score a plethora of goals, is also weak on the backend. The team conceded a total of nine goals against a potent Germany in two World Cup Qualifiers.
The drawing for matchups takes place on Monday while the matches will take place on November 15 and 19.
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