With only one match left to be played in Group B of the European Qualifiers, everything is up for the taken as four teams will battle for the remaining playoff spot. Italy already qualified as the group winner and Malta have no chance as they sit at the bottom with only three points.
Everything could happen on Tuesday though for the remaining four countries. Bulgaria (13 pts, +6), Denmark (13 pts, -1), Czech Republic (12 pts, +3) and Armenia (12 pts, -1) will battle for the qualifying spot left that will put one team on the final knockout round. The team that finish second will have one more chance to secure a World Cup berth while the other three sides will have to wait four more years to have a chance.
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Armenia are the ones that have the toughest challenge ahead of them as they will visit Italy to force a miracle. The Italian side will try to finish their qualifying campaign on a strong note against their fans, so it will definitely be a complicated matchup for Henrik Mkhitaryan and company as they need to get the three points and wait for some results to go their way.
Bulgaria will battle with the Czech Republic in a very complicated match as both sides need to get the three points. The Bulgarian side have the advantage in terms of points so they could qualify with a draw, but they would also need either a loss or a draw from Denmark against Malta to advance. Czech Republic, on the other hand, needs to win and wait for the same outcome from the Danish side to guarantee their place in the knockout round.
Denmark, as mentioned, will go against a Maltese side that’s already qualified and that are clearly the weak link in this zone. The Danish side will play at home, so they will be backed up by their fans to get a positive result. If they are able to get the three points and Czech Republic draw with Bulgaria, then Denmark will clinch a spot in the playoff round where they could face the likes of Portugal, Croatia or Greece.
It will surely be a very exciting final match day, as every game in Group B will have something left to be decided until the final whistle.
Juan Pablo Aravena is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jparavenarant or add him to your network on Google