{"id":26589,"date":"2023-11-20T18:14:24","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T18:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/portugal-notch-10th-straight-win-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-20T18:14:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T18:14:24","slug":"portugal-notch-10th-straight-win-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/portugal-notch-10th-straight-win-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Portugal notch 10th straight win | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nLONDON:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Portugal finished their Euro 2024<\/a> qualifying campaign with a 100-percent record by beating Iceland 2-0 on Sunday, after Serbia booked their place at next year’s finals in Germany and Romelu Lukaku scored four goals for Belgium.<\/p>\n

Bruno Fernandes and Ricardo Horta netted the goals for Roberto Martinez’s Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo not on the scoresheet, to end with 10 wins from 10 matches in Group J.<\/p>\n

The 2016 winners will be among the favourites for the title in what could be the 38-year-old Ronaldo’s last major tournament.<\/p>\n

Slovakia finished eight points behind Portugal<\/a> in the second qualifying place after a 2-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica.<\/p>\n

Luxembourg, who will head into the play-offs, were a further five points adrift after closing out an impressive group-stage showing with a 1-0 success in Leichtenstein.<\/p>\n

Earlier Sunday, Serbia qualified for the first time as an independent nation, after four previous failures to get to the main event, with a 2-2 draw against Bulgaria.<\/p>\n

The Serbs finish second in Group G behind Hungary who snuffed out any hopes Montenegro had of progressing by beating them 3-1 in Budapest.<\/p>\n

“The players showed a mentality of not giving up, believing in themselves,” said Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic.<\/p>\n

“It’s a big day for Serbian football. Serbia is finally at the European Championship.<\/p>\n

“I congratulate my boys, who fought until the end and believed. We are happy and satisfied.”<\/p>\n

Centre-back Milos Veljkovic put Serbia ahead in the 17th minute before substitute Georgi Rusev levelled for Bulgaria in the 59th.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later Kiril Despodov put the visitors ahead but Srdjan Babic equalised eight minutes from time to ensure Serbia would become the 17th team to qualify for Euro 2024.<\/p>\n

Montenegro needed Serbia to lose to have any hope of taking their place in Germany but also needed to win against the Hungarians who have eased impressively through qualifying.<\/p>\n

Slobodan Rubezic put Montenegro ahead on 36 minutes but Hungary hit back i the second half with two goals in three minutes from Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai before Zsolt Nagy rounded off the win in added time.<\/p>\n

Lukaku scored four goals as Belgium finished with a 5-0 thrashing of Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n

Roma striker Lukaku extended his record tally of international goals for Belgium to 83, with all of his goals coming in a remarkable first half in Brussels.<\/p>\n

He opened the scoring in the 17th minute by converting a Jeremy Doku cross, before Eddy Israfilov was shown a second yellow card seven minutes later to leave the Azeris with a mountain to climb.<\/p>\n

Lukaku fired home shortly afterwards and then headed in Wout Faes’ delivery to complete a hat-trick.<\/p>\n

He rounded off his scoring spree of four goals in 20 minutes before being replaced by Lois Openda at half-time.<\/p>\n

The Belgians took their foot off the gas in the second period but Leandro Trossard added a fifth in the 90th minute from another Doku assist.<\/p>\n

Belgium finished top of Group F, one point clear of Austria, with both having wrapped up qualification with matches to spare.<\/p>\n

Sweden ended a miserable campaign, in which they failed to qualify for a European Championship for the first time since 1996, with a 2-0 win over Estonia in the other game in the group.<\/p>\n

Barcelona star Gavi limped off with a nasty knee injury in Spain’s 3-1 victory against Georgia which secured top spot in Group A above Scotland.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old was tackled from behind in the first half, buckling the knee that had his weight on it, before leaving the pitch in tears.<\/p>\n

“This is a very tough and very difficult moment,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.<\/p>\n

“For the (Spanish football) federation, for me, for his friends. But above all for him and for his club.<\/p>\n

“We’re destroyed. Football is a risk sport and this is the ugly part of our sport.”<\/p>\n

Goals from Robin Le Normand and Ferran Torres and a Luka Lochoshvili own goal helped Spain past a spirited Georgia, who drew level at 1-1 early on through Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.<\/p>\n

Already-qualified Scotland needed to beat Norway and hope for Spain to slip up to snatch first place, but were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw at Hampden Park<\/p>\n<\/div>\n