March 8 to 28, 2021 Global Futbol Matches (European WCQ)A Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2021. March 8 to 28, 2021 (World Cup Qualifiers [Europe])World Cup Qualifiers The opening three matches for the European group stage of World Cup Qualifiers took place this month.
In Group A, Norway looked lethargic in the first half of their home game against Albania, struggling to get deep into their attacking half. Albania made the most of poor defence and snagged the opening goal via midfielder Keidi Bare. Norway finally got a shot on target right before the break, giving them momentum in the second half. That led to Erling Haaland etching his name on the scoresheet, heading the ball into goal after a cross from the right wing. Haaland looked like scoring in the same fashion again, only for the ball to be saved. Instead of Norway overrunning in the match, Albanian substitute Mario Mitaj scored the winner for the visitors, and causing all sorts of chaos in the Norwegian dugout. On came substitute Joshua King, who should have volleyed from the same spot as Haaland’s goal, only to miss to the right. The match ended 2-1 in favour of Albania.
Germany started with two early goals against Scotland as they sought to stamp their authority on Group A. İlkay Gündoğan opened the tale when he was found with a through ball. Serge Gnabry then bagged two penalties, one in each half, where the referee deemed handballs took place as Scotland rushed to block repeated German shots. Gnabry then ensured his hat trick just after the hour mark, needing two shots to find the gap beyond goalkeeper David Marshall. Lyndon Dykes gained a consolation goal back for the visitors, but it was not enough as Germany ran out 4-1 winners.
Scotland swapped out Kenny Mclean for John Fleck in their home match against Albania, but it was the visitors, with an unchanged line-up, who looked like causing another upset as they had done six days earlier against Norway. Yiber Ramadani found a sloppy defence marking him, and thus turned and scored. Scotland worked back into the match, with plenty of shots, including a poster by John McGinn. Albania’s back three then were found wanting when Andrew Robertson was found free running in from the left wing, and he made no mistake. However, Albania’s Rey Manaj restored the lead for his side ten minutes after the break when he was found alone with a long ball. It took Dykes again to score late to bring the match to a 2-2 draw.
Norway started with Joshua King and removed Martin Ødegaard, bringing in Kristian Thorstvedt for the match against Germany. Germany, though, kept their same starting eleven. A tight first half ensued, with both sides having chances. However, Germany scored off the back of Norwegian goalkeeper Rune Jarstein right before the break. Leroy Sané then added a second goal in the 72nd minute, thus ensuring a second victory for the visitors. Substitute Florian Neuhaus made it three goals at the death.
Germany maintained their line-up for the third game in a row. Albania, in their first home game, swapped out Qazim Laçi due to an injury in the first match for Sheriff Kallaku. Germany clamped down in attack, ensuring Gnabry scored his fourth for the Qualifiers in the fifth minute. However, Albania remained hopeful, and twice Myrto Uzini was found with a through ball, resulting in two goals. The first was a deft chip over Mario ter Stegen, while the second was a power shot. From there, Albania held on for the win and top spot in Group A.
Norway swapped out Birger Meling for Martin Linnes and gave Julian Ryerson a crack in the starting eleven. Scotland brought in Stuart Armstrong for Ryan Fraser after two lacklustre performances. It was Norway who looked the goods early, even though Scotland had more shots. Haaland started the campaign by winning a battle against his marking man before slotting the ball home. Mohamed Elyounoussi made it two goals after the break, capitalising on a defensive error. Scotland immediately responded via Oliver McBurnie and should have equalised, particularly when Robertson was right in front of goal, and first to the ball off the crossbar. However, his shot hit the outside of the post. Norway recorded their first win, leaving Scotland on the bottom of the group.
In Group C, Lithuania started their campaign to reach a second World Cup in the best possible manner with a 1-0 away victory against Armenia. The host’s defender, Hovhannes Hambardzumyan, gave away a penalty just before the half hour mark, and Saulius Mikoliūnas made no mistake. Armenia tried in vain to equalise, only to fall short of the mark as Lithuania’s defence held firm.
Similarly, fellow 2018 World Cup participants Spain defeated their opponents by a goal. Spain travelled to Georgia and had a better first half than the hosts. This resulted in a goal right before the break from Ferran Torres. From there, Spain held on, even with Georgia attacking without relent for long periods.
Georgia altered their defence for their second match, bringing in Grigol Chabradze for Guram Kashia. Giorgo Kvilitaia also came into the fray up front. Armenia decided to give yellow carded Hambardzumyan a break, as well as Khoren Baramyan. The two neighbouring countries battled hard for their first points, and in the 34th minute, Georgia had the lead via Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. In the 80th minute, Saba Lobzhanidze doubled the lead for the hosts as he ran onto a through ball. However, Norberto Briasco immediately replied, giving Armenia a sliver of hope. That came to nought, and Georgia had their first win.
