Germany faces defeat in their World Cup qualifier debut, with Spain comfortably securing a victory
In the world of international football, the qualifying matches for the World Cup have continued to provide drama and excitement. Here's a roundup of some of the most notable events from the past week.
Lithuania and Malta played out a thrilling draw in their group, with Lithuania scoring a penalty deep into injury time to secure a 1-1 result. This result leaves Group F wide open, with several teams still vying for top spot.
In Group A, Slovakia are currently leading the charge in their attempt to qualify for a first World Cup since 2010. They secured a 2-1 victory over Germany, with Atletico Madrid's David Hancko and David Strelec, who recently signed for Middlesbrough, getting on the scoresheet for Slovakia. The defeat leaves Germany under pressure, despite this game being their hardest fixture on paper.
The Netherlands remain at the top of Group G, ahead of Poland and Finland on goal difference. The Dutch were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland, with Denzel Dumfries scoring for the Netherlands and Matty Cash equalizing for Poland. The Netherlands have a game in hand over their rivals, which could prove crucial in the race for qualification.
Belgium are just three points behind group leaders Wales with two games in hand. Craig Bellamy's side won 1-0 in Kazakhstan earlier, but Belgium dominated their match against Liechtenstein, winning 6-0. Maxim De Cuyper, Youri Tielemans (twice, including a penalty), Arthur Theate, Kevin De Bruyne, and Malick Fofana were all on target for the Belgians.
Spain's next game is away to Turkey, who won 3-2 against Georgia. Mert Muldur scored the first goal for Turkey, followed by two goals from Kerem Akturkoglu. The match was not without incident, as Zuriko Davitashvili scored a goal for Georgia late in the game, making the final score 3-2.
Northern Ireland recorded a 3-1 victory against Luxembourg in their World Cup qualifying match. Jamie Reid, Shea Charles, and Justin Devenny scored for Northern Ireland, while Seid Korac was sent off in the second half for Luxembourg, ending their hopes of taking anything from the contest.
Notably, Germany have been eliminated in the group stage of the last two World Cups. The German coach, Julian Nagelsmann, stated that they were "miles away" from a good performance in the match against Slovakia, and captain Joshua Kimmich warned that if Germany performs like they did in this match, they will not qualify.
These results have set the stage for an exciting few weeks of World Cup qualifying action, with several teams still in contention for a place at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Read also:
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Tobacco industry's suggested changes on a legislative modification are disregarded by health journalists
- Trump's Policies: Tariffs, AI, Surveillance, and Possible Martial Law
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
