Ben Fisher’s match report is here, so I’ll leave you with that. Congratulations to Poland, commiserations to Wales – goodnight.
Updated
Robert Page’s reaction
We will rally round ‘Deej’. He had the bravery to take that penalty.
I am just so proud of that group and the nation should be proud of them. They have put a shift and some in tonight to try to get us there.
We will be bigger and stronger for going through this horrible experience. We are going somewhere. There is something good happening with this group.
They are so disappointed but they are hungry for it. We were nearly there, one kick away. There is a lot more to come.
Updated
“Dammit, again,” writes Matt Dony. “Ok. I was mildly disparaging about Dan James when he came on. But I feel for him. His name will always be against that miss, but the team didn’t win. The team allowed it to go to penalties. And once that happened, someone was going to miss.
“We’ve been spoiled over the last decade, with results, tournaments, and players. Some of those players have gone, and the young lads replacing them will learn from this. There is potential. And, let’s be realistic, Poland’s population is 10x that of Wales. Congratulations, Poland. Roll on the World Cup! Dal ati, bechgyn. Da iawn.”
Match report: Ukraine 2-1 Iceland
That was such a close game, and from very early on it felt like a penalty competition was on the cards. Poland were probably better on the ball, Wales had the clearer chances. Whoever lost, whoever missed the crucial penalty, it would have been cruel. That’s the nature of tournament playoffs, especially when they are as tight as this.
Poland are through to #EURO2024 ✅
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 26, 2024
Wojciech Szczęsny saves Dan James' spot kick and Wales bow out 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/u3HeaLPKmF
Updated
The final Euro 2024 line-up
Group A Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
Group B Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
Group C Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
Group D Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France
Group E Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
Group F Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czech Republic
🇵🇱 Poland
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 26, 2024
🇺🇦 Ukraine
🇬🇪 Georgia
The final teams through to #EURO2024 in Germany this summer 👏 pic.twitter.com/uTVwlMQVDO
Updated
Poor Dan James. It wasn’t a good penalty, sidefooted at saveable height to his left. Szczesny went the right way and made a fairly comfortable save. There was a split-second of hope for Wales while the referee waited for confirmation that Szczesny had a foot behind the line when the kick was taken; he did.
Poland celebrate deliriously in the corner with their supporters; everybody else in the ground is trying to make sense of more penalty heartbreak for Wales.
Updated
Poland qualify for Euro 2024!
James misses! Wales 4-5 Poland It’s over.
Updated
Piatek scores! Wales 4-5 Poland
Blistered to his left, with Ward going the wrong way. Dan James has to score…
Williams scores! Wales 4-4 Poland
An indecently cool penalty, curled to the bottom right, and now it’s sudden death.
Zalewski scores! Wales 3-4 Poland
Ward went the right way, to his right, but couldn’t quite reach it. It was powerfully struck too, a good penalty all told.
Wilson scores! Wales 3-3 Poland
Straight down the middle again. Peter Shilton would have had a field day here.
Updated
Frankowski scores! Wales 2-3 Poland
The best penalty yet, launched into the top-left corner. They shall not be saved.
Updated
Moore scores – just! Wales 2-2 Poland
He blootered it off the underside of the bar with such force that the ball bounced down and then ricocheted back into the net.
Updated
Szymanski scores! Wales 1-2 Poland Another straight penalty, though this time it was slightly to Szymanski’s left. Ward dived past it.
Davies scores! Wales 1-1 Poland It’s a safe penalty, pinged straight down the middle.
Lewandowski scores! Wales 0-1 Poland
Of course he scores. He stops, sits Ward down and passes the ball slowly into the other side of the net.
Updated
The two keepers, Ward and Szczesny, walk towards the goal having an amiable chat, both smiling. Here comes Robert Lewandowski.
Ben Davies and Robert Lewandowski toss up, and there’s a huge roar when Wales get choice of ends. But more importantly, Poland will kick first.
Here we go. Wales fans, Poland fans, neutrals: good luck one and all.
This will be Wales’ first ever penalty shootout. Poland have been involved in at least two, both at Euro 2016: they beat Switzerland and lost to Portugal.
