The first matchday of UEFA World Cup qualifying is genuinely out of its mind.
It began with the only early start of the day, a 1pm ET kickoff that saw Turkey’s massive takedown of the Netherlands, and the goals kept coming across Europe.
The late afternoon kickoffs began with the Norwegian team making a point of protesting what’s gone into building the stadiums on the backs of migrant workers in Qatar.
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The Czech Republic scored six. Gareth Bale and Kevin De Bruyne traded heroics early in Belgium - Wales but the favorites emerged with the points.
Portugal needed an own goal to beat Azerbaijan, while Malta properly scared Russia and Slovakia was flummoxed by 100th-ranked Cyprus.
Ukraine took advantage of poor finishing from France to remind the reigning World Cup winners that a place in Qatar is not a given. Slovenia issued a harsher warning to 2018 finalist Croatia.
Belgium 3-1 Wales
Going away to Belgium is the three points no Group E team is planning on, but Gareth Bale and Wales had some early dreams of it on Wednesday.
Bale worked a terrific team play with Connor Roberts and Harry Wilson that saw four one-touch plays including an outside-of-the-boot flick from the Spurs loanee en route to Wilson’s tidy finish.
But Kevin De Bruyne had an answer a dozen minutes later with a powerful bounding shot off a Thorgan Hazard assist, the latter making it 2-1 to the Red Devils in the 28th.
Romelu Lukaku rounded ou the scoring with a 73rd minute penalty as Roberto Martinez’s Belgium had 74 percent of the ball and 12 of the match’s 16 shot attempts.
DREAM START FOR WALES AGAINST BELGIUM!
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 24, 2021
Gareth Bale at the ❤️ of the play! pic.twitter.com/gIRN03UuTp
France 1-1 Ukraine
Ukraine will be thrilled to have answered Antoine Griezmann’s delightful opener to take a point from the World Cup champs in France, a Presnel Kimpembe own goal putting Ukraine on level terms.
The visitors didn’t manage a shot on target but France only put three of their 18 attempts on frame as the misses were plenty.
Griezmann gives France the lead with a classy finish 👌 pic.twitter.com/h1AT1nc3Wi
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 24, 2021
Elsewhere
Group A
Portugal 1-0 Azerbaijan
Serbia 3-2 Republic of Ireland
Group D
Finland 2-2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
France 1-1 Ukraine
Group E
Belgium 3-1 Wales
Estonia 2-6 Czech Republic
Group G
Gibraltar 0-3 Norway
Turkey 4-2 Netherlands
Latvia 1-2 Montenegro
Group H
Cyprus 0-0 Slovakia
Malta 1-3 Russia
