Both win confidently

From 8.45 pm: Play-off duels for the last European Championship tickets

Poland and Wales duel on Tuesday for the EURO ticket in the ÖFB group.

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Austria's national soccer team will face Wales or Poland in the group stage of EURO 2024 in Germany alongside France and the Netherlands. The British team won the play-off semi-final at home against Finland 4:1 in Path A on Thursday and will now host Poland, who beat Estonia 5:1 in front of their own fans, on Tuesday in the battle for a ticket to the European Championship. Georgia, Greece, Iceland and Ukraine can also hope for a place in the final round.

In Warsaw, the game was a slippery slope towards the visitors' goal right from the start. The Estonian defense only held until the 22nd minute, when Przemyslaw Frankowski made it 1:0 for the Poles with his far post. After a yellow card for the Estonian Maksim Paskotsi (27') at the latest, the Baltic side's serious chances were over, and after the break Piotr Zieliński (50'), Jakub Piotrowski (70'), Karol Mets (74' / own goal) and Sebastian Szymanski (77'), with Martin Vetkal (79') conceding a goal, gave the 50,000-plus fans a shooting festival. Poland's top scorer, Robert Lewandowski, failed to score.

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

The Welsh side took an early lead thanks to David Brooks (3) and Neco Williams followed up (38). The Finns came close again through Pukki (45'), but Brennan Johnson (47') and Daniel James (86') put the game beyond doubt.

In Path C, the duel between Greece and Austria's upcoming Nations League rivals Kazakhstan was already decided at the break, with Anastasios Bakasetas (9th/penalty), Dimitris Pelkas (15th), Fotis Ioannidis (37th) and Dimitris Kourbelis (40th) scoring. Erkin Tapalov scored an own goal in the second 45 minutes (87').

(Bild: Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Georgia remain in the race
The 2004 European champions will fight for a place in the final round against Georgia in Tbilisi on Tuesday. The Georgians celebrated a 2-0 home win against Luxembourg, with Budu Zivzivadze the match-winner with his brace (41st, 64th) in the absence of suspended Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Giorgi ARJEVANIDZE)

For the Georgians, who are aiming to make their first appearance at the European Championships, Sturm Graz legionnaire Otar Kiteishvili played through. Sandro Altunashvili (WAC) was on the bench. For Luxembourg, Austria Vienna's Marvin Martins was substituted in the 42nd minute.

Iceland end Israel's dream
Israel's European Championship ambitions, on the other hand, came to an end after a 4-1 defeat to Iceland in Budapest. Former star Eran Zahavi put the Israelis (with Salzburg's Oscar Gloukh from the 46th minute) ahead from a penalty kick in the 31st minute, but then the Icelanders hit back through Albert Gudmundsson (39th) and ex-Rapidler Arnor Traustason (42nd). After Israel's Roy Revivo was shown red (73'), Zahavi missed a penalty (80'), after which Gudmundsson (83', 87') sealed the victory for the island team.

The Icelanders will now face the Ukrainians in the Path B final, who fell behind against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica thanks to an own goal by Mykola Matvyenko (57'). A double strike from Roman Jaremtschuk (85') and Artem Dowbyk (88') turned the game around. Jusuf Gazibegovic (Sturm Graz) played through for the Bosnians, Amar Dedic (Salzburg) was in action until the 68th minute. LASK defender Maksym Talowjerow was substituted for the winners in the final.

Results from Thursday's play-off semifinals for the European Championship in Germany:

Path A: 
Poland - Estonia 5:1 (1:0)
Goals: Frankowski (22nd), Zieliński (50th), Piotrowski (70th), Mets (74th/own goal), Szymanski (77th) and Vetkal (79th). Yellow-Red: Paskotsi (27./Estonia)

Wales - Finland 4:1 (2:1)
Goals: Brooks (3rd), Williams (38th), Johnson (47th), James (86th) and Pukki (45th) 

Final on Tuesday: Wales - Poland; the winner will play Austria, France and the Netherlands in EURO Group D

Path B: 
Bosnia-Herzegovina - Ukraine 1:2 (0:0)
Goals: Matvyenko (57th/own goal) and Yaremchuk (85th), Dowbik (88th) 

Israel - Iceland 1:4 (1:2)
Goals: Zahavi (31st/penalty) and Gudmundsson (39th, 83rd, 87th), Traustason (42nd). Red card: Revivo (73./Israel) 

Final on Tuesday: Ukraine - Iceland; the winner will play Belgium, Slovakia and Romania in EURO Group B

Path C: 
Georgia - Luxembourg 2:0 (1:0)
Goals: Zivzivadze (41., 64.). Red card: Chanot (58./Luxembourg) 

Greece - Kazakhstan 5:0 (4:0)
Goals: Bakasetas (9th/penalty), Pelkas (15th), Ioannidis (37th), Kourbelis (40th), Tapalov (87th/own goal) 

Final on Tuesday: Georgia - Greece; the winner will play Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic in EURO Group C