European champions Italy will miss a second straight World Cup after being shocked 1-0 in stoppage time by North Macedonia in their semi-final playoff on Thursday.
Four-time world champions Italy dominated the entire game in Palermo but it was Aleksandar Trajkovski who found the net with a low shot into the left corner two minutes into time added on.
While Italy and their coach Roberto Mancini will be licking their wounds some eight months after lifting the Euro title, North Macedonia now face a deciding match against Portugal on Tuesday for a place at the finals in Qatar.
Portugal beat Turkey 3-1 in Porto after Turkey veteran Burak Yilmaz missed a penalty for a 2-2 equaliser with six minutes left.
The hosts got a 15th-minute lead when Otavio slotted home from a tight right angle in his home stadium off Bernardo Silva’s shot against the post.
Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, who had missed from point-blank range early on, doubled the lead in the 42nd.
Turkey were back in the game in the 64th from Burak Yilmaz’ low shot off Cengiz Ünder’s through ball.
But veteran Yilmaz then missed a golden opportunity to level by firing an 84th-minute penalty over the bar after Enes Ünal was hit by José Fonte, before Matheus Nunes then wrapped up matters.
Gareth Bale hardly sees any playing time at Real Madrid but he scored a brace in a 2-1 over Austria to keep Wales’ dream alive of playing at a first World Cup in 64 years.
Bale curled a free-kick into the top right corner in the 25th minute in Cardiff and smashed the second into the same place with a diagonal drive six minutes after the restart.
Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer pulled one back with a shot deflected by Ben Davis over the diving goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey a few minutes later but Wales hung on.
They will play for a spot in Qatar in June, with their opponents either Scotland or Ukraine whose game was postponed after the Russian invasion.
Thursday’s other game is between Sweden and Czech Republic, who were goalless in extra time.
© AAP
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