Qualify as last-gasp Austria goal give Welsh hopes a boost

With a minute to play in Vienna, Austria’s Lous Schaub scored against Serbia to condemn the Group D leaders to a 3-2 defeat, keeping alive Welsh hopes of winning the group by defeating the Republic of Ireland on Monday if the Serbs simultaneously fail to win at home to Georgia.

Spain confirmed top spot in Group G with an emphatic 3-0 home win over Albania. Rodrigo, Isco and Thiago Alcantara found the target.

Their chief group rivals, Giampiero Ventura’s misfiring Italy, limped into the uncertainty of the play-offs after being held to a 1-1 draw by Macedonia in Turin.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini hit the target his forwards have often struggled to find in Group G. But with time and ideas running out Macedonia substitute Aleksandar Trajkovski equalised to confirm the Italians will finish second.

Iceland leapfrogged Group G leaders Croatia with a comfortable 3-0 victory in Turkey, Burnley’s Johann Gudmundsson firing a double before Birkir Bjarnason of Aston Villa sealed the win.

Croatia had been leading Finland through Mario Mandzukic until the visitors shocked them with a lastminute equaliser by Pyry Soiri.

A home win over Kosovo on Monday will confirm Iceland as group winners, sending Croatia into the playoffs.

In South American qualifying, Argentina are dangerously close to missing out on the World Cup finals for the first time in almost 50 years following their 0-0 draw with Peru on Thursday night.

Lionel Messi, pictured, who missed chance after chance, looked skyward at the end as if seeking divine intervention.

Even that may not help. Argentina are sixth in the standings, and only the top four advance automatically. The fifth-placed team can qualify by winning a play-off with New Zealand. Argentina will reach at least a play-off if they win their last qualifier on Tuesday in Quito, Ecuador, where all visiting teams gasp