Lithuania made no changes while Spain brought Daniel Olmo and Koke into the midfield, as well as changes in defence. The Lithuanian eleven, though, started the strongest, with Fedor Černych scoring twice after Unai Simón parried an initial shot straight into his path. The first was a relatively easy shot into an open goal, while the second was far greater, considering the tight angle. Spain worked back into the game and scored via Fabián Ruiz as he shot from long range and smacked the underside of the crossbar before the ball bounced over the line. The second half was a tight affair, with neither side cracking, until Thiago Alcântara was found alone, racing against a tired Lithuanian defence, and he equalised the match deep in injury time.
Three first-half goals set up Spain for their second win of the month, this time over Armenia. Spain brought David de Gea in goals as well as Pedro Porro in the outfield, while Armenia made no changes. Morata opened the tale with his left boot in the 25th minute. Fabián Ruiz then scored his second in two games, before a header from Koke rounded out the half. Spain hit the woodwork twice in the second half, only to come up short of the mark for a fourth goal.
Georgia flew to Lithuania, hoping to gain points on the road. That started well after Otar Kiteishvili opened the scoring in the 21st minute with his head. Lithuania gave Černych and Gratas Sirgedas a break on the bench for this third match, as well as left back Egidijus Vaitkūnas until he was recalled back into the side at the final moments. That paid off as, in the second half, he equalised with a brilliant left footer. Eight minutes from the end, substitute Deimantas Petravičius headed from a corner to give Lithuania a crucial come-from-behind win and easily cement second place behind Spain in Group C.
2018 World Cup Quarter Finalists North Macedonia started their drive toward another tournament with a 3-0 win over Liechtenstein in Group H. Aleksandar Trajkovski and Enis Bardhi scored in quick succession in the first half, taking the game right away from the visitors. Defender Visar Musliu then scored in the second half after attacking a miscued header and sending it into the back of the net. The goals should have been more, only North Macedonia were sloppy in the final third.
Poland and the Faroe Islands, who also participated in the last World Cup, faced off, with Klamint Olsen scoring a penalty in the first half. Without Robert Lewandowski, Poland looked lethargic in attack, with no shots on target in the first half. The second half was little better, though the Faroes held on for a grand first victory.
The Faroes kept their same line-up while Liechtenstein made two changes for their second match. The going was tough for the Faroes as they wrestled with plenty of ball, but easy chances did not come their way as they expected. Finally, as halftime beckoned, Brandur Hendriksson scored from just outside the box. From there, the Faroes felt more comfortable, and continued creating more chances. Only good goalkeeping and defensive blocks kept the score 1-0.
Poland returned Lewandowski to the starting eleven as well as Kamil Grosicki. North Macedonia made no changes to their starting eleven, and soon had the lead via Egzijan Alioski scoring off a rebound save. Poland changed their formation to a back four and attacked for the rest of the match. Finally, substitute Karol Świderski equalised, also finishing off an initial goalkeeping save. However, Poland could not find the winner, and placed themselves in a precarious position with only a point from two home games.
Liechtenstein kept the same line-up, whilst Poland changed the formation again as well as a number of players. For the third game in a row, Liechtenstein gave away a goal late before the break. Grzegorz Krychowiak managed to claim the through ball and fire with his left boot. Straight after the break, Lewandowski doubled the lead to ensure the three points.
The Faroes gave Patrik Johannesen a break in their third match while North Macedonia kept the same starting eleven. The visitors scored twice, once in each half as they dominated from start to finish. Trajkovski scored his second goal for the Qualifiers and substitute Daniel Avramovski made a name for himself in the 80th minute.
In Group I, two 2018 World Cup sides in Cyprus and England faced off. The Mediterranean hosts employed a keepings-off policy, with 62 percent possession in the first half. It worked for the most part until England caught them on the fast break late in the half, with Raheem Sterling finishing off the goal from a tight angle. Cyprus continued to dominate possession, though it only led to long-range shots easily covered by goalkeeper Nick Pope. In the end, the 1-0 result was enough for England, though Cyprus, with their 3-4-3 formation, felt they had something to work with to remain in the hunt for the 2022 campaign.
Croatia hosted Kosovo in the hope of destroying the visitors from the outset. It looked that way as Mario Pašalić, Ante Budimir and Josip Brekalo all scored in the first half. Pašalić’s goal was a grand header, rising above his opponents to snag the opener. Budimir won a rebound off the Kosovan goalkeeper’s foot and slotted home. Two minutes later, Brekalo was found with a through ball, and he shot first time. From there, Croatia continued to dominate, but the second half was full of headers that flew wide of the mark, and the match ended 3-0.
