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Euro 2016 Qualifying Review: Netherlands and Italy stage late escapes

SoccerNews in World Cup 28 Mar 2015

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Netherlands needed a fortunate late equaliser while Italy found a new and unlikely hero in Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifying.

Controversy surrounded the selection of Brazilian-born striker Eder in Antonio Conte’s Italy squad for their trip to Bulgaria in Group H.

But the Sampdoria striker responded in the best possible fashion, scoring an 84th-minute leveller to rescue a 2-2 draw.

Guus Hiddink’s Netherlands looked set to lose at home for the first time in a European qualifier until Klass-Jan Huntelaar deflected Wesley Sneijder’s stoppage-time effort into the net to secure a 1-1 draw and avoid a third Group A defeat.

Here we round-up all of Saturday’s qualifying action.

 

GROUP A

Eidur Gudjohnsen marked his return to international football with a goal as Iceland cruised to a 3-0 victory in Kazakhstan.

The Bolton Wanderers striker came out of international retirement to score the first before Birkir Bjarnason added two more as Iceland took their tally to 12 points from five matches and closed the gap on group leaders Czech Republic, who have 13.

The teams could have been tied on 12 points had Vaclav Pilar not scored a last-gasp equaliser against Latvia.

Aleksejs Visnakovs had put the Baltic minnows in front, but they could not hang on.

A similar fate befell Turkey. Fatih Terim’s team seemed set for a famous victory against Netherlands, until Huntelaar’s key intervention in the 92nd minute.

Defeat in that match could have caused the end of Hiddink’s second spell in charge of his national team, but they now sit five points behind Iceland.

 

GROUP B

Wales’ quest to reach a first major tournament since 1958 received a maj
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or boost in the shape of an impressive 3-0 win in Israel.

Aaron Ramsey’s smart header moments before half-time broke the deadlock before Gareth Bale showed why he is the most expensive player in the world with two goals to cap a great day’s work for Chris Coleman’s side, who top the group.

Belgium put five past Cyprus to stay within five points of Wales. Marouane Fellaini continued his fine form with two goals, while Eden Hazard, Christian Benteke and Michy Batshuayi were also on the scoresheet in Brussels.

An Edin Dzeko hat-trick secured Bosnia-Herzegovina’s first win of the campaign, a 3-0 victory against cellar-dwelling Andorra.

 

GROUP H

All the talk in the lead up to Italy’s clash with Bulgaria had centred on Eder’s inclusion, but he had the final say.

Inter coach Roberto Mancini was among those to stress that the Brazilian-born striker should not represent Italy.

Italy were staring down the barrel of their first defeat of the campaign until the Sampdoria front man popped up with the vital touch.

Croatia still top the group, however, following a 5-1 demolition of Norway. Ivan Perisic scored his fourth goal of the campaign as Niko Kovac’s side continued their fine start.

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SoccerNews

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