Gudmundsson hat-trick earns Iceland 4-1 win over Israel

BUDAPEST, March 21 (Reuters) - Albert Gudmundsson scored a hat-trick and Arnor Traustason got the other goal as Iceland booked their place in the Path B playoff final in the Euro 2024 qualifiers with a thumping 4-1 victory over Israel in neutral Budapest on Thursday.

Eran Zahavi put Israel ahead from the penalty spot but they finished the game with 10 men following a red card for Roy Revivo, after which Zahavi missed a second spot-kick to level the score 10 minutes from the end.

Iceland will face Ukraine in the Path B final on Tuesday, with the victor earning a place in Group E in Germany along with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania.

Israel earned their first penalty when Daniel Gretarsson clipped the heels of Zahavi in the box and the latter stepped up to drill the ball low into the left-hand corner from the spot.

Iceland were level on 39 minutes with a sublime 30-yard free-kick from Gudmundsson, and within three minutes they had turned the tie on its head through Traustason’s deflected volley.

Israel’s task got harder when Revivo received a deserved straight red card from referee Anthony Taylor for a horror tackle, but were given a lifeline with a second penalty for handball, but this time Zahavi could not finish and Iceland made the game safe with two late goals.

(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar)