Rematches with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Liechtenstein in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group J foreshadow an accessible path to favorites Portugal, as determined by the draw held in Frankfurt today.
Looking for their 13th successive World and European Finals presence, in the cycle started at Euro 2000, the Portuguese team has avoided the Pot 2 sharks and will join one of three six-team groups. with five opponents he faced in previous qualifications.
Since qualification is guaranteed for the first two classified in each group, the average level of this group makes Portugal from Pot 1 a wide favorite for first place, with another vacancy being discussed by several teams.
From basket 2, Portugal managed to avoid the “legumes” of France and England, fate put Bosnia and Herzegovina in their way, the choice is in search of renewal of generations, and the “stars” Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic are waiting for the “heirs”.
However, the Bosnians, whose last major competition appearance was at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, have enjoyed recent success securing promotion to the next Nations League’s League A in September by winning Group B3.
In the match with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal has a “trail” of success, having overtaken the opponent in two “play-offs”, in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, with three wins and a draw in four games.
Iceland, coming out of Pot 3, also does not escape the profile already “created” for the Bosnians, having no replacement for the “heroes” who took the team to Euro 2016, where they drew against Portugal in the group stage (1-1). – and the 2018 World Cup, before the “eclipse” in recent years.
In the history of clashes, Portugal has two wins and a draw with the Icelandic team, whose main elements are midfielders Helgason and Bjarnason and striker Finnbogason.
Luxembourg, out of Pot 4, is the “face” better known to the Portuguese and will play Portugal for the seventh time in the qualifying stages, the third time in a row and the last on their way to the 2022 World Cup. played from November 20 to December 18. December in Qatar, with 3:1 and 5:0 wins for the Kinas team.
Midfielders Sébastien and Vincent Till and strikers Ivandro Borges Sánchez and Gerson Rodriguez are some of the Luxembourgers who have recorded 17 losses, one draw and one win since 1961 (4-2) in their 19 previous encounters with Portugal. .
In theory, Slovakia was the strongest team in Pot 5 present at the final stages of Euro 2016 eliminated from the “octave” and Euro 2020 played in 2021 where they made it to the group stage, although in the current edition of the League of Nations, if it finished third in Group C3.
Defender Milan Škrinjar and midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, who play for Inter Milan and Napoli, respectively, in the Italian Serie A, are the big stars of the Slovaks, with whom Portugal have three wins and a draw in a direct confrontation.
With no history of presence in the final stages, Liechtenstein are reserved for the most accessible opponent in the group, who face Portugal for the fourth time in the qualifying stages.
The Principality team, whose main figure is midfielder Nicolas Hasler, even “stole” a draw from the Portuguese in 2004, their only good result in the seven matches played between them, five of which ended in defeat, including two 8-0.
The top two teams from each of the 10 groups qualify directly for the Euro 2024 final, while the remaining three places are determined in the play-offs in March 2024.
Euro 2024 will take place from 14 June to 14 July 2024 in Germany.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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