All change in qualifiers as Portugal score five
Portugal stormed clear at the top of World Cup qualifying Group Three with a 5-0 thrashing of Luxembourg on Wednesday night.
The comprehensive win may have been more expected than last month’s 7-1 annihilation of Russia, but Portugal were clearly taking no chances at the Josy Barthel stadium after letting a two-goal lead slip in Liechtenstein only four days before the Russia performance.
After Ben Federspiel put through his own net in the 11th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the advantage when he rose to meet Deco’s corner just before the half-hour.
Another Deco corner early in the second half was volleyed goalwards by Nuno Maniche, only to be deflected past Luxembourg goalkeeper Alija Besic.
Pedro Pauleta’s 35th and 36th goals for his country followed, the latter a late penalty, to put the striker within five goals of Portugal legend Eusebio’s national record.
The win takes the Euro 2004 finalists to 13 points, three clear of second-placed Slovakia who have a game in hand.
A depleted Russia erased the memory of the humiliation by Portugal with a 4-0 defeat of Estonia that sees them leapfrog their opponents into third spot in the group on goal difference.
Three goals in nine first-half minutes killed the contest, with star man Andrei Kariaka opening the floodgates in the 25th minute, before setting up both Marat Izmailov two minutes later and Dmitri Sychev for the third before half-time.
A penalty from Dmitri Loskov midway through the second-half added insult to injury for the Estonians who let a 2-1 lead slip in Latvia in their last match after an encouraging start to the qualifying campaign.
Kariaka opened the scoring with a powerful free-kick from 25 yards and then turned provider when he fed Izmailov, who fired into the bottom right corner of Martin Kaalma’s goal.
Then, in the 32nd minute, Kariaka moved down the left and sent a cross towards Sychev who netted his 10th goal for Russia in only his 21st international.
The hosts completed the rout when Teet Allas brought down Alexander Kerzhakov, allowing Loskov to fire the ball past Kaalma from the spot.
Latvia are level on seven points with Russia and Estonia after putting an end to Liechtenstein’s remarkable run with a 3-1 win in Vaduz.
After their incredible comeback to draw 2-2 with Portugal and their first-ever away qualifying win against Luxembourg, it was no surprise Liechtenstein retained enough confidence to cancel out Maris Verpakovskis’ seventh-minute opener with a Mario Frick strike on the half-hour.
But when Franz-Josef Vogt conceded a 57th-minute penalty, Mihails Zemlinskis stepped up to dispatch the ball past Peter Jehle, to put the visitors ahead yet again.
Andrejs Prohorenkovs’ last-minute third signalled the end of a spirited performance from the hosts who stay on four points.
World Cup Qualifying Group Results:
Group 1
Andorra 0 Holland 3 (Cocu 21, Robben 31, Sneijder 78)
Armenia 1 (Dokhoyan 62) Romania 1 (Marica 29)
FYR Macedonia 0 Czech Republic 2 (Lokvenc 88, Koller 90)
Group 2
Georgia 2 (Demetradze 33 Asatiani 74) Denmark 2 (Tomasson 9, 64)
Greece 3 (Charisteas 24, 45 Katsouranis 86) Kazakhstan 1 (Baltiev Pen 88)
Turkey 0 Ukraine 3 (Shelayev 9 Shevchenko 17, 90)
Group 3
Liechtenstein 1 (Frick 31) Latvia 3 (Verpakovskis 7, Zemlinskis Pen 57, Prohorenkovs 89)
Luxembourg 0 Portugal 5 (Federspiel 11 og, Ronaldo 28, Maniche 51, Pauleta 67 83 pen)
Russia 4 (Kariaka 25, Izmailov 27, Sychev 34, Loskov Pen 69) Estonia 0
Group 4 (Ireland’s Group)
Cyprus 1 (Okkas 45) Israel 2 (Keisi 17, Nimni 86)
Group 7
Belgium 0 Serbia & Montenegro 2 (Vukic 7, Kezman 59)
San Marino 0 Lithuania 1 (Cesnauskis 41)
Group 8
Malta 0 Hungary 2 (Gera 39, Kovacs 90)
Friendly match results:
France 0 Poland 0
Scotland 1 (McFadden 78) Sweden 4 (Allback 27 49, Elmander 72, Berglund 73).
| Related Stories: |
|
