User:AndrePetru08/2024 UEFA Nations Cup qualification – Group C

The 2024 UEFA Nations Cup qualification Group C was one of the ten groups in the UEFA Nations Cup qualification tournament to decide which teams would qualify for the 2024 UEFA Nations Cup finals tournament in France. Group C consisted of six teams: Italy (from pot 1 and current champions), Switzerland (from pot 2), Northern Ireland (from pot 3), Bulgaria (from pot 4), Lithuania (from pot 5) and Malta (from pot 6). The teams played against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format.

The group winners, Italy, qualified directly for the Nations Cup finals, while the runners-up, Switzerland, advanced to the second round (play-offs), where they lost to Romania.

Summary
For most of the time, Switzerland led the group, thanks to the surprising victory against the reigning champions, Italy, in Basel.

Despite the aforementioned defeat on the first matchday, the Azzurri managed to come back, although the disappointing performance of their striker, Ciro Immobile, but failed the overtake drawing the direct clash in Rome. Only one previous holder of the trophy was forced into the play-offs, Denmark, in 1996.

However, with two matchdays to go, the Swiss ran into yet another draw, a dramatic 3 – 3 against Bulgaria, losing first place to the Italian and not being able to recover it.

Also noteworthy is the campaign of Northern Ireland, capable of remaining in the running for direct qualification until the penultimate day, unlike Bulgaria who instead was characterized by inconsistency, going from a goalless draw with Malta to one with the Swiss.

Standings
Legend
 * Qualified directly to the Nations Cup
 * Qualified to the play-off

Goalscorers

 * 8 goals
 * 🇮🇹 Ciro Immobile
 * 4 goals
 * 🇮🇹 Federico Chiesa
 * 🇨🇭 Xherdan Shaqiri (2 penalties)
 * 3 goals
 * 🇧🇬 Todor Nedelev
 * 🇮🇹 Davide Frattesi
 * 🇮🇹 Domenico Berardi
 * Conor Washington
 * Paul Smyth
 * 🇨🇭 Remo Freuler
 * 2 goals
 * 🇧🇬 Kiril Despodov
 * 🇮🇹 Jorginho (2 penalties)
 * 🇮🇹 Giacomo Raspadori
 * 🇱🇹 Fiodor Cernych
 * 🇨🇭 Breel Embolo
 * 🇨🇭 Ruben Vargas
 * 🇨🇭 Granit Xhaka
 * 🇨🇭 Fabian Rieder
 * 1 goal
 * 🇧🇬 Spas Delev
 * 🇧🇬 Marin Petkov
 * 🇧🇬 Radoslav Kirilov
 * 🇧🇬 Atanas Iliev
 * 🇮🇹 Giacomo Bonaventura
 * 🇮🇹 Matteo Darmian
 * 🇮🇹 Nicolò Barella
 * 🇮🇹 Federico Dimarco
 * 🇮🇹 Lorenzo Pellegrini
 * 🇱🇹 Arvydas Novikovas
 * 🇱🇹 Justas Lasickas
 * 🇱🇹 Pijus Širvys
 * 🇱🇹 Gytis Paulauskas
 * 🇲🇹 Joseph Mbong (1 penalty)
 * Dion Charles
 * Corry Evans
 * Isaac Price
 * Josh Magennis
 * 🇨🇭 Renato Steffen
 * 🇨🇭 Steven Zuber
 * 🇨🇭 Christian Fassnacht
 * 🇨🇭 Michel Aebischer


 * own goals


 * 🇱🇹 Benas Satkus (against )
 * 🇲🇹 Enrico Pepe (against 🇨🇭 switzerland)
 * 🇲🇹 Henry Bonello (against 🇱🇹 lithuania)