EUROPEAN Championship qualifying heads to a conclusion today, and all the big teams appear set to make it after all.

England needs only to avoid defeat against visiting Croatia to clinch one of the four spots still up for grabs, while Portugal will advance if it wins or draws with Finland.

With Sweden a firm favorite to clinch a spot when it hosts Latvia, and Turkey leading for the remaining Group C place, it looks as though all seven groups will go without surprises.

The only way England will miss out on a seventh straight international tournament is if it loses and Russia wins at Andorra to finish runner-up to Croatia.

The second part of the equation is not in much doubt because Andorra is in last place having scored only two goals and conceded 41 in 11 matches. Russia is left hoping Croatia tries to recover some pride and that England’s injuries cause it problems.

Portugal, Finland and Serbia are all in contention for the second Group A spot after Poland advanced over the weekend.

Victory or a draw for Portugal, though, will push the 2004 runner-up through regardless of other results.

Portugal was jeered for a lackluster performance in a 1-0 win over Armenia, but gets a boost today when coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is back on the bench after a two-month UEFA ban.

France, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania and Netherlands have already settled groups B, D and G in their favor to join co-hosts Austria and Switzerland at the tournament.

Spain is certain to advance from Group F and finishes qualifying by hosting Northern Ireland, the only team that can edge Sweden for second place. Northern Ireland has to win at Spain, something it managed in 1982, and hope Latvia wins in Sweden.(SD-Agencies)