Norway joined Spain, Portugal and Italy in the semi-finals of the UEFA Under-19 Championship after holding Spain in a goalless draw in a match from Group B at the National Stadium on Monday.
Luis Pimenta’s side therefore took the runner-up spot as they ended their commitments on five points, two behind Spain and three ahead of Iceland with Greece finishing at the bottom with just one point.
In the semi-finals, Spain will be facing Group A runner-up Italy while Norway take on Group A winner Portugal. The semi-finals will be played on Thursday but the venue and kick-off time are yet to be confirmed.
At the National Stadium, Norway took the point they needed in a goalless draw with Spain.
Spain could have easily taken the lead on the 8th minute but Alex Garrido missed an incredible opportunity hitting sky high from an ideal position. Norway went close with an acrobatic effort by Benjamin Faraas but Spain threatened once again with angled shots from the right by Assane Diao and Dani Rodriguez – the former’s attempt ended just wide and the latter’s effort was blocked by Rugland Ree.
Spain started the second half brightly, and substitute Fresneda had a first shot blocked and a second fly over the bar and towards the hour, another substitute, Valle concluded a good move for Spoin with a close-range shot which was saved by the Norway goalkeeper. Spain pushed for the winner in the dying minutes and four minutes from time, Rugland Ree came to the rescue, neutralising a Gonzalo close-range header and finally an Ilias Akomach attempt was parried by the goalkeeper two minutes later.
SPAIN Ander Astralaga, Yarek Gasiorowski (46’ Ivan Fresneda), Edgar Pujol, Manuel Angel (46’ Alex Valle), Dani Rodriguez (67’ Gonzalo), David Jimenez, Felix Garreta, Wassim Keddari, Aleix Garrido, Assane Diao (75’ Ilias Akomach), Dani Perez (46’ Cesar Palacios).
NORWAY Mangus Rugland Ree, Vede Walle Edgeli, Nikolai Hopland, Vegard Solheim (60’ Dylan Murugesapillai), Alwande Roaldsoy, Niklas Odegard (70’ Syver Aas), Oliver Braude (60’ Heine Bruseth), Simen Haram, Daniel Bassi, Benjamin Faraas (89’ Erik Flataker), Oskar Sivertsen (Henrik Skogvold).
Referee: Yael Falcón ARG
Assistant referees: Facundo Rodríguez ARG, Deniss Ševcenko LVA
Fourth official: Ishmael Barbara MLT
At the Tony Bezzina Stadium, Iceland had to beat Greece by at least two goals and hope for a Norway defeat to qualify but were held in a goalless draw by Greece who were therefore collecting their first point in this campaign after conceding ten goals in the first two matches.
GREECE Dimitrios Monsastirlis, Athanasios Prodromitis, Dimitrios Keramitsis, Alexios Kaolgeropoulos, Zisis Tsikos (84’ Dimitrios Kottas), Evangelos Nikolau (74’ Anastasios Symeonidis), Stefanos Tzimas ()84’ Alexios Gkolfinos), Georgios Kyriopoulos (74’ Charalampos Georgiadis), Kostantinos Gkoumas (66’ Lampros Smyrlis, Nikolaos Spyrakos, Ioannis Apostolakis.
ICELAND Lukas Petersson, Hlynur Freyr Karlsson (65’ Johannes Kristinn Bjarnason), Logi Hrafn Robertsson,Sigurbergur Aki Jorundsson, Bjarni Gudjon Brynjolfsson (58’ Gisli Gottskalk Thordarson), Adolf Dadi Birgisson (58’. Robert Frosti Thorkelsson), Eggert Aron Gudmundsson, Gudmundur Baldvin Nokkvason (65’ Haukur Andri Haraldsson), Daniel Freyr Kristjansson, Arnar Daniel Adalsteinsson, Agust Orri Thorsteinsson (78’ Bekony Breki Andresson.
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER
Assistant referees: Robert Kempter GER, Rafael Morim LUX
Fourth official: Genc Nuza KOS