Ukraine and Poland secured thrilling victories in the play-offs for the European Championship, securing their places at this summer’s tournament as the last qualifying teams.
Ukraine 2 Iceland 1 (Euro 2024)
In the match between Ukraine and Iceland, Ukraine began with strong momentum. However, it was Iceland who nearly scored first, with Jón Dagur Þorsteinsson’s powerful shot being expertly saved by Andriy Lunin.
That moment foreshadowed the events that followed, with Iceland taking the lead in the 30th minute. Albert Guðmundsson, displaying excellent form, scored a solo goal by skillfully maneuvering past several defenders and unleashing a powerful shot from the edge of the box, leaving Andriy Lunin helpless.
The Ukrainian team seemed to struggle with creativity initially, but the Icelandic goal seemed to ignite their spirits. Heorhiy Sudakov had a near-miss, denied by Hákon Valdimarsson, and shortly after, Roman Yaremchuk appeared to score an equalizer. However, referee Clément Turpin disallowed the goal after a VAR review.
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Despite showing attacking promise in the final stages of the first half, Ukraine couldn’t convert it into an equalizer before the break.
Serhiy Rebrov’s team maintained their momentum into the second half and swiftly leveled the score just eight minutes in, courtesy of Viktor Tsyhankov. The Girona winger made a decisive move from the right wing, driving a shot past Guðmundsson to secure his third goal of the qualifying campaign and keep Ukraine’s hopes alive.
Following the equalizer, Ukraine continued to press forward aggressively, while Iceland struggled to advance past the halfway line.
The remainder of the second half was largely one-sided, with Ukraine dominating proceedings. Even the introduction of Oleksandr Zinchenko failed to significantly shift the momentum in Ukraine’s favor. Meanwhile, Iceland opted for a defensive approach, focusing on counterattacks. Although Þorsteinsson came close to scoring a second goal in the 76th minute, Iceland seemed content to maintain a defensive stance and hold out for extra time.
However, Mudryk came through for Ukraine, securing their spot in Euro 2024 with a dramatic winner in the 85th minute. His strike from outside the box, only his second international goal, sealed the victory for Ukraine.
Iceland ultimately had no response as Ukraine secured their place in this summer’s European Championship. They will compete in Group E alongside Belgium, Slovakia, and Romania. Meanwhile, Iceland will undoubtedly return home disappointed that they couldn’t maintain their early advantage, resulting in them missing out on another major tournament.
Wales 0 Poland 0 (Poland qualify on penalties)
With Wales scoring in the opening seven minutes of their last two home Internationals, a rapid and intense start in front of an enthusiastic home crowd was expected. There was action at both ends, with Karol Świderski narrowly missing the opportunity to connect with Przemysław Frankowski’s defense-splitting cross from the right.
Rob Page made one change from last week’s demolition of Finland, emphasizing Kieffer Moore’s physical presence as crucial against an experienced Polish defense. Moore indeed showcased this quality, leaping highest to head over from close range, connecting with Harry Wilson’s corner.
With everything at stake, both teams approached the game cautiously, resulting in a first half without any shots on target. However, just before halftime, captain Ben Davies believed he had scored a crucial goal.
One of the only two remaining members from the Euro 2016 squad, Davies skillfully converted Moore’s knockdown with confidence, only to have his celebration cut short by the linesman who unfortunately raised his flag for offside.
Wojciech Szczęsny made a world-class save to keep the scores level just three minutes after the break, as Moore continued to pose aerial threats. Neco Williams’ deep free kick found the targetman’s head, with the ball looping towards the top corner. However, Szczęsny’s firm right hand came out to tip the ball around the post.
As the game neared the possibility of extra time, it seemed like an unusually quiet night for Polish talisman Robert Lewandowski. Despite his prowess, he had yet to score in his four appearances against Wales, having only scored two goals in his last six matches elsewhere.
Lewandowski would have an additional 30 minutes to seek a breakthrough after his attempt from distance in the closing stages of normal time narrowly missed the post.
The game only offered glimpses of opening up, as both teams were aware of the potential consequences of playing expansive football. However, after Wojciech Szczęsny deflected away a cutback from Davies, a Polish counterattack ensued. The ball was recycled to Jakub Piotrowski on the edge of the box, who unleashed a curling effort that narrowly missed the far post.
Both teams struggled to score from open play, and they wearily headed to penalties to determine who would face France, the Netherlands, and Austria in a challenging group this summer.
Poland gained a psychological advantage when Chris Mepham received a red card in added time. This advantage proved decisive as Szczęsny saved James’ tame penalty, securing Poland’s spot in their 11th consecutive international tournament.
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