Danny Ward is being given a very quick lesson on the iPad.
Full time in extra time: Wales 0-0 Poland
Mepham sent off!
120+1 min He looks bemused, but he’s been given a second yellow card for a lunging tackle after over-running the ball. He took the ball but was penalised for his follow through. It could have gone either way.
120 min One minute of added time.
120 min It was always going to penalties, wasn’t it.
119 min In fact, Poland still haven’t had a shot on target in the entire match. That’s absurd.
118 min Wales have a history of penalty-based heartbreak: Joe Jordan, Davie Cooper, Paul Bodin. But right now they would take a penalty competition – Poland have dominated the second period of extra time throughout, albeit without really testing Danny Ward.
Updated
117 min “For a game of limited chances, it’s been compelling,” says David Bowen. “I recall a Milan derby being 0-0 about 20 years ago being tremendous. This is not quite on that level mind.”
There was a belter between Arsenal and Real Madrid in 2005-06 as well.
116 min The corner is headed away, then the follow-up cross is headed back across goal and booted clear. Broadhead wins a throw-in and almost gets an ovation; for the first time tonight, Wales are hanging on.
115 min Zalewski runs at James to win another corner for Poland. That was good defending from James, who isn’t a natural in that position.
Thank you, guys!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 26, 2024
Thank you, team!
For significant emotions for the entire country.
For the important victory and making it to EURO.
For proving once again: whenever Ukrainians face difficulties but do not give up and continue to fight, Ukrainians certainly win.
In times, when… pic.twitter.com/THdnOw8k0B
114 min Wales are really struggling to get out, but a goalkick gives them 30 seconds of precious respite.
113 min: Wales substitution That’s a bit strange – David Brooks, who came on as sub in the second half of normal time, has been replaced by Nathan Broadhead. He doesn’t appear to be injured, though nor did he complain as Robert Page greeted him on the touchline.
Updated
112 min The corner is headed up in the air and punched away by Ward.
111 min Frankowski’s dangerous low cross is cut out at the near post by Ampadu, perfectly positioned. Corner to Poland…
111 min Now it’s Poland’s turn to dominate the ball and pin Wales back. The players who started the game look spent. Kieffer Moore can barely jog.
110 min “Lewandowski apparently likes to eat dessert first and finish with the main course,” says Peter Oh. “The question is, what are the hosts serving tonight?”
108 min An inswinging cross from Frankowski is headed well wide by Szymanski, who got his timing all wrong. It was a very difficult chance anyway.
107 min Brooks cuts inside on the edge of the area and screws a right-foot shot that is blocked. He and Wilson have swapped sides for a bit - Brooks left, Wilson right.
107 min “I applaud Kari Tulinius’ magnanimity, and I can sympathise,” says Matt Dony. “I think there are a lot of Welsh fans who feel a kinship with Iceland. Both teams are perpetual underdogs (Iceland more so, obviously. They have a similar population to Cardiff forgoodnesssake). And both of us had the time of our lives in 2016! Wales qualified for the last World Cup at the expense of Ukraine. Obviously, that was incredible. 1958 and all that. But I would have rathered it had come against any other side in the world. I’m glad Ukraine will be in Germany. But there will be an Iceland-shaped hole.”
STOP TYPING MAN YOU’VE GOT WHISKY TO DRINK.
106 min Poland begin the second period of extra-time.
Poland substitution Taras Romanchuk replaces Jakub Piotrowski, who almost scored a mighty goal in the first period of extra-time.
Half time in extra time: Wales 0-0 Poland
Wales are 15 minutes away from their first ever penalty competition.
Updated
104 min I’m not certain this is going to penalties, because both teams look shattered and the game has become quite ragged.
103 min Moore intercepts a poor pass 35 yards from goal. He moves into the area but drives a weary shot that is comfortably blocked. A pass to Wilson (I think) on the left might have been a better option.
101 min: Poland substitution Sebastian Szymanski comes on for Piotr Zielinski.
