Spain clinched a place at Euro 2024 as teenager Gavi’s second-half goal was enough to beat Norway 1-0 away on Sunday, ensuring the 2008 and 2012 European champions qualified with two games to spare. Barcelona midfielder Gavi bounced a shot into the corner in Oslo as the Spaniards moved top of Group A on 15 points, while their victory ensured Scotland and Turkey also made it to Germany next year.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was full of praise for his young side as they boosted their hopes of qualifying for the tournament in Germany. Despite their round-of-16 exit at the World Cup in March and the subsequent sacking of manager Luis Enrique, the reigning champions have shown “exceptional growth” since and are well-placed to finish among the top two. The Spaniards have not lost a qualifying match in the last four, and they take on Scotland and Cyprus in their final two games of the campaign.
De la Fuente’s side struggled to break down a stubborn Norway defense, but Gavi’s shot into the bottom corner was enough to clinch the three points that were so desperately needed. It was the 19-year-old’s fifth international goal in 25 appearances, but after the match, he thought his first-half strike may have been wrongly disallowed. Alvaro Morata had a late strike ruled out for offside, while a flat Norway could not muster any danger during the eight minutes of added time.
It means the Scottish Tartan Army can begin jamming the flight booking websites for their trips to Germany after Steve Clarke’s side secured a top-two finish with two games to spare. Scotland have now qualified for a second successive major tournament as they follow up their 2-0 defeat in Spain with an emphatic 4-0 win over Georgia on Thursday. The Scots face Spain in their final game at Hampden Park on October 12, and they can finish above Norway with a win in the home fixture or even with a draw.
Turkey is now in control of their fate as they seek a place in the playoffs after an eventful night in qualifying. Cenk Tosun’s hat trick in a 4-0 victory over Latvia ensured the Turks are guaranteed at least one of the top-two automatic spots, while they can still claim a place in the top two with two matches to spare. Their rivals Armenia and Georgia both fell to shock defeats, while Croatia will join them in the final qualifiers after they beat Albania 2-1 in their final game on Saturday. The other spots in the top four will be decided in the final qualifying round on November 22.