Euro 2016 qualifiers: England, Spain win as San Marino avoid defeat for first time in 62 matches
Lichtenstein’s win over Moldova and Russia’s defeat the other shocks of the night
PARIS:
England and reigning champions Spain both secured routine home victories in their Euro 2016 qualifying matches on Sunday but some of the continent's minnows also enjoyed outstanding results.
A turgid Group E encounter between England and Slovenia at Wembley burst into life in the second half as Roy Hodgson’s side fought back from a goal behind to win 3-1 and make it four wins out of four.
Jorden Henderson’s own goal was cancelled out by a penalty by captain Wayne Rooney, playing in his 100th cap for England. Rooney’s former Manchester United teammate Danny Welbeck then scored a brace to make it 3-1 win for the hosts.
"It was a good day in the end. We had to show character and that will be good for us. Since the World Cup, we haven't faced that [going behind]," said Rooney, as England now turn their focus towards Tuesday's friendly with Scotland in Glasgow.
Spain will go into a friendly with World Cup winners Germany on the back of a routine 3-0 victory against Belarus in Group C.
Real Madrid midfielder Isco marked his first start for La Roja by scoring a brilliant first-half opener and Barcelona duo Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez added further goals.
Meanwhile, after the Faroe Islands recorded a stunning 1-0 win in Greece on Friday, fellow minnows San Marino and Liechtenstein claimed famous results of their own.
San Marino, ranked 208th and joint-last in the world by FIFA alongside Bhutan, ended a run of 61 consecutive defeats by holding Estonia to a 0-0 draw at home in Group E.
“This result is a reward for the players and it will be an incentive to gain other results sooner than in 12 years' time,” said San Marino coach Pierangelo Manzaroli after seeing his side gain their first ever point in a European Championship qualifier and avoid defeat in a competitive match for the first time since 2001.
Liechtenstein fared even better as a second-half goal by captain Franz Burgmeier secured a 1-0 win in Moldova in Group G.
The tiny principality with a population of under 40,000 had not won a competitive match since June 2011 and had not won on their travels in a qualifying fixture for over a decade.
Europe's largest nation Russia, meanwhile, went down 1-0 in Austria in the same group to increase the pressure on coach Fabio Capello. The only goal of the game in Vienna was scored by 1860 Munich's Pakistan-born striker Rubin Okotie in the 73rd minute.
Austria are now four points clear at the top of the group, with second-placed Sweden held 1-1 in Montenegro.
Captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his first start in a competitive match for almost two months out through injury by giving the visitors an early lead, but he later struck the post from a free-kick before Stevan Jovetic equalised from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time.
England and reigning champions Spain both secured routine home victories in their Euro 2016 qualifying matches on Sunday but some of the continent's minnows also enjoyed outstanding results.
A turgid Group E encounter between England and Slovenia at Wembley burst into life in the second half as Roy Hodgson’s side fought back from a goal behind to win 3-1 and make it four wins out of four.
Jorden Henderson’s own goal was cancelled out by a penalty by captain Wayne Rooney, playing in his 100th cap for England. Rooney’s former Manchester United teammate Danny Welbeck then scored a brace to make it 3-1 win for the hosts.
"It was a good day in the end. We had to show character and that will be good for us. Since the World Cup, we haven't faced that [going behind]," said Rooney, as England now turn their focus towards Tuesday's friendly with Scotland in Glasgow.
Spain will go into a friendly with World Cup winners Germany on the back of a routine 3-0 victory against Belarus in Group C.
Real Madrid midfielder Isco marked his first start for La Roja by scoring a brilliant first-half opener and Barcelona duo Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez added further goals.
Meanwhile, after the Faroe Islands recorded a stunning 1-0 win in Greece on Friday, fellow minnows San Marino and Liechtenstein claimed famous results of their own.
San Marino, ranked 208th and joint-last in the world by FIFA alongside Bhutan, ended a run of 61 consecutive defeats by holding Estonia to a 0-0 draw at home in Group E.
“This result is a reward for the players and it will be an incentive to gain other results sooner than in 12 years' time,” said San Marino coach Pierangelo Manzaroli after seeing his side gain their first ever point in a European Championship qualifier and avoid defeat in a competitive match for the first time since 2001.
Liechtenstein fared even better as a second-half goal by captain Franz Burgmeier secured a 1-0 win in Moldova in Group G.
The tiny principality with a population of under 40,000 had not won a competitive match since June 2011 and had not won on their travels in a qualifying fixture for over a decade.
Europe's largest nation Russia, meanwhile, went down 1-0 in Austria in the same group to increase the pressure on coach Fabio Capello. The only goal of the game in Vienna was scored by 1860 Munich's Pakistan-born striker Rubin Okotie in the 73rd minute.
Austria are now four points clear at the top of the group, with second-placed Sweden held 1-1 in Montenegro.
Captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his first start in a competitive match for almost two months out through injury by giving the visitors an early lead, but he later struck the post from a free-kick before Stevan Jovetic equalised from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time.