In a night filled with both triumph and tragedy, Austria sealed their place at Euro 2024, while Sweden experienced a heart-wrenching end to their 28-year streak of Euro finals participation. The dramatic evening culminated with the abandonment of the fixture between Sweden and Belgium at halftime due to a fatal shooting incident in Brussels.
Austria’s journey to Euro 2024 was solidified with a 1-0 victory over Azerbaijan, secured through a second-half penalty by substitute Marcel Sabitzer, following a handball by Rahil Mammadov. This win earned Austria a coveted ticket to the upcoming tournament in Germany, at the expense of the Swedes.
However, Sweden’s quest for a place in Euro 2024 was marred by a tragic turn of events. Their match against Belgium was left incomplete after two individuals, reportedly Swedish supporters, were fatally shot near the stadium. In response to the shocking incident, Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level after a video emerged on social media in which a man claimed to be the assailant, citing affiliation with the Islamic State.
With the score level at 1-1 at halftime during the Group F clash, Sweden requested that the match be abandoned. Viktor Gyokeres had earlier put Sweden in front, but Romelu Lukaku equalized for Belgium from the penalty spot. It’s worth noting that Belgium had already secured their place in the Euro 2024 finals, while Sweden faced an insurmountable qualification challenge.
In another thrilling encounter, Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic late penalty for the Netherlands, securing a crucial 1-0 victory over Greece in Athens. The penalty came three minutes into added time, providing the Netherlands with a crucial win, despite Wout Weghorst missing a previous penalty attempt. Greece coach Gus Poyet was shown a red card for his protestations on the sidelines.
France has already qualified from Group B, and the Netherlands moved into second place with 12 points from six games, with matches remaining against lowly Ireland and Gibraltar. Greece has the same number of points but has played an additional game and is set to face France in their final qualifier next month.
Ireland enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 victory over Gibraltar, featuring goals from Evan Ferguson, Michael Johnston, Matt Doherty, and Callum Robinson. However, Ireland’s qualification hopes had already been dashed.
Cristiano Ronaldo displayed his prowess on the field by scoring twice as Portugal, who had already secured qualification from Group I, triumphed over Bosnia & Herzegovina with a resounding 5-0 victory. Ronaldo’s first goal came from the penalty spot, with Bruno Fernandes, Joao Cancelo, and Joao Felix also adding to the scoreline.
In Group J, Slovakia took a significant step toward their third consecutive Euros qualification, clinching a 1-0 victory over Luxembourg with a late goal by David Duris. This win created a five-point gap between second-placed Slovakia and third-placed Luxembourg, with two rounds of play remaining. In the other match of the group, fourth-placed Iceland defeated Liechtenstein 4-0, with Gylfi Sigurdsson scoring twice.
