This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
On Friday, November 16, 2019, Finland made history by qualifying for their first major tournament, securing a 3-0 win over Liechtenstein. This achievement marked a significant milestone for the team, who wrapped up second place behind Group J winners Italy.
Teemu Pukki, a forward for Norwich City, scored twice in Helsinki, while Jasse Tuominen also netted, bringing the home crowd onto the pitch at the final whistle.
Italy, led by Roberto Mancini, registered a record 10th straight win with a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica. Francesco Acerbi, Lorenzo Insigne, and Andrea Belotti scored for Italy, who bounced back impressively after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup for the first time since 1958.
"Mancini has done a great job, he has given us clear ideas in a short period of time. We are proud of the record of ten consecutive wins but our objectives and our dreams are honestly others," said Belotti.
Sweden qualified for a sixth straight European Championships with a 2-0 success in Bucharest, eliminating Romania from contention. Marcus Berg and Robin Quaison scored first-half goals for Sweden, who secured second place behind Group F winners Spain.
Spain sealed top spot in their group with a 7-0 thrashing of lowly Malta in Cadiz. Alvaro Morata opened the scoring on 23 minutes, followed by Santi Cazorla's first international goal in four years. Pau Torres, substitutes Pablo Sarabia and Dani Olmo, Gerard Moreno, and Jesus Navas completed the rout.
Spanish fans honored Sergio Ramos with a huge mosaic of the defender, who broke the record for most national team appearances last month. Ramos earned his 169th cap on Friday and said, "I'm very happy. What better way for me to toast this tribute than with a victory of such authority and playing such good football?"
"The joy is two-fold on both a personal and group level," he added.
