Key events
Full-time: Poland 1-1 Netherlands
Ronald Koeman and co. are heading to the USA. Mathematically they could still be pipped by Poland, but that isn’t going to happen. It was a 1-1 draw in Rotterdam, too, when Cash scored a screamer.
Full-time: Luxembourg 0-2 Germany
They made hard work of it but a Woltemade double gets it done.
Full-time: Croatia 3-1 Faroe Islands
Croatia qualify.
90 min +3: Poland are continuing to press but aren’t really causing any damage. A point for Koeman’s side means they are all but home and hosed as group winners.
90 min: Poland win a corner … We’ll have a minimum of six minutes of stoppage time.
Lewandowski heads at goal but Verbruggen claims.
Goal! Slovakia 1-0 Northern Ireland (Bobcek 90)
Aaaaaand it appears that Slovakia have won it at the death, via Tomas Bobcek.
85 min: Into the final five minutes. Can Poland find something? Can the Netherlands? Gravenberch thumps a powerful shot at Grabara, who beats it out.
Note: That Slovakia goal was disallowed, it turns out, so it’s Slovakia 0-0 Northern Ireland.
83 min: A sniff of a chance for Poland. But Verbruggen stands tall as Skoras tries a shot from an angle, after the ball cannoned off Van de Ven.
81 min: Cash and Zalewski off, Grosicki and Wszolek on.
77 min: A goal for Ronald Koeman’s side would book their place at the World Cup with a game to spare. How am I going to get through the next 15 min without a reference to Rotterdam 1993?
75 min: Van Hecke and Reijnders come on for the Dutch. Geertruida and Kluivert off. No other changes for Poland other than the early enforced departure of Szymanski.
73 min: Lewandowski seems to have taken an accidental knock in the crown jewels.
Luxembourg 0-2 Germany (Woltemade 69)
A Magpie double.
Croatia 3-1 Faroe Islands (Vlasic 70)
It’s 3-1!
As it stands Poland would still trail the Netherlands by three points going into the final round.
Malta v Poland and Netherlands v Lithuania are the closing fixtures but what really matters is that Poland would need to somehow overturn a 13-goal deficit in goal difference.
Nick Ames
There was widespread approval from Sweden’s well-wishers when, during a training camp in Marbella this week, Graham Potter announced his new charges would play a variation of 4-4-2. A national team once tipped for greatness had been frayed, disconnected and muddled for too long. If their new manager had arrived with an unusually high profile, at least he had wasted no time in throwing on a familiar comfort blanket.
Disallowed goal for Slovakia v Northern Ireland
Strelec has the ball in the net. But it’s no goal.
“In answer to Tony’s question, I’m on a whisky diet. I’ve lost three days already. What was the Scotland score?”
That was Simon, obviously. Other beverages are available.
Slovakia 0-0 Northern Ireland is a latest score. That would keep the visitors in with a shout of a playoff spot: they are three points behind tonight’s opponents, but Northern Ireland finish at home to Luxembourg on Monday, while Slovakia have to go to Germany. So they could still progress on goal difference with a draw tonight.
56 min: Poland still fancy this. Zalewski warms Verbruggen’s hands with a rasping drive. But straight at him.
Goal! Croatia 2-1 Faroe Islands (Musa 57)
Booooo! Unless you’re a Croatia fan. In which case. Yes!
“Just woke up and rolled over to the sight of the first posts on the MBM, saw the referee’s name on the line-up for Gibraltar v Montenegro, and immediately thought of Mozart’s Magic Flute,” emails Russell. “Surely I can’t have been the only one?”
Hate to say this, but I think you probably can have been.
“Anyway, really, really hoping one of Gibraltar, the Faroes or Luxembourg (especially the Faroes) pull it off this evening,” continues Russell. “We’ve always craved increased jeopardy in football but, as the game’s stratification grows ever more pronounced, it’s arguable it’s practically a social necessity now.”
Goal! Luxembourg 0-1 Germany (Woltemade 49)
At last!
50 min: Lewandowski has a chance, immediately, at the other end but Verbruggen tips it over.
Goal! Poland 1-1 Netherlands (Depay 47)
Gakpo ghosts down the left and hangs a cross up, over the keeper, to the back stick. Malen dives in to head it, and Grabara saves, but Depay pounces on the rebound, and the Warsaw faithful are silent. That is Depay’s eighth goal of the qualifying campaign.
Julian Nagelsmann, the Germany head coach, surely got the hairdryer out at half-time.
Second-half kick-off
Let’s get ready to rumble.
