England missed an opportunity to qualify for Euro 2020 on Friday as they slid to a 2-1 loss in the Czech Republic. It is England’s first defeat in a qualifying game in 10 years. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 699th goal in a routine Portugal win over Luxembourg.
Euro 2020 Qualifiers
A goal five minutes from the end halted England’s unbeaten streak in qualifying for a major competition with the Czechs beating Gareth Southgate’s team 2-1. A victory in Prague would have secured a spot for England at the finals with three games to go.
Instead, England squandered a one-goal lead and lost its first match in European or World Cup qualifying since falling to Ukraine in 2009. That loss came with England already qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Its last meaningful defeat in qualifying was against Croatia in 2007.
England manager Gareth Southgate said, “I think we have had a lot of credit over the last couple of years and tonight we did not do enough. Our performance was not good enough, it’s as simple as that. The goals we conceded were typical of the chances we gave away.”
Meanwhile, world champions France claimed a 1-0 win away to Iceland as Olivier Giroud delivered the only goal with a penalty on 66 minutes in Reykjavik. Giroud has played sparingly for Chelsea this season but the 33-year-old is now just four goals behind Michel Platini (41) for second on France’s list of all-time leading scorers.
Czech Republic defeat England
France is level on 18 points with Turkey atop Group H ahead of Monday’s showdown in Paris, where victory would send Didier Deschamps’ men through to the finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 94th goal for Portugal to help the defending European champions brush aside Luxembourg 3-0 in Lisbon. Ronaldo pounced on a bad pass near the area and chipped the goalkeeper in the 65th.
Bernardo Silva put Portugal in control from the 16th. With Portugal 2-0 ahead, substitute Goncalo Guedes added a third goal.
Portugal and France win
Ukraine kept its lead of Group B after midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi scored twice in a 2-0 victory over Lithuania. Unbeaten Ukraine has 16 points. Portugal has 11, ahead of Serbia with seven. Both Portugal and Serbia have one more game to play than Ukraine.
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