Author: Barkha Roy
Spain – Scotland – 2:0
Álvaro Morata and Oihan Sancet secured a 2-0 win for Spain in their Euro 2024 Group A match against Scotland, preventing the Scots from celebrating. This result left Scotland frustrated in their quest for a place in the final.
Scotland currently top the group with 15 points from six games, suffering their first defeat of the campaign. Meanwhile, Spain have accumulated 12 points from five matches, and Norway have 10 points from six games.
Scotland will qualify if Norway fail to beat Spain in their next match on Sunday.
Spain’s victory extends their impressive record of 25 consecutive home wins in Euro qualifying, which dates back to 2003. However, they faced a tough Scottish defense for most of the game. The loss of captain Andy Robertson to injury just before half-time was a setback for the visitors.
In the second half, Scotland thought they had taken the lead when Scott McTominay scored from a free-kick, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Ferran Torres had a one-on-one chance early on against Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, but missed the target. Spain came close again when Mikel Merino’s shot from outside the area hit the post.
McTominay’s free-kick from a difficult angle found its way into the net at the far post. However, a check by the video assistant referee (VAR) determined that defender Jack Hendry was in an offside position, nullifying the goal. Spain finally took advantage of their possession when Morata headed home a cross from Jesús Navas.
The victory was sealed when Aaron Hickey’s inexplicable slip, without any pressure, allowed Sancet to score from a Joselu cross. It’s worth noting that there was some debate as to whether the final touch came from defender Ryan Porteous.
Croatia – Turkey – 0:1
In Croatia’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier at the Opus Arena in Osijek, they faced Turkey in a match that ended with a subdued atmosphere, as Turkey emerged victorious with a 1-0 scoreline, putting them top of Group D.
The contest got off to a lively start as Turkey had a chance to score in the second minute, but Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic made a crucial save. Croatian Josko Gvardiol, a standout in defense, cleared the danger, allowing his team to advance.
Gvardiol’s interventions continued in the 18th minute, deflecting the ball for another Turkish corner, the fourth of the match. Croatia got their second corner in the 20th minute, and there was a promising exchange between Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic in the 21st minute.
However, the first half was a struggle for Croatia. The Croatians struggled to win possession, turned the ball over frequently and lacked creativity in attack. Their difficulties culminated in the 30th minute when they lost the ball in Turkey’s half, which led to a goal from Barış Alper Yılmaz, putting Turkey 1-0 ahead.
Croatia’s mistakes and difficulties continued into the second half, hampering their progress. The team struggled to create shooting opportunities and, in the 53rd minute, Yilmaz’s shot for Turkey narrowly missed the crossbar.
In the 62nd minute, Croatia made substitutions, injecting new energy into their play. This led to a slight improvement, with Modric and Luka Majer orchestrating a brilliant move to set up Kovacic, but the shot was blocked.
Croatia began to show more composure and control compared to the first half, but clear chances remained scarce. In the 89th minute, a possible handball in the box initially led to Croatia being awarded a penalty, but a VAR review reversed the decision.
In other matches on the day, the following results were recorded:
- Cyprus – Norway – 0:4
- Latvia – Armenia – 2:0
- Albania – Czech Republic – 3:0
- Faroe Islands – Poland – 0:2
- Andorra – Kosovo – 0:3
- Belarus – Romania – 0:0