Hungary only clinch their European Championship ticket in the 97th minute
Two more places for the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany have been allocated: The Slovaks qualify with aplomb against Iceland, meanwhile the duel between Hungary and Bulgaria is overshadowed by riots - and the decision is only made at the last second.
Hungary celebrated a happy ending after a thriller of nerves, while Slovakia completed their task with aplomb - both teams have qualified for the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany. The Hungarians needed a late own goal to draw 2:2 (1:1) in Bulgaria, which earned them the crucial point for a ticket to the European Championship. Slovakia's Lukas Haraslin excelled in their 4:2 (2:1) win over Iceland - a total of eleven teams have now qualified.
The Serbs' eyes were fixed on Podgorica that evening. Because if Montenegro had lost to Lithuania, Serbia would have qualified without even playing. However, their rivals were not to be outdone and postponed the decision in Group G with a 2:0 (1:0) win.
The Hungarians are safely through in this group, who celebrated exuberantly after Alex Petkov's own goal (90.+7). Martin Adam (10) had initially put the visitors ahead, but then the game slipped away from them. After goals from Spas Delew (24') and Kiril Despodov (79', penalty) and yellow cards against Bulgaria's Valentin Antov (37') and Hungary's Milos Kerkez (57'), the first qualifying defeat loomed until the very last moment.
Riots even before the Hungary game
The match, which had already been classified as a "high-risk game" beforehand, was overshadowed by serious riots between Bulgarian fans and the police, in which 15 people were injured. The match in Sofia was held in camera, with clashes breaking out between around 2,000 fans and police outside the stadium.
Meanwhile, the Slovaks were able to rely on Haraslin, who scored twice (47th, 55th) and set up the first goal through Juraj Kucka (30th). Former Bundesliga player Ondrej Duda (36, penalty) was also successful. Goals from Orri Oskarsson (17) and Andri Gudjohnsen (74) were not enough for the Icelanders.
Ralf Rangnick's already qualified Austrians prepared for their upcoming clash with Germany on Tuesday (20:45/ZDF and live ticker on ntv.de) with a 2-0 (2:0) win in Estonia. Meanwhile, Spain celebrated a 3:1 (3:0) win in Cyprus on the debut of Alejandro Grimaldo from Leverkusen.
Meanwhile, Portugal continued their winning streak in the European Championship qualifiers thanks to superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The Seleção, who had already qualified, won 2:0 (0:0) in Liechtenstein. Ronaldo (46th minute) and former Bayern professional João Cancelo (57th) secured an unchallenged victory for the underdogs in Vaduz. It was the Portuguese side's ninth win in their ninth European Championship qualifier.
Hungary and Slovakia joined the list of teams qualified for the European Football Championship 2024, following their respective victories. The Hungarians secured their spot with a dramatic 2:2 draw against Bulgaria, thanks to an own goal in the 97th minute. On the other hand, Slovakia breezed past Iceland with a 4:2 victory.
The European Championship qualifiers saw Portugal continue their dominance, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches. Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and former Bayern Munich player João Cancelo scored in Portugal's 2:0 victory over Liechtenstein.
The Austrians, who had already secured a spot, prepared for their upcoming clash with Germany with a comfortable 2:0 win over Estonia. Meanwhile, Spain's Alejandro Grimaldo scored on his debut as Spain defeated Cyprus 3:1.
Regrettably, the Hungary vs. Bulgaria game was marred by riots between fans and the police, leading to injuries for 15 individuals. The match in Sofia was eventually played behind closed doors due to the unrest.
Source: www.ntv.de
