Wales and the Czech Republic are promoted
Türkiye loses match point, then there is a fight
November 19, 2024, 11:35 p.m
On the last matchday of the Nations League group phase, a series of decisions are made. Ukraine moves into the first playoffs, the Czech Republic and Wales advance directly. Turkey, on the other hand, is once again wasting a great opportunity.
The Czech national football team managed to get promoted to the A league of the Nations League, but Turkey also missed their second match point. In Group B1, which was exciting until the end, the Czech team led by Hoffenheim goalscorer Adam Hlozek beat Georgia 2-1 (2-0) and thus consolidated the top spot in the table. Ukraine secured second place and thus a place in the playoffs with a 2-1 (2-0) win in Albania.
Pavel Sulc (3′) and Hlozek (24′) put the Czech Republic on the road to victory early on in Olomouc, Georges Mikautadze could only shorten the score for the Georgians (60′). Ukraine made a similar early start in Tirana, with goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal FC (5th) and Roman Yaremchuk (10th) moving the war-torn country from fourth place to second on the last match day. Nedim Bajrami (75th/foul penalty) scored for Albania, which was relegated to the C league as bottom of the table.
In Group B4, the Turkish national team gave up first place. Three days after the 0-0 draw against Wales, the European Championship quarter-finalists lost 1:3 (1:2) on the last matchday to previously pointless and relegated Montenegro.
Netherlands change completely
After a Turkish defensive mistake, Nikola Krstovic made it 1-0 for the hosts from a tight angle (29th), but Kenan Yildiz equalized just eight minutes later: The Regensburg native converted an assist from Orkun Kökcü to make it 1-1. Nevertheless, the Turks went into the break with a deficit because Krstovic scored again (45th). The Italian legionnaire scored his hat-trick with a header and thus perfected Montenegro’s first win (73′). In stoppage time, emotions ran high and there were scuffles on the pitch.
Wales beat Iceland 4-1 (2-1). In Cardiff, the hosts fell behind early on thanks to Andri Gudjohnsen (7th). But Liam Cullen turned the game in favor of the Welsh with a brace before half-time (32./45.+1). Brennan Johnson (65th) and Harry Wilson (79th) followed up in the second round.
In German Group A3, the Netherlands ended the year with a 1-1 (1-0) draw in Bosnia and Herzegovina in front of just 4,134 spectators. With last Saturday’s 4-0 win against Hungary, the European Championship semi-finalists had already secured second place in the table behind the German team and thus their participation in the quarter-finals. With his first international goal, Brian Brobbey gave the team, which Bonds coach Ronald Koeman had completely replaced, the lead with a header in Zenica (24th). Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirovic also equalized with a header for the hosts, who had lost 7-0 to the DFB team on Saturday (67′).
Swiss