Cyprus made a number of changes for the Croatian match, including bringing in Charalambos Kyriakou. Croatia remained on the same starting eleven, hoping to keep the momentum of the first match in check. Marcelo Brozović did so with the only goal for the game, where he latched onto a shot from the edge of the box that gave the Cypriot goalkeeper no hope. Ioannis Pittas won a penalty straight after Brozović’s goal after being tackled late from behind, even though his shot flew wide. He stepped up to the spot and shot to the left, only for Dominik Livaković to make the save. From there, Croatia held on and gifted Cyprus their second 1-0 home loss.
England and Kosovo made no changes for their second match. England looked strong early, eventually winning a penalty in the 18th minute, capably slotted home by Kalvin Phillips. However, Kosovo turned things around and scored either side of the break via Vetat Muriqi and Milot Rashica; Muriqi with his head and Rashica with a brilliant run and shot. England drew level with Mason Mount’s goal. At the death, Kosovo should have taken the lead with a header, only for the referee to blow the whistle for the free kick on the right wing as the ball was crossed before seeing the fallout of the actual cross. Instead, England scored a third in additional time, thanks to left back Benjamin Chilwell, with 3-2 being the final score in favour of England.
England kept Sterling and Harry Maguire out of the third match against Croatia, who remained with the same starting eleven for the third game in a row. The Maguire choice of the home side meant the Croatians found the chink in defence, scoring via Pašalić for his second goal of the Qualifiers. Croatia looked the better side in their attacking third, while England failed to gain a shot on target for the first half. That turned around, and England patiently waited to pounce. Two late goals by substitute James Ward-Prowse, including a long-range shot at the death, wrestled the three points out of Croatia’s hand and gave England the advantage at the halfway stage.
Rashica scored twice for Kosovo to set up their win against Cyprus. The visitors gained a goal in between Rashica’s brace via Nicolas Ioannou as both sides threw caution to the wind and attacked for most of the first half. However, it was Rashica’s chip shot straight after the break that proved the difference between the two nations as Kosovo took control of the second half and ensured their first win.
In Group K, Azerbaijan employed a back five as they played hosts to Belgium. Belgium struggled to gain territory beyond the defensive line, with five offsides throughout the match. As for Azerbaijan, their strategy was to find Belgium on the counterattack, though they were caught often with their three lines of formation staying too far apart. Eventually, the home side switched to working down the wings; and when they brought their right wing back into play right before the break, it came with immediate effect. Ali Ghorbani was found alone in the box and he made no mistake. Romelu Lukaku should have equalised in the second half, only to fire to the left of goal. Instead, Azerbaijan played for the 1-0 win, only to find a way for midfielder Emin Mahmudov to score a second; he outsmarted the Belgian defence after the ball came again from the right flank, turned away from goal, and dabbled the ball with his right along the ground and out of reach of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The Ukraine and Serbia faced off as they had in Euro 2020, where the game was so tight it was difficult to separate the two. Serbia looked stronger in attack, though the hosts turned it around in the second half. Momentum shifted the way of the Ukrainians and, right before the death, substitute Oleksandr Zubvov scored from a corner to set up a solid 1-0 victory.
The Ukraine brough in Zubvov, with his goal, in place of injured Junior Moraes for the match against Azerbaijan, who kept their same line-up. Oleksandr Karavayev looked dangerous across right midfield, though he struggled to link with Zubvov at times. Eventually, Karavayev scored as he was given the ball alone in the second half. From there, the Ukrainians had the power in the match. Ruslan Malinovskyi doubled the lead after stealing the ball from the Azerbaijani defence. The visitors gained one goal back via substitute Təmkin Xəlilzadə’s power shot. The Ukraine, however, held firm for a 2-1 victory.
Dries Mertens was left on the bench as Leandro Trossard shifted up into the right wing position, bringing Thorgan Hazard into play. Leander Dendoncker shifted into defence in place of Jan Vertonghen. Serbia made no changes for their first home game of the Qualifiers. That paid off as Sergej Milinković-Savić scored a hat trick, including a penalty. His first came about after constant attack in the first half, leading to Milinković-Savić remaining free at the penalty spot and heading home the ball as Courtois raced back in vain to block it. His second needed two shots to beat the Belgian goalkeeper. As for the third, the penalty from a handball in the box capped off a brilliant victory for Serbia. Belgian substitute Mertens snagged back a goal, but it was too little, too late.
