Drama in Lisbon as Mitrovic winner condemns Portugal to play-offs
Portugal needed a draw or win at home against Serbia in the last qualifying game to secure a ticket to Qatar 2022 and saw their hopes dashed by Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The final game of the Group A campaign saw Portugal heart-broken as Alexsandar Mitrovic scored a late winner for Serbia that secured a direct passage to the Qatar 2022 World Cup for the Balkan nation who finish their campaign unbeaten.
Fernando Santos' men came into the Lisbon clash knowing that a win or draw would be sufficient to secure a place at the 2022 tournament and the home side got off to the perfect start as Renato Sanches found the target to get Portugal fans dreaming after just 2 minutes.
Dusan Tadic pulled a goal back for Serbia on the 33rd minute and as the clock ticked down Mitrovic latched on to a cross to head past Rui Patricio beating the AS Roma keeper at his near post to silence the crowd at the Estadio da Luz.
🇷🇸 СРБИЈА ЈЕ НА СВЕТСКОМ ПРВЕНСТВУ! ИДЕМО У КАТАР! @FIFAWorldCup 🔥🏆🇶🇦#SrcemSvim #Orlovi #Srbija #FSS#PORSRB #WorldCup #WCQ pic.twitter.com/yrDjdRuVna
— Fudbalski savez Srbije | FA of Serbia (@FSSrbije) November 14, 2021
Portugal now join the likes of Sweden, North Macedonia and Finland in the complicated play-off system that will see three additional UEFA sides progress to Qatar along with the ten qualifying group winners.
Tagged in:
- Dusan Tadic
- Aleksandar Mitrovic
- Serbia national football team
- Estádio da Luz
- Portugal national football team
- Fer Componentes
- Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
- Mundial 2022
- Football stadiums
- FIFA World Cup
- National teams
- World Cup
- Sports facilities
- Football
- World Championship
- Competitions
- Sports
- Enterprises
- Economy
- Selección portuguesa