Portugal notch 10th straight win, Serbia qualify for Euro 2024
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Portugal's Joao Cancelo (right) in action with Iceland's Arnor Sigurdsson during the Euro 2024 qualifying match.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LISBON – Portugal finished their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 100 per cent record by beating Iceland 2-0 on Nov 19, after Serbia booked their place at 2024’s Finals in Germany and Romelu Lukaku scored four goals for Belgium.
Bruno Fernandes and Ricardo Horta netted the goals for Roberto Martinez’s Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo not on the scoresheet, to end with 10 wins from 10 matches in Group J, having scored 36 times and conceded just twice.
It is the first time they have ended a qualification campaign with a perfect record.
Said coach Roberto Martinez: “In big tournaments it can come down to small details against the best players in the world. Sometimes we cannot control the results.
“What we can control are the performances and what we saw in the last 10 games is that the performances are of the highest level.”
The 2016 winners will be among the favourites for the title in what could be the 38-year-old Ronaldo’s last major tournament.
Midfielder Joao Palhinha cannot wait for Euro 2024 to roll around, saying: “The other big teams will have respect for us, because we know that our individual and collective value is there. I really want the Euro to come.”
Slovakia finished eight points behind Portugal in the second qualifying place, after a 2-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica.
Luxembourg, who will head into the play-offs, were a further five points adrift after closing out an impressive group-stage showing with a 1-0 success in Liechtenstein.
Serbia qualified for the first time as an independent nation, after four previous failures, with a 2-2 draw against Bulgaria.
The Serbs finish second in Group G behind Hungary, who snuffed out Montenegro’s hopes by beating them 3-1 in Budapest.
“The players showed a mentality of not giving up, believing in themselves,” said Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic. “It’s a big day for Serbian football. Serbia is finally at the European Championship.”
Meanwhile, Lukaku starred for Belgium as they finished with a 5-0 thrashing of Azerbaijan.
Bulgaria’s forward Kiril Despodov scoring the second goal for his team during the Euro 2024 qualifying match against Bulgaria.
PHOTO: AFP
The AS Roma striker extended his record tally for Belgium to 83, with all of his goals coming in a remarkable first half in Brussels.
Coach Domenico Tedesco said: “It was an outstanding performance by Romelu. He scored with every shot. You can’t do better. It is a pleasure for us to have him in the team, as a player and as a person.”
The Belgians took their foot off the gas in the second period but Leandro Trossard added a fifth in the 90th minute.
Belgium finished top of Group F, one point clear of Austria, with both having wrapped up qualification with matches to spare.
Romelu Lukaku of Belgium reacting after scoring his fourth goal in their 5-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win against Azerbaijan in Brussels.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Sweden ended a miserable campaign, in which they failed to qualify for the Euro for the first time since 1996, with a 2-0 win over Estonia in the other group game.
Coach Janne Andersson ended his seven-year reign with the Scandinavians. He said later: “Emotionally, I’ve been in a tumble dryer. It’s very, very special.”
In Valladolid, Barcelona star Gavi limped off with a nasty knee injury in Spain’s 3-1 victory over Georgia, which secured top spot in Group A.
He was tackled from behind in the first half, buckling the knee that had his weight on it, before leaving the pitch in tears.
Gavi, 19, is unlikely to play again this season after his club confirmed on Nov 20 that he has torn his anterior cruciate ligament. He also suffered an associated injury to the lateral meniscus and will undergo surgery this week.
The midfielder is a major doubt for Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games with Spain.
“This is a very tough and very difficult moment,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. “We’re destroyed. Football is a risk sport and this is the ugly part of our sport.”
Goals from Robin le Normand and Ferran Torres and a Luka Lochoshvili own goal helped Spain past a spirited Georgia, who levelled at 1-1 through Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Already-qualified Scotland needed to beat Norway and hope for Spain to slip up to snatch first place, but were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw at Hampden Park.
AFP, REUTERS