99 min: Almost a goal at both ends! Davies’s low cross is palmed away by Szczesny, just away from the onrushing James, who would have had an open goal. Poland break and Piotrowski curls a spectacular long-range shot that beats Ward all ends up and goes this far wide of the far post. Oof, I thought that was in.
Updated
98 min Mepham is booked for a cynical foul on Zalewski, who had lost him with a lovely Cruyff turn.
96 min Alas, Wilson belts the free-kick into the wall.
95 min Wilson zips infield, plays a nice one-two with James and is brazenly taken out 30 yards from goal. This is within shooting range…
94 min “For us Icelanders, it was nice to dream of a summer in Germany for about half an hour,” writes Kári Tulinius, “but to draw on the wisdom of the great Lobanovskyi, Ukraine was always likely to win because their players make fewer mistakes than ours. I think Ukraine will do well this summer.”
They have a very agreeable draw, too.
93 min Ampadu’s long throw bounces around the Poland area. The backpedalling James mishits an awkward volley and then Davies is penalised for drifting offside.
91 min Wales begin the first period of extra-time.
“Ok,” says Matt Dony. “So it’s going to be another long half hour. Brilliant. I hate football. And thanks, McMahon. Why don’t you just give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?”
The updated Euro 2024 line-up
Group A Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
Group B Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
Group C Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
Group D Poland/Wales, Netherlands, Austria, France
Group E Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
Group F Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czech Republic
Full time: Wales 0-0 Poland
We always knew it would be like this. After a tense, sweat-soaked 90 minutes, Wales and Poland are going to extra-time.
Updated
Full time: Ukraine 2-1 Iceland
Mykhailo Mudryk’s late goal has sent Ukraine to Euro 2024!
90+4 min Lewandowski lines up another shot from distance when Ampadu appears on his blindside to make a good tackle.
90+2 min Brooks combines well with Wilson and finds Williams on the left. His deep cross is pulled down on the chest by Moore, who then goes over as the ball bounces out of play. Moore made the most of it – but at one stage Kiwior clearly had a fistful of his shirt. The referee isn’t interested.
90 min Robert Lewandwoski finds a bit of space, 25 yards from goal, and arrows a shot towards the far corner. It goes a few yards wide with Ward scrambling nervously across his line. In truth it probably felt closer than it was just because it was Lewandowski.
There are four minutes of added time.
Updated
89 min Moore is fouled for the umpteenth time tonight. Whatever happens, his selection has been justified – he has held the ball up brilliantly and came closest to scoring with the header that was spectacularly saved by Szczesny.
88 min Both teams would love to score a late winner – but they would really, really, really hate to concede one. The result is stalemate.
GOAL! Ukraine 2-1 Iceland (Mudryk 84)
Meanwhile, in Wroclaw, Mykhailo Mudryk has just scored the biggest goal of his life! He dragged a shot into the far corner from the edge of the area, and Ukraine are minutes away from reaching Euro 2024.
Mudryk in the 83rd minute! 😱
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 26, 2024
The @ChelseaFC player scores for Ukraine against Iceland in the #EURO2024 Play-Off Final and makes it 2-1 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/1wqIiI1Zd6
Updated
85 min “Aaron Ramsey has to come on, surely?” says Charles Antaki. “For the usual sub reasons, but primarily for the romance, the sentiment, the stories to be told if he scores. With age he’ll have lost some large fraction of his pace and dynamism, but gained some extra symbolic oomph. And when the football isn’t quite enough, a bit of symbolic oomph might just do the trick.”
84 min: Wales substitution Connor Roberts limps off to be replaced by David Brooks. It looks like Dan James has gone to right wing-back.
83 min Connor Roberts is receiving treatment, which allows the other 21 players to have a breather and realise that OH MY GOD A MISTAKE NOW AND IT’S OVER.
Updated
82 min “Dan James comes across as one of the very nicest guys in all of football (the video of him getting a puppy is one of the sweetest things you could ever see),” says Matt Dony. “But he can be maddeningly inconsistent. He has a bit of everything, but it rarely seems to all work at the same time. This would be a marvellous time for him to put together something special.”
