Poland will make up Group D with France, Netherlands and Austria, pipping Wales to Euro 2024 qualification thanks to Wojicech Szczesny’s crucial shoot-out save from Daniel James. That secured the visitors a 5-4 win, the penalty competition coming at the end of extra time following a drab 0-0 draw.
Neither side created much in a frantic opening – with two years’ work at stake, both were circumspect. Ben Davies might have done better with a header, but otherwise the goalkeepers were largely spectators.
Wales tried to force the pace in the second half, Kieffer Moore drawing a decent save from Szczesny, but penalties had felt likely even before the game, never mind once it started, both unable to muster any kind of quality going forward. Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Kiwior both missed chances, then in extra time, Jakub Piotrowski was narrowly wide with a rasping curler.
So to penalties, the first nine of which were scored; if James missed, Wales were out. And under pressure few will ever experience, he produced a nervous effort that Szczesny could barely fail to save; Poland are going to Germany.
Talking point – why?
No one wants to be that person: the person who watches people experience ecstasy that far exceeds anything they will ever know, then complains about it. But here we are.
Wales finished third in their qualifying group, behind Turkey and Croatia; Poland third behind Albania and Czech Republic. Which is to say that the Euros could manage quite nicely without either of these sides and 24 teams is too many for a continental competition.
We know the reason whty it’s like this, of course: football’s adminstrators have forgotten that it exists so it makes money, not that it exists to make money, and the more matches, the more teams, the more eyeballs, the more everything. When will it ever stop?
Player of the match – Wojicech Szczesny (Poland)
None of the outfield plauers did anything of note, so the only candiate is the Poland keeper, who made one smart save in normal time, then the crucial save in the shoot-out.