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Record: Lamine Yamal, who is only 16 years old, is Spain's youngest international

Photograph:

Zurab Tsertsvadze / AP

Spain, Portugal, Croatia: the favourites did not show any weakness on the way to the 2024 European Football Championship and all won in qualifying. Coach Stefan Kuntz suffered a setback with the Turkish national team, but at least celebrated a late goal in the 1-1 (0-0) draw against Armenia. Turkey thus remains first in qualifying Group D for the time being.

World Cup third-placed Croatia is hot on Turkey's heels, with a sovereign 5-0 (3-0) win over Latvia with a goal from Andrej Kramaric (68th) bringing the team to within three points of Turkey. With the advantage that Croatia has played two games less than the competition. Bertug Yildirim (88th) saved the point for the Kuntz team. The third-placed Armenians had taken the lead through Artek Daschjan (49th).

Spain may not be first in Group A, but they still had every reason to celebrate: In the 7-1 (4-0) win in Georgia, the former European champions impressed with their playful brilliance – and also had a record debutant in their luggage. At the age of just 16 years and 57 days, Lamine Yamal became the youngest Spanish international in history, and that's not all: the FC Barcelona attacker promptly scored a goal (74th). Alvaro Morata (22nd, 40th, 66th) was happy to leave the big stage to Yamal.

High-flyers Scotland

However, Scotland remains the measure of all things in Spain's group: The 3-0 (3-0) in Cyprus was the fifth victory in the fifth qualifying match - with a goal difference of 12-1, Scotland is clearly on course for the Euro. And: Steve Clarke's flawless team had also beaten Spain (2-0) in March.

Portugal have so far mastered the European Championship qualification just as confidently. Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. won the top match of Group J in Slovakia 1-0 (1-0) and are clearly ahead of Slovakia with five wins from five games (15-0 goals). However, the match winner of the 2016 European champions was not Ronaldo, but Bruno Fernandes (43rd), who scored on his 29th birthday on a pass from Bernardo Silva.

ATB/SID