All matches in Group D of the tournament have concluded, with Netherlands losing 2-3 to Austria and France drawing 1-1 with Poland. These surprising results swapped the positions of the Netherlands and Austria, with Austria topping the group and advancing, while the Netherlands settled for third place. France and Poland maintained their rankings, finishing second and fourth, respectively.
Due to their draw against Poland, France had to settle for second place in the group and will enter the knockout stage in the upper half of the bracket. Austria, as group winners, will be in the lower half.
The upper half that France now occupies already includes favorites Portugal, Spain, and Germany, making it a highly competitive ‘group of death.’ Complicating matters, if England fails to defeat Slovenia in their final Group C match and Denmark beats Serbia, England would also find themselves in the upper half, potentially facing Germany in the round of 16.
In contrast, the situation in the lower half appears much more favorable. Switzerland and Austria are not traditional powerhouses, and the defending champions Italy have shown a noticeable decline in form. Had they not scored a last-gasp equalizer in their final match, they might have been eliminated already.