Updated
82 min The resulting throw-in is headed across goal towards James at the far post. Frankowski stretches to toe-end the bouncing ball up in the air, which allows Szczesny to claim.
Frankowski needed to get there.
81 min Wilson cuts inside from the right, then chops outside a defender on the edge of the area. His touch is slightly heavy, though, which allows Kiwior to come across and make an important interception.
80 min: Poland substitutions Bartosz Salamon and Krzysztof Piatek replace Jan Bednarek and Karol Swiderski.
78 min “You know things are serious when Matt Dony is reaching for the whisky, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I doubt the fact that Andy Robertson, of Liverpool and Scotland, has limped off during the first half at Hampden, where Euro finalists Scotland, without a win in six games, are still trailing Northern Ireland 1-0, will improve his mood.”
77 min At the other end, Zalewski shoots indulgently over the bar from the left edge of the area.
76 min Another attempt on target for Wales: Mepham’s looping header, from Williams’ free-kick, is comfortably saved by Szczesny.
75 min Poland still haven’t had an attempt on target. Wales have had a couple, both headers from Kieffer Moore.
72 min Zalewski, who has also faded after a bright start, is booked for a high boot.
70 min: Wales substitution Dan James replaces Brennan Johnson, who faded after a bright start. Even so, it’s a surprise to see Johnson taken off. I suppose it would have been a surprise to see Mooreo or Wilson go off as well.
Updated
69 min A bit of respite for Wales, with Moore heading straight at Szczesny from Roberts’s cross. It wasn’t much of a chance.
68 min A free-kick from a deep position on the right is headed on by Swiderski, 18 yards out, but the ball swerves away from the stretching Bednarek at the far post.
66 min Another terrific defensive header by either Mephan or Rodon at the far post. Wales are hanging on a bit.
65 min: Chance for Kiwior! The corner is taken short and curled at pace into the box. It beats everyone in the middle of the goal and is shinned over from six yards by Kiwior. He saw it very late and the ball hit him rather than the other way round.
64 min A terrific cross from the right wing-back Frankowski is headed up and behind by Rodon, who has had a fine game so far. Poland are on top just now.
Updated
63 min Davies makes an important challenge on Lewandowski, then wallops the loose ball to safety to get the crowd going. Wales are having a bit of a tricky spell.
Updated
62 min Wales have attacking options on the bench, including Dan James, David Brooks and Aaron Ramsey. It’s a tricky one for a manager because you don’t know whether to plan for 90 minutes or 120.
61 min At last, Matt Dony is in the house! His house, specifically.
“Reit,” he writes. “Beth ydw i wedi ei golli? I’ve been unavoidably detained up until now, and I was harbouring dreams of a processional 4-0 first half. Looks like it’s going to be a long half an hour or so. I’ll get settled and pour a ‘large’ Penderyn…”
60 min This is getting niggly. Williams is furious after being penalised for a man-and-ball challenge on Zielinski; the referee gives him a warning but no yellow card.
59 min Szczesny rushes out of his area to clear a loose ball and is caught by Wilson. He goes over but play continues for a short time, with a Wales playing having a shot from about 50 yards. It’s comfortably intercepted by a defender, covering the goal in Szczesny’s absence, and then the referee stops play.
58 min: Chance for Lewandowski! Zielinski’s outswinging corner from the right is headed over by the stooping Lewandowski, 10 yards out! He got away from Ben Davies for a split-second, and though Davies recovered to put him off slightly, Lewandowski would expect to score that maybe seven times out of 10.
Updated
57 min A dangerous cross from the right is headed away well by the backpedalling Rodon. Zielinski collects 25 yards out and belts a shot that deflects behind for Poland’s first corner of the second half.
56 min “Szczesny is a brilliant goalkeeper,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “His nonchalant save when Messi took the penalty in Qatar sent the nation into raptures. Unfortunately he had a tough time at Arsenal, resulting in the best quip by Barry Glendenning that ‘Arsenal goalkeeper is an oxymoron’.”
55 min Jordan James is booked for a poor tackle on Slisz, studs plunging into the ankle. I’m sure it was overzealous rather than malicious; even so, it wasn’t good.
