UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying: Matchday 6 preview
Sunday, September 10, 2023
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Erling Haaland could be set to make headlines in the European Qualifiers, while Italy's new era continues to take shape.
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Erling Haaland will be hungry to add to his Norway goals tally in the European Qualifiers on Tuesday, while Luciano Spalletti takes charge of his first home match as Italy coach.
Matchday 6 fixtures and results
Sunday 10 September 2023
Group B: Greece 5-0 Gibraltar, Republic of Ireland 1-2 Netherlands
Group E: Faroe Islands 0-1 Moldova, Albania 2-0 Poland
Group G: Montenegro 2-1 Bulgaria, Lithuania 1-3 Serbia
Group H: Kazakhstan 1-0 Northern Ireland, Finland 0-1 Denmark, San Marino 0-4 Slovenia
Monday 11 September 2023
Group D: Armenia 0-1 Croatia, Latvia 0-2 Wales
Group J: Iceland 1-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal 9-0 Luxembourg, Slovakia 3-0 Liechtenstein
Tuesday 12 September 2023
Group A: Norway vs Georgia, Spain vs Cyprus
Group C: Italy vs Ukraine, Malta vs North Macedonia
Group F: Belgium vs Estonia, Sweden vs Austria
Group I: Israel vs Belarus, Romania vs Kosovo, Switzerland vs Andorra
All kick-off times 20:45 CET unless noted
Haaland-powered Norway still hoping
Star striker Erling Haaland stayed on the bench for Norway's 6-0 friendly win against Jordan on Thursday, but he and fellow Premier League star Martin Ødegaard will be crucial to coach Ståle Solbakken's plans as they welcome Georgia, hoping to boost their chances of making it to their first major finals tournament since UEFA EURO 2000.
Scotland's flying start in Group A has shaken things up considerably – Steve Clarke's men will qualify if this game ends in a draw – but Norway still have a chance of finishing in the top two after securing a first victory, against Cyprus, in June. Haaland scored twice in that one, and has four goals in his last two games for Manchester City.
Did you know? With 24 goals in 25 games, Haaland is fourth in Norway's all-time top scorers list. Two more will take him joint-second in the rankings; all-time top scorer Jørgen Juve hit 33.
What else to look out for
- Luciano Spalletti's first home game as Italy coach is an encounter with Ukraine in Milan on Tuesday. On the same night, Spain will look to maintain the pressure on Group A leaders Scotland as they welcome Cyprus in Granada.
