Wales probably play off pathway

[FormerlyJohnnyBreadhead]

Am I right in assuming that, if Poland (who just sacked their coach) get their shit together and qualify, we'll likely play Estonia instead?

[Don Corleone]

Am I right in assuming that, if Poland (who just sacked their coach) get their shit together and qualify, we'll likely play Estonia instead?

Yes I believe that’s the case. Poland are currently the highest ranked team not in a qualifying place so get the nations league D team which is Estonia but if they can turn it around we are then the next highest ranked team so would get Estonia instead.

I also think the highest ranked team get a home semi final and final so not sure that means we would be away in any final if Poland are in it too, there are 3 pathways so maybe it doesn’t make a difference- it is very complicated!

[Chris Pontprennau Blues]

Yes I believe that’s the case. Poland are currently the highest ranked team not in a qualifying place so get the nations league D team which is Estonia but if they can turn it around we are then the next highest ranked team so would get Estonia instead.

I also think the highest ranked team get a home semi final and final so not sure that means we would be away in any final if Poland are in it too, there are 3 pathways so maybe it doesn’t make a difference- it is very complicated!

So we are guaranteed a semi-final home leg?

[Des Parrot]

Yes I believe that’s the case. Poland are currently the highest ranked team not in a qualifying place so get the nations league D team which is Estonia but if they can turn it around we are then the next highest ranked team so would get Estonia instead.

I also think the highest ranked team get a home semi final and final so not sure that means we would be away in any final if Poland are in it too, there are 3 pathways so maybe it doesn’t make a difference- it is very complicated!

If Poland get their shit together, they’ll push Czech out and they become the highest ranked team. There seems no criteria where Wales/Cymru would be the highest ranked team. Wales can only qualify via path A as B and C are for the lower ranked teams from those divisions, currently Israel & Georgia in pole positions.

[cyril evans awaydays]

If Poland get their shit together, they’ll push Czech out and they become the highest ranked team. There seems no criteria where Wales/Cymru would be the highest ranked team. Wales can only qualify via path A as B and C are for the lower ranked teams from those divisions, currently Israel & Georgia in pole positions.

We tied ourselves in knots in Latvia trying to understand the system but our best take is this which is shown in this helpful Wiki site.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_E...ying_play-offs

Teams are placed into four paths based on which league they played in in the last Nations League, ranked by performance in those leagues.

The starting point is that all group winners are guaranteed a play-off spot though the highest ranked Group D team (Estonia) is a bit of a floater.

If they qualify automatically the spot goes to the next highest ranked team in that path.

If there are insufficient non-qualifiers in a path you take the highest ranked team from the path below (excluding Group Winners)

So in path A at the moment the only teams currently outside the play off spots are Poland and Wales. That means a ranked team (currently one of three possible teams (Finland, Ukraine, Iceland) from Path B and Estonia will be in the A play-off semi-finals.

The highest ranked team will play the 4th highest at home and the 2nd playing the third in the same manner. Currently that means Poland vs Estonia and Wales vs (Finland, Ukraine, Iceland).

The home team for the final in each path is drawn rather than given to the highest ranked team.

So in the example you gave above if Poland qualify at the expense of Czech Republic it would be Czech Republic vs Estonia. But if they both qualify at the expense of Albania (and all other teams in Path A also qualify) then Wales would be the highest remaining seed and play Estonia home in the semi-final.

[Majorblue]

We tied ourselves in knots in Latvia trying to understand the system but our best take is this which is shown in this helpful Wiki site.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_E...ying_play-offs

Teams are placed into four paths based on which league they played in in the last Nations League, ranked by performance in those leagues.

The starting point is that all group winners are guaranteed a play-off spot though the highest ranked Group D team (Estonia) is a bit of a floater.

If they qualify automatically the spot goes to the next highest ranked team in that path.

If there are insufficient non-qualifiers in a path you take the highest ranked team from the path below (excluding Group Winners)

So in path A at the moment the only teams currently outside the play off spots are Poland and Wales. That means a ranked team (currently one of three possible teams (Finland, Ukraine, Iceland) from Path B and Estonia will be in the A play-off semi-finals.

The highest ranked team will play the 4th highest at home and the 2nd playing the third in the same manner. Currently that means Poland vs Estonia and Wales vs (Finland, Ukraine, Iceland).

The home team for the final in each path is drawn rather than given to the highest ranked team.

So in the example you gave above if Poland qualify at the expense of Czech Republic it would be Czech Republic vs Estonia. But if they both qualify at the expense of Albania (and all other teams in Path A also qualify) then Wales would be the highest remaining seed and play Estonia home in the semi-final.

Oh for the days of winner goes through everyone else watches on TV.

I now suspect that AI was invented just to understand qualification rules.