“The dream starts here” was the slogan plastered around St Petersburg, but by the time England’s name was pulled out of the drum at 7.58pm local time following a typically elongated process containing speeches, music performances and ballet interludes, the hopes of many nations had already been vanquished.
Unlike the European Championship, it remains fiendishly difficult to reach theWorld Cup finals – only one team from each group is guaranteed a ticket to football’s greatest jamboree, and the worst second-placed sides does not even get the chance of a two-legged play-offs. Yet England will be satisfied if not buoyant following a draw that pits them against an old enemy in Scotland but avoids the traditional powerhouses they could have been matched with from pot two: France and Italy.
It was not as kind as the rehearsal – where Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Israel, Moldova and San Marino were partnered with England in a dummy Group A – but apart from a daunting trip to Hampden Park, and the games against Slovakia, on a nine‑game winning streak and leading a Euro 2016 qualifying group containing an albeit under-firing Spain, Roy Hodgson’s players will be satisfied by the moderate stature of the obstacles in their way.
Of course much will change in the 14 months before the campaign begins, with the European Championship likely to alter many initial forecasts, but on formEngland must be considered overwhelming favourites to emerge from a group that could have been far more testing and book their place in Russia.
The fixtures against Malta will, barring a gargantuan reverse in fortunes for both, be comfortable, though it would be unfair to label the world’s 158th-ranked nation as fodder. England have had the measure, if only just, of an improving Slovenia in their Euro 2016 campaign, needing a late Wayne Rooney goal to win 3-2 in Ljubljana last month having beaten them 3-1 at Wembley, while Lithuania, occupying the other position in the group, were eased aside 4-0 at home in March. Notably they will not face any mammoth journeys to eastern outposts.
Scotland must view the draw with excitement. On one hand, Gordon Strachan’s team, who have impressed at certain junctures in the most difficult Euro 2016 qualifying group, will relish facing the auld enemy. “It’s made a lot of people happy,” Strachan told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of delirious punters … it’s a fantastic fixture that the whole of Scotland and England will look forward to.” A play-off position is certainly attainable, though that would require a positive result at either Wembley or Bratislava.
Wales, looking down from the advantageous pot of top seeds, were not dealt as kind a draw in Group D – but they did also swerve France and Italy. Chris Coleman’s team will have a Celtic derby with the Republic of Ireland, while Austria, an up-and-coming side led by Bayern Munich’s rampaging wing-back David Alaba, were drawn from pot two and Serbia, whose Under‑20s were crowned world champions in New Zealand last month, will bring back horrific memories of recent humiliations.
Wales have never beaten Radovan Curcic’s team and when they met in the 2014 qualifiers, Serbia won 6-1 and 3-0. Much has changed since and, led by Gareth Bale, they look set to reach next summer’s European Championship.
The Republic have been struggling for consistency under Martin O’Neill but the manager, speaking to RTE, said he believes “it’s a group where teams can take points off each other”. Georgia, the strongest of the pot six teams, are formidable at home, and Moldova complete the group.
Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland were drawn with the world champions, Germany, but will fancy their chances against Czech Republic, Norway and the minnows, Azerbaijan and San Marino.
Elsewhere, the pairing of Spain with Italy will enliven an otherwise weak Group G, while Group A will produce multiple mouth-watering fixtures with Holland, France and Sweden joined by Bulgaria, Belarus and Luxembourg.
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