“Why are entries in the MBM a mixture of GMT and EST?” asks Tony. “Is it to confuse whisky drinking Simon into believing it is time to look up the Scotland score?”
They’re all displaying GMT here, but I’ll say yes, that’s exactly why.
Half-time reading:
Half-time scores
Croatia 1-1 Faroe Islands
Gibraltar 1-2 Montenegro
Luxembourg 0-0 Germany
Poland 1-0 Netherlands
Slovakia 0-0 Northern Ireland
Poland are on the back foot, but they win it back, and Jakub Kaminski bursts upfield on a pacy run. He finds Lewandowski in the centre circle with a progressive pass, and the Barcelona forward proves his class by taking a touch, waiting for Kaminski to power past him into space, and hitting an instant return ball, perfectly weighted, into the path of his teammate. Kaminski’s pace tears the Dutch defence to shreds. He takes it to the edge and tucks a calm, classy finish through the legs of the advancing Verbruggen and into the empty net!
Goal! Poland 1-0 Netherlands (Kaminski 43)
What a lovely goal.
Luxembourg 0-0 Germany remains a latest score as we approach half time. A tremendous effort from the Luxembourgeois lads.
Goal! Gibraltar 1 Montenegro 2 (Krstovic 42 pen)
The minnows trail.
40 min: Van Dijk and Lewandowski are having a bit of argy-bargy. We won’t see fistifcuffs though. Will we?
Sounds more like a 40% proof plan, actually.
“I’m whiling away the hours before Scotland kick off in Greece tomorrow by following tonight’s matches and drinking whisky,” writes Simon. “Thus ensuring I sleep right through the game and wake up on Sunday morning not knowing the result, or indeed caring. It’s a foolproof plan, right?”
Yes. But drink responsibly.
37 min: Poland on the front foot. Cash cuts in, and decides to shoot from distance. It’s a naff effort that flies high and wide.
37 min: “The Warsaw faithful” are getting restless, says the commentator, which is technically accurate. The Dutch are proving themselves as worthy group winners if it continues like this.
“As one of my sisters married a very nice Faroese man (quite) a while ago, and two of his nephews (the Vatnhamar brothers) have been regulars in the national side, and one of my plucky youngsters (U16 coach in Denmark here) hails from the islands, I suppose I am a *bit* biased,” opens Erik on email “… but it’s very nice to see the minnows getting their elbows in early. Gibraltar, Malta, Faroe Islands … I just hope it will last longer than a VAR review. Giving the slack in the channel, I suppose by the time you get to my mail, order will be restored all over …”
Well, it is 1-1 in Gibraltar, indeed. And 1-1 in Rijeka too. But I enjoyed your email and that’s the main thing.
Goal! Gibraltar 1-1 Montenegro 1 (Adzic 33)
Pick that one out!
Flint Town are staring down the barrel now, 2-0 behind at home against New Saints. Dancing in the streets of Total Network Solutions tonight.
30 min: If any team is having the best of it in Warsaw, it’s the visitors. Poland are struggling to make inroads, and Zielinski is threatening to do something good but never quite managing it, as per.
Kylian Mbappé has left his France squad and returned to Madrid to receive treatment for an ankle injury, the French Football Federation said. Mbappé, 26, scored two goals in a 4-0 win over Ukraine in Paris on Thursday to help France secure a spot in next year’s World Cup. However, he has been dealing with lingering inflammation in his ankle, leading France manager Didier Deschamps and the Real Madrid medical staff to call him back to the team.
Mbappé now has 400 career goals, including 55 for France – just two shy of Olivier Giroud’s all-time national scoring record. He was scheduled to have scans on Friday, according to ESPN, and will miss France’s game in Azerbaijan on Sunday. (Reuters)
24 min: Donyell Malen of Aston Villa, in the style of Arjen Robben, cuts in from the right and smacks a shot goalwards. It’s over the bar.
“At the moment Luxembourg, a country the size of Luxembourg, is giving Germany the runaround,” chips in Charles Antaki. That raised a good chuckle.
Goal! Croatia 1-1 Faroe Islands (Gvardiol 23)
Order restored.
“I would like to point out it isn’t 0-0 everywhere,” emails David. “The New Saints are 1-0 up away against Flint. My mate has gone to watch – in the rain – but he’s a West Ham supporter so he likes suffering!”
Added to which, the mighty Gibraltar and the even mightier Faroe Islands have also hit the onion bag.
Goal! Gibraltar 1-0 Montenegro (Jessop 20)
There you have it.
