Scotland reach Euro 2020 after shootout win over Serbia

Scotland converted all their penalties and mobbed each other after their goalkeeper David Marshall saved the home side’s final spot kick, diving to his left to keep out Aleksandar Mitrovic’s shot.

Ryan Christie fired a dominant Scotland into a 52nd-minute lead with a superb shot on the turn before substitute Luka Jovic equalised in the 90th when he headed home a Filip Mladenovic corner to force extra time.

Scotland will join the 24-nation tournament’s Group D including England, the Czech Republic and 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia, with matches in that pool to be played at Wembley and Hampden Park.

Michal Duris struck an extra-time winner as Slovakia profited from the few chances they had to stun Northern Ireland and 1,060 raucous home fans with a 2-1 victory in their Euro 2020 qualification playoff at Windsor Park on Thursday.

Slovakia led after 17 minutes as George Saville’s wayward header in midfield proved a perfect through ball for midfielder Juraj Kucka, who provided a cool finish.

It looked as though that would be the winner until the Irish claimed a dramatic late equaliser when defender Milan Skriniar, who was the visitors’ best player, turned the ball into his own net three minutes from the end of normal time.

But Duris beat home goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell at his near post with a low drive to seal back-to-back European Championship qualifications for Slovakia and a place in Group E at the tournament next year along with Spain, Sweden and Poland.

Hungary qualified for the Euro 2020 finals with a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Iceland thanks to a late equaliser from Loic Nego and a stoppage-time winner by Dominik Szoboszlai.

Hungary will join Portugal, France and Germany in Group F at next year’s tournament, with the first and third of those games to be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.

North Macedonia qualified for Euro 2020, the first-ever major tournament in the team’s 27-year history, when a second-half goal from 37-year-old forward Goran Pandev gave them a 1-0 win away to Georgia in their playoff on Thursday.

Pandev, his country’s most capped player and all-time leading scorer, flicked the ball home in the 56th minute of a tense, scrappy match played on a slippery pitch and was in tears as his team celebrated at the end.

Georgia, also hoping to qualify for their first major tournament, lost their composure after the goal and never threatened to get back into the game.

North Macedonia will face Austria, the Netherlands and Ukraine in Group C at Euro 2020, which has been postponed until June-July next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will play for our nation’s pride in the finals,” said coach Igor Angelovski. “Pandev scored a beautiful goal to take us through.”

North Macedonia qualified by what some regard as the back door, via the fourth division of UEFA’s inaugural Nations League competition, but their players were not going to let that detract from their achievement.

“I am so happy. I’ve have played in a lot of games like this before and I think my experience helped the team to achieve this success,” said Pandev.

REUTERS