For the tenth and final day of qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup in groups A, B, H and J, Croatia, Spain and Serbia have validated their tickets for Qatar. Sunday, November 14, the 2018 vice-world champions beat Russia in difficulty, Spain dominated Sweden without convincing and Serbia achieved the feat of the evening by winning in Portugal.
Eight teams, in addition to host country Qatar, have now qualified for the 2022 World Cup: Germany, Denmark, Brazil, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain and Serbia.
Cold shower in Lisbon
The Portuguese only needed one point to qualify for the World Cup, but against Serbia, they experienced terrible disillusionment in the last moments (1-2). Fernando Santos’ players had nevertheless opened the scoring at the very beginning of the meeting thanks to Renato Sanches, but they then suffered the Serbian domination, materialized by the equalization of Dusan Tadic, well helped by a hand fault from Rui Patricio, to the half hour of play.
More conquerors in the midfield, the Serbs continued to push to believe in the qualification, while the Portuguese coach made the choice of defensive changes. A strategy that did not pay off since Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic came to crucify Portugal and their supporters in the 90th minute. The Serbs are therefore qualified for the 2022 World Cup and Portugal will have to go through the dams.
СРБИЈА ЈЕ НА СВЕТСКОМ ПРВЕНСТВУ! ИДЕМО У КАТАР! @FIFAWorldCup #SrcemSvim #Orlovi #Srbija #FSS#PORSRB #WorldCup #WCQ pic.twitter.com/yrDjdRuVna
– Fudbalski know Srbije | FA of Serbia (@FSSrbije) November 14, 2021
Spain to take part in twelfth consecutive World Cup
Thanks to a late goal by Alvaro Morata (86th minute), Spain snatched the 1-0 victory against Sweden on Sunday in Seville to validate their qualification for the 2022 World Cup. Luis Enrique’s men had recovered first place in the group B Thursday, after their victory in Greece (1-0) and the surprising defeat of Sweden in Georgia (2-0).
VSThis qualification concludes a chaotic course which bodes well for the best: after a promising Euro, finished in the semi-final on penalties against the future Italian champions, the “Roja” made sure to participate for the 12th time in a row in the World Cup, his last absence dating back to the 1974 World Cup in Germany.
Croats defeat Russia
Croatia finished first in Group H in qualifying for the Europe zone. The hapless finalists of 2018 will play their sixth World Cup. Russia, for its part, will take goes to the dams at the end of March to try to participate for the fifth time in its history at the World Cup.
TO Home, the selection led by Zlatko Dalic, second with two points behind Russia at kick-off, largely dominated the match played in a rain that grew stronger as the match progressed. The deliverance for Croatia, which was imperative to win, came when the left side Kudriachov, surprised in the quagmire of the Russian penalty area, involuntarily deflected the knee into the net of his team a cross from the left. Croatia finished at the top of Group H with one point ahead of the Russians, whom they eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup on penalties, in Sochi.