October 21 to 27, 2019 (Euro 2020 Qualifiers) Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. October 21 to 27, 2019 (Euro 2020 Qualifiers)Euro 2020 Qualifiers finished Match Days 7 and 8 this week.
Bulgaria needed a win against Croatia to keep in the realm of the top two sides in Group H. However, Croatia ramped up the pressure early, even though they lost Nikola Vlašić in yet another injury-riddled match. Bulgaria managed to hang on in defence, even with Luka Modrić’s constant runs into promising positions. After being injured last match, Modrić was substituted at halftime, where his replacement, Milan Badelj, was found in the box and he coolly slotted home a powerful shot. From there, Croatia sat back in defence and absorbed any Bulgarian pressure to come away winners in both matches against the East Europeans.
Italy replicated their three-goal win over Malta three weeks ago, this time in Rome. Ciro Immobile scored his fourth goal in two games in the seventeenth minute with a low volley. Before that, Federico Chiesa opened the scoring for the Italians, heading home the ball after it popped in the air from a half-blocked shot. Jorginho made it three goals straight after the break. Italy then eased off the pedal and coasted to their fifth victory for the Qualifiers. Malta, meanwhile, remained bottom with a miserly two points.
Norway needed an away win to stay within earshot of Italy and Croatia against Azerbaijan. Midfielders Cavid Hüseynov and Eddy İsrafilov had other ideas. The former hit the post early in the match, before the latter pounced on a ball coming out of the box and easily found the back of the net. İsrafilov nearly had a second after the break, only to hit the woodwork as well. Azerbaijan made attacking changes, much to the puzzlement of tacticians watching, when they should have been solidifying their slim lead. These chances paid off when Anton Krivotsyuk moved up to left midfield and scored, hitting the right-hand post before the ball ruffled the inside of the opposite netting.
Malta then hosted Norway on Saturday, with neither side able to win. Both overzealous defences ensured two shots apiece for the first half. In the second half, Malta started to take control of the match, with the Norwegian defence giving away crucial free kicks. In the 65th minute, Alfred Effiong led onto a raised through ball. He chested it in front of him and snagged a goal, shooting across to the other side. Norway would not be outdone, though. A poor choice from the Maltese goalkeeper, Justin Haber, meant substitute Alexander Sørloth caught the end of a cross with his head, equalising the game. From there, neither side had enough minutes to gain the advantage, and the points were split.
Bulgaria’s Marcelinho grabbed an additional time equalising goal against Italy in a game riddled with yellow cards and woodwork-hitting shots. Marcelinho had the first opportunity to score, only to be denied by Salvatore Sirigu. Italy hit the post four times, twice in each half, as Bulgaria held firm, letting in no goals. Finally, Nicolo Zaniolo broke the deadlock as he powered into an open goal after Nikolay Mihalov saved the initial shot by Ciro Immobile. Bulgaria, though, would not lie down. When Wanderson won a fifty-fifty ball, it fell into the path of Marcelinho and he fired the ball into the base of the left-hand post and into goal.
Nikola Vlašić scored twice before the hour mark to set up a 4-0 victory for Croatia over Azerbaijan. Vlašić scored his first with a diving header, pouncing on a cross that went over its intended group. After the break, he out-turned his marking man and shot with his left boot into goal. From there, Croatia exerted dominance over Azerbaijan. Right back Tin Jedvaj gained the ball after a corner from his left back teammate and shot along the ground and out of reach of the Azerbaijan goalkeeper. Substitute Mateo Kovačić then made it four with his first involved passage of play.
With that win, not only did Croatia qualify for Euro 2020, but they also took first place in Group H. Italy’s draw also guaranteed their place in Euro 2020. Who will come first may be based on goal difference, as Croatia, with that 4-0 drubbing, now sit above Italy by a solitary goal. The other factor to be mindful of is Italy has two home games, whereas Croatia has two away matches. It is likely that Italy will come out group winners and a hosting claim for part of the tournament. As for third place in the group, there is a three-way tie on points between Norway, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan have two away matches, including the next against Bulgaria, so they are unlikely to come third. Apart from that, neither of the three face off, and so their place in the group relies on other results in the final two Match Days. Our prediction is Bulgaria will overcome Norway, but the true question: will the third-placed side be good enough to overcome three other third-placed sides in other groups? Four more points may not be enough.
