2024-03-26 22:41:13
The Blues know now. A little less than three months before the start of Euro 2024, in Germany (June 14-July 14), the France team knows the identity of its third opponent in the group stage of the European Championship: Poland winner of his last play-off match this Tuesday evening.
While the Blues faced Chile in a friendly at the Vélodrome (3-2 victory), the Polish Biało-czerwoni (Reds and Whites) and the Welsh Dragons faced each other in this final play-off match in “path A”. The only two teams in this League A which had not managed to qualify for the final phase of the Euro found themselves in the play-off final after having respectively beaten, in the semi-finals, Estonia (5-1) and the Finland (4-1).
A very good penalty shootout
Poland, 30th nation in the Fifa ranking, therefore completes Group D of this Euro 2024 in which France, the Netherlands and Austria appear. At Cardiff City Stadium, the chances (11 shots, 3 on target on the Welsh side, 13 shots… 0 on target on the Polish side) did not really flow in a very indecisive and closed match, which went to the end of extra time with a score null and void. A goal was disallowed for offside to the Welsh in added time of the first period which could have unlocked everything.
We therefore had to wait a full 120 minutes and the terrible penalty shootout for the die to be cast. A perfect session, or almost: the first nine shooters succeeded in their attempt, until the turn of the final Welsh shooter, Daniel James, arrived, who failed against Wojciech Szczęsny.
The last time the Blues faced Poland was obviously in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup, at the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha. A meeting which had turned to the advantage of the teammates of Kylian Mbappé, double scorer that evening, but which had also marked a great moment in the history of the France team since Olivier Giroud had scored his 52nd goal under the rooster jersey, establishing the absolute record. In total, France has faced Poland 17 times in its history (9 wins, 5 draws, 3 defeats).
The other play-offs of the evening saw the qualifications of Georgia, which reached the final phase of a European Championship for the first time in its history and which also went to the end of extra time to get rid of Greece (0-0, 4-2 tab), and Ukraine, winner at the end of the match against Iceland (2-1).
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