54 min Poland break dangerously, their first decent attack of the half, but Rodon calmly gets between Lewandowski and the ball in the penalty area. Good defending.
GOAL! Ukraine 1-1 Iceland (Tsygankov 54)
Viktor Tsygankov has equalised for Ukraine!
53 min “After the first half, I feel like this Poland team is there to beat,” says David Bowen. “We need to win this in normal time. Goal toot suite bhoyos.”
Let me just put that into Google Translate before I hit ‘publish’.
Updated
52 min Wales have started the second half well, pressing really aggressively to keep Poland penned in.
50 min Piotrowski gives the ball away in his own half and then compounds the error by fouling Moore. He’s booked.
49 min: Brilliant save by Szczesny! Moore is shoved over by Dawidowicz, which gives Wales another free-kick 40 yards from goal. Williams flips it towards the far post, where Moore towards over the defender and powers a header back across goal. Szczesny leaps to his left, leading with his right hand, and claws the ball away at full stretch. That’s an outstanding save.
Updated
46 min Peep peep! Wales begin the second half; no changes to either side.
Updated
Half-time reading
What did we do before banter?
“Good evening Rob,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Residing in Poland makes me a default supporter of Poland. Also, this is probably the last chance for Lewandowski to win anything at international level. Fingers crossed.”
With the greatest respect, whatever happens tonight, I wouldn’t invest too much hope in him winning Euro 2024.
That disallowed goal came from a throw-in on the left. Roberts went over, so everybody assumed a long throw. Instead he took it short to Williams, who angled a cross to the far post. Moore headed it back across goal and Davies, on the six-yard line, headed instinctively past Szczesny. I thought Frankowski might have been playing him onside but the decision was confirmed by VAR pretty quickly.
Half time: Wales 0-0 Poland
That was the last act of a tense, cagey, occasionally spiky first half.
NO GOAL! Davies was fractionally offside when Moore headed a cross from the left back across goal. He finished excellently, planting a header back across Szczesny.
Updated
45+1 min: Davies has a goal disallowed for offside! It will be checked – and I reckon he might be onside. It is so close.
Updated
45 min Johnson looks increasingly sharp, and he knows Bednarek can’t live with his pace. Poland are putting two men on him at every opportunity.
43 min This has been a dull half in terms of chances – neither keeper has made a save – yet it hasn’t felt that way because of the intensity of the play and the atmosphere.
42 min Roberts’ cross is taken off the head of Moore at the far post. Williams collects the loose ball and tries to pick out somebody on the edge of the area. It’s cut out.
Moments later, Wilson makes a lovely run into the area and just fails to reach Johnson’s subtle angled pass.
NO GOAL! Ukraine 0-1 Iceland
VAR strikes again. Offside apparently.
40 min Szczesny rushes to the edge of the area to beat Moore to Ampadu’s long pass. That’s good, alert goalkeeping, especially as he hasn’t had much to do so far.
GOAL! Ukraine 1-1 Iceland (Yaremchuk 39)
Roman Yaremchuck equalises for Ukraine!
38 min James loses his balance and accidentally stands on the shin of Piotrowski, who screams with pain. The referee stops play with Wales in possession, a decision met with a chorus of boos, but that did look pretty painful.
37 min Wilson tries a training-ground routine, sliding a straight pass down the side to Davies. It’s a good idea – Davies was free – but Wilson overhits the pass.
37 min Moore is pulled back 40 yards from goal, which gives Wales another set-piece opportunity…
35 min Zalewski’s deep cross is headed back across goal by Lewandowski and cleared crucially by Ampadu, who gets to the ball just before Swiderski.
34 min Some excellent pressing from Wales leads to a clearance going straight out of play. Just before that, Williams’ dangerous cross was cleared in the six-yard box. This is probably Wales’ best spell.
33 min A crsip long-range shot from Slisz (I think) is blocked on the edge of the area, possibly by his teammate Swiderski.
32 min I’m not the only one who thinks this is going to extra-time, at least.
