March 27, (THEWILL)- Poland booked their place at the 2024 European Championship, after edging Wales in a tense penalty shootout, following a 0-0 draw in Cardiff, on Tuesday.
Despite possessing the goal-scoring prowess of Robert Lewandowski, Poland failed to register a single shot on target in the 120 minutes, while Wales had a goal ruled out for offside and were denied by a brilliant Wojciech Szczesny save. The match remained scoreless after extra time, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances.
In the shootout, Lewandowski, Sebastian Szymanski, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Nicola Zalewski, and Krzysztof Piatek, confidently scored for Poland, while Leeds winger, Dan James, was the only Welsh player to miss, ensuring Poland’s qualification for a fifth consecutive Euros.
Wales’ new generation, shorn of the talismanic presence of the retired Gareth Bale, came up short by the finest of margins in heartbreaking fashion for the home fans. Rob Page’s men were crestfallen at the final whistle signalling their failure to clinch a ticket. On the other hand, Michal Probierz’s Polish side has a daunting task ahead in Germany but will be relieved to have escaped Cardiff with a place in the finals in June.
Only once before has Poland managed to get out of the group stages of the European Championship, reaching the quarter-finals in 2016. While Wales finished the 90 minutes in the ascendency, they lacked the creative spark that was often provided over the past decade by Bale or the injury-plagued Aaron Ramsey, who was an unused substitute. The home side saw out the final few seconds with 10 men as Chris Mepham was shown a second yellow card.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
