Wednesday saw the tournament conclude its group stage
and each qualified team now know their opponents -
here's what you need to know about the first knockout
round
Euro 2016 has completed its group stage and we now know who will
face whom when the last 16 gets started on Saturday.
Hosts France topped Group A and, as a reward, will take on
Republic of Ireland, who finished as one of the best third-placed
teams thanks to their late rally to beat Italy in the final game of
Group E. Didier Deschamps's men will play their round-of-16 tie
in Lyon on Sunday.
The winner of that game will take on either England or Iceland
after the latter's late, late winner against Austria lifted them
into second place in Group F to set up a showdown with Roy
Hodgson's men in Nice on Monday.
Switzerland, who finished as runners-up to France in Group A,
must now prepare for a game against Poland, who came in second
in Group C, to take place in Saint-Etienne on Saturday. Also
playing on that day will be Croatia and Portugal, who scraped
through Group F in third, and the winner of that meeting in Lens
will take on Switzerland or Poland in a Marseille quarter-final.
Wales roared to the top of Group B, inspired by the prolific
Gareth Bale, and are rewarded with an all-British match against
Northern Ireland, the third-placed finishers from Group C, in
Paris on Saturday. For whichever of the two progresses, it would
mean a quarter-final against Hungary (who won Group F) or
Belgium (second in Group E) following their last-16 encounter in
Toulouse on Sunday.
Germany were one of the few favourites to do as expected and
win their group and will consequently take on Slovakia, third-
placed finishers from Group B, in a knockout game in Lille on
Sunday.
Meanwhile, Italy will take on Spain in the highest-profile game of
the round thanks to the holders' failure to top Group D - Saint-
Denis will play host to that one on Monday. The winner will be
expecting to face Germany in Bordeaux on July 2.
It was bad news for Turkey and Albania, however, whose poor goal
differences saw them miss out on taking slots for the best third-
placed teams. They join Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Czech
Republic, Sweden and Austria in exiting the tournament.
THE EURO 2016 LAST-16 FIXTURES IN FULL (PHOTO)
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