“Reluctantly crouched at the starting line…” says Matt Burtz.
31 min The longer this game stays 0-0, the cagier it will get. Ampadu sprays a terrific crossfield pass to Williams, who controls it neatly on the run but then slips over as he tries to outpace Frankowski.
GOAL! Ukraine 0-1 Iceland (Gudmundsson 30)
Well well well! Genoa’s Albert Gudmundsson has put Iceland ahead in Wroclaw with a spectacular individual goal.
Iceland lead against Ukraine 🇮🇸
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 26, 2024
What a hit by Albert Guðmundsson in the #EURO2024 Play-Off Final 👏 pic.twitter.com/rkvXFFBoHX
Updated
28 min Roberts’ long throw is headed on by Rodon and flicked wide by Moore, stretching beyond the far post. The angle made it a near impossible chance for anyone without a rubber leg. Moore was booted up the back of the leg after he took the shot, but there were no appeals for a penalty.
26 min It’s also goalless between Ukraine and Iceland in the night’s other playoff.
24 min No shots on target for either side yet. Wales have had the best chance, Ben Davies’s header, though Poland have passed the ball better.
It’s going the distance, isn’t it.
23 min Zalewski surges away from Roberts near the halfway line, keeps going and eventually hits a shot from 20 yards that is blocked by Rodon.
21 min Williams’s high, hanging corner is met by Moore, but he loses his bearings a bit and heads well wide. He points out to the referee, not unreasonably, that Dawidowicz was trying to undress him as he jumped for th eheader.
20 min The pace of Johnson forces Dawidowicz to concede another corner, this time on the left. Johnson screams at the crowd to make even more noise.
17 min: Chance for Wales! Wilson’s inswinging corner from the right is headed just over by Davies, part of a crowd of players on the six-yard line. That was a pretty good chance, though maybe the ballw as a fraction too high for him to control the header.
Updated
16 min Poland win the first corner of the game. Swiderski’s outswinger is headed away by Moore and Wales break to win their first corner.
15 min Poland are starting to dominate possession, taking advantage of their extra man in midfield. Wales need to do a bit more on the break.
13 min This is a decent little spell for Poland. Lewandowski pushes the ball square to the unmarked Piotrowski, who blooters high and wide from 25 yards.
12 min Frankowski’s wicked cross from the right just evades Swiderski, who got away from two defenders but couldn’t reach it on the stretch.
10 min The first 10 minutes have been like a deceptively cagey opening round of a boxing match, the ones that feel like a bit of a ding-dong until the bell goes and you realise nobody landed anything of note.
Updated
8 min Now Piotrowski wants a yellow card for Williams after being booted up the underside of the leg. The referee settles for a free-kick.
7 min It’s been a frantic, physical start, and the referee has already allowed a few, a-hem, robust challenges.
6 min Williams cuts inside from the left and floats a promising cross towards Moore at the far post. Dawidowicz does well to jump backwards and head the ball away.
6 min Piotrowski pulls back Johnson, a cynical foul for which he could have been booked.
4 min As expected Wales are playing with Brennan Johnson in the inside-left channel, with Wilson to the right.
4 min There’s a helluva noise at the Cardiff City Stadium. Poland have started pretty calmly, though, and are trying to play through the Wales press.
Look at the passion 🤩
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 26, 2024
Welsh fans, players and staff belt out their national anthem before kick-off 🏴#EURO2024 | @Cymru pic.twitter.com/dhZbVk2elo
Updated
2 min Moore is penalised after catching Dawidowicz in the face with a straight arm. It was just a free-kick, nothing more.
4 seconds In fact a Polish player tries to score from the kick-off but manages only to loft the ball into Danny Ward’s arms. I’m not sure who that was; I don’t think it was Lewandowski.
1 min Peeeeeeeep peeeeeeeeeeeep! Poland, in white, kick off from right to left as we watch.
Updated
A reminder of the teams
Wales (possible 3-4-2-1) Ward; Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Roberts, J James, Ampadu, Williams; Wilson, Johnson; Moore.
