Lewandowski and Poland go to the Eurocup along with Georgia and Ukraine

Poland, Georgia and Ukraine obtained their tickets for the final phase of the Euro Cup. In three dramatic games, they stripped Wales, Greece and Iceland of that identical illusion. Two of the ties were resolved by penalties and the other with a goal in the 84th minute.

Robert Lewandowski will return to Barcelona with his head held high and a smile on his mouth, in the same way that Victor Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk will be the happiest beings in Girona. All three will participate in the European championship. Lewandowski, at 35 years old, paved the way to victory by converting the first penalty of the shootout.

Lewandowski shouts to the stands of Polish fans. / Andrew Couldridge / Reuters

Nothing had stood out in the 120 minutes. The other illustrious veteran, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny (33), made the two stops of the night: the first to deflect a fantastic header from Kieffer Moore and the second to save the last penalty. After nine hits by the pitchers, he stopped Daniel James’ shot (5-4).

Euphoria among the Georgia players after the penalty converted by Kvekveskiri. / Giorgi Arjevanidze / AFP

The biggest night

Georgia lived the biggest night of its football history, a brief history, since 1991. The country was shaken off the thorn of the defeat in 2020 at home, against North Macedonia, which prevented it from participating in the previous edition of the Euro Cup. This time he will go to Germany. Not without having suffered the unspeakable, as is a penalty shootout. With very little football, by the way, he had to resort to the cruelest and most definitive attack. That drama was lived in silence, with the stadium empty due to the coronavirus. This time there was a field invasion.

Mamardashvili saves Bakasetas’ penalty, Greece’s first of the shootout. / Giorgi Arjevanidze / AFP

Contrary to what is usual, The extra time was more vibrant than the game. The Greeks tried to nullify Kvaratskhelia with fouls, until the Naples player retired injured. Mamardashvili and the crossbar prevented Greece from taking the lead, and Vlachodimos, the Greek goalkeeper, twice thwarted the local goal.

Arriving at the fateful point, Mamardhasvili saved the first penalty and both teams kicked one wide. As soon as Kvekveskiri scored 4-2 and ran to the corner, euphoria broke out. Georgia is in Group F with Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Mudryk celebrates the goal that qualified Ukraine to the disappointment of Johan Gudmundsson. / Czarek Sokolowski / AP

Ukraine comes back again

A joy in the midst of the drama of war. Football to distract calamities. The Ukrainian internationals gave their fellow citizens satisfaction with the classification. Suffered classification, needing to overcome an adverse score again (2-1). The same as against Bosnia-Herzegovina, although this time it was on their own ground, if the Tarczyński Stadium in Wroclaw can be called that.

Lunin, angry, recriminates his defenders while Gudmundsson runs to celebrate the 0-1. / Czarek Sokolowski / AP

Albert Gudmundsson (m. 30), scorer of three goals in the semifinal against Israel, scored first, but the Ukrainian machine reacted first. Yaremchuk had a goal disallowed before the break (m. 41), but after the restart Tsygankov equaled (d. 54)the edge of Girona.

Serhiy Rebrov, the coach, brought on Dovbyk and Oleg Zinchenko, and Ukraine began to impose themselves on the field and then do so on the scoreboard through a goal by Mykhaylo Mudryk, the Chelsea midfielder (d. 84).

2024-03-26 21:59:57
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