Minnows frustrate France
Luxembourg hold Les Bleus, allowing Swedes to close gap It’s a historic result. Yes, it’s a glorious day for Luxembourg football.
France wasted a chance to move a step closer to World Cup qualification after a scoreless home draw with Luxembourg that leaves automatic qualification from Group A wide open with two games to go.
Sweden moved one point behind France after easing to a 4-0 win away to Belarus, while a selection choice from Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat paid off as midfielder Davy Proepper scored his first two international goals in a 3-1 home win against Bulgaria.
Advocaat’s side are three points behind Sweden with two games remaining and still in with an outside chance of securing a playoff spot.
There were contrasting emotions afterwards for France and Luxembourg.
“We had the chances and didn’t take them,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “We should have done more.”
But Luxembourg counterpart Luc Holtz could barely contain his delight.
“It’s a historic result,” he said. “Yes, it’s a glorious day for Luxembourg football.”
Proepper’s first international goals helped the Dutch keep their slim qualifying hopes alive but despite the victory over Bulgaria they are four points behind Les Bleus.
Proepper replaced veteran Wesley Sneijder and tapped in from close range in the seventh minute.
Veteran winger Arjen Robben doubled the lead in the 67th minute with his 34th international goal. Georgi Kostadinov pulled back a goal just two minutes later before Proepper sealed the win in the 80th minute.
On a night for firsts, Christoffer Nyman got his first Sweden goal to make it 2-0 midway through the first half against Belarus.
Emil Forsberg had scored in the 18th minute and, after Nyman’s goal, striker Marcus Berg popped up with his 14th for Sweden to put the result beyond doubt at halftime.
Centre half Andreas Granqvist completed the 4-0 win near the end with a penalty.
In Group H, Belgium overcame stern resistance from Greece to qualify for Russia 2018, winning 2-1 away from home. Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku’s winning goal put the other Red Devils out of reach at the top of Group H.
A tense match in Greece was goalless until the 70th minute, when Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen blasted Belgium ahead with a fierce shot.
Greece responded three minutes later through Zeca, but Belgium retook the lead thanks to Lukaku’s header one minute later.
Belgium have an unassailable eight-point lead over second-place Bosnia-Herzegovina, making Belgium the first European team confirmed for the World Cup apart from hosts Russia.
Two goals from Edin Dzeko helped Bosnia-Herzegovina win 4-0 away at Gibraltar to leapfrog Greece into second place, and took the Roma striker’s international tally to 52 goals.
Group B rivals Switzerland and Portugal both won, with the Swiss maintaining a perfect record and three-point lead with a 3-0 win in Latvia. An October 10 showdown in Lisbon will likely decide which team qualifies automatically. The two sides have already secured the top two spots. Portugal went to Hungary and won 1-0.
Only the group winners automatically advance in European qualifying for the World Cup.
Newly signed AC Milan striker Andre Silva headed in after a cross by Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo three minutes into the second half in Budapest. It was Silva’s ninth international goal in only his 15th appearance.
“We were always in control,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. “But it was a difficult and uncertain match.”
The Faroe Islands are fourth after a 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Andorra.
In Group I, defender Domagoj Vida’s header gave leaders Croatia a 1-0 win against Kosovo in a match which started a day earlier before being called off due to a torrential downpour. The match resumed on 21 minutes.
Croatia lead the group with 16 points, two ahead of Ukraine. Iceland are third on 13 points and Turkey have 11. WORLD CUP QUALIFYING
Luxembourg coach Luc Holtz