Albanian National Team [General topic]

[Dallku]

Is it still possible to qualify if you get top of the group?

[CanaYouDoIt]

Qualify for what ?

[Plako]

Qualify for what ?

Winning Nations League group paves the way into the WC group runners up playoff. Group winners qualify automatically. Since its extremely unlikely we'd finish 2nd in our group, nations league is the easiest way of getting into that playoff.

How does 2022 World Cup qualifying fit into this?
World Cup qualifying initially remains largely the same, with ten group winners advancing directly to the finals in Qatar. The format of the play-offs has evolved, though, and will now consist of two knockout rounds from which three teams qualify. It will involve the ten group runners-up plus the best two UEFA Nations League group winners (based on their overall UEFA Nations League rankings) who did not directly qualify or reach the play-offs.

Note: The format of the World Cup qualifying competition is subject to final ratification by FIFA.

https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/ ... e-lowdown/

[CanaYouDoIt]

We’re not gonna be anywhere near the top of those rankings I don’t think

[MercedesBenz240]

There will be 10 teams who will qualify directly and 10 teams that will qualify for play-offs (via regular qualifiers). The 8 group winners from League A and B have a decent chance of being among these 20 teams. With teams like Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Belarus we had a great opportunity to be the best ranked team of League C and be a contender for a play off spot but we messed up as always.

[artan]

Honestly, we should be trying to lose the group. Just experiment with formations and tactics to get the correct WCQ team ready. Then we'll get a joke of a group for the next Nations League for Euro 2024.

[MercedesBenz240]

Im not entirely sure, but i read somewhere that League D will not get a play off spot anymore because it has only 7 teams now. Not to mention that there are play-offs for relegation even if you lose the group, so even further humiliation.

[artan]

Im not entirely sure, but i read somewhere that League D will not get a play off spot anymore because it has only 7 teams now. Not to mention that there are play-offs for relegation even if you lose the group, so even further humiliation.

So according to Wiki, the two best UEFA league nations winners that finished outside their top two in regular qualifying will get a playoff spot.

But since there seems to be no "knockout format" we'll have no chance to win group C by points alone. Slovenia and a bunch of other teams in group C will finish higher than us in points in group C alone, let alone the other groups.

So we don't have any chance to qualify. We just don't know the rule changes for the next edition of the nations league which may make it more beneficial to get promoted. But if the rules stay the same we should try to stay in this group.

[MercedesBenz240]

Yep, chances are slim to none, and its a real shame with the group that we have. Unless all group winners above us somehow make the top 2 in their qualifying campaign, which is obviously not very likely to happen.

The thing is that if we get promoted to League B we re pretty much guaranteed a play-off spot regardless of our group position, but if we stay in League C, there is a risk of not winning the group at all

[Simboli i Diellit]

There is a good chance that the teams who qualify directly and whose who get the 2nd place during qualifiers win their groups in nations league aswell.
Just look at the actual group A and Group B winners in Nations league. Those are teams who win their groups or at least come second...

The 8 winners of the groups in A and B must be in the 20 teams . That’s quite a good chance, that’s more than 90% chance.

I think Slovenia won’t be an issue as their group will be won by Greece. They always pull it at the last moment. I’m more afraid of losing to the Luxembourg group or to the Macedonian one. The chances are there . We had a 3 team group last nations league and both Scotland and Israel from our group made it to the playoffs . This is a chnace to take. Next euro qualifiers we got more chances in Group B as the teams who don’t qualify directly from group A (very unlikely) will be picked up from group B to form the playoff spots...