World Cup playoffs: Lewandowski makes the difference - Poland and Portugal solve Qatar ticket

Created: 03/30/2022, 10:30 am

By: Jonas Raab

Robert Lewandowski is still going to the World Cup!

The Bayern striker and his Poles made the Qatar ticket clear against Sweden.

© Newspix/imago

Who will make it to the World Cup?

Who stays at home?

In the World Cup playoffs, Portugal have to face Italy-Schreck North Macedonia, Poland hosts Sweden.

The live ticker.

• The finals of the World Cup playoffs are tonight.

  From 8.45 p.m. it gets serious

• Portugal - North Macedonia: 2-0 (1-0)

• Poland - Sweden: 2:0 (0:0)

• The games to read in the ticker

>>> UPDATE <<<

Update from March 29, 10:55 p.m .:

Portugal and Poland have qualified for the World Cup in Qatar.

The Portuguese around superstar Cristiano Ronaldo beat North Macedonia 2-0 (1-0) in Porto on Tuesday evening.

In the playoff final, Bruno Fernandes (32nd and 65th minute) scored the decisive goals and secured the 2016 European champion's eighth participation in a world championship.

The underdogs from North Macedonia, who surprisingly won 1-0 against European champions Italy in the playoff semifinals, missed out on qualifying for the first time.

Bayern Munich's star striker Robert Lewandowski celebrated with Poland at the same time a deserved 2-0 (0-0) against Sweden.

Lewandowski (49th) with a converted penalty and Piotr Zielinski (72nd) also ensured that Sweden's football icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who came on late in Poland, missed the finals.

In their home town of Chorzow, Poland managed to win their ticket to a World Cup for the ninth time.

As in 2010 and 2014, Sweden is not there.

POL - SWE, FINAL WHISTLE:

Now it's over in Poland too.

Robert Lewandowski and his Poles travel to Qatar in winter.

Sweden veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, will probably miss his last World Cup.

POL - SWE, 90th minute:

Lewandowski misses the huge chance to make it 3-0.

The Bayern goalgetter smiles because, despite 4 minutes of stoppage time, everything seems to have been eaten here.

POL - SWE, 88th minute:

Two minutes plus injury time are played here.

But here, too, everything should be clear.

The Swedes need a miracle now.

POR - MKD, FINAL WHISTLE!

Portugal is traveling to Qatar for the Winter World Cup.

The North Macedonians played bravely against Portugal, as they did against the Italians, but in contrast to last Thursday they had to swallow two goals.

Too much for the soccer dwarf going astray.

POR - MKD, 89 minutes:

Only a few seconds and three minutes of added time.

Nothing comes between the favorites anymore.

Ronaldo will go to a World Cup again!

POL - SWE, 74 minutes:

What are the Swedes doing now?

A good quarter of an hour remains for at least two goals.

Age superstar Ibrahimovic is still on the bench.

Meanwhile, the Poles have two more big chances!

But (still) it's "only" 2-0.

POL - SWE, 72 minutes: TOOR for Poland!

The Lewandowski team follows suit.

But this time it's not the Bayern striker who does it, but Zielinski.

After a hair-raising mistake by the Swedes, he converted dryly into the right corner when he ran alone towards Olsen's goal.

POL - SWE, 67 minutes:

Sweden shoots from outside the penalty area.

No problem for Szczensny.

There was more in it.

POR - MKD, 68 minutes:

Joao Cancelo briefly picks up the yellow card after a pack has formed.

POR - MKD, 65 minutes: TOOR in Porto!

Fernandes brace for Portugal.

After a great pass, the Liverpool man slammed the ball into the North Macedonian goal as it fell.

Is that it?

POL - SWE, 58 minutes:

Huge chance for the Swedes.

After a cross from the right, Forsberg is completely free to finish, but the angle was a bit acute.

The Leipzig forgives extremely tight.

POL - SWE, 55 minutes:

The Poles have been much more self-confident since the goal.

How does Sweden react?

POL - SWE, 49 minutes: TOOR for Poland!

Who else?

Lewandowski delays the penalty in a typical manner, loads the Sweden keeper Olsen into the left corner and easily pushes into the right.

POL - SWE, 46 minutes:

Bang at the beginning of the second half.

Penalty for Poland!

HALFTIME.

The ball is stationary in both stadiums. Except for the Portuguese goal in the 31st minute, apart from a few half-chances, there wasn't much action in the penalty area.

All four teams know what this is about.

That's why the big spectacle hasn't happened so far.

That was so foreseeable.

POL - SWE, 41 minutes:

Little happens in the penalty areas, but the Swedes dominate the midfield and have more possession than Lewandowski's Poland.

There are just under five minutes left in the first half.

POR - MKD, 40 minutes:

Good chance for the Portuguese.

First Ronaldo tries to cross from the left, then Jota, whom the ball reaches via detours, hits the ball on the left side netting.

POR - MKD, 31 minutes: TOOR in Porto!

Ronaldo prepares the goal with a leg shot.

Fernandes converted freely in front of the North Macedonia keeper Dimitrievski.

The decisive factor was a hair-raising bad pass in midfield by the North Macedonians.

POL - SWE, 28 minutes:

Robert Lewandowski comes to an end, but forgives.

But: The Poles are slowly getting closer to the Swedish goal.

POR - MKD, 14 minutes:

Liverpool striker Jota heads on goal for the Portuguese after a corner.

The topper goes over it.

That was close!

POL - SWE, 18 minutes:

After a simple loss of the ball by Poland, Forsberg appears in front of the Poland keeper Szczensny in the middle free, but he holds tight!

