Danes on way as best runners-up

DENMARK have emerged as the leading second-placed team that will qualify automatically for the final stages of Euro 2012.

While the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of topping Group B to clinch a place in the finals increased following Tuesday’s results, there is little prospect of Giovanni Trapattoni’s team securing the best runner-up spot if they finish second in their group.

When calculating the mini-league whose winner will book a direct ticket to the finals, second-placed teams in Groups A-F must discount their results against the sixth-ranked team in their section.