LONDON: Substitute Dan James celebrated his 50th cap with a fine second-half solo goal as Wales trounced Finland 4-1 in Cardiff on Thursday to set up a playoff final with Poland for a place at Euro 2024.
A leaping David Brooks got the hosts off to a dream start in the third minute of the Path A semi-final at the City Stadium when Harry Wilson's shot was saved and rebounded to him for the knock-in.
Neco Williams made it 2-0 in the 38th when he blasted the ball into the top corner off a backheeled free kick by Wilson on the edge of the box, but Finland pulled one back with Teemu Pukki's 40th international goal on the stroke of halftime.
Brennan Johnson restored the two-goal cushion from close-range in the 47th, after Ethan Ampadu headed on from a free kick, and stand-in captain Ben Davies had a fourth ruled out by VAR in the 79th.
James, who had come in the 73rd minute for Johnson, then made it 4-1 in the 86th when he sprinted clear, dribbled around goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and slotted the ball into an open goal.
Greece thump
Kazakhstan 5-0 to reach Euro playoff final
Greece thrashed Kazakhstan 5-0 in their Euro 2024 play-off semi-final on Thursday, booking a place in one of Tuesday's three play-off finals and coming close to a qualification berth after 12 years.
Greece struck twice early with captain Anastasios Bakasetas getting a powerful penalty shot in the ninth minute after defender Bagdat Kairov had fouled Dimitrios Pelkas, who six minutes later doubled the lead with a header that set the raucous home crowd cheering.
The struggling visitors failed to find the net and were outplayed again when Giorgios Masouras broke quickly and crossed for Fotis Ioannidis to finish from close range in the 37th minute.
Dimitrios Kourbelis's header gave the hosts a fourth goal, five minutes before the break, and a late own goal by Alexandr Marochkin made it five for Greece, who will face Georgia on Tuesday.
Poland thrash 10-man Estonia to face Wales for Euro 2024 spot
Poland hammered lacklustre Estonia 5-1 in their Euro 2024 playoff semi-final on Thursday after the visitors were left with 10 men before the half-hour mark.
Poland will travel to Cardiff on Tuesday to face Wales in the Path A final after Rob Page's side beat Finland 4-1 in the other semi-final clash.
The Poles overwhelmed powerless Estonia who rarely left their own half and had no goal attempt until midfielder Martin Vetkal pulled back a consolation goal in the 78th minute.
Gudmundsson hat-trick earns Iceland 4-1 win over Israel
Albert Gudmundsson scored a hat-trick and Arnor Traustason got the other goal as Iceland booked their place in the Path B playoff final in the Euro 2024 qualifiers with a thumping 4-1 victory over Israel in neutral Budapest on Thursday.
Eran Zahavi put Israel ahead from the penalty spot but they finished the game with 10 men following a red card for Roy Revivo, after which Zahavi missed a second spot-kick to level the score 10 minutes from the end.
Iceland will face Ukraine in the Path B final on Tuesday, with the victor earning a place in Group E in Germany along with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania.
Israel earned their first penalty when Daniel Gretarsson clipped the heels of Zahavi in the box and the latter stepped up to drill the ball low into the left-hand corner from the spot.
Iceland were level on 39 minutes with a sublime 30-yard free-kick from Gudmundsson, and within three minutes they had turned the tie on its head through Traustason’s deflected volley.
Georgia one step closer to Euro 2024 after win over Luxembourg
Two goals from Budu Zivzivadze gave Georgia a 2-0 home win over Luxembourg in their Euro 2024 playoff semi-final on Thursday, when the visitors had a player sent off and a goal disallowed in controversial circumstances.
Neither side has ever reached the finals of a major tournament and on a rainy night in Tbilisi it was Georgia who took a step closer. They will host one of Tuesday's three playoff finals against either Greece or Kazakhstan, who play later on Thursday. Agencies
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