The Belgians, finalists at the 2018 World Cup, looked in danger after two away losses. Mertens came into the side for the match against the Ukraine, while the visitors kept their same line-up. The danger increased as Mertens and Kevin de Bruyne both missed chip shots, whereas Roman Yaremchuk made no mistake in his one-on-one challenge. At the break, Lukaku was subbed off for Michy Batshuayi, and the attacker had an immediate effect, pocketing home the goal after the ball initially came off the post. Thomas Meunier then gave Belgium the lead with a shot under the diving goalkeeper. Courtois then made a late save to give Belgium their first three points of the Qualifiers.
Serbia had all the shots of the first half as they flew to Azerbaijan, only to not capitalise on their advantage. After the break, Azerbaijan stepped up a few gears and Ghorbani scored his second goal of the Qualifiers in the 60th minute. From there, the hosts held on for their second win and keep first place in the tightest of groups, with the first three match days all going in favour of the home side. Belgium must find a way to climb from the bottom of the ladder to take over.
Group B’s Denmark defeated Belarus in their opening match with two second-half goals. Belarus had the better of the chances in the first half until Denmark started to take hold of the match. Three minutes into the second half and Yussuf Poulsen opened the scoring. Jonas Wind then doubled the lead in the 79th minute with his head, and from there, Denmark notched their first three points.
Zlatan Ibrahimović returned to a qualification process with a goal for Sweden in the seventh minute against Andorra. Sweden dominated the match from start to finish, scoring four goals in total. Emil Forsberg made it two right before the break, before an own goal from a hapless Albert Alavedra as he tried in vain to turn his body away from the ball after his goalkeeper made the initial save. Substitute Marcus Berg scored the fourth with ease after the release from Robin Quaison.
Daniel Wass and Thomas Delaney were edged out of the starting eleven for Denmark, while Sweden kept their same eleven for their second home game. However, the Danes surprised the hosts with an early attack, resulting in a crossbar shot, followed by an opening goal from Christian Eriksen. Sweden played catch-up football as they sought an equaliser, eventually coming via Alexander Isak in the 40th minute. However, Denmark had other ideas, and Martin Braithwaite volleyed a cross into goal when all other players in the area missed the header chances. From there, Denmark doubled down in defence and won the game 2-1.
Belarus gave Igor Stasevich a rest at left midfield for their second match, this time against Andorra. Both the attacking midfielders got on the scoreboard; Vitali Lisakovich in the 40th minute, and his replacement Pavel Savitskiy in the 79th. Lisakovich was released into the box with a through ball and he fired with his left. Savitskiy’s goal was a header after an initial save sent the ball high in the air and closer to the goal line. From there, Belarus was content with a 2-0 victory.
Denmark brought Daniel Wass back in at right back, while Andorra kept the same line-up for their third match in a row. Poulsen scored his second goal for the Qualifiers as Denmark looked better in attack. Joachim Andersen doubled the lead right before the break. Andorra tried hard to wrestle back a goal in the second half, but it proved fruitless as Denmark ran out winners, with their third win for the campaign.
Sweden brought in Berg in place of Ibrahimović and Pierre Bengtsson in at left back. Belarus kept the same side and it paid off as they fought for a scoreless draw against the northern giants. Sweden should have taken the lead right before the break with a penalty, only for Kristoffer Olsson to miss over the crossbar with his shot. From there, neither side could quite find the finishing blow, and the match ended without the net being swayed, and thus boosting Denmark’s chances even more of progressing as they had done in 2018.
Russia opened their World Cup Qualifiers with an away win over Israel. Both sides employed a 3-5-2 formation, and it was Russia who utilised their wide players better. Yuri Zhirkov scored in the sixteenth minute, giving the visitors the advantage with a shot that snuck under Ofir Marciano, the Israeli goalkeeper’s, armpit. Mario Fernandes nearly did the same, running from the right wing. Instead, Artem Dzyuba capitalised on a chance, and though Marciano got purchase on the ball, the sheer force still ruffled the back of the net. Dor Peretz scored a brilliant solo goal in the 67th minute to set up a tense final section of the match. Israel certainly had chances to equalise but fell short of the mark.
Turkey’s Burak Yılmaz scored four goals as his side romped Montenegro in their first match of the Qualifiers. The star striker opened the tale in the tenth minute after the ball was cut back to him near the penalty spot. Turkey knuckled down in defence as Montenegro sought an equaliser, with precise slide tackles to ensure the visitors stayed away from the goals. Right before the break, Yılmaz then tapped home a goal after an initial goalkeeping save by Milan Mijatović, followed by a penalty where the Montenegrin goalkeeper got a hand to the ball, only to punch it against the post and into the goal. Straight after the break, flying full of confidence, Yılmaz caught a header from a right wing cross, also from near the penalty spot.