After having defeated Montenegro on their soil three weeks ago, Denmark sought to repeat the feat. Christian Eriksen’s shots never really had any power in them at the beginning as he was being closely marked. He then hit the woodwork in the first half, as did Henrik Dalsgaard. Denmark continued attacking but to no avail. Instead, just after the hour mark, substitute Marko Janković scored as he had done three weeks ago after poor defence failed to close him down. Up stepped Kasper Dolberg, also coming off the bench. He curled the ball with his right boot into the top right corner, giving the Danes a small glimmer of hope. However, it was down the other end where the woodwork came into play, twice thwarting Deni Hočko. In the end, both sides left with a point, something that Denmark may rue with only three games remaining.
Another draw ensued between Albania and Portugal, as the visitors failed to penetrate the back five of Albania. André Silva should have scored twice but missed the mark, and down the other end, Rey Manaj should have also scored, hitting the outside of the post. In the end, Portugal could not find the three points to take them clear of Serbia, who still remained in first place.
That all changed on Saturday when Montenegro defeated Albania 2-0, with goals from Dušan Lagator and Hočko. The Albanian defence held firm for a long time against the constant attacks, before Lagator managed to get onto a header when the ball rebounded to him. In the 90th minute, Hočko also scored with his head, giving the Montenegrins every opportunity to top the group, or at least qualify for Euro 2020.
In the most vital match in Group I this Match Day, Serbia hosted Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo stole the ball off the goalkeeper to set up his goal. From there, Portugal kept control of the match. Serbia had little responses and could not find an effective path to goal. Instead, Raphaël Guerreiro scored for the visitors, and Portugal ran out 2-0 winners and gained top of the group status with two games remaining.
Denmark, needing a win to stay in the contest for Euro 2020, faced Armenia at home. Thomas Delaney and Christian Eriksen, playing left and right midfield respectively after the Danish coach switched to a 4-3-3 formation, combined to give the hosts the lead. Martin Braithwaite then passed to Delaney, only for the Armenian goalkeeper to deny him. Then, in an eventful lead up to halftime, Kasper Dolberg gained a yellow card, then scored, and had another goal denied by the goalkeeper’s right boot. In a tight contest on the right wing, Dolberg fouled Kamo Hovhannisyan. The referee awarded Dolberg his second yellow card and he left the field. With only 10 players, Denmark still dominated the match but without a solid combination to outsmart the Armenian back five. Pierre Højbjerg hit the post with his right boot before, at the death, Delaney did the same.
Still, Denmark did enough to keep their hopes alive for qualifying for next year’s tournament. Their hope now is to win their last two away matches and hope that Montenegro or Serbia, or both, lose both their matches. If Montenegro can form a draw against Serbia or Portugal, that should be enough to stave off Denmark, as a margin goal difference of five between the two nations may be enough. Serbia have two home games remaining and should win at least one of them, of which the last is against Denmark. That may be the deciding game. Portugal face Armenia at home, with a win determining their qualification for Euro 2020. As for Armenia and Albania, they will look to shake up the final three, and then look forward to the Nations League this time next year.
Prior to Match Day 8, the Czech Republic looked to seal a top-three finish with a win over Latvia. That would undo Kazakhstan’s efforts and pretty much call it for Iceland as well. Latvia could not qualify. That showed as both Zdenek Ondrášek and Vladimir Darida scored a brace each for the Czechs to run away clear winners. Ondrášek’s first came in the 21st minute when he was found free on the left coming into the box. Darida then scored twice; his first assisted with a through ball that found him open right around the semicircle, and his second when he curled with his left around the goalkeeper. Ondrášek then nailed the home side’s fourth goal with his head from a corner, giving them a solid victory and a real shot at qualification.
The Netherlands, who before the match knew their chance of qualifying was high, took on Kazakhstan, who knew their chances diminished the more they heard the high number of goals from the Czech match. Coupled with the four goals in the first 29 minutes of the match, the Kazakhs grew more and more restless knowing they would have to wait two years to have a go at qualifying for the World Cup. Quincy Promes opened the scoring as he had done in the last match. A counterattacking Virgil Van Dijk then dribbled nearly the whole field, scoring inside the post. Midfielder Kevin Strootman then had a brace; his first was a dribbling goal, while his second relied on a pass across and back before his two touches found the ball in the back of the net. From there, the Dutch stepped off the gas, knowing four goals was enough.
As for Iceland hosting Turkey, the game seemed to go the opposite way to the other two games in Group A, with neither side able to effectively penetrate their opponent’s defence. That all changed when Ozan Tufan tried with his left from long range, somehow hitting the underside of the crossbar and into the goal right before halftime. That changed the tone of the game and from there, Turkey dominated long periods of the second half. Cenk Tosun came off the bench and headed home a corner after multiple attempts on goal kept hitting the woodwork. Tosun’s goal bounced off the inside of the Icelandic defender marking the near post. Player of the Match Burak Yılmaz then caught the hosts on a break. All alone, he snagged a third goal for the Turks and a clear place still in the lead of Group A.
