It had nothing to do with a sudden surge of optimism or a flurry of betting activity. After all, who would lump any money on an England triumph after that?
If it was a free draw after the group stage, it would be hard to look beyond Spain, Germany, Portugal, and as poorly as they have played so far pre-tournament favorites France.
In the bottom quarter of the draw, a team that has won just once in the group stage will reach the semi-final where the worst-case scenario would mean facing Austria, Belgium, or the Netherlands.
The most likely semi-final permutations in the other half of the draw might be Spain or Germany vs Portugal or France.
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