Match 1: Luxembourg 1-4 Switzerland
21 September 1988, Stade Municipal (Luxembourg)
A solid win to open the qualification for Jeandupeux’s new-look Swiss team. Luxembourg had not managed to collectively put in a good enough performance to worry the visitors, and though their two stars, midfielder Hellers and striker Langers, had shown that they were fine players, the Swiss were not duly worried. They had Favre bossing the midfield, and up top young forward Türkyılmaz broke his international goal duck with two goals, a penalty included. The margin of win would’ve pleased the visitors’ manager. 

Match 2: Luxembourg 0-2 Czechoslovakia
18 October 1988, Stade de la Frontière (Esch-sur Alzette)
Czechoslovakia would have been expecting to return home with both points, and they duly did after two first half goals in order to get their campaign up and running with a necessary win. They had travelled without some big names: Straka, Kocian, Kubík and Knoflíček, the latter two had recently defected, whilst the two former had already joined West German Bundesliga clubs. Still, they had had too much power for a Luxembourg side expected to struggle to obtain even a single point. Hašek and Chovanec with the goals. 

Match 3: Belgium 1-0 Switzerland
19 October 1988, Stade du Heysel (Brussels)
Wasteful Belgium sweep past dire guests

Match 4: Czechoslovakia 0-0 Belgium
16 November 1988, Tehelné Pole (Bratislava)
Belgium weather off the storm in Bratislava.

Match 5: Portugal 1-0 Luxembourg
16 November 1988, Estádio do Bessa (Porto)
Since Luxembourg had already begun their qualification with two defeats, and thus revealing that they were still languishing towards the very bottom of the continent’s nations in rank, a resounding home win for a Portugal expected to chase for World Cup qualification was what the spectators had come to see in Porto. However, a somewhat unbalanced host line-up ensured that they struggled to find their rhythm, and a plucky Luxembourg kept them at bay for large parts, even if the hosts had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession (very much as expected). The only goal of the game had come on the half hour, and it was a terrific strike from veteran forward Gomes to win it. The Portuguese had looked better when they’d taken off 36 year old striker Jordão for midfielder Magalhães, with young playmaker Paneira coming into the centre.

Match 6: Portugal 1-1 Belgium
15 February 1989, Estádio da Luz (Lisbon)
Silvino’s howler gifts Belgium a point.

Match 7: Portugal 3-1 Switzerland
26 April 1989, Estádio da Luz (Lisbon)
After conceding a late leveller in their previous match, this was the Portuguese’s third successive home tie, and should they be considered for a place in next year’s tournament in Italy, they could not afford to drop points to a Swiss side which had both won and lost so far away from home. There’s plenty of midfield balance in this host select; perhaps too much. They fail to get going during a dull opening half. The Swiss have Marini following Barros around, though they can’t quite replicate their performance after the break, conceding three times in the space of 20 minutes, despite getting a goal back from Zuffi in the process. This is the Swiss’ campaign all but over, whilst Portugal must now look and see what their away form is going to be like, as they face four straight journeys later in the qualification.

Match 8: Belgium 2-1 Czechoslovakia
29 April 1989, Stade du Heysel (Brussels)
A big clash in Brussels, where the hosts took on a Czechoslovakia which had yet to concede. They had perhaps been unfortunate not to win against the Belgians at home in Bratislava, but Heysel was always going to prove tricky. The afternoon’s hosts had collected important away points against fierce qualification rivals, and they would ultimately go one better in front of their own, notching a 2-1 win thanks to a brace from attacking ace Mark Degryse. Czechoslovakia saw the return to telling international action for ‘West Germans’ Kocian and Straka, and though they never made it easy on the hosts, they didn’t have sufficient quality in their ranks to add to their late first half goal from Luhový. 

Match 9: Czechoslovakia 4-0 Luxembourg
9 May 1989, Stadion Letná (Prague)
After that recent defeat in the Belgian capital, Czechoslovakia could not afford a slip-up against the group minnows. They were dominated by Sparta Prague players: No less than eight of them were in the squad, with six starting. One of them, bustling striker Griga, gave them an early lead to settle their nerves, though they couldn’t build on that in a scrappy first half. The hosts were improved after the break, even if it took them until a quarter of an hour from time to score their second. Luxembourg, without ace striker Langers, had put Belgium based Hellers up front, but as an attacking threat they had next to nothing to offer. Czechoslovakia eventually made their class tell, and they left happy enough with four goals to their name. 

Match 10: Luxembourg 0-5 Belgium
1 June 1989, Stade Grimonprez-Jooris (Lille, France)
Due to ongoing construction of Luxembourg’s prefered choice of home stadium, the game had been switched to Lille in France, where the Belgians never made hard work of overcoming the underdogs. The hosts were without their manager Philipp on the sidelines, as he had been sent to the stands during the loss in Prague. Not that it would’ve made a difference had he been there. Belgium were far too good. Marc Van Der Linden, the only Antwerp player in their squad, had his big international night with no less than four goals, and not just through points but also goals, the Belgians were consolidating at the top of the table. The Ceulemans/Van Der Linden tandem had worked well, and with Degryse feeding just off the pair, the ‘Red Devils’ had looked very swift going forward. 

