26th March 2023 – (Malaga) Spain got off to a strong start in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory against Norway in Group A. The match saw Luis de la Fuente take charge of his first game as manager of the national team.
The Spanish side took an early lead in the 13th minute when Dani Olmo scored the opening goal. Olmo’s shot found the bottom corner of the net with the outside of his boot after receiving a pass from defender Alejandro Balde.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 84th minute when substitute striker Joselu headed in a cross from midfielder Fabian Ruiz, just three minutes after coming on. The 32-year-old forward then scored his second goal of the game, and his debut for Spain, a minute later from a rebound, sealing a comfortable win for his side.
In Group I, Scotland claimed a crucial 1-0 victory over Cyprus in their European Championship qualifier. The match saw Cyprus reduced to ten men after Nicholas Ioannou was sent off for kicking the ball away in frustration and picking up his second yellow card.
Kris Boyd, a former Scottish footballer, believes that the win was the most important task for the team in their entire campaign. The victory gives Scotland a good start to their qualifying campaign, and they will be hoping to continue their good form in the upcoming matches.
In Group D, Wales managed to secure a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against World Cup semi-finalists Croatia in their Euro 2024 qualifier. The match saw Croatia take the lead in the 17th minute through a goal from midfielder Nikola Vlasic.
However, Wales refused to give up and continued to push for an equalizer throughout the game. They finally managed to find the back of the net in stoppage time when Connor Roberts headed in a cross from Gareth Bale to secure a point for his side.
Also in Group D, Turkey secured a 2-1 victory over Armenia after Hoffenheim defender Ozan Kabak scored an own goal in the opening minutes of the match. However, the Turkish side did not let the early setback discourage them and managed to come from behind to secure the win.
In Group I, Switzerland started their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a convincing 5-0 win over Belarus. The match saw Renato Steffen score a hat-trick inside the opening 29 minutes, while Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Zeki Amdouni also found the back of the net in the second half.
In another Group I match, Romania secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Andorra, with goals from Dennis Man and Denis Alibec either side of half-time. The hosts were reduced to ten men after midfielder Marc Rebes was sent off for a second caution. Meanwhile, Israel were held to a 1-1 draw by Kosovo in their Euro 2024 qualifier.