Substitutes: Hennessey, King, Fox, Brooks, Ramsey, Matondo, Savage, Cullen, Dasilva, D James, Sheehan, Broadhead.
Poland (possible 3-5-2) Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Frankowski, Zielinski, Slisz, Piotrowski, Zalewski; Swiderski, Lewandowski.
Substitutes: Skorupski, Bulka, Walukiewicz, Puchacz, Grosicki, Romanchuk, Buksa, D Szymanski, Salamon, Bereszynski, S Szymanski, K Piatek.
Referee Daniele Orsato (Italy)
Georgia qualify for Euro 2024!
They’ve beaten Greece 4-2 on penalties in Tbilisi and will join Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic in Group F! It’s the first time they have ever qualified for a major tournament. I’d love to dwell on such a famous achievement, but Wales v Poland is about to kick off.
Georgia are going to Germany! 🇬🇪
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 26, 2024
They win the penalty shootout in Tbilisi to qualify for their first EVER major tournament 👏
Just look at the scenes 🤩#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/c75JjwQKqu
Updated
Here we go: Wales v Poland for a place at Euro 2024. Good luck one and all.
“As an Icelander, I’m obviously rooting for ‘our boys’ to reach the Euros,” writes Kári Tulinius, “but if the boys in blue and yellow win, I’ll be glad for Ukraine, what with everything. So I’m in the rather rare position of being happy whether my team wins or loses the playoff final. That being said, this evening probably has a rollercoaster of emotions in store for me, because football.”
Georgia v Greece latest It’s 2-2 after three penalties apiece. Eek!
“Wales are understandably keen to play up the enthusiasm and influence of their supporters, but isn’t the term ‘red wall’ for them a bit of a misnomer?” says David Wall, who knows of what he speaks. “It’s surely based on Dortmund’s ‘yellow wall’ but that name comes from their huge unbroken south stand terrace, stretching to the full height of the stand, holding about 25,000 home supporters. You can’t just call any home stand a ‘(home side colours) wall’ without it losing all impact.
“Can’t they come up with a better, more appropriate name for their support? How about the ‘red choir’ to reflect the history of choirs in Wales and fervent acapella singing of the national anthem before the home games? It’d be more apt than ripping off someone else’s nickname, which doesn’t really work and feels as ersatz as when other countries try to do the Icelandic thunderclap.”
I appreciate this is a bit rich coming from me, but aren’t you being slightly too literal? Or, without assuming your age – I’m forty-eig in my forties - it might just be that the modern world isn’t really built for folk like us.
The players are gathered in the tunnel, all look very serious. I mean you would, wouldn’t you. It’s almost time to decide whether Wales or Poland will play against France, the Netherlands and Austria at Euro 2024.
Full time in extra time: Georgia 0-0 Greece
Out come the clipboards and iPads: it’s going to penalties.
112 min: Georgia 0-0 Greece Still goalless in Tbilisi, though both teams have come buttock-clenchingly close in extra-time. If it goes to penalties, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won’t be taking one: he’s just limped off with what looks like a calf injury.
Oi! Stop what you’re doing and read this terrific piece on one of the greater kits of our/my lifetime.
(I’m still a 1984-86 man, full disclosure and all that, but this unique beauty would be second on the list.)
100 min: Georgia 0-0 Greece Still goalless in Tbilisi, although West Ham’s Konstantinos Mavropanos has just thumped a header against the crossbar from a corner.
“This will actually be on tv here in the States!” cheers Joe Pearson. “Will wonders never cease?”
Not on my watch.
‘I’d be an extremely proud man if we get the job done’
Wales have already reached the Euros today: their under-17s won 2-1 in Bulgaria ad will be off to the finals in Cyprus.
Q U A L I F I E D ✅
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) March 26, 2024
Cymru are heading to the 2024 #U17EURO finals! 🏆#TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/cl4t84Wzc0
England are also in action tonight, playing Belgium (remember them?) in a friendly at Wembley. Simon Burnton is watching that one.
