Euro 2024 play-off draw in full: Wales to host Finland in semi-final clash

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Evening Standard

·23 November 2023

Euro 2024 play-off draw in full: Wales to host Finland in semi-final clash

Wales will host Finland in a huge home semi-final tie in the Euro 2024 play-offs next year.

The match will take place at the Cardiff City Stadium on March 21, with the winners of the one-legged clash heading through to the final in Path A.

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If Wales were to get past Finland, then Rob Page's side would also have crucial home advantage against either Poland or Estonia five days later for a place at the tournament in Germany next summer.

2016 semi-finalists Wales are having to rely on the play-off route in a bid to reach their third successive European Championship, with Croatia beating them to second place in qualifying Group D as their home win over Armenia on Tuesday rendered Wales' feisty home draw with group winners Turkey irrelevant.

Finland, meanwhile, finished third behind Denmark and Slovenia in Group H, hammering Northern Ireland in their penultimate qualifier having previously lost at home to Kazakhstan and then only just edged out minnows San Marino on Monday. They were eliminated in the group stage of their first ever major tournament appearance in 2020.

Wales will no doubt be confident of their chances against Markku Kanerva's team, having beaten both Austria and Ukraine in home play-offs to reach their first World Cup finals since 1958 last year.

Poland will entertain Estonia in their semi-final, while in Path B Ukraine have been handed a trip to face Bosnia and Herzegovina after being beaten to the runner-up spot behind England in Group C by Italy following a goalless draw with the Azzurri in Leverkusen on Monday night.

Israel host Iceland, with the winners of that tie travelling to play either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Ukraine in the Path B final.