This month’s slate of qualifying matches for the 2024 UEFA European Championship in Germany wrapped up on Tuesday.
Here are six takeaways following the conclusion of September’s video games.
Italy tops Ukraine however stays in a dogfight
The Azzurri will need to have felt a way of déjà vu final Saturday, after they as soon as once more dropped factors to tiny North Macedonia, the identical nation that beat Italy final yr and doomed the 4 time world champions to a beforehand unfathomable second consecutive World Cup qualifying failure.
Italy rebounded Tuesday, beating the Ukrainians 2-1 on the San Siro Stadium in Milan on a primary half brace by Davide Frattesi. The three factors retains them clinging to second place (and the automated Euro 2024 berth that comes with it). Still, this can be a group that may’t afford to take something without any consideration, not anymore, even when it has performed one fewer match than the remainder of its Group C opponents.
England’s margin for error narrows
The Three Lions reached the ultimate of the final Euros and bought off to a sizzling begin in qualifying for subsequent summer time’s version, profitable their first 4 contests. But final weekend’s draw in opposition to Ukraine in the impartial website of Poland makes issues just a bit extra pressing for Gareth Southgate’s star-studded aspect.
England — which beat Scotland Tuesday in a pleasant commemorating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the primary worldwide match in soccer historical past — nonetheless comfortably leads Group B. But Italy’s win Tuesday means they might be simply three factors behind the Lions in the event that they win their recreation in hand.
Portugal stays excellent
The bookies by no means appear to love Portugal, which definitely wasn’t favored to win their first and solely continental crown in 2016 when, with an injured Cristiano Ronaldo prepared them on from the sideline, they upset the host nation on the State de France.
For 2024, a half dozen groups have shorter odds. But setting apart any debate in regards to the relative energy of Group J, Portugal has been the undisputed greatest group in Europe throughout qualifying, with six wins in six tries and a +24 purpose differential thanks largely to Monday’s file setting 9-0 drubbing of Luxembourg with out the suspended Ronaldo.
Could the Portuguese be poised for one more Cinderella run subsequent summer time?
Will teaching swap stir Germany?
As Euro 2024 hosts, Die Mannschaft are exempt from qualifying, their spot in the event already assured. But after its humiliating group stage exit from final yr’s World Cup in Qatar, Germany wants to indicate effectively subsequent summer time — which is why its 4-1 pleasant loss to Japan final Saturday was met with a lot hand wringing each contained in the DFB and among the many German public.
Coach Hansi Flick was fired the next day. His successor has but to be named, however whoever it’s should get Germany again on monitor shortly. The expertise is there — on Tuesday, the three-time European champs, whose final title got here many years in the past now, beat World Cup runner-up France 2-1. But there’s now simply three extra FIFA home windows to organize earlier than the principle occasion kicks off in Munich subsequent June.
Poland has loads of work to do
The Poles topped the Faroe Islands, as anticipated, 2-0 in Warsaw final Thursday on two Robert Lewandowski objectives. But the victory wasn’t as convincing because it ought to’ve been; each strikes, the primary one by way of the penalty spot, got here late in the second half.
That lackluster end result foreshadowed the calamity that might comply with on Sunday, a stunning 2-0 loss at Albania. The defeat left Poland in fourth place in Group E greater than midway via qualifying, placing them in hazard of lacking out on Germany 2024. They’ll seemingly have to win their remaining three matches (on the Faroes and residential to Moldova subsequent month, then house to Czechia in November) to have any likelihood of ending in the highest two spots.
Scotland retains rolling in opposition to the percentages
Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to England stings, however Scots stayed excellent this qualifying window by beating Cyprus — their fifth win in as many Euro 2024 preliminaries — to stay effectively forward of Spain atop Group A for now. Scotland is comfortably on monitor to succeed in the finals for the primary time this century.
The subsequent three video games will not be simple, although. Three time Euro titlist La Roja — which pounded Cyprus 6-0 Tuesday — can be out to avenge its March loss in Glasgow in the Oct. 12 rematch in Seville. Scotland will then hit the street once more in November (to Georgia) earlier than closing out qualifying at house in opposition to Erling Haaland-led Norway.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports who has coated United States males’s and ladies’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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