Israel shifted to a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond shape in the midfield, and with two changes along the left side of the formation. Montenegro made one change at right midfield, bringing in Adam Marušić, and replacing the still-injured Stevan Jovetić after his early exit in the Turkey match. Jovetić’s replacement, Fatos Bećiraj opened the scoring with his corner header finding the back of the net. Israel went on the attack, hoping to equalise as well as not lose another home game. When Montenegrin defender Stefan Savić handballed in the box, it seemed likely. It was not to be, as Mijatović saved Eran Zahavi’s kick to the right. Moanes Dabour, instead, worked well down the left wing, equalising the match right on the break. In the second half, Dabour continued to be the talisman for Israel as he needed two tries to score from a right wing cross; the second time it was his head that found the inside of the post and then the back netting. Again, Dabour nearly scored a third. Then, from the resulting corner, a penalty was given for a challenge in the box. Dabour stepped up to take this penalty, and with that, gained his hat trick as he nubbed the ball to the left of Mijatović. From there, Israel gained their first win, and once again, Montenegro was unable to keep hold of a striker on fire.
Russia and Turkey’s starting eleven remained unchanged as they fought for ascendency in the group. The hosts wasted key opportunities early, before the match became a tight tussle in midfield. Not much changed across either half, until finally Russia broke down the Turkish defence. Substitute Anton Zabolotny needed two attempts to score; his first smacked the post, before his second rolled along the ground, and with better accuracy, scored the winner for Russia.
Montenegro made a number of changes to their starting eleven, hoping to gain three points in their first home game of the Qualifiers. Russia made no changes and perhaps should have, as the front two of Bećiraj and Jovetić had early chances. Instead, it was midfielders Aleksandar Šćekić and Marušić who scored in the second half; Šćekić with a brilliant header and Marušić with a trap on the chest and shot into the back of the net. Russia did hit the post twice, only to fail to score. The result: 2-0.
Turkey scored three second-half goals against Israel to overcome an early Dabour goal. Israel made no changes for their third match, while Turkey swapped one striker to support Yılmaz. Dabour scored a sliding goal early, his fourth for the Qualifiers, forcing Turkey to go on the offensive. In spite of the six shots across the half, the hosts could find no way to goal. That changed straight after the break as Hatem Elhamid tried in vain to head the ball away from goal after it came his way from a challenge in the box; the scores level. Yılmaz (with his fifth for the Qualifiers) and substitute Cenk Tosun then scored to gift Turkey an easier victory in the end; the 3-1 scoreline should have been far greater, though. Still, it gave them first place in the group at the halfway stage.
Hungary began their Group E campaign against Estonia in style with two first-half goals by Nemanja Nikolić. Both goals were on the easier side, in spite of the visitors employing a back five. The first was a free shot from the edge of the box that goalkeeper Mihkel Aksalu got something on, only for the power of the shot to be too strong. The second was a breakdown in defence, again, with Nikolić waiting for a cutback pass and easy slot into the back of the net. After the break, substitute Kevin Varga added to the tally before Ádám Szalai capped off a brilliant 4-0 victory. Szilveszter Hangya provided three of the four assists, earning Player of the Match status.
Both Slovenia and Wales had half chances early in their encounter. Finally, right before the half hour mark, Gareth Bale opened the scoring as he strolled into the box and scored with ease. Slovenia’s Blaž Kramer should have equalised via a penalty after a handball in the box, trying to block a shot. However, Daniel Ward dove the correct way and thwarted the spot kick. In Kramer’s place, Jasmin Kurtič levelled the match with his right boot, finishing off a great team goal. The score remained 1-1 for the final 10 minutes.
Another draw came the way of Slovenia when they travelled to Hungary. Gerg�' Lovrencsics came into the starting eleven for Hungary for Roland Sallai’s sprained knee. Slovenia kept their same side. Attila Szalai scored in the fourteenth minute for the hosts with a header off a corner. From there, though, Slovenia looked more dangerous in possession, and should have equalised multiple times. Eventually, a through ball found Kramer, and he made no mistake. Slovenia then took the lead via Andraž Šporar as he drifted into the box off a free kick and volleyed with ease into the back of the net. Hungary struggled to draw level until additional time when Ádám Szalai outran the Slovenian defence to a through ball and made no mistake.
Estonia switched out Aksalu in goals as they flew to Wales, giving the hosts a real surprise when Bogdan Vaštšuk scored. Wales fought hard for the remainder of the match to wrestle back control, leading to a goal straight after the break via Connor Roberts. Roberts needed two attempts before ruffling the back of the net. However, this time, the back five of Estonia held firm, not allowing another goal past, and the match ended in a draw as well.
