Euro 2012 qualifying round-up: Italy and Serbia abandoned
It should have been matters on the pitch which took centre stage in last night’s Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia, but instead it was crowd trouble which once again reared its ugly head.
The Group C qualifier in Genoa was abandoned after only seven minutes of play as Serbia fans continued to throw flares on the pitch and light fireworks. The match had already been delayed by 45 minutes as police struggled to maintain order inside the Marassi Stadium, and in the end, Scottish referee Craig Thomson was given no option but to abandon the match.
As yet, it’s unknown when the qualifier will be rescheduled for and whether or not it’ll be played behind closed doors. However, there will undoubtedly be repercussions over the forthcoming days and weeks, with speculation that Italy could even be awarded a 3-0 victory.
Meanwhile, Slovenia recorded their second win of the qualification campaign in the ultra-competitive Group C with a 1-0 victory against Estonia in Tallinn. That victory lifted them to second in the table, level on points with the Italians.
Overall there were very few surprises on the continent yesterday evening. In three of the most predictable results, Netherlands thumped Sweden 4-1 in Amsterdam, Germany put three past Kazakhstan in a 3-0 win, and France laboured to a 2-0 win against Luxembourg.
However, the biggest upset of the night came in Group A, as Turkey lost yet more ground on Germany after slipping to a 1-0 away defeat against Azerbaijan. Guus Hiddink’s side have now lost their last two Euro 2012 qualifiers, leaving them third in the group table with six points from four matches.
Meanwhile, the other match in Group A was an absolute thriller as Belgium and Austria shared eight goals between them in Brussels. Nicolas Lombaerts thought he’d won the match for the hosts in the 90th minute, but Martin Harnik struck in the 93rd to seal a famous 4-4 draw at the King Baudouin Stadium.
Elsewhere, Portugal’s bid for Euro 2012 qualification is now firmly back on track after Paulo Bento’s side recorded their second consecutive Group H victory. Cristiano Ronaldo was among the goalscorers as Portugal beat Iceland 3-1 in Reykjavík. Denmark also won last night, 2-0 against Cyprus, ensuring they keep the pressure up on both the Portuguese and group leaders Norway.
With Spain flying high in Group I, it was imperative that Czech Republic won in Liechtenstein to keep themselves in pole position for that all-important second spot. Two first half goals proved enough for the Euro ‘96 finalists as the Czech’s ran out 2-0 winners.
There was also another win for Russia last night. An eighth minute goal from Aleksandr Kerzhakov secured the Russians all three points against Macedonia to maintain their place at the top of Group B. But at the bottom of the table, Andorra already look down and out after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat against Armenia in Yerevan.
In Group F, Greece edged past Israel to lift themselves to the top of the table, ahead of Croatia. A Giorgos Karagounis penalty sealed a 2-1 win for the Euro 2004 champions, while Latvia secured a potentially crucial point against Georgia with a last-gasp equaliser in Riga.
And in Group D, Belarus recorded an impressive 2-0 win against Albania to go one point behind France at the top of the table.
Finally, a 95th-minute winner from Balázs Dzsudzsák sealed all three points for Hungary in Group E, while San Marino done well to only lose 2-0 by Moldova in Serravalle.
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