Italy reach Euro 2024 after tense 0-0 draw with Ukraine

LEVERKUSEN (Agencies): Italy qualified for Euro 2024 after drawing 0-0 against Ukraine in their final Group C qualifier on Monday although the Ukrainians can still secure a spot through the playoffs. European champions Italy finished second, level on 14 points with third-placed Ukraine but with a better head-to-head record after a tense affair that could have gone either way. The Italians ended six points behind England, who had sealed qualification after beating Italy 3-1 at Wembley in October. Ukraine, who have never beaten Italy, had strong claims for a penalty after Bryan Cristante’s clumsy challenge on Mykhailo Mudryk in stoppage time but nothing was given. They can still book a spot at a fourth consecutive European Championship via the playoffs in March. The playoff draw will take place on Thursday in Nyon. “Ukraine showed that they are an equipped team and they gave us a hard time,” Italy coach Luciano Spalletti told Rai Sport. “Today we played a good match because in the first half we had many opportunities to secure the result. Then when we didn’t manage to do so the match became dirtier and more physical. “They brought in more physical players but at that moment they no longer played football.”

Lively start: The match got off to a lively start but both goalkeepers – Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Ukraine’s Anatoliy Trubin – held firm in an entertaining clash at BayArena in Leverkusen. Italy, who will make their eighth consecutive appearance at the Euros, had most possession and created more chances but Ukraine remained composed as they looked to counter-attack. Italy’s Federico Chiesa had a chance to break the deadlock in the seventh minute but his effort from inside the box flew narrowly over the bar before Donnarumma denied Ukraine an opener seven minutes later by keeping out Georgiy Sudakov’s low shot. Defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo then nearly nodded home for Italy from a corner just before the half-hour mark before Trubin pulled off a stunning save to deny Davide Frattesi. Italy continued to dominate after the break but Ukraine’s probing increased and Mudryk came close in the 66th minute only to be denied by Donnarumma who pulled off another fine save. “We are very happy,” Donnarumma said. “We are where we deserve to be with all the difficulties we had, but thanks to the new coach and staff we are back.” Under Spalletti, who took over from Roberto Mancini in August, Italy have won three times, drawn twice and lost once. They failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup in Qatar. The European Championship will be held in Germany.

England held to scrappy draw in North Macedonia: In Skopje, England suffered a frustrating conclusion to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign as they were held to a scrappy 1-1 draw by North Macedonia in Group C on Monday. With qualification long since secured and just a draw needed to seal a top seeding for next year’s finals, England trailed to Enis Bardhi’s 41st-minute rebound effort after his penalty was saved. Gareth Southgate’s group winners hogged possession but lacked fluency and invention against dogged hosts and needed an own goal by Jani Atanasov to get them level on the hour. Jack Grealish had earlier seen a goal ruled out while teenager Rico Lewis had a debut he will want to forget after harshly being penalised for North Macedonia’s penalty. England ended the calendar year unbeaten, if in a rather under-whelming way, topping their group with 20 points from eight games with North Macedonia fourth.

Slovenia qualify for Euro 2024 after victory over Kazakhstan: In Ljubljana, Benjamin Verbic scored a late winner as Slovenia secured qualification for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany, but opponents Kazakhstan will have to earn their place through March’s playoffs following the 2-1 loss in Ljubljana on Monday. Slovenia finish runners-up in qualification Group H behind Denmark on head-to-head record. Their only previous appearance at the continental finals came in 2000, while their last visit to a major tournament was the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Kazakhstan needed victory for a first ever qualification, but knew they had secured a playoff spot at least before kick-off following their promotion to League B of the 2024-25 Nations League. Slovenia were awarded a penalty late in the first half after a Video Assistant Referee review when Yan Vorogovskiy fouled Petar Stojanovic in the box. Benjamin Sesko comfortably converted the spot-kick. Kazakhstan made the perfect start to the second half as Ramazan Orazov scored his first international goal on 48 minutes, ghosting into space in the box as he turned in Maksim Samorodov’s low cross. Slovenia’s Jaka Bijol had his shot blocked on the line by Islambek Kuat, but the home side got their winner with four minutes remaining when Verbic curled a shot into the corner of the net to spark wild scenes of celebration.