Euros: Germany claim revenge over Poland, Scotland fall to Georgia

Sport360 staff 04:04 05/09/2015
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  • Star showing: Gotze.

    Striker Mario Gotze scored twice to seal Germany’s 3-1 win over Poland last night as the hosts avenged last year’s away defeat to top their Euro 2016 qualifying group.

    Having lost the corresponding fixture 2-0 in Warsaw last October – Germany’s first defeat to their neighbours in 19 matches – the world champions gained sweet revenge by knocking Adam Nawalka’s Poland from top of Group D.

    It was Poland’s first defeat in seven Euro 2016 qualifiers in an impressive display from the Germans after several below-par performances last season.

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    All four goals came from Bayern Munich players as Thomas Muller gave Germany an early lead, then Gotze made it 2-0 before Poland captain Robert Lewandowski pulled one back with a diving header as it finished 2-1 at the break. Muller and Gotze then combined for Germany’s third late on to kill off hopes of a Poland equaliser.

    Scotland manager Gordon Strachan felt his players were just short of the accuracy needed to break down a stubborn Georgia defence as his team fell to a 1-0 European Championship qualifying defeat Scotland started the better side in Tbilisi but struggled to carve clear chances and the hosts improved before Valeri Kazaishvili fired them in front in the 37th minute.

    Frustrated: Scotland.

    Shaun Maloney nearly scored direct from a corner and Steven Fletcher hit the post but a foul on the goalkeeper was given the first time and the offside flag went up the second time.

    Scotland failed to test the home goalkeeper and a succession of crosses and corners came to nothing in the final 15 minutes.

    Northern Ireland inched ever closer to a place in France next summer as Gareth McAuley’s brace and Kyle Lafferty’s sixth goal of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign gave them a 3-1 victory over the 10-man Faroe Islands.

    Three points moved Michael O’Neill’s men to the Group F summit with three game remaining after third-placed Hungary drew with previous leaders Romania, and victory over the Hungarians in Belfast on Monday would now seal Northern Ireland’s passage to a major international tournament for the first time since the 1986 World Cup.

    At the double: Keane.

    Elsewhere, Robbie Keane took his international goals tally to 67 with a double to kill off Gibraltar on a night when the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of qualification received a significant boost.

    The 35-year-old struck twice inside three second-half minutes to extended the first-half lead Derby full-back Cyrus Christie had given his side with his first goal for his country on his competitive debut and in the process, to kill off any hope of a shock.

    Keane, who plundered a 13-minute hat-trick against the same opposition in October’s 7-0 win in Dublin, did not get the opportunity to repeat the feat when he was withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining as O’Neill cast an eye towards Monday night’s clash with Georgia at the Aviva Stadium, and it was his replacement Shane Long who completed a 4-0 win in Faro.

    The victory, coupled with Scotland’s 1-0 defeat by Georgia, saw Ireland leapfrog Gordon Strachan’s side in the table and rekindled their hopes of clinching a play-off spot for next summer’s finals in France.

    Finland piled more misery on 2004 champions Greece with a 1-0 win in their European Championship qualifying Group F tie in Piraeus. Substitute Joel Pohjanpalo scored the only goal of the game when he rifled an effort past Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis in the 75th minute.

    Denmark and Albania missed out on the chance to go top of Group I as they could only play out a goalless draw in Copenhagen.

    In the same group, Serbia claimed their first win of the campaign as they cruised to a 2-0 triumph over Armenia. An own goal from Levon Hayrapetyan and strike from Adem Ljajic was enough to clinch the match – which was played behind closed doors – and put them level on points with the visitors.

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