Euro 2024 qualifiers: Cristiano Ronaldo keeps rolling, and a Dutch treat in Greece

Another match day, one other crew assured to compete on the 2024 European Championship in Germany.

Here are three fast takeaways from Monday’s Euro qualifying slate, which will likely be adopted by one other set of video games on Tuesday earlier than this month’s worldwide window closes and gamers return to their golf equipment. 

Netherlands win in Greece leaves Dutch all however certified 

After dropping to Kylian Mbappé and France at residence final week, the Oranje wanted all three factors in Athens on Monday to reclaim second place forward of the hosts.

The Netherlands, which routed Greece 3-0 in Eindhoven final month, received what they got here for in the tip — and we imply finish. After a scoreless first 88 minutes that included a missed penalty by Dutch striker Wout Weghorst, Greek ahead Vangelis Pavlidis took down Denzel Dumfries in the field. A second spot kick was awarded following a prolonged video evaluate, and captain Virgil van Dijk stepped as much as convert the all-important winner from 12 yards previous keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Virgil van Dijk scores in stoppage time to present Netherlands a 1-0 victory over Greece

With two video games remaining towards already eradicated duo Gibraltar and the Republic of Ireland, coach Ronald Koeman’s Oranje at the moment are well-positioned to qualify for subsequent summer season’s event. Greece has only one match left and in all probability has to upset Les Bleus to have any reasonable hope of claiming one of many two direct berths to the primary occasion out of Group B.

Austria makes it official 

It’s been apparent for a whereas now that Austria and Belgium can be the 2 automated qualifiers from Group E. But whereas the Belgians sealed the deal on Friday in a head-to-head assembly between the edges, the Austrians needed to await the ultimate match of the October window.

On the floor, going to Azerbaijan and successful appeared like a straightforward sufficient activity for a crew that sits nearly 100 locations above the hosts in FIFA’s newest world rating.

In observe, Monday’s contest was nearer than most anticipated. It took a forty ninth minute penalty from substitute Marcel Sabitzer for the guests to take the lead in Baku, and they have been pressured to sweat it out all the way in which to the tip of their eventual 1-0 victory.

However it occurred, they’re in. It’s Austria fourth journey to the Euros, all since 2008, and their second in a row following an look in the knockout stage final trip, their finest ever displaying to date. Ralf Rangnick’s crew should imagine it could actually do even higher subsequent summer season throughout the German border.

Cristiano Ronaldo cannot cease scoring for Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo could not play his membership soccer on the continent anymore, however the residing legend — who will likely be 39 when the Euros kick off subsequent June — remains to be scoring for his nation at an distinctive charge.

The Portuguese captain had two targets final Friday as his facet gained its seventh straight qualifier to make sure its participation in Germany. With a event berth in the bag, Ronaldo struck twice once more on Monday in a 5-0 pasting of Bosnia and Herzegovina. His penalty opened Portugal’s account, and Ronaldo doubled the guests’ benefit earlier than halftime by notching his 127th profession worldwide tally.

Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes accomplished the scoring, all of which got here in the primary half. The lopsided win saved Portugal good in Group J. Ronaldo has performed in seven of these video games, scoring 9 occasions.

Behind Portugal, Slovakia took a agency grip on second place with a 1-0 victory in Luxembourg, with substitute David Duris bagging the winner towards the run of play. Those two outcomes left Bosnia and Herzegovina fifth out of six groups in Group J. But as a result of the Bosnians gained their group in the UEFA Nations League, they’re ensured of a backdoor path: a spot in March’s playoffs that may decide Euro 2024’s last three invitees.

Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports. Before becoming a member of FOX Sports in 2021, he was a employees author with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has lined United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at a number of FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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