With that away win, Turkey should win the whole group, with the Dutch a close second place. The Czechs will hope to win one of the last two games to ensure their place in Euro 2020.
Israel almost made it trickier for them to qualify when they lost away to Andorra. The Andorrans had high-quality passing in the first half, only to not have an effective series of shots on target. That changed in the second half as Andorra brought Alexandre Martínez up alongside Ricard Cucu. The former set up the latter, making it easy for Cucu to tap into goal. From there, the Andorrans nearly had a second via substitute Sergi Moreno but he missed to the left. Still, Andorra cancelled out the defeat from earlier in the year by the same margin and deny Israel a definitive path to Euro 2020.
The match of the round would be Wales and Bosnia/Herzegovina, with the winner one step closer to the top two. A scoreless draw ensued between the second and third-placed sides, with Wales having the better opportunities but unable to capitalise. The first half saw Gareth Bale have a decent attempt, with Bale later gifting Tyler Roberts a header from a corner that flew straight to the Bosnian goalkeeper. Roberts also had a shot that needed a diving save, before the second half became a match of misread passes, ensuring neither side could keep up the pressure for long periods. In the end, Bosnia/Herzegovina kept their second place ahead of the Welsh.
With Belgium sitting in first place ahead of the Bosnians and the Welsh, the next Match Day was going to be crucial. One more win, coupled with the Israeli loss, would almost guarantee qualification. Their opponents, Cyprus, needed a miracle. Four goals in the first half set up Belgium’s win. Youri Tielemans opened the scoring with a low power shot from the edge of the box. Romelu Lukaku then powered with his right to double the lead. Thorgan Hazard needed two attempts to overcome the Cypriot goalkeeper before snagging his goal. As in the last match, Axel Witsel scored again when he was found by a Dries Mertens cross at the edge of the box, and he scored with his second touch. The second half was less attacking, as Belgium stepped off the gas, knowing they had the game in hand.
Not only that, but Belgium can be safe in the knowledge they should qualify for Euro 2020. More importantly, they sit four points above the Bosnians and are unlikely to be overtaken. We will see next year’s tournament played in part on Belgian soil, provided they do not lose their final matches.
Wales and Bosnia/Herzegovina will continue to fight for second place, though no longer in the same match. As for Israel, this last loss against Andorra makes it tricky for them to qualify. Their final two matches are at home against Wales and Bosnia, but they must bring their A-game to defeat both sides and give themselves every chance to qualify. As for Cyprus, they now sit on the bottom of Group B and join other 2018 World Cup participants unable to bring their form from the lead up to Russia to the European stage.
With the Ukraine, North Macedonia, Spain and Slovakia all in contention for Euro 2020 Qualification from Group C, the last three Match Days were all vital. Second-placed Spain needed a win when hosting North Macedonia. Belarus had an outsider’s chance, though other results needed to fall their way. If Spain and North Macedonia were to win one more game, then Belarus could not qualify.
Luxembourg gained their third draw for the Qualifiers as they took on top-of-the-table the Ukraine. Luxembourg had all the possession of the first half, without really having any shots that frightened the Ukrainian goalkeeper. The second half was far tighter, but it seemed neither side were willing to try for the blow that would open up the contest. Instead, a scoreless draw ensued.
Slovakia also hosted Belarus in a scoreless draw. Belarus had the better opportunities in the first half, surprisingly, until Slovakia took control of the match in the second half. Substitute Samuel Mráz hit the post in the 76th minute and Albert Rusnák’s shot needed a quality Aleksandr Gutor save to keep out the ball.
The two World Cup Quarter Finalists faced off in a match bound to bring goals. Both Spain and North Macedonia went in with attacking sides, though it ended in the favour of Spain as they scored twice in the first half. Both Rodrigo and Rodri Hernández needed two attempts to score as Stole Dimitrievski tried his hardest to keep the ball at bay. Spain continued to attack, though the North Macedonian defence held firm. Goran Pandev then caught the Spanish defence asleep in the second half and scored, setting up a tense final nineteen minutes. Instead, Spain held firm and secured their fifth win and top spot in Group C.
Spain now have two away matches against Belarus and the Ukraine. Will they be able to hold on to first place, or at the very least, second? The Ukraine should overtake them, though nothing is certain in this group. North Macedonia should come through in third place, especially since Slovakia have two away matches against Luxembourg and North Macedonia. That match could prove the difference between potential qualification and utter frustration at missing out. Belarus’s draw this week means they cannot qualify.
