Quote Originally Posted by mazadona10 View Post
We've got the safety net of knowing have a play off spot already nailed on. Which makes me wonder if better to get a better 3rd place team to try and take points off the top seed or a weaker one and then hope whitewash all the others and can get a result against a top team which I think we are capable of on our day.
Only if three of Italy, Belgium, Spain and France finish top 2 in their qualifying groups. Risk of seeing it as nailed on thing is that you'd rather not need that safety net - finishing top 2 in the group means you've picked up a lot more points, and have much better form, than any side outside of that who is relying on 2020 results (ancient history) for the play-offs.

It's been pointed out that there are more rules to these groups than I first expected. Those four aforementioned countries are guaranteed a group of 5 instead of 6 and I saw it mentioned that certain teams (Iceland and Faroe Islands?) can't be drawn together due to distance away.