UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying: Croatia used a gift from Wales!

Croatia was afraid before the last two rounds of qualification for UEFA Euro 2024 because the placement in that competition no longer depended on it alone. Wales slipped up in Armenia and a draw completely canceled out a great game against Croatia a month ago.

Croatia against Armenia guarantees placement at the Euro

Croatia has not yet definitively secured a place at UEFA Euro 2024, but now its fate is completely in its hands. It is unlikely that Croatia will allow itself the luxury of defeating Armenia in the final round. Croatia achieved a routine victory in Latvia, carried by good news from Yerevan, in which Wales failed to overcome Armenia.

The national team that took second and third place in the last two world championships has put itself in an uncomfortable situation. Croatia allowed two defeats in October and was aware that they would have to wait for a mistake by Wales in the last two rounds and waited for it. It was clear that regardless of the result in Armenia, Latvia would have little chance of threatening Croatia.

Croatia got the job done in Latvia after just 15 minutes and is waiting for Tuesday to confirm their place in another big competition. This small country from Southeastern Europe has produced a huge number of great players in previous years, and since gaining independence, it has participated in 12 out of 14 major competitions. On Tuesday, as things stand, Croatia will reach 13 placements in major competitions.

Croatia reached the finals of the World Cup twice, played in the quarter-finals of the Euros twice and once in the finals of the UEFA Nations League. We will see if Croatia could make a result similar to those it achieved in the last two world championships in Germany next summer. They gave Wales a chance to decide their fate and to go to the Euro with two victories, but already in the first match, the Welsh slipped.

Wales did not manage to beat Armenia for the second time in these qualifiers because they were defeated at home and now they have drawn. Those results will eventually cost them a trip to the Euros. Wales almost got defeated in Armenia. If you want to secure a place at the Euros, you have to beat Armenia. Croatia also qualified for the previous World Cup by winning against Russia in the last round, with the Russians scoring an own goal at the end of the match.

Croatia will almost certainly be rejoicing on Tuesday while Wales will be mourning. In these qualifications, they did not lose to the third national team in the world, but Armenia came at the end of their head. It was already known that Turkey was going to the Euro from this group, which otherwise defeated the host of UEFA Euro 2024, Germany 3-2 in a friendly match, while Croatia and Wales were deciding their own fate.

The Netherlands, Switzerland, Romania, and Albania also travel to Germany

On the day when Croatia managed to once again become the smith of its own luck and decide on its own the way to Germany, some other countries secured their place in the Euro. The Netherlands achieved the necessary victory against the Republic of Ireland and we will watch this team in Germany. In that group, France achieved a record victory.

In Nice, France outclassed Gibraltar by as much as 14-0, which is the new most convincing victory ever for the current vice-champion of the world. From this group, Greece will go to the playoffs and try to go to Germany that way. Switzerland qualified for the Euros even though they won only four in nine rounds, but since they added five more draws to that, it was enough to see them in Germany next summer. This time they drew 1-1 with Kosovo.

Romania achieved a victory against Israel, so this national team also qualified for the Euro. Israel will have a chance to secure its first-ever placement at the Euros through the playoffs. The very fact that Israel will have that opportunity means that we will not see Erling Haaland at this championship either, because Norway depended on the results of the Israeli national team, and since Israel lost, Norway will not have the opportunity to seek placement at the next Euro through the UEFA Nations League.

A day earlier, Albania also qualified for the Euro. This national team will participate in the Euro for the second time in history after the great qualifications in which they allowed only one defeat. In the last round, the Czech Republic and Moldova decided on the second Euro participant from this group.

Denmark defeated Slovenia and in that way secured a place at the Euro. In a direct duel against Kazakhstan, Slovenia will decide on another trip to Germany. Hungary did not beat Bulgaria, but the point was enough to secure a trip to Germany. We should also watch Serbia there, who will also need a point against Bulgaria in the last round. Slovakia also secured their place at the Euro with a routine victory against Iceland at home.