Qualifying for UEFA EURO 2024 continues on Friday and Saturday. Portugal and Italy need points if they want to take part in the European Championships in Germany next summer.
To the Qual-Terms
5th matchday
Thursday 7 September 2023
Group B: France – Republic of Ireland, Netherlands – Greece
Group E: Czech Republic – Albania, Poland – Faroe Islands
Group G: Lithuania – Montenegro 2-2, Serbia – Hungary
Group H: Kazakhstan – Finland 0-1, Denmark – San Marino, Slovenia – Northern Ireland
Friday 8 September 2023
Group A: Georgia – Spain (18:00), Cyprus – Scotland
Group D: Croatia – Latvia, Türkiye – Armenia
Group J: Bosnia and Herzegovina – Liechtenstein, Luxembourg – Iceland, Slovakia – Portugal
Saturday 9 September 2023
Group C: Ukraine – England (18:00), North Macedonia – Italy
Group F: Azerbaijan – Belgium (15:00), Estonia – Sweden (18:00)
Group I: Andorra – Belarus (18:00), Kosovo – Switzerland, Romania – Israel
All kick-off times 8:45 p.m. CET unless otherwise stated
Slovakia wants to trip up Portugal
Great Ronaldo goals for Portugal
After four matchdays, no team in qualifying for EURO 2024 has a better record than Portugal: four wins, 14 goals and not a single goal conceded. None other than Cristiano Ronaldo played a major role in this. The now 38-year-old has already scored five qualifying goals. A performance that national coach Roberto Martinez knows how to classify: “A player with 200 international appearances, that’s something unique,” said Martínez. “I can tell you that I am very happy to have Cristiano Ronaldo in my team.”
However, it will be anything but easy for Ronaldo when Portugal travels to Bratislava. At the start, Slovakia drew 0-0 against Luxembourg, but they won all of the following three games. With a win against Portugal, national coach Roberto Calzona’s team could replace the 2016 European champions at the top of Group J. The Portuguese should particularly keep an eye on Róbert Boženík: The striker plays in Portugal for Boavista Porto and has already scored three goals in the first four league games of the young season.
Spalletti faces a difficult debut task
Highlights: Italy – North Macedonia 0-1
At the age of eleven, Luciano Spalletti asked his mother to sew him an Italy flag to celebrate the Azzurri’s victory against West Germany in the semi-finals of the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Before his debut as national coach, the 64-year-old promised to “have this flag on the bench.” Spalletti, who celebrated the Italian championship title with Napoli last season, took over in August from Roberto Mancini, who now coaches the Saudi Arabian national team.
Spalletti’s first squad includes four Napoli players. However, his debut appearance against North Macedonia will bring back some unpleasant memories of the 1-0 defeat in Palermo that cost the reigning European champions a place in the 2022 World Cup finals. “We have to forget this result, which has left scars on all of us, and play football that people like,” demanded Spalletti before the game. “We want to establish a style of play that brings a great football nation together again.”
What else is going on?
Spain travel to Georgia looking to pick up an important three points in Group A. Scotland is currently leading the group with twelve points, Luis de la Fuente’s team has only been able to get three points so far, but they also have two fewer games on their side than the league leaders. Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah and Chelsea central defender Levi Colwill can will make their debut for the Three Lions on Saturday when England host Ukraine. Gareth Southgate’s side are six points clear at the top of Group C. Get the EURO 2024 app
2023-09-07 21:40:21
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