Estonia made one change in midfield, while Slovenia kept their starting eleven. That paid off as Slovenia gained their first win for the Qualifiers, scoring twice late in the second half via Kramer and substitute Amedej Vetrih. Estonia had the better chances prior to that, only to fail to defeat the Slovenian goalkeeper. In the end, the better side won on the day, though Estonia did deserve at least one goal.
Hungary made three changes in midfield as they flew to Wales, who needed to bounce back from their previous match. They did so with two early goals, setting up a 2-0 victory over the eastern Europeans. Harry Wilson opened the tale with a header off a corner. Daniel James then pocketed a goal after an initial save bounced straight to him. The scoreline should have been far worse for the Hungarians, only for goalkeeping and poor shots to be the norm for the remainder of the match.
In Group F, no shots took place in the first half of the match between Luxembourg and Finland. Eventually, the visitors won a penalty, and defender Paulus Arajuuri made no mistake. Luxembourg had their best chance to equalise when they hit the upright, and from there, the Fins held on for a vital first away win.
France also won by a solitary goal away to Northern Ireland in their opening Qualifier. The match was evenly poised across the first half, before Thomas Lemar scored immediately after the break. Northern Ireland had two chances to score late, only for Hugo Lloris to save the first and the second to fly to the left of goal.
Luxembourg swapped both strikers in an attempt to turn their first game’s result around as they faced Northern Ireland, who made one change at right midfield. The incoming player, Niall McGinn, scored two goals, one in each half, to set up a solid victory. Earlier, George Saville opened the tale with a lovely header off a corner. McGinn’s first was a power shot with his left through defenders and into the back of the net. His second came off a corner as well, heading home for his brace. Northern Ireland should have had a fourth, only to miss multiple shots on target.
France and Finland made no changes to their respective sides as they battled in a 1-1 draw. France had all the attack early but were unable to capitalise on their advantage. Finland’s first entrance into their attacking third, however, produced a free kick and headered goal by Robin Lod. After the break, desperate to wrestle that goal back, France switched to a 4-3-3 formation. It had an immediate effect on the game as Paul Pogba scored. Though it seemed France would run away with the win in the second half, the Finnish defence held firm and gained a crucial away point.
France thought they had the game when they travelled to Luxembourg, especially after Kingsley Coman fired into a tight gap in the 52nd minute. However, Luxembourg substitute Danel Sinani caught the French defence off guard with barely seconds remaining and fired home an equalising header to score their first goal for the campaign and achieve their first point as well.
Finland scored against Northern Ireland in the third minute via Joni Kauko and from there, held firm to the lead. The key was attack in order to keep Northern Ireland away from goal, which for the most part was successful. That win places Finland in a brilliant position and with every chance of qualifying for Qatar 2022, particularly since Teemu Pukki is yet to score a goal and thrust his authority on the group.
Group G’s Ireland and the Netherlands opened their campaign with an attacking match, with the Dutch visitors coming out on top with a 2-1 win. Luuk de Jong scored with his left in the eighth minute, making the Irish back three look mediocre. However, a challenge on Callum Robinson in the box resulted in a penalty, and James Collins ensured the ball hit the back of the net. Memphis Depay, however, had other ideas in the second half, and after the initial ball was cleared straight to him, he powered it into the open goal, securing three points for his side. That was determined by Tim Krul at the death as he made two crucial saves to keep Ireland from equalising.
Kazakhstan came from behind to defeat Bulgaria 2-1 in their opening Qualifier. Bulgaria’s Momchil Tsvetanov first scored in the nineteenth minute, with his shot coming off the Kazakh goalkeeper. The hosts responded immediately with Vladislav Vasiljev, two days after his 24th birthday, also having his shot partially touched by the opposing goalkeeper, only for the shot to be too powerful. Kazakhstan had the better of the match, and that momentum came to fruition in the 89th minute when Abat Aymbetov scored, gifting Kazakhstan the full three points.
Ireland swapped out Alan Browne in attacking midfielder, while Kazakhstan kept their same line-up. Ireland scored early via Josh Cullen with a brilliant right footer. They continued to dominate the match, though the second goal proved out of their reach. Kazakhstan only had the one chance to score, and it was muffed. Finally, in additional time, a solo effort from Jason Knight ensured a 2-0 scoreline in favour of the hosts.
The Netherlands and Bulgaria kept their same line-up as the first match. The Dutch were surprised by the Bulgarians when they went up a goal early, in spite of the Netherlands having all the attack. Georgi Kostadinov opened the scoring, firing into an open goal after Krul made the initial save. Georginio Wijnaldum should have scored, hitting the woodwork twice in the same action of play. Instead, Frenkie de Jong set up his namesake, Luuk, for a cool goal. The striker then nearly had a second, only for the ball to bounce off two defenders, including Valentin Antov, and loop over the Bulgarian goalkeeper for an own goal. The hosts remained unperturbed and equalised via Andrey Galabinov. From there, though, the Dutch took complete control of the match, with two through balls to Memphis Depay to help him score a brace, before substitute Ryan Babel capped off the win and ending the match 5-2.
