A roundup of Saturday’s penultimate matchday of 2018 World Cup qualifying action from all around Europe…
[ MORE: USMNT routs Panama to boost WC dreams in a big way ]
Bulgaria 0-1 France
With one game left to play, France remain one point clear of Sweden in Group A following a nervy 1-0 victory away to Bularia on Saturday. Blaise Matuidi scored the game’s only goal, in the 3rd minute, as Didier Deschamps’ side clinched a top-two finish in the group, guaranteeing at minimum a place in the qualification playoffs.
What a start for France! Blaise Matuidi opens the scoring with just 2 and a half minutes played. #WCQ https://t.co/4Qf7PI0oaw
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 7, 2017
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante was subbed off with an apparent hamstring injury in the 34th minute.
A victory over Belarus on Tuesday would see France qualify straight through to next summer’s tournament in Russia. Should Les Bleus slip up, Sweden, who boast a massively superior goal differential (+19 to +11) would need a superior result against the Netherlands to overtake them.
Belarus 1-3 Netherlands
Despite their own victory over Belarus, the combination of Sweden’s 8-0 victory over Luxembourg and France’s victory over Bulgaria, means the Dutch have been all but officially eliminated from contention to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Needing to overturn to make up three points and 12 goals in the goal-differential column in their finale against Sweden, the Oranje will miss a second straight major international tournament (EURO 2016).
The Netherlands finished as runners-up at the 2010 World Cup and third-place finishers in 2014.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-4 Belgium
Belgium clinched their place in Russia during the last international break, turning the rest of their Group H schedule into a chance to finely tune themselves and perhaps spoil the dreams of others. Saturday’s seven-goal thriller against Bosnia went a long way toward doing just that, as the home side’s defeat left the door wide for Greece to leapfrog their way into second place by two points. Unfortunately for the Bosnians, that’s exactly what happened after Greece won away to Cyprus, 2-1.
Jan Vertonghen marked his record-tying 96th cap with a goal in the 68th minute. While it looked set to be the game-winning goal, the Red Devils conceded an equalizer eight minutes from full-time, necessitating an 84th-minute winner from Yannick Carrasco to go nine points clear atop the group.
So proud to equal the @BelRedDevils appearance record. Even better with a win and a goal! 👌 #RoadToRussia pic.twitter.com/gUjiE5cjsV
— Jan Vertonghen (@JanVertonghen) October 7, 2017
Thomas Meunier fired the visitors ahead in the 4th minute, only to be pegged back by Philadelphia Union midfielder Haris Medunjanin right on the half-hour mark. Nine minutes later, Edin Visca made it 2-1 to the hosts. That lead would remain intact until the 59th minute, when Michy Batshuayi equalized and set up the frantic final 30 minutes.
Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini picked up an injury, believed to be knee ligament damage, in the 29th minute. Initial reports have speculated he could be out for a number of weeks.
Andorra 0-2 Portugal
Portugal took care of business away to Andorra, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 79th international goal and the game-winner in the 63rd minute, but the reigning European champions remain second in Group B, three points back of Switzerland, though they possess an insurmountable goal-differential advantage (+26 to +18). As fate would have it, the second-place side hosts the leaders on Tuesday, needing three points to qualify automatically.
Andre Silva completed the scoring four minutes from full-time.
Switzerland 5-2 Hungary
Steven Zuber scored twice in Switzerland’s 5-2 rout of Hungary, to go with individual tallies from Granit Xhaka, Fabian Frei and Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Hey! Who put that banana peel there? 🤦♂️
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 7, 2017
Gulacsi with a huge 🎁 for Xhaka and Switzerland. https://t.co/vVebAigTgw
Elsewhere in UEFA WCQ
Group A
Sweden 8-0 Luxembourg
Group B
Faroe Islands 0-0 Latvia
Group H
Gibraltar 0-6 Estonia
Cyprus 1-2 Greece