Match 11: Switzerland 0-1 Czechoslovakia
7 June 1989, Stadion Wankdorf (Bern)
Interesting Swiss line-up, but they can’t match physical Czechoslovakians.

Match 12: Belgium 3-0 Portugal
6 September 1989, Stade Heysel (Brussels)
Two attacking-minded teams, but Portugal’s defence thoroughly exposed.

Match 13: Switzerland 1-2 Portugal
20 September 1989, Stade de la Maladière (Neuchâtel)
Having lost heavily in Belgium two weeks earlier, Portugal once again were in need of a win against the Swiss in order to not lose ground to the top two. This was new Swiss manager Stielike’s first qualifier in charge, and after the fine, if not entirely convincing (performance wise), friendly win against the Brazil Olympic select earlier in the summer, they moved ahead through that man Türkyılmaz (penalty) again. Portugal reshaped just before the break, though, taking off ineffective winger Magalhães for striker Águas. This saw them switch from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3, and they would ultimately score twice in the space of four second half minutes to take home two precious points. Águas had netted their second, and he was possibly the best player on the pitch. 

Match 14: Czechoslovakia 2-1 Portugal
6 October 1989, Stadion Letná (Prague)
Ten man Czechoslovakia with crucial win thanks to two Bílek goals.

Match 15: Luxembourg 0-3 Portugal
11 October 1989, Ludwigspark Stadion (Saarbrücken)
Since they had not managed to score more than once in their home tie against the Luxembourg side, Portugal were struggling to maintain an impressive enough goal difference. This could prove disastrous in their chase of a qualification berth, so a big haul on West German soil against the same side which had nearly come away unstuck in Porto early in the qualification, would do them a world of good. Ultimately, they had to settle for three, which is no mean feat away from home in international football nevertheless. Águas, a starter this time, had scored their first two, with Barros completing the rout 20 minutes from time. 

Match 16: Switzerland 2-2 Belgium
11 October 1989, St. Jakob Stadion (Basel)
Against an injury-hit Swiss team, the Belgians were looking for another qualification win to ensure their World Cup participation. However, in life after the legendary Guy Thys, they would fail to make the most of this opportunity. Switzerland’s Stielike had brought in several young players, and they appeared to be playing with greater desire than some of those who had featured until now in the qualification. After a goalless first 45, the second half would contain four goals. The hosts were playing with debutant striker Adrian Knup alongside Kubilay Türkyılmaz in the second half, and with further attacking power from the exciting Stéphane Chapuisat to the left in their attack. Both strikers scored, but another Degryse strike and an own goal from experienced defender Geiger saw the Belgians get the point which more or less secured their qualification. 

Match 17: Czechoslovakia 3-0 Switzerland
25 October 1989, Letná Stadion (Prague)
Unimpressive hosts notch all-important win

Match 18: Belgium 1-1 Luxembourg
25 October 1989, Heysel Stadion (Brussels)
A win would all but ensure group victory for the Belgians, as they were already qualified for the World Cup, thanks to the fact that Portugal and Czechoslovakia were meeting each other. Relatively new manager Walter Meeuws had to make do without suspended striker Van Der Linden, and they had drafted in Nico Claesen (Antwerp) for the still only 27 year old to provide an option for Ceulemans/Degryse up front. They had named just about their strongest starting line-up, but they could not quite get going on a disappointing evening for them. They thought they’d won it late on, when Versavel scored with four minutes remaining. However, and to their great credit, Luxembourg came back with a goal from their Belgium based star Hellers (Standard Liège) a minute from time to claim a famous draw. 

Match 19: Portugal 0-0 Czechoslovakia
15 November 1989, Estádio da Luz (Lisbon)
The hosts were in need of victory by four clear goals or more in order to advance through to the World Cup on the visitors’ behalf. They did give it a go from the first kick, although one never quite felt that the strong visitors were duly worrid. Still, Czechoslovakia had fine ‘keeper Stejskal to thank for keeping the half-time scoreline at 0-0. By then one knew that it wasn’t to be for the hosts, as the visitors grew in confidence on an evening of ‘safety first’ in Lisbon. They could even have snatched it late on through substitute Weiss, but an away win would’ve been unjust on the Portuguese. There were some scenes of utter joy among the travelling contingent, players and fans alike, and who could blame them? Italia ’90, here come the Czechoslovaks!

Match 20: Switzerland 2-1 Luxembourg
15 November 1989, Espenmoos (St. Gallen)
In a game of meagre significance, the Swiss at least made sure to nick their second win of the qualification, and they would do it at the expense of the only team they managed to put to the sword during the eight matches long campaign. However, Luxembourg, well motivated after that quite astonishing point in Brussels last time around, put up a very brave fight, and in a relatively low-tempo first half, they even deservedly went in at the break in front, courtesy of Malget’s strike on 14 minutes. A desperately disappointing Alain Sutter was replaced at half-time by Christoph Bonvin, and the substitute takes the plaudits with his equalizer. Türkyılmaz got the winner just after the hour mark, taking his tally to five for the qualification, something which leaves him second only behind Van Der Linden in Group 7.