Auld Enemy showdown headlines in European ‘qualifying’ weekend

PARIS, June 8, (AFP): England will look to close in on a place at the 2018 World Cup when they face auld enemy Scotland in qualifying this weekend, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are in action before heading to the Confederations Cup.

AFP Sports looks at the key games and the state of play in European qualifying ahead of matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Can Scots thwart England? England’s progress towards the finals in Russia has so far been fairly smooth, leaving aside the Sam Allardyce saga last autumn. Gareth Southgate is still unbeaten in competitive action since taking charge and his side top Group F with 13 points having not conceded a single goal halfway through their campaign.

They are four points clear of Slovakia before heading north to take on Scotland on their first visit to Hampden since 1999. England were comfortable 3-0 winners when the teams clashed at Wembley in November.

Wayne Rooney captained England in that game but was left out of the latest squad, leaving the likes of Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford to step up. Do Dutch have courage? After missing Euro 2016, the Netherlands are now running a real risk of failing to qualify for Russia. Danny Blind was sacked as coach after a 2-0 defeat in Bulgaria in March left the three-time World Cup runners-up fourth in Group A, three points adrift of Sweden in second.

Dick Advocaat has been brought back for a third spell in charge at the age of 69 and his first game at home to Luxembourg in Rotterdam is one in which they will surely not slip up.

“We are in a difficult situation, but still everything is open and possible,” Advocaat, who has Ruud Gullit as his assistant, acknowledged this week. Portugal chase down Swiss European champions Portugal are off to Russia next week for the Confederations Cup. But if Fernando Santos’s side want to be back in Russia next year they cannot afford to take their eye off the ball when they first go to Latvia in qualifying on Friday. Portugal have been giving chase to Switzerland in Group B since losing their first qualifier 2-0 in Basel. They have won four on the bounce since, but are three points behind the Swiss before the match in Riga. Switzerland will be in action at the same time in the Faroe Islands. Fresh from his Champions League heroics with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo joined up with the ‘Selecao’ on Tuesday. Bale banned Elsewhere, Germany are also off to the Confederations Cup but first the World Cup holders host whipping boys San Marino in Nuremberg. Germany won 8-0 away in the reverse fixture and are likely to again run up a big score, even with a host of stars rested. Germany are five points clear atop Group C from Northern Ireland, who go to Azerbaijan.

Four points separate the top four teams in Group D before a crunch set of fixtures as leaders Serbia host third-place Wales, who are missing the banned Gareth Bale, and secondplaced Ireland entertain Austria in fourth.

Spain and Italy are neck and neck atop Group G and that situation is likely to continue after Julen Lopetegui’s men go to Macedonia and the Italians entertain Liechtenstein.

Eden Hazard’s fractured ankle means he misses Group H leaders’ Belgium’s game in Estonia.

Southgate