Mitrovic last mint header sends Serbia to World Cup 2022 and Portugal into play-offs.
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a dramatic late winner as Serbia booked their place at next year's World Cup and condemned Portugal to the play-offs.
Hosts Portugal only needed a draw to qualify and looked to have done enough, with Renato Sanches' opener cancelled out by Dusan Tadic's equaliser.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in the 90th minute as Serbia came from behind to beat Portugal 2-1 on Sunday to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Qatar, sending Ronaldo’s team to the playoffs.
Mitrovic came off the bench to score the winner with a header after the Portugal defense failed to clear a cross into the area.
Ronaldo looked upset and complained with his teammates after the late goal that could keep him from making his fifth straight World Cup appearance.
Portugal will have to face the playoffs with the other nine group runners-up and two group winners from the UEFA Nations League. The 12 countries will play next March in three four-team brackets, with the seeded teams getting a home game in the bracket semifinals.
_____
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in the 90th minute as Serbia came from behind to beat Portugal 2-1 on Sunday to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Qatar, sending Ronaldo’s team to the playoffs.
Mitrovic came off the bench to score the winner with a header after the Portugal defense failed to clear a cross into the area.
Ronaldo looked upset and complained with his teammates after the late goal that could keep him from making his fifth straight World Cup appearance.
Portugal will have to face the playoffs with the other nine group runners-up and two group winners from the UEFA Nations League. The 12 countries will play next March in three four-team brackets, with the seeded teams getting a home game in the bracket semifinals.
Serbia beats Ronaldo’s Portugal, will play World Cup playoffs 2022, Best stats.
The defeat also ended Portugal's unbroken winning run in home World Cup qualifiers which had stretched back to October 2013.
Serbia, which had never beaten Portugal, finished first in Group A with 20 points,
Portugal has played in every World Cup since 2002 after failing to make it to the tournament from 1990-1998.
Portugal was eliminated by Uruguay in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Russia in 2018.
Serbia didn’t make it past the group stage in Russia and did not qualify for the tournament in Brazil in 2014.
_____
Post a Comment