October 17 – Austria have sealed a place at Euro 2024 at the expense of Sweden who missed out for the first time in 28 years and whose misery was compounded by their own fixture with Belgium being abandoned at halftime after the appalling tragedy of two Swedish nationals being shot dead in Brussels.
Substitute Marcel Sabitzer scored from the penalty spot to secure a 1-0 win for Austria at Azerbaijan and send his country through to Germany.
In the fight for Group F supremacy, Austria knew a win in Baku would secure a spot at the finals whatever the result in Brussels. With several key players sidelined because of injuries, they struggled to create much but Sabitzer was clinical from the spot when it mattered.
Austria became the seventh team to qualify after Belgium, France, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Turkey and host Germany.
Netherlands came away from Greece with a 1-0 win in Group B to revive its hopes. Virgil Van Dijk’s penalty deep into second-half stoppage time sent the Netherlands into second in their group on goal difference ahead of the Greeks whose coach Gus Poyet received a red card for his protestations from the sidelines.
It was the second spot kick in the game for the Dutch after striker Wout Weghorst had his penalty saved by goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos. The Netherlands now have matches to come against lowly Ireland and Gibraltar and are in pole position to advance at Greece’s expense.
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