Poland booked their place at Euro 2024 in dramatic fashion, edging past Wales 5-4 on penalties after a tense 0-0 draw in Cardiff on Tuesday night.

The game itself was a tight affair with few clear-cut chances. Wales’ Kieffer Moore came closest to breaking the deadlock in the second half with a powerful header, but Wojciech Szczesny produced a magnificent save to keep the scores level.

Extra time failed to separate the sides, and with Chris Mepham receiving a red card for Wales in the dying seconds, the game went to a penalty shootout.

Both sides converted their first four penalties flawlessly, before Szczesny became the hero, diving low to palm away Daniel James’ effort. This secured a dramatic victory for Poland and sent them through to their fifth consecutive European Championship finals.

Key Moment: Szczesny’s stunning save from Moore’s header in the second half kept Poland in the game.

Stat Attack: Poland’s win extends their unbeaten run against Wales to an incredible ten matches (W7 D3), a streak stretching back to 1973.

This victory marks a significant moment for Poland under new manager Michal Probierz and sends them to Germany with momentum on their side. Wales, meanwhile, are left to rue their missed opportunities and ponder what might have been.