Mitrovic bags brace against Ireland as KDB sinks Welsh
SUBSTITUTE Aleksandar Mitrovic served up a timely reminder of his potency with a high-quality double as Serbia condemned the Republic of Ireland to defeat in their opening World Cup qualifier.
The striker, currently out of favour at Premier League Fulham, outrageously chipped rookie keeper Mark Travers and then headed home a second in a decisive second-half cameo at the Rajko Mitic Stadium to establish himself as his country’s joint-top scorer in a 3-2 victory.
Alan Browne had earlier ended Ireland’s goal drought after more than 11 hours of football when he gave them an 18th-minute lead in Belgrade, only for Dusan Vlahovic to equalise five minutes before the break and set the scene for Mitrovic, with substitute James Collins’ late strike small consolation for the visitors.
The Group A defeat left Republic boss Stephen Kenny still awaiting his first win after nine games and while there were elements of the performance with which he could be justifiably pleased, there is now little margin for error as they head into Saturday’s home clash with Luxembourg without a competitive win since June 2019.
Wales suffered an opening defeat in campaign as Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliance proved the difference in a 3-1 win for Belgium in Leuven.
Harry Wilson stunned Belgium with a superbly-crafted 10th-minute goal, but the starstudded hosts were soon ahead as De Bruyne fired home from distance and then played a major part as Thorgan Hazard’s header gave them the lead.
Romelu Lukaku sealed victory for Group E favourites Belgium with a 73rd-minute penalty after Chris Mepham had needlessly brought down Dries Mertens.
Burak Yilmaz scored a hat-trick as the Netherlands slumped to a surprise 4-2 defeat to Turkey in the first game of their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Yilmaz’s deflected shot put
Turkey ahead in the 15th minute and the 35-year-old Lille forward struck his second in the 34th minute before sealing his hat-trick with an 81st-minute penalty.
Hakan Calhanoglu scored Turkey’s third before the Netherlands pulled two goals back through substitutes Davy Klaassen and Luuk De Jong, with Memphis Depay also missing a penalty in stoppage time.
In the opening game of their campaign to defend their World Cup title, France were held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine in Paris.
Antoine Griezmann’s opener was cancelled out by a Presnel Kimpembe own goal in the 57th minute, and Les Blues were unable to find a winner.
West Ham’s Tomas Soucek struck a hat-trick as the Czech Republic stormed to a 6-2 win over Estonia.
Estonia had taken an early lead through Rauno Sappinen, but the Czechs hit back six minutes later, before going ahead shortly afterwards with goals from Patrik Schick and Antonin Barak.
Soucek then scored three times between the 32nd and 48th minutes to give the Czech Republic a four-goal cushion. Jakub Jankto scored his side’s sixth goal before Estonia reduced the deficit when substitute Henri Anier scored four minutes from time.