BRATISLAVA, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- With no chance of advancing to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Slovakia concluded its European qualifiers with a dominant 6-0 victory in Malta on Sunday.
Croatia won Group H after edging out Russia 1-0, advancing directly to the World Cup and pushing its opponents into second place, forcing them to enter the playoff round for second-ranked teams and UEFA Nations League winners.
Slovakia and Slovenia amassed an identical amount of 14 points, with the former finishing third on goal difference.
Slovakia coach Stefan Tarkovic made seven changes to his starting lineup after Thursday's match against Slovenia, and was rewarded as his team jumped into a 3-0 lead after just 16 minutes.
The home team's hopes for a solid result were crushed early in the second half when two Maltese players were sent off for two yellow cards, leaving the defense full of holes which Slovakia mercilessly exploited, scoring three more goals.
FC Cologne midfielder Ondrej Duda scored twice in the second half to complete his hat-trick. "I have never scored three times in one match, it's something new for me. I am glad about the goals and also about our performance as we concluded the qualifiers in the right way," said Duda.
The final qualifying match was also special for Slovakia's Argentinian-born defender Vernon de Marco. He came on for his Slovakia debut in the 70th minute and scored a goal with his first touch just a minute later.
"It was an unbelievable moment. I thought I was dreaming. My first goal will be unforgettable. We are going home happy," beamed De Marco afterwards.
Said Tarkovic, "I am glad about our high effectiveness at the beginning. This was not the case in previous matches. All the substitutes showed they are on the same level as the starting eleven. The qualifiers were not successful for us but the team improved towards the end and it definitely has potential." Enditem