Israel crash out as Ukraine pull through in Euro 2024 play-offs

The Euro 2024 play-off finals line-up sees Wales host Poland in Cardiff, Ukraine take on Iceland in Wroclaw, and Georgia meet Greece in Tbilisi

Ukraine celebrate with their fans after beating Bosnia-Herzegovina

(Reuters)

Israel crashed out of the European Championship qualifying play-offs against Iceland on Thursday, as Ukraine found two late goals for a stunning win at Bosnia-Herzegovina.

A missed penalty in the 80th minute by Israel’s record scorer Eran Zahavi that would have leveled the score led to a late collapse in a 4-1 rout for Iceland. Israel had led when Zahavi scored a first-half penalty.

Ukraine’s new star forward Artem Dovbyk rose in the 88th to head the decisive goal in a 2-1 win just three minutes after Roman Yaremchuk had canceled Bosnia’s lead taken in the 56th.

Ukraine will now face Iceland — the surprise quarterfinalist at Euro 2016 — on Tuesday with a place at Euro 2024 in Germany at stake.

It was an evening of big wins and no extra time needed in the six play-off semi-finals.

Poland pushed aside overmatched Estonia 5-1 and Wales won 4-1 to deny Finland a return to the finals after making its tournament debut at Euro 2020.

Greece, the shocking champion at Euro 2004, scored four in the first half of an easy 5-0 win over Kazakhstan, after Georgia had beaten Luxembourg 2-0.

The winners now play single-leg knockout bracket finals Tuesday that will go to penalty shootouts if needed to complete the 24-nation Euro 2024 lineup.

It will be: Wales vs Poland in Cardiff; Ukraine vs Iceland in Wroclaw, Poland; Georgia vs Greece in Tbilisi.

Ukraine must host international games in neutral countries and has not played on its own territory since the Russian military invasion started in February 2022.

Though Israel was seeded as the home team, it hosted Iceland in neutral Budapest, Hungary, for security reasons during the conflict in Gaza.

Home advantage was key elsewhere with Bosnia the only one of five teams playing in their home stadiums that lost.

Euro 2024 is being played in 10 German cities from 14 June to 14 July.

AP