Belgium and Portugal have secured their places in the 2024 European Championship in Germany. Belgium had a tough time against Austria on Friday night in Vienna but managed to win narrowly, with a score of 3-2. Meanwhile, the Portuguese displayed their strength by defeating Slovakia 3-2.
Belgium’s sixth consecutive appearance
This marks Belgium’s sixth consecutive appearance in the final rounds. They haven’t missed a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Portugal, on the other hand, has been a consistent presence in both World Cups and European Championships since 2000.
Austria posed a significant challenge to Belgium during the qualification campaign. The home match against Austria ended in a 1-1 draw, and in Vienna, the Belgian team found themselves under considerable pressure.
From the very start, it was evident that Austria, which included debutant striker Manprit Sarkaria in their starting lineup, had come with an attacking strategy in mind. Belgian goalkeeper Matz Sels faced a constant stream of Austrian players threatening his goal but stood firm and didn’t concede.
Belgium’s lead in the twelfth minute was, quite unexpectedly, against the flow of the game. Dodi Lukebakio, who had not previously scored in an international match, displayed an impressive move on the right side. He sped past his opponent and managed to score with his left foot while falling.
Lukebakio strikes Again
The home team, undeterred by this turn of events, couldn’t find the equalizer, which would have been deserved based on their performance in the first half. The second half started much the same way as the first: Austria had the first shot on goal, but it wasn’t enough to find the back of the net, and then the Belgians were successful.
Once again, it was Lukebakio, who plays for Sevilla, who found the target. The ball went into the net via the foot of Austrian player Nicolas Seiwald. Three minutes later, Romelu Lukaku’s name also appeared on the scoreboard after a shot into the far corner, seemingly breaking Austria’s resistance.
However, the home team displayed remarkable resilience. In the 72nd minute, captain Konrad Laimer scored the 1-3 goal, and six minutes before the end, Marcel Sabitzer converted a penalty kick past goalkeeper Sels.
This led to an exciting final phase, but Austria couldn’t stop the Belgians from securing their spot in the 2024 European Championship in Germany.
Portugal also secures participation
In the first half in Porto, Portugal established a fairly comfortable lead against Slovakia, courtesy of a well-executed header by Gonçalo Ramos and a successfully converted penalty by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nonetheless, the second half added an element of suspense to the match. A deflected shot by David Hancko resulted in a consolation goal (2-1) for Slovakia. The Portuguese regained their two-goal advantage thanks to Bruno Fernandes, but Stanislav Lobotka rekindled Slovakian hope with a spectacular strike ten minutes before the final whistle.
Yet, just like Belgium, Portugal also maintained their composure and successfully held onto their lead to secure the victory.