Euro 2016 Qualifying Results

WEEKEND REVIEW

England became the first team to qualify for Euro 2016 after thrashing San Marino 6-0 away from home. The win sees the Three Lions pass into the finals with three games to spare.

It was a historic night for captain Wayne Rooney as he equalled England’s all-time goalscoring record, level with the great Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 goals.

The skipper was applauded off the pitch by both home and away fans as he was replaced shortly before the hour mark.

Switzerland continued to apply a small amount of pressure to England as potential group winners after beating Slovenia 3-2. Estonia also harbour a slim chance of qualifying after a 1-0 win at home to Lithuania.

Spain leapfrogged Slovakia into the top spot in Group C after a convincing 2-0 win at home. Goals from Jordi Alba and Andres Iniesta ensured the points where Spain’s, and they now go ahead of the Slovaks on goal difference, both level on 18 points.

Ukraine kept up the chase on the top two in Group C with a 3-1 win against Belarus. The victory means they are just three points behind Spain and Slovakia—who can ill-afford to make a mistake in the final matches.

Austria kept a grip on the summit of Group G after a slim 1-0 win over minnows Moldova. However, it was a bad night for second-place Sweden, who saw Russia close the gap on them to one point after defeat by a solitary goal. Austria lead the group by seven points and stand on the edge of qualification.

Wales failed to trigger their expected qualification party after a goalless draw at home to Israel. Gareth Bale failed to drag his troops to victory in a difficult match, but the extra point leaves the Welsh on the brink of their first finals since 1958.

Belgium left it very late in their tie against Cyprus, with Eden Hazard scoring in the final minutes to deny Wales’ Euro 2016 finals confirmation. The Czech Republic also qualified by beating Latvia 2-1.

Meanwhile, the misery for the Netherlands continued on Sunday after they were dismantled by a buoyant Turkey, losing 3-0. Goals by Oguzhan Ozyakup, captain Arda Turan and Burak Yilmaz leave the Dutch on the brink of elimination, nine points behind the Czech Republic and Iceland.

It was the Netherlands’ heaviest competitive defeat since their famous 4-1 capitulation at the hands of England at Euro 1996. The Dutch have been ever-present at major finals since the 2002 World Cup, but they now face an uphill task to keep this run going.

Italy consolidated top spot in Group H, pulling two points away from the chasing pack, after a 1-0 win against Bulgaria in Palermo. An early Daniele De Rossi penalty was enough to take the points as the Italians inch towards another major finals.

Norway also took a positive steps towards Euro 2016 after defeating Croatia 2-0 in a top-of-the-table clash in Group H. Jo Inge Berget opened the scoring for the home side, with an own goal by Vedran Corluka ending the contest.

In the night’s other games, Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrated an expected win against minnows Andorra, winning 3-0. Iceland and Kazakhstan shared a surprise goalless result, with Malta and Azerbaijan playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Results:

Saturday, Sept. 5

Luxembourg 1-0 Macedonia

Ukraine 3-1 Belarus

Russia 1-0 Sweden

Estonia 1-0 Lithuania

San Marino 0-6 England

Switzerland 3-2 Slovenia

Austria 1-0 Moldova

Montenegro 2-0 Liechtenstein

Spain 2-0 Slovakia

Sunday, Sept. 6

Wales 0-0 Israel

Latvia 1-2 Czech Republic

Turkey 3-0 Netherlands

Malta 2-2 Azerbaijan

Norway 2-0 Croatia

Iceland 0-0 Kazakhstan

Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 Andorra

Cyprus 0-1 Belgium

Italy 1-0 Bulgaria