Quote Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee View Post
From the UEFA website: http://www.uefa.com/european-qualifi...d=2506867.html

With matches against the bottom side in the six-team groups discounted, the runners-up are ranked by the following criteria, in this order, as per FIFA competition regulations, article 20 paragraph 6, criteria a), b), c), then h) and i):

1 Highest number of points
2 Best goal difference
3 Highest number of goals scored
4 Fair play points (first yellow card -1pts; second yellow card/indirect red card -3pts; direct red card -4pts; yellow card, direct red card -5pts)
5 Drawing of lots

This suggests to me that goal difference earned against the bottom side is discounted, like points won, hence us having a GD of +2 on the table of 2nd placed teams.
Which, even though the whole thing is shit, is the fairest way of doing it because the bottom teams range from being capable of getting a result to never going to get a result in a million years. Moldova would beat San Marino and Gibraltar by 5 or 6