In an earlier post we listed the 20 countries that have qualified for the 2016 UEFA European Championships. However, there are still four places to be filled. Eight teams will play two matches each. The winners will clinch a spot in the tournament. Below are fixtures and match dates:
Norway v Hungary: 12th and 15th November
Bosnia and Herzegovina v Republic of Ireland: 13th & 16th November
Ukraine v Slovenia: 14th & 17th November
Sweden v Denmark: 14th & 17th November
According to UEFA, the highlight of the playoffs is the match between nordic rivals Sweden and Denmark. We agree!
Sweden versus Denmark statistics
- Sweden and Denmark have faced each other 104 times. Sweden has 45 wins and Denmark 40. However, Denmark has won the last four matches against Sweden.
- When Denmark won the 1992 European Championships (in Sweden), they got a spot in the tournament thanks to former republic of Yugoslavia being disqualified because of the civil war. Then, Sweden were the only team that managed to beat Denmark.
- The last match that Sweden won was an odd one: In the qualifiers for the 2008 European Championships, the teams met in Copenhagen. Sweden went ahead by 3-0, but Denmark tied the game 3-3 in the second half. At the end of the game, the referee was assaulted by a drunken fan when he awarded a penalty kick to Sweden. This caused the game to be decided a Swedish 3-0 win. Sweden then qualified for the Euro 2008.
- Denmark is ranked 28 and Sweden 45 by FIFA (October).
- Sweden’s staring lineup is worth approximately 450 million SEK (48 million EURO) and Denmark’s 600 million SEK (64 million EURO).
- In the U21 European Championships this summer, Sweden won the gold. The Swedish U21-team defeated Denmark in the semifinal.
- In the qualifiers, Denmark scored 8 goals in 10 games. Sweden scored 15. Denmark only let in 5 goals though, and Sweden 9.
- Sweden has Zlatan Ibrahimovic 🙂
