Scotland boosted their Euro 2025 qualification hopes after overcoming a half-hour delay to kick-off following protestor disruption to defeat Israel 4-1 at Hampden Park.
The choice was taken earlier this month to play the match behind closed doorways following intelligence over deliberate disruptions in response to Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza.
Whereas round 150 Palestinian supporters gathered exterior the principle stand of the nationwide stadium, kick-off was delayed for simply over half-hour after a protester sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrases ‘Purple Card For Israel’ breached Hampden safety and chained themselves to a goalpost.
After the match finally kicked off at 7.35pm, Scotland signalled their intent early on when Kirsty Hanson’s cross from the left dropped onto the crossbar.
The hosts took the lead within the seventeenth minute when Claire Emslie burst in on the again publish to get on the top of Martha Thomas’s inswinging cross from the left and volley dwelling from 5 yards out.
Hanson then tucked dwelling the second from shut vary on the half-hour mark after Thomas’ preliminary effort got here again off a publish.
Hanson went shut when she smashed a shot towards a publish from 10 yards earlier than Emslie tapped her second of the night into an empty web after being teed up contained in the six-yard field by a sq. ball from Hanson.
Thomas scored the Scots’ fourth with a 63rd-minute penalty after Chelsea Cornet was tripped earlier than Israel hit again with a late strike from Talia Sommer.
The 2 sides meet once more behind closed doorways in Budapest on Tuesday.
Barton penalty rescues dwelling draw for Wales towards Ukraine
Wales misplaced their 100 per cent file in Euro 2025 qualifying as Kayleigh Barton’s second-half penalty prevented defeat to Ukraine in Llanelli.
Barton’s spot-kick secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw after Veronika Andrukhiv had fired Ukraine forward inside three minutes.
The guests profited from the opening assault, with Wales the architects of their very own downfall to concede for the primary time in 5 video games.
Rhiannon Roberts, having obtained a return move from goalkeeper Olivia Clark, handed it straight to Andrukhiv, who discovered an unguarded web from 20 yards with aplomb.
Wales discovered a second-half equaliser when skipper Angharad James for a robust shot that goalkeeper Daria Keliushyk saved with Ceri Holland’s goalbound drive pushed away by the diving defender Olha Basanska.
Barton then confidently tucked away the Sixty fourth-minute penalty for her nineteenth Wales objective.
The 2 sides meet once more on Tuesday, with war-torn Ukraine’s dwelling qualifier being performed in neighbouring Poland.
Northern Eire get actuality test with heavy defeat to Portugal
Northern Eire suffered their first defeat of the Euro 2025 qualifying marketing campaign as they went down 4-0 to Portugal in Leiria.
Carole Costa opened the scoring from the penalty spot halfway by way of the primary half and Lucia Alves doubled the benefit 4 minutes into the second half.
Catarina Amado added a 3rd with seven minutes left earlier than Alves received her second deep into stoppage time.
After taking 4 factors from their opening two video games, this was at all times Northern Eire’s hardest sport on paper and so they had been grateful to each goalkeeper Jackie Burns and the offside flag for guaranteeing the scoreline was not any greater.
The 2 sides will meet once more at Mourneview Park on Tuesday.
Republic of Eire swept apart by Sweden
The Republic of Eire stay pointless in Euro 2025 qualifying after a 3-0 defeat at dwelling to Sweden.
Chelsea’s Johanna Rytting Kaneryd bagged a brace whereas Fridolina Rolfo additionally struck as Eileen Gleeson’s facet noticed their winless run prolong to 5 matches.
Normal Liege ahead Amber Barrett had a few good early probabilities having teed up Lily Agg for a close-range effort she trickled huge.
Kaneryd made no such mistake within the twenty sixth minute when she clipped an angled shot previous Courtney Brosnan.
The World Cup bronze medallists continued to benefit from the higher probabilities and when Everton goalkeeper Brosnan spilled Rolfo’s cross, Jessica Ziu blocked Madelen Janogy.
Brosnan redeemed herself with a very good save one-on-one with Rolfo however the Barcelona ahead was to not be denied and added Sweden’s second simply previous the hour.
Louise Quinn’s try and cease Filippa Angeldal’s low cross solely succeeded in diverting the ball to Rolfo, who took a contact earlier than curling a shot previous Brosnan.
5 minutes from time Kaneryd added her second, launching the counter-attack which led to Matilda Vinberg’s shot being parried to her for to attain by way of the crossbar.
