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Richard Buxton·28 March 2023
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Richard Buxton·28 March 2023
There were seven 2024 European Championship qualifiers on Tuesday as the second round of fixtures kicked off.
Here is what went down.
Scorer: McTominay 7′, 51′
Scott McTominay scored a brace in consecutive games to send Scotland top of Group A with a shock win over Spain.
The visitors travelled to Hampden Park fresh from a comprehensive three-goal humbling of Norway in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier.
Luis de la Fuente made eight changes for La Roja as Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos was handed his first international start since 2019.
But they were undone after just seven minutes when Andy Robertson pressured Pedro Porro into stumbling before teeing up McTominay for a deflected strike off Iñigo Martínez.
Ryan Christie almost doubled the advantage for Steve Clarke’s side with a surging run but dragged his effort from the edge of the area wide of Kepa’s left-hand post.
Spain’s best first-half chance fell to in-form striker Joselu, with two goals in his last outing, as the Espanyol striker crashed a looping header against the crossbar.
McTominay doubled his tally early into the second half with a low volley after Kiernan Tierney’s cross was only half-cleared to cap off a historic night at Hampden.
Scorer: Kovačić 20′, 45+4′
Mateo Kovačić’s first-half brace restored Croatia to winning ways against Turkey.
The hosts headed into their meeting with last year’s World Cup semi-finalists on the back of a three-game winning streak under head coach Stefan Kuntz.
Yet it was Croatia who drew first blood at the Timsah Arena on 20 minutes after a spell of smart build-up between Borna Barišić and Andrej Kramarić set up Kovačić for a tidy finish.
The Chelsea enforcer struck again in the fourth minute of first-half added time by pouncing to convert the rebound from Mario Pašalić’s saved shot.
Zlatko Dalić’s side found themselves largely untroubled after the interval with the exception of Dominik Livaković’s impressive late save to deny Turkey substitute Cenk Tosun.
Scorer: Moore 41′
Wales maintained an unbeaten start to their Group D campaign against Latvia.
Former Real Madrid and Tottenham winger Gareth Bale received a rousing send-off before the game in Cardiff after announcing his retirement in January.
Robert Page named an unchanged line-up from the one which snatched a late draw with Croatia last weekend as match-winner Nathan Broadhead started on the substitutes’ bench.
Momentum shifted towards the hosts in the opening stages as Dan James became a hive of activity and teed up Harry Wilson for a shot which Pāvels Šteinbors turned behind for a corner.
Latvia threatened to silence the home crowd as defender Mārcis Ošs forced a good stop from Danny Ward with a volley before Vladislavs Gutkovskis also kept the Dragons’ goalkeeper on his toes with a back-heeled effort.
But Kieffer Moore settled any potential nerves shortly before the interval when he rose to meet James’ cross from the left-hand side with a powerful downward header.
Page handed Swansea’s Oli Cooper an international debut during second-half added time as Wales successfully weathered a late onslaught from their visitors.
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