Netherlands coach Blind summoned after the shock loss to Bulgaria
short-lived as Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann restored France’s lead, also from the spot, just four minutes later. Arsenal star Giroud scored his second of the evening after 77 minutes after being set up by Benjamin Mendy.
“With us, Olivier often scores goals even if he is having a difficult time with his club. We gave him the crosses and he was very efficient,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.
In Lisbon, Portugal saw off Hungary, a team they shared six goals with at Euro 2016.
The win kept Portugal in second place in Group B, three points behind Switzerland, who earlier preserved their 100 percent record with a fifth win in five games, a 1-0 home victory against Latvia.
Porto striker Andre Silva opened the scoring after 30 minutes, converting a pass from Raphael Guerreiro for his fifth goal in six games for Portugal.
Six minutes later, skipper Ronaldo doubled the lead with a superb left-footed finish and the Real Madrid superstar made it 3-0 on 65 minutes with a clever freekick for his 70th international goal. “We want to go the World Cup so we have to win our next five matches, they are all finals,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. Belgium stayed top of Group H but only after struggling to a 1-1 draw with Greece. Missing the injured Eden Hazard, Belgium lacked a creative spark in Brussels and they were made to pay when Greece grabbed the lead just 20 seconds into the second period when Benfica striker Kostas Mitroglou latched on to a long ball to fire home his third goal of the qualifying campaign.
Greece were reduced to 10 men after 65 minutes when Panagiotis Tachtsidis was red carded for a crude lunge on defender Toby Alderweireld.
Everton striker Lukaku drove home from close range in the 89th minute to grab a share of the spoils before Georgios Tzavelas was sent-off in injury time.
“I feel a lot of frustration. With the amount of individual talent we have at our disposal, we have to show more,” said Martinez.
Earlier on Saturday, Sweden crushed Belarus 4-0 to move to 10 points in Group A, three behind France, with Emil Forsberg scoring twice.
In Group H, Bosnia-Herzegovina also went on a goal spree with a 5-0 win over minnows Gibraltar, who have now conceded 22 goals in five games.
The Dutch football federation have summoned coach Danny Blind for talks following a 2-0 defeat by Bulgaria that leaves hopes of reaching the 2018 World Cup hanging by a thread.
“During an evening in which literally nothing went right, the Netherlands team lost 2-0 to Bulgaria” on Saturday, the federation said in a statement.
“It was a painful defeat in Sofia, during which the chances of the Netherlands qualifying for the World Cup diminished.”
Dutch newspapers pronounced the defeat a “debacle” for which coach Blind could be axed. The daily Algmeen Dagblad said the federation had summoned him to appear for talks on Sunday.
“It is evident that we have to talk,” the Dutch federation’s commercial director Jean-Paul Decossaux told Dutch news agency ANP.
“We might get quick answers, or we might not.
“But we have to take our time. Nothing good comes from rushing things.”
Following the defeat the team drop to fourth place in qualifying Group A from which only the group winners are guaranteed to qualify for the finals in Russia next year.
Failure to qualify, on the back of failure to reach the 2016 Euro finals, would be a major shock for one of the most successful footballing nations who have finished runner-up in the World Cup three times, most recently losing the 2010 final to Spain. They finished third in 2014. Netherlands skipper Arjen Robben said the defeat in Sofia was a “nightmare.”
“It’s sad. I’m speechless. The first half was shocking, “said the 33-year-old Bayern Munich winger. Bulgaria stunned the Dutch with two goals in the first 20 minutes, both coming from Spas Delev who opened his international account.
The first came from an error by 17-year-old Matthijs De Ligt, Holland’s youngest debutant since 1931, who misjudged a pass and allowed the striker to slot the ball past Jeroen Zoet.
DELEV POUNCED ON A MISTAKE BY 17YEAROLD MATTHIJS DE LIGT, HOLLAND’S YOUNGEST DEBUTANT SINCE 1931, WHO MISJUDGED A PASS AND ALLOWED THE STRIKER A FREE RUN