Czech Republic overcame Denmark on penalties to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Italy failed to qualify after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night.
Denmark was the only team that was pushing forward, against a rival that seemed to be suffering from the extra time five days prior and showed little sign of life in any runs from Sulc or from set-pieces. Mæhle, Damsgaard, and Højlund were close to scoring a goal that could have avoided extra time, to which the Czechs clung, finding the strength to face a Denmark that also did not seem overly confident or dared to go for the win.
And thanks to courage, in a confused play, Krejci picked up a rebound inside the small area that bounced off Bah and ended up as a goal.
🏆 FULL TIME SCORES! 🇧🇦 Bosnia (4) 1-1 (1) Italy 🇮🇹 🇸🇪 Sweden 3-2 Poland 🇵🇱 🇽🇰 Kosovo 0-1 Turkey 🇹🇷 🇨🇿 Czechia (3) 2-2 (1) Denmark 🇩🇰
Italy, Poland, Kosovo, and Denmark all miss out on the World Cup. Bosnia, Sweden, Turkey, and Czech Republic qualified for the World Cup.
Technical details 2 (3) - Czech Republic: Kovar; Chaloupek, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Provod (Chytil, 68), Soucek, Darida (Cerv, 60), Zeleny; Schick (Chory, 90), Sulc (Sadilek, 113). 2 (1) - Denmark: Hermansen; Bah, Andersen, Nelsson (Nørgaard, 60), Mæhle; Højbjerg, Hjulmand (Høgh, 105), Froholdt (Eriksen, 72); Isaksen (Dreyer, 86), Højlund, Damsgaard (Jensen, 115). Goals: 1-0, 3': Sulc; 1-1, 72': Andersen; 2-1, 100': Krejci; 2-2, 111': Høgh. Penalties. Højlund, with a header that went high, created the clearest chance. The Czechs were comfortable giving the ball to Denmark and letting time pass, with the match becoming increasingly bogged down. When things looked their worst, Damsgaard put a free-kick onto the head of defender Andersen, who got ahead of the goalkeeper.
Matěj Kovář was the hero as the Czech Republic national team secured their place at the World Cup. 🇨🇿 The young goalkeeper stepped up when it mattered most, saving penalties in the shootouts against Republic of Ireland and Denmark.
Koubek bet on three new faces, including Soucek, and on playing with a back five. Everything fell apart in the 3rd minute. 🙌
Denmark only changed the suspended central defender Andersen from the lineup that had thrashed North Macedonia.
Højlund (DEN): miss; Chory (CZE): goal; Eriksen (DEN): goal; Soucek (CZE): goal; Dreyer (DEN): miss; Krejci (CZE): miss.
The Czech Republic return to a World Cup after twenty years by defeating Denmark on penalties in a match full of suffering, their second playoff win from the spot in five days.
The Czechs had come from behind 0-2 at home against Ireland on Thursday to win on penalties, with Kovar as the hero. A poor clearance by the Danish defense turned into a 1-0 for Sulc with a powerful strike from the edge of the area. The Danes did not flinch, responding immediately and accumulating up to half a dozen chances in twenty minutes to at least go into the break level. Højlund was involved in almost all of them, a player the Czechs could not stop, especially in direct play.
But sometimes it was Kovar, and other times a lack of precision in the final pass that prevented an equalizer. The Czechs, who had no problem ceding ground, threatened on a couple of very dangerous counter-attacks, both led by Sulc. The Danes had the ball but were not creating danger.
This Tuesday he made another save, but this time he was also helped by his opponent, who hit one shot off the crossbar and another high over the goal.
With more fight than football, the home team held off the Danish pressure with order and sacrifice and knew how to take their chance.
After 20 years away, the Czech Republic are back at the World Cup after beating Denmark on penalties!
Sadilek (CZE): goal.
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy).
But to Provod, a cross-shot went just wide, as did another in a one-on-one against Hermansen following a tremendous pass from the Lyon striker. Denmark deflated and finished the first half with a bad feeling, stuck in attack and insecure at the back.
The picture did not change in the second half. Jensen (DEN): miss.
Decisive. 🏆🥵 Denmark have been officially ELIMINATED.
