New Delhi: Spain, Scotland and Turkiye are the three latest teams to earn places at UEFA EURO 2024 after Spain’s 1-0 victory in Norway secured their own qualification and Scotland’s, while Türkiye downed Latvia 4-0 to join them.
Gavi’s precise winner in Oslo sent Spain to EURO 2024 with two matches to spare and ended Norway’s hopes of finishing in the top two Sunday.
After dominating possession during the first half, La Roja added accuracy to their slickness when the Barcelona midfielder struck as part of a spell of pressure four minutes after the break, the goal proving sufficient to take the three-time champions to an eighth successive EURO tournament. The result meant Scotland also qualified.
Türkiye left it late before sealing qualification for EURO 2024 with a flurry of goals against a plucky Latvia side.
Yunus Akgün’s stunning volley just before the hour set the hosts on their way, and after Latvia’s Janis Ikaunieks had a header cleared off the line and rattled the crossbar with another, Cenk Tosun came off the bench to score a double.
Making his 50th appearance, his goals fell either side of a neat Kerem Akturkoglu finish, with the last three strikes coming in the space of six minutes.
Elsewhere, Wales boosted their qualifying hopes with a hard-earned victory in Cardiff.
Harry Wilson broke the deadlock in the 47th minute when he latched onto David Brooks’ through ball and neatly flicked past the advancing Dominik Livakovic.
Wilson then doubled the lead on the hour mark when he glanced home Daniel James’ cross. Substitute Mario Pasalic headed in Luka Modric’s corner to halve the deficit 15 minutes from time, but Wales held out for all three points.
Albania could have clinched qualification Sunday if results had gone their way in Group E, but that prospect was scuppered when Czechia edged the Faroe Islands 1-0 in Plzen.
IANS
