Italy Beats Ukraine in Key Euro 2024 Qualifier. Spain Wins Big and Romania Fans’ Chants Stop Game 

Italy's Davide Frattesi, left, scores against Ukraine during the Euro 2024 group C qualifying soccer match between Italy and Ukraine at San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept.12, 2023. (AP)
Italy's Davide Frattesi, left, scores against Ukraine during the Euro 2024 group C qualifying soccer match between Italy and Ukraine at San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept.12, 2023. (AP)
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Italy Beats Ukraine in Key Euro 2024 Qualifier. Spain Wins Big and Romania Fans’ Chants Stop Game 

Italy's Davide Frattesi, left, scores against Ukraine during the Euro 2024 group C qualifying soccer match between Italy and Ukraine at San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept.12, 2023. (AP)
Italy's Davide Frattesi, left, scores against Ukraine during the Euro 2024 group C qualifying soccer match between Italy and Ukraine at San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept.12, 2023. (AP)

European champion Italy took a big step Tuesday toward being able to defend its title. Spain and Belgium won easily on their path to Euro 2024. Sweden looks like it’s failing to qualify for the first time in 28 years.

Romania and Kosovo managed to finish a game that risked being abandoned. Political pro-Serbia chants by home fans in Bucharest forced a 45-minute delay in the first half and players were taken back to their locker rooms.

After Romania risked forfeiting the game as a 3-0 loss, late goals earned a 2-0 win though the national federation now faces punishment in a UEFA disciplinary case.

The highest-stakes game of the evening saw Italy secure a vital 2-1 win over Ukraine in what shapes as a tight race to finish second in the group led by England.

Two first-half goals by Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi in his home stadium at San Siro gave new coach Luciano Spalletti a first win after a tension-filled draw at North Macedonia on Saturday.

Italy’s improved and more energetic performance survived Ukraine forward Andriy Yarmolenko cutting the lead before halftime.

Italy and Ukraine are tied on seven points — with North Macedonia, which beat Malta 2-0 but has the toughest schedule — trailing six behind England, who Spalletti’s team must face at Wembley Stadium next month.

A possible scenario is a decisive final-round game between Ukraine and Italy on Nov. 20: a place at Euro 2024 for one, and for the other uncertainty next March in the playoffs that stopped Italy going to the past two World Cups.

SETTLED SPAIN

On the field, the Spanish men’s team has found a calm serenity in stark contrast to the scandalous furor surrounding its now-former federation president Luis Rubiales.

A 6-0 rout of Cyprus on Tuesday followed a 7-1 win at Georgia on Friday. In between, Rubiales finally resigned while suspended by FIFA and now under criminal investigation by Spanish prosecutors for alleged sexual assault against player Jenni Hermoso at the Women’s World Cup final on Aug. 20.

Coach Luis de la Fuente seems to have survived in his job despite ties to Rubiales and his players did their bit in Granada to show all is well within the men’s team.

“I’m happy because there’s reason to be,” said De la Fuente, who had no concerns after Gavi started the scoring in the 18th. Substitute Ferran Torres scored twice in a late flurry of goals.

Spain now trails six points behind group leader Scotland. Spain lost 2-0 in Glasgow in March and hosts the Scots next on Oct. 12 before playing its game in hand at Norway three days later.

Norway stars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard scored first-half goals Tuesday in a 2-1 win over Georgia to stay in outside contention for a top-two finish. The playoffs await Norway as a safety net.

SWEDEN SLUMPS

Sweden does not have a playoff option and not much hope of a top-two finish trailing badly behind Belgium and Austria in Group F.

As Belgium cruised past last-place Estonia 5-0, Sweden slumped to a 3-1 home loss against Austria that left coach Janne Andersson insisting he would not walk away from the job he has held for more than seven years.

Sweden has qualified for six straight Euros since missing the 1996 edition but now is seven points behind the two leaders with three rounds left. Next up: away to Belgium on Oct. 16.

Belgian celebrations started early against Estonia with veteran defender Jan Vertonghen scoring a fourth-minute header in his 150th game for the Red Devils.

Romelu Lukaku scored twice in three second-half minutes to run his tallies to 77 goals in 110 national-team games. Belgium next goes to Austria on Oct. 13.

TIGHT RACE

Switzerland, Romania and Israel are locked in a three-way battle for two qualifying places from Group I.

Romania captain Nicolae Stanciu went over to talk with fans who had chanted and displayed a banner with the “Kosovo is Serbia” slogan early in the game.

Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 is formally recognized by about 100 countries and the majority of European Union members though not Romania.

Late goals by Stanciu and Valentin Mihăilă, in stoppage time, sealed the win that proved even more important after Israel also found a goal in added time from Gabi Kanichowsky to beat Belarus 1-0.

Switzerland eventually cruised past last-place Andorra 3-0 with second-half goals from Cedric Itten, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri.

The Swiss lead Romania by two points with Israel a point further back and each had four games left. Israel hosts Switzerland on Oct. 12.



Paralympics Tickets Popular with Parisians who Snubbed Olympics

FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Paralympics - Paris, France - August 18, 2024 Workers work to convert the Eiffel Tower Stadium from the beach volleyball venue to the Paralympic blind football venue for the coming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Paralympics - Paris, France - August 18, 2024 Workers work to convert the Eiffel Tower Stadium from the beach volleyball venue to the Paralympic blind football venue for the coming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
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Paralympics Tickets Popular with Parisians who Snubbed Olympics

FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Paralympics - Paris, France - August 18, 2024 Workers work to convert the Eiffel Tower Stadium from the beach volleyball venue to the Paralympic blind football venue for the coming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Paralympics - Paris, France - August 18, 2024 Workers work to convert the Eiffel Tower Stadium from the beach volleyball venue to the Paralympic blind football venue for the coming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo

Parisians are the main buyers of tickets for the Paralympic Games, organizers said, rushing to grab a second opportunity to see competitions in some of the Games' spectacular venues, after many chose to snub the Olympics or missed out on tickets.
In July, Parisians had left the city in droves ahead of the Olympics, with entire neighborhoods turned eerily quiet as residents decamped as they feared the disturbance and traffic problems many thought the Games would bring, Reuters reported.
But the Games turned out to be a global success. The Paralympics will allow them to see Olympic sports in the same venues, including at the feet of the Eiffel Tower or in the gardens of the Versailles castle outside Paris.
Organizers said that of the more than 1.75 million tickets already sold ahead of the Aug. 28 start of the Paralympics, 92% came from French buyers, with buyers from the Ile-de-France region around Paris taking the lion's share of 73%.
Parisian Mathieu Bucella is set to boost these numbers a little further.
"I'm seriously thinking about it because I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't think of getting tickets for the (Olympic) Games, so this is my second chance," he said.
Organizers said several sessions were nearly sold out already, notably wheelchair fencing and para taekwondo in Grand Palais, para track cycling in Saint Quentin, para equestrian in Chateau de Versailles and blind football at Champ de Mars.
"We were watching the Olympic Games on TV, but after that you get that gut feeling that you want to come and see everything with your own eyes," Mexican tourist Arlet Haro said.
US tourist Asad Rahman said he was glad to have come to Paris for the Paralympics.
"Things are a little bit more open than what we heard with the Olympics, where they closed off some areas. So, it works out, as a tourist," he said by the Eiffel Tower, where workers were converting the beach volleyball pitch into a blind football pitch.
Heavy security during the Olympics made movement across the city center difficult as many key thoroughfares were blocked.
The Paralympics will run until Sept.8.