With Germany guaranteed a top-three placing, Ireland needed an away win to keep above Poland and Scotland, both with an outsider’s chance of qualifying. They faced Gibraltar, yet to win a game. That is the way it stayed as David McGoldrick scored three goals against the Gibraltar side across both legs, including a brace this match. McGoldrick’s first was a one-on-one power shot into the net in the twelfth minute and his second was forty minutes later, where he was found alone in the box, and a quick ball movement easily found the goalkeeper out of position. Gibraltar did have chances in the first half to equalise but were powering from long range, and too easy for Darren Randolph to deal with.
Poland hosted a do-or-die battle against Georgia. Robert Lewandowski had the opportunity to open the scoring for Poland, only for Giorgi Loria to make a wonderful save. Lewandowski made no mistake from the resulting corner and the hosts led by a goal. Krzysztof Piątek made it two, scoring as he had done last match. However, right before the break, Georgian defender Davit Khocholava capitalised on poor clearances and snagged a goal back for his side. Mateusz Klich restored the two-goal lead after the break, hitting the inside of the left-hand post before the ball spun into goal. From there, Poland ensured they would not let another goal in and secured their third win for the Qualifiers.
Scotland, also fighting for a place in Euro 2020, instead did not rock up as Germany rousted six goals into the net. Scotland were the first to attack for the match, only to have Germany counterattack and Leroy Sané to score. Scotland continued to attack, with Germany playing the counterattack game. After the break, Serge Gnabry nailed a goal with his left boot off a cross. Leroy Sané then gained a brace when Gnabry found his head. The goals did not stop there, as Marco Reus bagged Germany’s fourth. As in their last encounter, Toni Kroos worked up from midfield and scored. Substitute Luca Waldschmidt made it six at the death with a choice shot beyond the Scottish goalkeeper.
That ended Scotland’s campaign in emphatic style, also guaranteeing Germany first place in Group D. Ireland, now in second place, will hope to keep it as they host both Germany and Georgia. That will mean they host matches of the tournament next year, since Germany is automatically hosting matches. Georgia will hope that Ireland lose or draw against Germany, which means their final match against Ireland will be a true showdown. As for Poland, they face Gibraltar away, and should win that. Their last match against already-eliminated Scotland may be the punch they make on qualifying for Euro 2020.
With three away games, Estonia knew their task would be tricky, facing England on the verge of qualifying with a win. Switzerland, who took on Lithuania, needed a win and hope that Slovenia and Estonia both lost to progress to next year’s tournament.
First off, San Marino, though able to qualify on paper, sought to defeat Slovenia. In a tight match, the hosts did have the edge, with Nicola Nanni scoring with his head in the 20th minute. From there, San Marino held firm, not allowing Slovenia any decent chances to equalise, and thus gained their third victory of the Qualifiers.
England started tentatively against Estonia but soon eased into the match. When Ross Barkley and Dean Henderson switched between right and left midfield, it had the Estonian defensive structure in array. That led to Barkley’s goal in the 28th minute, cutting back to right in front of goal and shooting with his left. Over the course of the rest of the match, England peppered the goal, only for Estonian goalkeeper Sergei Lempets to make seven saves. Player of the Match Declan Rice’s cut from right wing back to goal was the best opportunity for the English, only for Lepmets to do his best. In the end, Barkley’s goal was the difference as England found themselves qualified for Euro 2020.
Switzerland had a good chance to join England when they scored first in the second half against Lithuania. A tight first half saw the second period open up in no time, first with Player of the Match Domantas Šimkus having a shot on goal. Switzerland immediately countered and scored via Haris Seferović. With nothing to lose, Lithuania attacked with no relent. Modestas Vorobjovas needed two headers to score off a corner to bring the game level. Saulius Mikoliūnas also needed two attempts before the ball was eased into the back of the net. Then a third goal for Lithuania came when substitute Arvydas Novikovas worked around the defence and snagged a goal to send the home crowd wild.
With that, Switzerland were unable to determine their place in next year’s tournament. Instead, they must fly to Slovenia before hosting Estonia on the final Match Day. If Slovenia defeat Switzerland next week, they will be in second place, and then will rely on a solid result against England to ensure that spot in Euro 2020. Estonia must defeat Lithuania away before heading to Slovenia to give themselves the best opportunity. Coming third in the group may not be enough. As for San Marino, they can hope for the best and defeat an already-qualified England away before hosting Lithuania in what may become the battle for fifth place.
