"A bit strange"

Why Austria could face Holland again

Will the ÖFB team soon have a European Championship reunion with Holland? If both nations win their round of 16 matches, there will be another showdown in Berlin. A scenario that is causing confusion among many soccer fans.

Why can Austria and the Netherlands meet again in the quarter-finals? Many soccer fans are asking themselves this question. ÖFB sports director Peter Schöttel also finds it "a bit strange": "But that's just the way it is."

Why is that the case? UEFA has defined a (somewhat complex) distribution formula. It clarifies how the four best third-placed teams in the group are allocated.

Here is the distribution key:

Only Slovenia remained for Portugal
Because Georgia sensationally defeated Portugal 2:0 on Wednesday evening, Hungary (third from Group A) slipped out of the four best third-placed teams.

The ranking of the third-placed teams after the European Championship group stage:

1. Netherlands (Group D) 3 4:4 0 4 +
2. Georgia (Group F) 3 4:4 0 4 +
3rd Slovakia (Group E) 3 3:3 0 4
4th Slovenia (Group C) 3 2:2 0 3
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5. Hungary (Group A) 3 2:5 -3 3
6. Croatia (Group B) 3 3:6 -3 2

As Croatia (third from Group B) was not one of them, only the third-placed team from Group C, Slovenia, remained for Portugal. According to the distribution key, the winner of Group F, namely Portugal, must play a third-placed team from Groups A, B or C.

As a result, Romania (winner of Group E; can only play against a third-placed team from Groups A, B, C or D) only has the third-placed team from Group D left. This means that the Eastern Europeans have to play the Netherlands. The winner will in turn face the winner of the Austria v Turkey clash. Sounds complicated, but it is ...