A double from Bruno Fernandes made it possible to beat the surprising North Macedonia (2-0) and qualify Portugal for the World Cup-2022, Tuesday in Porto during the European zone play-offs. The 2016 European champions took the lead shortly after half an hour on a goal from Bruno Fernandes, served by Cristiano Ronaldo (32nd, 1-0). The Manchester United attacking midfielder made the break by scoring again in the middle of the second half (65th, 2-0).
The Lusitanians will participate in the eighth World Cup in their history, their twelfth consecutive major tournament. Faced with uninhibited Macedonians, the Portuguese were slow to get a first chance. As often, ‘CR7’ launched the hostilities. Well served in depth by Otavio, the five-time Golden Ball triggered a nice cross shot from the left, but it shaved the right upright of the opposing cages (14th). Macedonia reacted shortly after with a shot from Ezgjan Alioski on the side (20th).
Diogo Jota then thought he opened the scoring from a corner, the head of the Liverpool striker finishing just above (24th). Then, Portugal scored a goal 100% ‘made in’ Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes intercepted a bad Macedonian pass and relied on Ronaldo who gave him the ball in the race, the playmaker concluding with a clear shot from close range (1-0, 32nd). Apart from a long distance strike signed by Joao Cancelo off target (45th + 1), Fernando Santos’ men had no other opportunity to break before halftime.
Fernandes finally decisive
An offensive silence demonstrating the capacity of the Macedonians to defend well even when largely dominated in the game, like the incredible victory of the 67th nation in the FIFA ranking against Italy (1-0), last week in play-off semi-final. Returning from the locker room, Bruno Fernandes once again tried his luck, but his shot outside the box was well captured by the goalkeeper of the Balkan team, Stole Dimitrievski (52nd).
It was only a postponement, the attacking midfielder finishing a fine Portuguese counter-attack with an unstoppable recovery from a cross from Diogo Jota (66th, 2-0), definitively sealing his country’s qualification for the World Cup in Qatar ( November 21 – December 18). A nice revenge for the 27-year-old, who has not shown himself very often at ease with the Portugal shirt, unlike his club performance. After this second goal, the Lusitanians calmly managed the score, leaving no opportunity for the Macedonians and reviewing their offensive armada with the onset of Rafael Leao and Joao Felix.
Despite this freshness in attack, they did not manage to register a third goal which would have given the air of correction to their victory against a valiant but too limited Macedonia. Cristiano Ronaldo, who did not score in selection for the fourth consecutive meeting, will be able to console himself with the opportunity to enter the very closed circle of players who have played five final stages of the World Cup.
Poland qualify by beating Sweden
Poland, with an opener from Robert Lewandowski, qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday by beating Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden 2-0 in the play-off final in Chorzow. The late entry of “Ibra”, in the 80th minute, did not cause the miracle hoped for by the Swedes. At 40, this character of world football has said goodbye forever to global competition, and perhaps even to the Swedish selection.
And Fifa can breathe. The man she named twice the best player in the world in 2020 and 2021, Robert Lewandowski, will participate well in the tournament next winter in Qatar (November 21-December 18). After a round of observation, the two teams were not paralyzed by the stakes, and the match gradually unbridled. Sweden had a strong moment, with in particular a first chance by Emil Forsberg, whose cross shot in the area was deflected for a corner with the tip of the fingers by the Polish goalkeeper of Juventus, Wojciech Szczesny (19th).
The Nordics then tried a lot, sometimes besieging the Polish surface, and above all perfectly silenced the star of the “White Eagles”, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski for 45 minutes. But Poland, pushed by their public, offered a superb reply, despite the absence of Marseille striker Arkadiusz Milik, injured last week during the friendly match against Scotland.
Last chance
Lateral Matty Cash missed the best Polish opportunity of the first period, completely unscrewing a shot in the area as the goal opened up for him (26th). The turning point of the match came just after the break, when Jesper Karlström shoved Grzegorz Krychowiak into the box. Lewandowski was responsible for transforming the indisputable penalty, to allow his country to take a first step towards Qatar (1-0, 49th).
Sweden has not given up. On another breakthrough from the formidable Alexander Isak, the 22-year-old Real Sociedad player, Emil Forsberg could even have equalized two minutes later, without another impeccable reflex save from Szczesny. But fate tipped over a huge individual error by Marcus Danielson. Piotr Zielinski, the Naples striker, found himself alone in front of the unfortunate goalkeeper Robin Olsen, whom he beat with a furious shot (2-0, 72nd).
Sweden then lost their footing, and Olsen avoided a heavier score, against Lewandowski in particular, who had at least two chances to score a brace. Poland, eliminated in the first round at its last two tournaments, the World Cup-2018 and Euro-2020, is therefore offered a new chance. The last undoubtedly in the planetary competition for Lewandowski, 33, and Kamil Glik, 34, and the teammates of their generation.