France, England off to fast start in Euro 2024 qualifying
GENEVA — Two video games into qualifying and each France and England look like shoo-ins to achieve subsequent 12 months’s European Championship.
For Norway and Erling Haaland, nevertheless, it’s already trying like a bumpy highway to Euro 2024 in Germany.
France and England delivered the standout shows over the previous week within the return of worldwide soccer following the World Cup in Qatar, opening group play with victories over their greatest rivals.
France and its new captain, Kylian Mbappé, swept apart the Netherlands 4-0 in Paris on Friday. England obtained off to a quick begin by beating Italy 2-1 in a rematch of the Euro 2020 last, which the Italians gained in London.
Both groups added second victories three days later.
Norway, thought-about one in all Europe’s up-and-coming groups due to the presence of Haaland and Martin Odegaard, remains to be on the lookout for a primary win in qualifying.
Belgium additionally impressed twice on the highway underneath new coach Domenico Tedesco, although its 3-2 victory in Germany was solely a pleasant as a result of the Germans don’t should qualify as hosts.
Scotland sprang the most important shock, beating 2008 and 2012 champion Spain 2-0, and joined Serbia, Switzerland and Portugal as group leaders with two wins and no targets conceded.
HAALAND’S ROUTE
Haaland might be one of the best present males’s participant who by no means performed at a World Cup.
The 22-year-old Manchester City scoring phenomenon additionally by no means performed at a European Championship, and didn’t participate in Norway’s opening video games in a gaggle that additionally accommodates Spain.
Without their feared ahead, nursing a groin harm sustained enjoying for his membership, Norway misplaced in Spain 3-0 after which drew 1-1 at Georgia.
Failing to earn one of many 20 direct qualification locations needn’t be a difficulty for Norway, which final performed at a serious event at Euro 2000 — one month earlier than Haaland was born. Based on its Nations League standings, Norway is more likely to enter the playoff route subsequent March when the final three Euro 2024 locations might be determined.
With two wins in a six-day spell subsequent 12 months, Norway might be in Germany, though as a low-seeded group with a troublesome draw.
TOP SCORERS
Few would have predicted that Rasmus Højlund and Scott McTominay can be on the prime of scoring chart alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Højlund had by no means began a recreation for Denmark earlier than final week, and made solely two appearances in its place in September earlier than being left off the World Cup squad. McTominay had one purpose in his five-year Scotland profession, enjoying generally in central protection.
Højlund scored a hat trick in a 3-1 win over Finland after which gave Denmark a two-goal lead in Kazakhstan in a 3-2 loss.
McTominay instantly grew to become a predator within the penalty space with 4 targets inside 60 minutes of play, twice late in a 3-0 win over Cyprus and two extra to stun Spain.
Ronaldo began the worldwide break with a males’s document 118 targets and ended it with 122, scoring two in every of Portugal’s routs of Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. He additionally now has a males’s document 198 nationwide group appearances.
Harry Kane now stands alone as England’s all-time main scorer with 55 targets. He scored in Italy and once more in a 2-0 residence win over Ukraine.
BACK IN FORM
Two strikers who weren’t absolutely slot in Qatar returned to kind.
Belgium and Serbia each didn’t advance out of the World Cup group stage, when extra targets from Romelu Lukaku and Dušan Vlahović may need made the distinction.
Three months later, every scored 3 times in qualifying and Lukaku confirmed why Chelsea might must welcome him again subsequent season from his mortgage at Inter Milan.
Lukaku obtained a hat trick in Belgium’s spectacular 3-0 win at Sweden to open their group and added one other within the pleasant towards Germany.
Vlahović’s purpose sealed a 2-0 residence win over Lithuania, then the Juventus ahead struck twice late in a 2-0 win at Montenegro that lifted Serbia to the highest of Group G.
A newcomer to look at is Zeki Amdouni, who scored in every of Switzerland’s wins over Belarus and Israel. The Basel ahead has household ties to Turkey and Tunisia however turned down their advances to signify the nation the place he grew up.
ONE LOVE
The captain’s armband that triggered a soccer diplomacy incident with World Cup host Qatar in November was again in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Kane and the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk each wore the anti-discrimination image — a coronary heart with multi-colored, rainbow-like stripes — in latest days.
Although FIFA caved to Qatar’s needs and pressured European federations to drop the armband on the World Cup, it’s welcomed by UEFA in its competitors.
Gio Wijnaldum beforehand wore it because the Dutch group’s captain at a Euro 2020 recreation in Hungary.
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