With the 3-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday evening (June 17th, 2023), Portugal celebrated their third win in the third game of the European Championship qualifier. After Norway’s 2-1 defeat against Scotland at the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany, top striker Erling Haaland is again threatened with the role of spectator.
Bernardo Silva (44′) and Bruno Fernandes (77′, 90′ + 3′) scored the goals for the offensively strong Portuguese, who are comfortably at the top of Group J with a maximum of nine points. Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal in his 199th cap.
Portugal’s first pursuers are Slovakia, who celebrated a 2-1 win in Israel to move up to second place with 7 points.
Austria stays up in Group F
The Austrian national football team under coach Ralf Rangnick remains unbeaten after the 1-1 draw in Belgium and leads the Group F table with a three-point lead. The Red Devils, coached by Domenico Tedesco, who had previously won 3-0 in Sweden and 3-2 in Cologne against the German national team, gave up the first points at their new coach’s home debut and are second with four points from two games.
Freiburg’s Michael Gregoritsch gave the visitors the lead with a direct shot (22′). With his 73rd international goal, record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku equalized (61st) for the Belgians, who had to do without their injured star Kevin De Bruyne.
Haaland hit too few for Norway
Striker Erling Haaland has to worry about participating in the European Championship with Norway. Norway, who last played in a major tournament at EURO 2000, lost 2-1 to Scotland and are fourth in Group A with just one point from three games. Scotland are top of the table with nine points, while favorites Spain (three points) have played one game less.
A week after the triumph with Manchester City in the premier class, Haaland converted a penalty kick (61st) to make it 1-0 for the hosts at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo. It was Norway’s 22nd goal in 24 internationals. The 22-year-old himself had previously been fouled.
But Lyndon Dykes (87′) and Kenny McLean (89′) turned the game around in the closing stages. Norway’s next opponent is Cyprus on Tuesday (8:45 p.m.).
Hungary with zero number in Montenegro
Hungary missed out on a potential leap to the top of the table in Group G. The team around Bundesliga pros Willi Orban, Dominik Szoboszlai (both Leipzig) and Roland Sallai (Freiburg) did not get more than 0-0 in Montenegro and with four points from two games is two points behind the unplayable leader Serbia.