Luuk de Jong scored his third goal in three games to set up a win for the Dutch away to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan threw everything they could in the second half to equalise the match, only to fall short. Their best chance was at the death, only for Krul to thwart their constant shots at goal. Instead, the Netherlands counterattacked and scored via substitute Marten de Roon, earning a 2-0 victory and maximum points from three games for the European giants.
Bulgaria switched to a back four for their first home game against Ireland, and it paid off as Kiril Despodov had a hat trick by halftime. Tsvetanov opened the scoring, letting the ball drift across him before hitting it first time. Despodov then snagged a goal from the penalty spot after the ball was handballed in the box. His second and third were a header and a long-range left boot, respectively. Despodov then made it four for his tally after the break, running a long way and again shooting with his left. Ireland’s Séamus Coleman gained a consolation goal from a free kick, but it was too little, too late as Bulgaria ran out 5-1 winners.
One more win, and a draw in the other Group G match, and the Netherlands will qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Group J saw rivals Greece and Portugal face off in the opening match. Cristiano Ronaldo played a pivotal role in the only two goals of the match, first with setting up Renato Sanches for his right footer. The second, two minutes later, was from the longest of ranges, but gave the Greek goalkeeper no hope. From there, Portugal held on to the lead. The best chance for Greece came from Andreas Bouchalakis, who hit both posts as the ball trickled along the line, only to not cross over it before the Portuguese defence came to clear and keep a clean sheet.
Bosnia-Herzegovina commenced their campaign with a 3-0 win over Malta. Player of the Match Edin Džeko scored a brace and set up substitute Ermedin Demirović for the perfect header. Džeko’s first was a penalty after the Maltese defence were caught handballing the ball in the box. After the break, Džeko’s second came from a cross from the left wing. His assist was almost a replica of the play to set up Demirović, capping off a solid victory.
Four days later, Malta hosted Portugal and, in spite of looking like relinquishing a goal early, instead went up via Alexander Satariano. Satariano should have made it two goals by the half hour mark, only to miss the penalty that Teddy Teuma won when he was pushed from behind in the 18-yard box. In the follow-up, Teuma then had his shot saved, and then Satariano was deemed offside from Teuma’s touch. Portugal bided their time as they sought an equaliser, which came five minutes after the break by, yet again, a long-range shot from Cristiano Ronaldo. However, neither side could break the deadlock, and the end result was a point apiece.
Having previously played in the Euro 2020 group stage, Greece hosted Bosnia-Herzegovina, hoping to build back from their loss to Portugal. Christos Tziolis scored in the thirteenth minute with a header from a corner, and though the Bosnians had some minor chances to score, it was Greece who dominated long periods of the match. That dominance, however, failed to turn into a second goal, and Greece ran out 1-0 winners.
Portugal looked to inflict another defeat on Bosnia-Herzegovina in their first home game of the Qualifiers. Two goals from Bernardo Silva bookended the match; his first, a header, in the sixth minute set the tone of the match. Džeko, however, had other ideas, and scored three minutes later. From there, though, Portugal had the upper hand across the park and scored five more goals. Diogo Jota had a brace by halftime, before Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes scored in the second half. Silva’s second goal was a pure fluke as a clearance hit him in the chest, and he fired home with his left. Bosnia-Herzegovina left with their tails between their legs, and Portugal looking the goods in Group J.
Malta looked lacklustre in their match against Greece, where the visitors capitalised on it. Dimitris Limnios scored in the seventh minute after two prior chances went begging. Malta found themselves chasing the game, hoping to equalise. That came about in the second half via an own goal where Georgios Tzavellas mucked up the ball as the Greek goalkeeper went to contain it. However, Greece remained unperturbed and scored via substitute Emmanouil Siopis. From there, Greece held on for a 2-1 away victory.
Group L started with Romania hosting Italy. Italy returned to the back three formation that saw their undoing in the early stages of Euro 2020. This paid off, however, against the Romanians, as Ciro Immobile scored in the twentieth minute with an easy tap in. From there, Romania worked hard for an equaliser, but some choice Gianluigi Donnarumma saves in the second half kept headers and volleys out of the net, and gifted Italy the opening three points.
