On June 22, in the second round of the European Cup D group, France played France to a 0-0 draw, while Austria convincingly defeated Poland 3-1. After two matches, Poland’s elimination from the knockout stage was confirmed.
Heading into the tournament, after the first two rounds, the Netherlands and France both had perfect records with one win and one draw, accumulating 4 points each, securing the top two spots. Austria stood third with one win and one loss, netting 3 points, while Poland had suffered two consecutive defeats, ending with zero points at the bottom of the standings.
In this edition of the European Cup, the top two teams from each of the six groups, along with the four best third-place finishers, qualified for the Round of 16. The ranking criteria involve comparing teams with equal points based on head-to-head results, goal difference, and goals scored.
Despite Poland’s zero-point standing, it was mathematically impossible to catch up with the Netherlands and France, who both had 4 points. They trailed Austria by 3 points, having lost 1-3 to them in their encounter. Even if Poland pulled off an upset against France in the final round and Austria lost to the Netherlands, resulting in both teams finishing with 3 points, Poland would still be eliminated due to their inferior head-to-head record.
Knocking Out of the Group Early! Poland’s Poor Showing, Losing to Austria and France. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/knocking-out-of-the-group-early-polands-poor-showing-losing-to-austria-and-france.html
