#Italy #extra #place #English #debacle #Germany #Relief
Spain confirmed its fiasco in the fight for the extra place after the eliminations of Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals. Real Madrid is still alive, but even if it manages to win the competition with full victories it would not ensure that the country’s score would be enough for the fifth placed team to get the ticket to fight for the ‘Orejona’.
That, of course, does not mean that the fight for the extra place has already ended. But it is close to being resolved. Italy already mathematically has that position and the remaining one will be discussed between Germany and England. The Bundesliga has practically closed it and only a resounding success for Aston Villa and a debacle for the three survivors Germans will turn the situation around.
The situation in Italy
Italy already mathematically has an extra place in the next edition of the Champions League! The elimination of Lille and the English guarantees that only Germany can surpass their brilliant score. Serie A currently has a superlative average of 19.42 points. An average that is already insurmountable for almost everyone.
With the extra place secure, Italy now faces another important situation. If Roma or Atalanta manage to win the Europa League and finish the league in fifth place, the sixth team would qualify for the top continental competition. Something that would be the most natural, since they are precisely fifth and sixth respectively. There is some option anyway for Lazio and Naples and also for De Rossi’s men to overtake Bologna.
The situation in England
The Premier League has failed in European competitions and only has Aston Villa as a representative, before the semi-final match. Their current score is 139 points among 8 teams for an average of 17,375. The maximum it could reach is 146 or, the most accurate data, 18.25.
And what does it translate into? Well, in an absolutely unviable situation to get the extra place. They cannot reach Italy’s figure and they would only have one true miracle left against Germany. Aston Villa should win the Conference League and Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen should not achieve three points in the remainder of the competition. Three points means three draws, two wins, one draw and one win, one win and one classification…
The situation in Germany
Germany is doing very well to get the extra place. Currently, it has 125.5 points between seven players: 17.93 on average. He is only worried about England, and smiles with relief, since it is worth a single victory and a draw among all his representatives.
Germany’s maximum is 20.64 points on average, which would even allow it to surpass Italy. Their good performance in European competitions and the survival of three of their teams allows them to be relatively calm. Except for a major surprise, they will enjoy a European classification for their fifth place finish. It is worth remembering that being first or being second is indifferent.
The situation in France
France cannot take the extra place either, after losing to Lille. Only their classification and the survival of at least one team in each of the competitions would have allowed them to fight in the semifinals. Its maximum is already 16.5 points on average, something that does not give it the possibility of surpassing Germany, England, much less Italy.
