Czechia’s World Cup aspirations faced a setback with a surprising 2-1 loss to the Faroe Islands. Ranked 136th globally, the Faroe Islands are now just one point behind Czechia in Group L, keeping their play-off hopes alive.
Hanus Sorensen scored first for the hosts in the 67th minute, but Adam Karabec equalised 11 minutes later. Martin Agnarsson then capitalised on poor defending to net an 81st-minute winner.
Croatia strengthened their position at the top of Group L by defeating Gibraltar 3-0. Toni Fruk opened the scoring in the 30th minute. Despite missing a penalty through Lovro Majer, Croatia secured victory with late goals from Luka Sucic and Martin Erlic. This win places Croatia three points ahead of Czechia with two matches remaining.
In Group C, Denmark reclaimed the top spot after a 3-1 triumph over Greece. Rasmus Hojlund, Joachim Andersen, and Mikkel Damsgaard scored in the first half. Christos Tzolis managed a consolation goal for Greece after Tasos Bakasetas hit the post. Denmark couldn’t add more despite Andersen also hitting the woodwork.
Austria’s perfect qualifying run ended against Romania at Arena Nationala. Substitute Virgil Ghita scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner for Romania. Despite this setback, Ralf Rangnick’s team remains atop Group H with two games left but failed to widen their lead over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Poland narrowed the Netherlands’ lead in Group G to three points by beating Lithuania 2-0. Sebastian Szymanski broke the deadlock in the first half and assisted Robert Lewandowski for Poland’s second goal. This victory was crucial for Poland as they aim to challenge for group supremacy.
The Faroe Islands’ recent form is noteworthy as they have won their last three matches consecutively. They have achieved four victories in World Cup qualifiers within their group, surpassing their previous best of two wins in any qualification campaign before this.
Czechia’s performance against the Faroe Islands might leave them questioning how they failed to secure a result despite their attacking efforts. They had 15 shots with an expected goals (xG) value of 1.42 but only managed one shot on target. In contrast, their opponents had six attempts worth 0.5 xG, with three on target.
As November approaches, the Faroe Islands will face Croatia needing a win to potentially finish second in Group L while hoping Czechia does not defeat Gibraltar, who have yet to earn any points in this campaign.
The current standings and performances highlight how competitive these groups are as teams vie for qualification spots and play-off opportunities in next year’s World Cup tournament.