Ben Woodburn’s debut for Wales was probably everything he could have ever hoped for, and much more.
The Liverpool youngster helped Wales to a 1-0 win over Austria on Saturday, as the 17-year-old scored a tremendous strike from distance with 16 minutes remaining in regulation. The victory puts Wales two points behind Ireland for second place in Group D, with three matches remaining in the Road to Russia.
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Meanwhile, the day’s most high-profile matchup came when Spain met Italy, however, it was the Spanish that came away victorious. Isco’s first-half brace and a late finish from Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata helped La Furia Roja to a comfortable 3-0 win over Italy, and all but ensured Spain’s place in the top two in Group G.
Group I remains completely up for grabs after the day’s action, as four teams sit within three points of one another at the top of the group. Ukraine, Croatia, Iceland and Turkey are all still in the running for a place in Russia next summer, while Finland and Kosovo’s hopes are all but dashed.
Here’s a look at all the results from around European qualifying on Saturday.
Group D
Georgia 1-1 Republic of Ireland
Serbia 3-0 Moldova
Wales 1-0 Austria
Group G
Albania 2-0 Liechtenstein
Israel 0-1 Macedonia
Spain 3-0 Italy
Group I
Finland 1-0 Iceland
Ukraine 2-0 Turkey
Croatia vs. Kosovo (Abandoned)