The 2022 World Cup Euro Zone qualifiers start this week. Before seeing Portugal or Italy fall by the wayside, the two teams play the same mini-tournament and therefore cannot qualify, a look back at the important confrontations of recent years.
France-Ireland 2009 (1-0, 1-1 return): Henry’s hand
Before going through a golden period at the end of the 2010s, Team France lived through lesser-known hours. At the end of qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the Blues finished second in their group (one point behind Serbia), and thus had to pass through the penalty area, where Raymond Dominic’s men found the Republic of Ireland. In the first leg, they won 1-0 with tweezers thanks to a skewed shot from Nicolas Anelka in the 72nd minute. Before the return match that will go down in history.
At the Stade de France, the Blues, still not very inspiring, conceded a goal from Robbie Keane in the 33rd minute. The Tottenham striker resets all counters to zero and therefore the French national team must go through an extension period to hope to see South Africa. In the 103rd minute, Thierry Henry controlled the ball with his hand in the area before sending William Gallas single-handedly in front of goal, giving him qualification for the Blues. This event is the starting point for a major controversy, Henry has been the target of all the criticism and Ireland even asked for a rematch. Finally, the Blues will do well in the 2010 World Cup Finals, for the rest we know.
France-Ukraine 2013 (first-leg 0-2, return 3-0): the miracle of the Stade de France
It’s been four years since France-Ireland, but the Blues, who are second in their qualifying group behind Spain (two-time European champions and world champions) must play again in the play-offs to qualify for the World Cup. 2014. A little more than a year after Didier Deschamps took office, the Blues are terrified of controlling head and shoulders in the first leg in Kyiv. After their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Yarmolenko’s teammates, they were forced to make a massive feat in the second leg.
In Saint-Denis, in the controversial Stade de France, the meeting will quickly fall into the frame of irrationality. After just 34 minutes of play, Mamadou Sakho and Karim Benzema allowed France to catch up. The Blues have only one more goal to qualify for Brazil, and it will come in the 72nd minute thanks to Mamadou Sakho, an unlikely double. At the end of an unforgettable evening, which many consider to be a founding act in the pursuit of a second star five years later, France endorsed their World Cup ticket.
Portugal-Sweden 2013 (1-1, return 3-0): Ronaldo puts Portugal on his back
Shock at the top between two monsters, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo, with only one place for the Brazilian World Cup. In November 2013, during the same play-off matches with France and Ukraine, Sweden challenged Portugal for a place in the 2014 World Cup. At that time, this meeting was a semi-dueling between the Paris Saint-Germain striker, who scored goal after goal in the capital, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who will end 2013 With 55 goals.
In the first leg, CR7 is the only scorer of the match at Luz Stadium in Lisbon. But during the second leg, Ibrahimovic and the Real Madrid player faced each other. When the Swede doubled in four minutes (68, 72), the Portuguese responded with a triple … in 29 minutes (50, 77, 79). The Seleção finally won 3-2 in turn, with four goals in two away matches.
Italy-Sweden 2017 (first-leg 0-1, return 0-0): Italy’s failure
Real earthquake. Forced through the difficult and uncertain stage of qualifying after finishing second behind Spain in qualifying, Italy will fall to a wall against Sweden, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has retired from international football, is an orphan. Gian Piero Ventura’s men lost 1-0 in the first leg at Friends Arena in Solna with a goal from Jacob Johansson. In the second leg, the Azzurah team will welcome the Swedish national team at their stadium in San Siro. Belly fear and the specter of historical exclusion.
Despite possession of 75% and a shot of 26, the Italians could not find the error and were eliminated without hitting the net once in 180 minutes. For the first time since 1958, the World Cup will be held without Italy. After four years of succumbing to the beating of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Swede in the stratosphere, he offers the sweetest revenge.
