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England will request to flooded Greece and either Slovakia aliases Ukraine to suffice for 2027’s Women’s World Cup, while Scotland were handed a importantly tougher-looking tie and will astir apt request to hit Sweden, 1 of women’s football’s astir successful nations, if they first hit Czechia, to suffice for adjacent year’s finals successful Brazil.
Thursday’s playoff tie brought Wales a imaginable reunion pinch their erstwhile head Gemma Grainger’s Norway broadside successful different tricky draw. Northern Ireland’s way to a first World Cup adjacent summertime could bring them a crippled against nan League A squad Iceland.
The first information of nan European playoffs will beryllium held complete 2 legs betwixt 7 and 13 October, earlier nan 2nd information – besides complete 2 legs – takes spot betwixt 26 November and 5 December. England, who reached 2023 World Cup last but person ne'er won nan world title, are dense favourites to conclusion Greece and either Ukraine – whom they beat 3-0 successful June astatine Hill Dickinson Stadium during qualifying – aliases Slovakia. The Lionesses would beryllium astatine location successful nan 2nd limb of some rounds.
The tie appeared to beryllium comparatively benignant to England, who avoided galore of nan higher-ranked sides from nan Fifa rankings specified arsenic Belgium, Switzerland aliases Scotland.
In contrast, Scotland, who dissimilar England were not 1 of nan apical seeds, would request 1 of their top results to get past Sweden, semi-finalists successful 3 of nan past 4 World Cups. Sweden commencement against Lithuania. Scotland’s only World Cup quality came successful 2019.
Playoff draw
ShowRound one, way one: Lithuania v Sweden, Romania v Norway, Greece v England, Croatia v Iceland, Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland, Kosovo v Austria, Hungary v Netherlands, Belarus v Italy
Round one, way two: Albania v Wales, Turkey v Slovenia, Slovakia v Ukraine, Israel v Switzerland, Belgium v Poland, Czechia v Scotland, Northern Ireland v Portugal, Finland v Serbia
Round two: Slovakia/Ukraine v Greece/England, Finland/Serbia v Belarus/Italy, Northern Ireland/Portugal v Croatia/Iceland, Albania/Wales v Romania/Norway, Israel/Switzerland v Kosovo/Austria, Czechia/Scotland v Lithuania/Sweden, Belgium/Poland v Kazakhstan/Republic of Ireland, Turkey/Slovenia v Hungary/Netherlands
Wales, who person ne'er qualified, will look Albania successful information one, pinch nan winners facing Romania aliases Norway, whom Grainger near Wales to return complaint of successful 2024.
The Republic of Ireland, who defeated nan Netherlands during an awesome qualifying campaign, were seeded and will meet Kazakhstan successful information one, earlier a imaginable conflict pinch Belgium aliases Poland. They are chasing a 2nd consecutive World Cup appearance.
Sarina Wiegman’s England had to settee for spot successful nan playoffs contempt taking 15 points from a imaginable 18 successful their qualifying group, having vanished 2nd down Spain by kindness of nan defending world champions’ superior head-to-head record.
England beat Spain 1-0 astatine Wembley successful April but lost June’s reverse fixture successful Mallorca 4-0, pinch those matches being a repetition of past summer’s European Championship last and nan astir caller World Cup final.
Europe had 9 automatic qualifiers for nan 2023 tourney but only 4 European sides qualified for 2027’s version automatically aft a awesome revamp of nan qualification format and a ample description to nan playoff process.
