Croatia 1-1 Wales
Nathan Broadhead? That name rang a bell with few Wales fans. The 24-year-old attacker from Ipswich Town changed that on Saturday. With a goal in the third minute of extra time, he surprisingly shot the visitors wide of Croatia ( 1-1 ).
Wales can do without Bale: “Of course there is life after Gareth”
Broadhead came within the lines for Daniel James after just over an hour. It was an evening to remember for the debutant. “It overwhelmed me,” Broadhead stammered to the BBC afterwards. “I got quite emotional. I’ve waited so long for this moment… We came to win the game, but getting a point is also good.”
For Rob Page, the point felt like a victory. The Wales national coach witnessed the start of a new era. “Of course there is life after Gareth,” Page referred to star player Gareth Bale’s retirement. “We will always cherish him, but was he still at an age when he could give his all for 95 minutes? I do not think so. At least I couldn’t do that myself at that age.”
Page was impressed by his team’s resilience. “We had the opportunity to bring in young, energetic players. Wes Burns, Sorba Thomas and Tom Bradshaw just kept going, giving us the opportunity to shake things up. Nathan Broadhead turned up at the end, seized his chance and did it with conviction,” he concluded.
Luxembourg 0-6 Portugal
Portugal again impressed on Sunday evening in qualifying for the European Championship 2024. The team of national coach Roberto Martínez was much too strong for Luxembourg, partly thanks to two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Martínez had simply placed Ronaldo back in the starting line-up at the Luxembourg Stadium. The 38-year-old attacker formed a couple with João Félix in the 5-3-2 system. Both players clearly felt comfortable with that.
Ronaldo scored within ten minutes. He reacted alertly and tapped the ball in after a header from Nuno Mendes. Félix then headed in from a Bernardo Silva cross, while Silva himself made it 0-3 after a beautiful pass from João Palhinha.
Ronaldo even made it 0-4 in the 31st minute. Bruno Fernandes dismissed his captain and Ronaldo finished cleanly in the short corner. A monster victory seemed in the making, but Luxembourg survived the rest of the first half and kept the spaces smaller after the break.
The fifth goal came in the 77th minute. Mendes steamed up, after which Rafael passed Leão and Otávio headed in. Rúben Neves then curled a free kick beautifully against the crossbar, while Leão missed a penalty. The latter quickly took revenge for that: he still scored after a quick counter and thus signed for the final agreement: 0-6.
