Friday night saw three European teams, namely France, Belgium, and Portugal, secure their spots in next year’s tournament with one-goal victories.
These teams displayed their grit and determination, and despite facing tough opponents, they managed to emerge victorious.
Belgium, for instance, led by three goals in Vienna and won 3-2 with 10 men to ensure a top-two finish in Group F and a ticket to the finals in Germany.
Their unbeaten run in Euro qualifying continued, as the Red Devils’ last Euro qualifying loss was a 1-0 defeat in Wales in June 2015.
Austria remains seven points clear of idle Sweden, who have a game in hand.
France, on the other hand, led by two Kylian Mbappe goals in Amsterdam and beat the depleted Dutch 2-1.
Mbappe’s performance was exceptional, as he leapt to hook home a volley after seven minutes and then added a second eight minutes into the second half with a sumptuous curler.
It was his 42nd international goal, overtaking French legend Michel Platini and putting him fourth in the all-time list.
Although Quilindschy Hartman replied on his Dutch debut, Mbappe almost clinched his hat-trick when his late drive hit the crossbar.
According to France coach Didier Deschamps, “To qualify with two games to go, with six wins, 13 goals scored and just one conceded, I’m very proud of what the group has achieved, both in terms of spirit and on the pitch.”
Portugal also displayed great form, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice to bring his international goal tally to 125 goals.
They secured their seventh win from seven matches in Group J, which guarantees them a top-two finish.
Goncalo Ramos opened the scoring for Portugal, with Ronaldo then converting a penalty.
David Hancko’s deflected strike gave Slovakia hope – the first goal Portugal had conceded in qualifying – but Ronaldo soon tapped in a Bruno Fernandes cross.
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Although Stanislav Lobotka’s long-range strike made for a nervy finale, Portugal held on to their lead.
Speaking of Ronaldo’s performance, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said, “Cristiano Ronaldo is having a great time, playing a lot of minutes and scoring a lot of goals for his club. He has a lot of experience with the national team and he’s a reference point for young players.”
Greece also had a good day, winning 2-0 in Dublin to eliminate Ireland and pull clear of the Dutch.
Giorgos Giakoumakis and Giorgos Masouras scored in the first half for the 2004 European champions who moved three points clear of the Dutch.
Luxembourg drew 1-1 in Iceland to close to two points behind Slovakia, who visit the Duchy on Monday.
Bosnia and Herzegovina are a further two points back after beating Liechtenstein 2-0 with first-half goals from Amar Rahmanovic and Miroslav Stevanovic.
It was a thrilling night of football, with these teams proving that they are ready to compete at the highest level.