The best chance of the game.

The next two corners for the Swedes bring another big chance, but nothing countable.

POR - MKD, 17 minutes:

North Macedonia in front.

A free-kick from the left half-space ends up in the arms of Portugal keeper Costa.

POR - MKD, 14 minutes:

Ronaldo with the chance!

He gets the ball played well into the run and narrowly misses the goal from almost 16 meters with his low shot.

That was the best chance so far.

POL - SWE, 9 minutes:

There isn't really anything exciting to report from Poland either.

The game is currently heavily characterized by a duel, only a Lewandowski half-chance is in the book.

This is reminiscent of the Swedish playoff semi-final against the Czech Republic.

POR - MKD, 6 minutes:

The teams feel each other out at the beginning of the game.

Ronaldo just missed a first cross from the Portuguese from the left.

The North Macedonians are then in possession of the ball.

WHISTLE!

The balls are rolling, in Portugal as in Poland.

North Macedonia have nothing to lose against the Ronaldo team in Portugal.

The Poles around Bayern-Knipser have to deal with Sweden with the supposedly more difficult opponent - on the other hand, European champions Italy can sing a song about how difficult it is to play in North Macedonia.

Update from March 29, 7:45 p.m .:

It’s getting serious!

The lineups are there.

Portugal, North Macedonia, Poland and Sweden are in the running today for the last European places at the World Cup in Qatar.

Who's cheering tonight?

Who is looking in the tube?

World Cup qualification: The playoff final Poland against Sweden in the live ticker - the line-up

Poland:

Szczensny - Bielik, Glik, Bednarek - Cash, Goralski, Moder, Bereszynski, Zielinski, Szymanski - Lewandowski

Sweden:

Olsen - Krafth, Lindelöf, Danielson, Augustinsson - Karlstrom, Olsson, Kulusevski, Forsberg - Isak, Quaison

World Cup qualification: The playoff final Portugal against North Macedonia in the live ticker – the line-up

Portugal:

Costa - Cancelo, Pereira, Pepe, Mendes, Fernandes, Moutinho, Otavio - Ronaldo, Jota, Silva

North Macedonia:

Dimitrievski - Ristovski, Musliu, Velkovski, Alioski - Elmas, Bardhi, Ademi, Trajkovski, Ristovski, Kostadinov

The last chance for three superstars: The World Cup playoffs in the live ticker

First report from March 29th: Munich – international break is boring?

Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that!

This football Tuesday has it all.

While the DFB-Elf with the Netherlands (here in the live ticker) gets the first real indicator of the flick era, three absolute top stars fight in the World Cup qualifying playoffs for the last European places at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar *: Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Zlatan Ibrahimovic - at least one of them has to bury his World Cup dream today.

At 8.45 p.m. there are two of actually three playoff games.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal meet the underdogs North Macedonia, who sensationally knocked out European champions Italy 1-0 in the semifinals last Thursday (March 24).

In the second knockout game, Robert Lewandowski and Poland meet Sweden.

Because of the Russian attack, Ukraine will not meet Scotland in the semi-finals until June, with the winners then meeting Wales.

Finals of the World Cup playoffs in the live ticker: Portugal has to fight against Italy scare North Macedonia

Cristiano Ronaldo is out, the President of North Macedonia is sure of that.

"Get ready, you're next," tweeted top politician Stevo Pendarovski in the direction of the superstar from Portugal before the game against the Italy shock.

The whole of North Macedonia is dreaming of the next big coup after beating the European champions - and desperately wants to go to Qatar for the World Cup.

“Football is different at the moment.

Anyone can beat anyone.

Names, numbers and statistics don't matter," said Portugal's Joao Moutinho before the game against the country with two million inhabitants, which is only 67th in the world rankings.

Although Portugal should have been warned by the debacle of the Italians, the role of favorites is of course clearly distributed.

World Cup qualification: The playoff finals in the live ticker - Ronaldo is confident of victory against North Macedonia

"We know very well that we have to be there in Qatar," said Portugal's Bernardo Silva from Manchester City.

Anything else would be a disgrace, after all, Portugal* has not missed a World Cup since 1998, while North Macedonia recently qualified for a major tournament (EURO 2020) for the first time.

Ronaldo himself is certain: "There is no World Cup without Portugal.

There is a final tomorrow and we are ready.”

North Macedonia's plan should be clear: give everything, throw everything in and somehow eliminate Ronaldo.

"We have 90 minutes to fulfill our childhood dream, not just ours but that of the whole country," said midfielder Elif Elmas.

And further: “We must not miss this opportunity.

We have to burn on the field to get to Qatar." Ezgjan Alioski said: "We don't want to mess up Ronaldo's career but we think we can win against Portugal."

Finals of the World Cup playoffs in the live ticker: Poland against Sweden - Lewy against Zlatan

Before the all-important duel with Sweden*, the Poles* were able to breathe a sigh of relief: Lewandowski got over his knee problems in time.

After the attacker from Bayern Munich* missed the international match against Scotland, he returned to team training on Sunday (March 27).

Ibrahimovic is also ready, the old champion was suspended in the playoff semifinals against the Czech Republic.

"A World Cup without Zlatan is not a World Cup," the eccentric said four years ago when he wasn't part of Sweden's World Cup squad.

Now, at 40, Ibrahimovic wants to know again.

"I'll play until someone better than me comes along.

That's why I'm still playing," said the man with the oversized ego.

By the way: The draw for the group phase of the Winter World Cup in Qatar* is already scheduled for Friday (April 1).