San Marino’s 5-4-1 formation proved too much for Switzerland as the two sides played out a scoreless draw. The visitors were hampered by a collision in the first minute, leading to Granit Xhaka’s injury. Switzerland then hit the woodwork twice in the first half, and San Marino once. However, neither side could find the finishing touch in the second half, and the match petered out to a draw.
Italy gave Marco Verratti a rest for the match against Switzerland, while Xhaka still remained injured. Italy once again looked dangerous, with Lorenzo Insigne winning an early penalty against Switzerland’s Yann Sommer. However, his shot from the penalty spot mirrored Roberto Baggio’s back in 1994, flying way over the bar. In the 21st minute, however, Insigne was able to restore some pride with a deft right footer. The rest of the first half was played in the middle of the park, until the second half, where Switzerland found tiny gaps in the Italian formation. An equalising goal never came for the hosts, though, and Italy gained another three away points.
Romania came from behind and scored twice in four minutes to wrestle a win away to San Marino. Romania swapped out Ovidiu Popescu for Alexandru Maxim and brought in Claudiu Keserü up front. However, San Marino dominated the possession of the first half, leading to a goal for Filippo Berardi as he ran from right midfield and snuck the ball through the gap between the goalkeeper and the post. Valentin Mihăilă came on the pitch in the second half and scored with his left in the 71st minute to draw level. Maxim then backed it up with a brilliant header goal that saw the three points be whittled from under the hosts. San Marino had a chance with the last kick of the match, only to miss the volley to the left of goal.
Italy and San Marino made no changes for their final match of the month. The Italians took control early with a header by Immobile. Manuel Locatelli then caught onto a corner to double the lead, before Insigne scored his second for the Qualifiers to round out the half. After the break, substitutes Federico Chiesa and Emerson made the final score 5-0, though the goals could have been more with fourteen shots on target.
Switzerland brought back Xhaka for Shaqiri in their match against Romania, as well as trialling Admir Mehmedi at right midfield. However, it was Breel Embolo who broke the deadlock in the 70th minute, latching onto a ball after two of his teammates had their shots saved by the Romanian goalkeeper. In a match played mostly in the midfield, Switzerland came out on top to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive. Will they catch Italy, who have two home games out their three remaining matches?
Slovakia started in the best possible manner with an away victory over the Czech Republic in Group M. For all the 58 percent possession the Czechs had in the first half, they were unable to capitalise on such pressure. Instead, the Slovakians began to find weaknesses in the hosts’ armour, and Jakub Hromada ensured a goal after he trapped the fastest of passes. From there, the Czechs looked defeated, and did not equalise (though they should have).
Austria’s substitute Adrian Grbić scored in additional time to wrestle three points against Iceland. The hosts dominated across the park, though they struggled to find the back of the net. The initial problem was the final pass to set up their attackers reached the Icelandic goalkeeper first. In the second half, Austria struggled to get their shots on target. Finally, Grbić came on, initially as a right winger, before being thrust into the striker’s role, and he made no mistake with his head.
The Czechs brought in Matej Vydra for their second match, while Austria maintained the same line-up. Austria looked dangerous with the ball, though they failed to get shots on target. However, in the 34th minute, David Alaba opened the scoring with a quick through ball and shot with his right boot. In the second half, the Austrians seemed content with their 1-0 lead, and played accordingly. That played into the Czechs’ hands as Tomáš Holeš nailed the rebound off the Austrian goalkeeper’s initial save. Neither side could find the finishing blow; the match ended in a draw.
Slovakia made a series of changes to their winning side, while Iceland made none. The home side had all the play of the first half, but no goal. Instead, Aron Gunnarsson put the visitors ahead in the 58th minute. That propelled Slovakia to tighten up their attack, scoring three goals in quick succession via Michal Ďuriš, Jan Greguš with his free kick and Robert Mak. Mak added a second goal minutes later, gifting Slovakia an easy 4-1 victory in the end.
Iceland and the Czech Republic, hoping for their first win, ended up drawing 1-1, even with chances at the death from the visitors to win the match. Vladimír Darida scored in the 64th minute, sneaking the ball under the Icelandic goalkeeper. However, Iceland had dominated in the front third, and knew a goal was inevitable. That came via the long range shot of Victor Pálsson, levelling the match. From there, the Czechs had the better of the play, only to fall short of gaining three points.
Slovakia then made it three wins from three matches with a 2-0 victory over Austria. Ivan Schranz scored his first goal for the Qualifiers, volleying a cross with his left foot. Slovakia played in the latter stages for the win, and that possession keeping led to the late goal of Hromada, his second in three matches. Austria had nothing left in the tank as they dropped their heads, knowing their first loss was imminent.
© 2021 Steve Clark |
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Added on May 4, 2021 Last Updated on May 4, 2021 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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