The battle for Euro 2020 continued in Group F, with Greece, Romania and Hungary all likely to progress. Finland needed to win the next three matches to have any chance to knocking off one of these sides. They hosted Romania, with attack on their mind in the first half. That pressure resulted in Teemu Pukki winning the ball right on the by-line and shooting, only for Ciprian Tătărușanu to save the first but not the second toe-shot into the net. Finland then played the possession game for the first fifteen minutes of the second half, thinking that one goal might be enough. However, Romania had other ideas, with substitute Alexandru Mitriță having a chipped ball from Ianis Hagi land at his feet, and his powerful shot was too strong to save. Finland had a chance to win the match right at the death, but Pukki’s header was saved by Tătărușanu in emphatic fashion, and the game ended in a draw, thus ending Finland’s campaign.
Northern Ireland were down a goal early when Klamint Olsen finished off in the third minute after two other shots by Viljormur Davidsen and Joan Edmundsson were ably saved by Bailey Peacock-Farrell in the same passage of play. The hosts worked their way back into the match, though the Faroe Islands’ defenders had an answer for every probe. Finally, in the shadows of halftime, Josh Magennis chipped the goalkeeper and nearly had a second before the end. Northern Ireland ramped up the pressure and Patrick McNair soon scored when he led onto a through ball by defender Jonathan Evans. Northern Ireland then kept possession in their own half, disallowing the Faroes any ball, and rounding out their second win for the Qualifiers.
Greece had all the attacking prowess of the first half, dominating in possession in their forward third. That led to José Zeca curling a left footer, hitting the base of the post and spinning into the goal. Greece dominated much of the rest of the game, though could not find that second goal. Zeca had a good chance when he chested a cross and hit, only to find the side netting. Dimitris Limnios also had a chance, only for the Hungarian goalkeeper to bring his A-game. Down the other end, Gergo Lovrencsics won a penalty and scored easily, levelling with nine minutes left. In spite of their best efforts, Greece could not find a second goal and the game ended one-all.
That draw also eliminated Northern Ireland from qualification. As to who will progress between Greece, Romania and Hungary, it is likely all three will qualify, but none are going to take the risk of coming third. Hungary plays hosts to Romania in the next Match Day, while Greece fly to Finland. In their last matches, Hungary and Romania both face off against the Faroe Islands, while Greece must face a difficult away game in Northern Ireland. Based on the home side winning, Hungary should come out on top of the group, with Romania possibly second. The battle for Group F is well and truly alive with all three sides one point apart.
Sweden and Russia had two home games remaining in Group G. The former hosted Austria in a match to deem first place with two Match Days left. Sweden had most of the attack of the match, only they were unable to find a way to goal. In the second half, Kristoffer Olsson found the post, as did Albin Ekdal when Alexander Isak found him in front of goal. Sebastian Larsson finally found Isak in the 87th minute, who coolly found the back of the net to give Sweden a vital victory and first place in Group G.
France needed to defeat Russia at home to keep their chances alive in a do-or-die situation. The game was settled by the ninth minute as the attacking stalwarts of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann both scored. Giroud had chances to score with his head again as the match progressed, only to miss the mark. Still, two-nil was enough for France to leap into third place, with two away matches remaining.
A scoreless draw ensued between Liechtenstein and Moldova as the hosts sought to gain their first win of the Qualifiers. Noah Frick had the best opportunity at the beginning of the second half, only to hit the woodwork. A late Liechtenstein charge was thwarted by the Moldovans, with the two sides sharing a point each.
Russia have two home games remaining against Austria and Moldova. Should they defeat Austria, it means they are level on points, though there is a hefty goal difference there. Realistically, Russia should get four points out the full six. France have two away matches against Liechtenstein and Austria. Again, they can hope for four points as their most realistic efforts, keeping them just above Russia. As mentioned before, Austria plays Russia away and France at home. Two draws may be enough to ensure third place, but they will be vying for first or second, and will try for the wins. As for Sweden, they fly to Moldova before taking on Liechtenstein. They should get a minimum of four points out of those matches, with a fair chance of gaining the full six. Sweden is likely to top the group and be given a set of games to host as their reward.
What is just as important as the hosts for Euro 2020 is the battle to be the top six nations in third place. Group H, where three teams are vying for third place, is unlikely to have three representatives in Euro 2020 since the nations can only reach a maximum of fifteen points. The Czech Republic and Hungary are already beyond that. Third place from Group E are also unlikely to qualify, so Slovenia and Estonia will be vying for second place to have any chance of making the tournament. Group B’s third place side are also in danger of not qualifying. Again, second place is almost a must for that Group, or a couple of heavy wins to boost the goal difference.
Euro 2020 Third Place Potentials
© 2020 Steve Clark |
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Added on April 12, 2020 Last Updated on April 17, 2020 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more..Writing
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