Full time: Georgia 0-0 Greece
The playoff in Tbilisi is going to extra-time. It looks pretty lively, more in the bar-room brawl sense admittedly, and as I type somebody is pointing a laser at the referee Szymon Marciniak, who snaps his head round angrily. How did he know? Maybe he really does have eyes in the back of his head.
Harry Wilson had a ball against Finland and will be a key man tonight. ‘Man’ being the operative word; that fresh-faced mischief-maker is now 27 years old.
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“I thought Wales looked so much better with a nimble front three of Johnson, Brooks and Wilson,” says David Bowen. “I’m a bit disappointed that big Keith-A has got the nod to start. If we were away then Chwarae Teg (fair play). Page has reverted to type. Although it does provide an entertaining side game when guessing the minute he gets his bandaged. Here’s hoping I’m wrong.”
You’ll know better than me but is there a chance Page is playing the long game? I’m always a bit surprised, given how much games tend to open up towards the end, that there isn’t more focus on specialist subs in football.
The other playoffs
Ukraine v Iceland also kicks off in just over an hour. Georgia v Greece is 83 minutes old: it’s goalless but Georgia are down to 11 substitutes. Giorgi Loria, one of their sub keepers, was sent off at half-time after a rumble involving both benches.
"A Final with an edge - it has been furious, it has been frantic!" 🗣️
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 26, 2024
Tensions boil over at the half-time whistle in this heated #EURO2024 Play-Off Final between Georgia and Greece 😡 pic.twitter.com/gIsbFojPlk
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There are three playoffs tonight, which will complete the line-up for Euro 2024. You want a reminder of the groups, don’t you?
Group A Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
Group B Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
Group C Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
Group D Poland/Wales, Netherlands, Austria, France
Group E Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine/Iceland
Group F Turkey, Georgia/Greece, Portugal, Czech Republic
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Team news: Moore starts for Wales
Rob Page makes one change from the win over Finland in the semi-final: Kieffer Moore in, David Brooks out. That could mean a switch to 3-4-1-2, or Johnson may become one of the roaming No10s.
Poland are unchanged from their defenestration of Estonia.
Wales (possible 3-4-2-1) Ward; Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Roberts, J James, Ampadu, Williams; Wilson, Johnson; Moore.
Substitutes: Hennessey, King, Fox, Brooks, Ramsey, Matondo, Savage, Cullen, Dasilva, D James, Sheehan, Broadhead.
Poland (possible 3-5-2) Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Frankowski, Zielinski, Slisz, Piotrowski, Zalewski; Swiderski, Lewandowski.
Substitutes: Skorupski, Bulka, Walukiewicz, Puchacz, Grosicki, Romanchuk, Buksa, D Szymanski, Salamon, Bereszynski, S Szymanski, K Piatek.
Referee Daniele Orsato (Italy)
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Preamble
So: 2016, 2021, 2022 and now, potentially, 2024. Don’t worry, this isn’t a celebration of new, unelected prime minsters*. These are the years in which Wales have played at major tournaments, having previously not done so since 1958. Tonight – and imagine the confused expression if you had pitched this to a Wales fan, let’s say our own beloved MBM regular Matt Dony, when Wales started their Euro 2016 campaign with a scruffy 2-1 win in Andorra – they could reach their fourth major tournament in eight years.
This is a golden age of Welsh football, no ifs and buts. And while the expansion of tournaments has helped, no doubt, four in five attempts would brook no argument – especially as they got to the semi-finals of one of them.
Tonight’s game is too close to call. The Fifa rankings have Wales 29th, Poland 30th, and the two teams had almost identical records in qualification.
Wales P8 W3 D3 L2 F10 A10 Pts12
Poland P8 W3 D2 L3 F10 A10 Pts11
They then romped to victory in their semi-finals. Wales beat Finland 4-1, Poland stuffed Estonia 5-1. Robert Lewandowski scored none of their five goals which, depending on your perspective, is either good news for Wales or unbelievably ominous.
Home advantage gives Wales a slight where’sthatthesaurusnow, especially given record on big nights in Cardiff, but this could be a long night of the nervous system. And that’s just for the neutrals.
Kick off 7.45pm.
*That was 2019, not 2021.
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