Portugal Secures 10th Consecutive Victory, Serbia Qualifies for Euro 2024
Portugal secured their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a perfect record of 10 wins from 10 matches, making them a team to watch in the upcoming finals. Even though Cristiano Ronaldo did not score in their final match against Iceland, other players like Bruno Fernandes and Ricardo Horta stepped up to net the goals. Serbia also secured their first-ever qualification as an independent nation, coming in second in their group and finishing ahead of Montenegro, who narrowly missed the chance to qualify for the finals. In another notable performance, Romelu Lukaku scored four goals for Belgium in their 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the game also saw a potentially serious injury to Barcelona’s young star Gavi, who was visibly upset as he had to leave the pitch due to a knee injury. Spain went on to secure a top spot in their group with a 3-1 victory over Georgia, while Scotland’s hopes of securing first place were dashed after they could only manage a 3-3 draw against Norway. This sets the stage for an exciting Euro 2024 finals, where Portugal, Serbia, Belgium, and Spain will be among the teams to watch.
Portugal concluded their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a flawless record, defeating Iceland 2-0 on Sunday. Meanwhile, Serbia secured their place at next year’s finals in Germany and Romelu Lukaku scored four goals for Belgium. Bruno Fernandes and Ricardo Horta scored the goals for Roberto Martinez’s Portugal, leading them to 10 wins in 10 matches in Group J. Portugal, the 2016 winners, are expected to be strong contenders for the title, potentially 38-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo’s last major tournament.
Slovakia finished eight points behind Portugal in the second qualifying place after a 2-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Heading into the playoffs, Luxembourg trailed a further five points behind after wrapping up their impressive group-stage showing with a 1-0 win in Leichtenstein. Serbia qualified for the first time as an independent nation, finishing second behind Hungary.
Coach Dragan Stojkovic praised his team’s mentality, stating that it’s “a big day for Serbian football.” Serbia is finally at the European Championship and the coach is happy and satisfied. Meanwhile, Lukaku scored four goals in Belgium’s impressive 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan. Lukaku extended his record tally of international goals for Belgium to 83, with all of his goals coming in an impressive first half.
However, Barcelona star Gavi suffered a nasty knee injury in Spain’s 3-1 victory against Georgia, leaving the pitch in tears and leading coach Luis de la Fuente to describe the incident as a tough and difficult moment. Spain secured top spot in Group A, with Scotland held to a dramatic 3-3 draw at Hampden Park.
