Substitute Llorente seals Spain win in Scotland

Scotland 2-3 SpainFernando Llorente came off the bench to score the winner with 11 minutes left after Scotland had wiped out a two-goal deficit in the second half.

Substitute Fernando Llorente scored with 11 minutes left to keep up Spain's flawless start to UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group I after Scotland had fought back from two goals down.
David Villa equalled Raúl González's record of 44 goals for Spain with a penalty just before the break and Andrés Iniesta looked to have put the result beyond doubt when he added a second soon after half-time. However, Steven Naismith with his first for Scotland and an own goal from Gerard Piqué threatened to give the home side a point until Llorente – left out of the starting lineup despite scoring twice in Friday's 3-1 defeat of Lithuania – claimed the winner within three minutes of his introduction.
Having taken a cautious approach in the 1-0 loss in the Czech Republic on Friday, Scotland manager Craig Levein brought back striker Kenny Miller and gave defender Phil Bardsley his debut with Alan Hutton injured. In front of a capacity crowd Scotland sought to exert some early pressure but the visitors were the first to threaten through Villa, shooting over after being picked out by Iniesta.
Within two minutes Villa tested Allan McGregor with a header from a Sergio Ramos cross and the keeper then rushed from his line to block David Silva's goal-bound effort. Scotland broke and it took the combined efforts of Carles Puyol and Piqué to clear James Morrison's effort off the line from Darren Fletcher's cross. However, it proved to be a temporary respite and on the half-hour McGregor again denied Villa from point-blank range.
The opening goal seemed inevitable and a minute before the break Spain were awarded a penalty after Whittaker handled Ramos's shot in the box. Villa stepped up and although McGregor got fingertips to the ball, the away side were ahead.
Ten minutes after the restart Spain doubled their advantage when Iniesta slotted in from close range after Santiago Cazorla's shot had rebounced off Stephen McManus. Scotland, however, had hope three minutes later, Naismith turning in Miller's cross, and Hampden erupted when Piqué diverted Morrison's centre past Iker Casillas.
However Llorente, whose starting place had gone to Xabi Alonso, was brought on and swiftly side-footed in Joan Capdevila's cross from the left. Scotland ended with ten men when Whittaker picked up a second yellow card for a challenge on Ramos and they are back in third, two points behind the Czech Republic and five adrift of Spain having played a game more than both.

Benzema and Gourcuff keep France flying

France 2-0 LuxembourgKarim Benzema and Yoann Gourcuff scored in each half as Laurent Blanc's men claimed a third successive win to stay a point clear in Group D.

France recorded their third consecutive UEFA EURO 2012 win and a second in three days as goals from Karim Benzema and Yoann Gourcuff accounted for ten-man Luxembourg.
Having secured a confidence-boosting victory against Romania at the weekend, Laurent Blanc's team consolidated their position at the top of qualifying Group D with a comfortable triumph over the bottom team. The outcome rarely seemed in doubt from the moment Benzema struck midway through the first half and, after the visitors lost captain René Peters to a red card, Gourcuff made sure of the points on 76 minutes.
Playing in Metz, just 50 kilometres from Luxembourg, Luc Holtz's charges may momentarily have felt like the home side, yet they were quickly pushed on to the back foot by the former world champions. Gaël Clichy and Abou Diaby fired shots off target before Jonathan Joubert pushed a Philippe Mexès strike wide. From the resulting corner, the F91 Dudelange goalkeeper was beaten, Benzema brilliantly controlling Gourcuff's cross at the far post and volleying in left-footed.
Joubert, formerly of Metz, was otherwise impressing on his return to Lorraine. The 31-year-old twice clung on to long-range efforts from Diaby before the break and made a sharp intervention moments after the restart, saving at Guillaume Hoarau's feet as the striker burst through.
There appeared to be a danger of Les Bleus running away with proceedings when Peters was shown a second yellow card in the 54th minute, but Joubert kept his side in touch by pulling off a stunning point-blank stop to deny Gourcuff. Having drawn with Belarus in their previous game, Luxembourg threatened to equalise on 75 minutes, Guy Blaise directing an audacious overhead kick straight at Hugo Lloris.
Any hopes of a comeback were dashed seconds later, however, when Gourcuff struck his second goal in the space of three days. The Olympique Lyonnais playmaker collected Dimitri Payet's quickly-taken free-kick and beat Joubert with a low, swerving shot from 20 metres.

Montenegro frustrate England to stay top

England 0-0 MontenegroBoth teams remained unbeaten but neither was able to summon the inspiration to grab all three Group G points at Wembley.

England and Montenegro remain unbeaten in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying but neither side can claim absolute authority over Group G following a goalless draw at Wembley.
Zlatko Kranjčar's visitors started and finished the day top of the section by three points after a disciplined display in London, albeit having played a game more than England. Three successive 1-0 wins had catapulted them to the summit and, despite enjoying scant possession, they so nearly made it four in a row when Milan Jovanović struck the bar late on during a frustrating evening for their hosts.
Steven Gerrard was one of only a few of Fabio Capello's players to try livening up proceedings during the opening period, twice injecting early verve to no avail. The first occasion, a raking pass from deep in midfield, ended in Peter Crouch stretching but failing to make contact, while the second – a quickly-taken free-kick – finished with the Tottenham Hotspur FC striker heading Glen Johnson's cross over from close range.
Though Montenegro could muster only tame shots from Radomir Djalović and Simon Vukčević, it was not until first-half added time that the hosts, for all of their possession, hit the target themselves. Wayne Rooney's deflected effort was comfortably held by Mladen Božović, who had earlier breathed a sigh of relief when Adam Johnson's free-kick whistled wide.
In charge, but out of ideas, it was Gerrard who once again provided the first sign of second-half spark, threading a pass to Rooney which Božović smothered at the second attempt. Not until the 73rd minute, though, did England's gusto test the visiting keeper once more. Rooney's instinctive shot was only parried after disruptive work from substitute, and debutant, Kevin Davies, and Gerrard's ensuing volley was well held by the Montenegrin custodian.
Just as England's lack of penetration looked set to limit them to a point, Jovanović so nearly took all three off them with a 25-metre shot which crashed off Joe Hart's crossbar. Božović again denied Adam Johnson late on to ensure it was not England's night. source http://www.uefa.com/

Portugal revival goes on in Iceland

Iceland 1-3 PortugalCoach Paulo Bento celebrated his second victory in five days as the visitors climbed into second position in qualifying Group H.

An early free-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo helped ensure Portugal's revival in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group H continued apace against point-less Iceland.
The Real Madrid CF forward's third-minute strike after a foul on Carlos Martins was cancelled out by Heidar Helguson after 17 minutes. Raúl Meireles restored the visitors' lead just before the half-hour, though it was not until 18 minutes from time that Paulo Bento's team confirmed their second victory in five days when substitute Hélder Postiga struck.
Ronaldo's third-minute set piece was not as powerful as his usual trademark efforts, but goalkeeper Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson could not prevent the ball going into his right-hand corner. Iceland constantly sought to use their aerial advantage, a policy from which they gained reward when Helguson headed in Indridi Sigurdsson's corner.
Portugal were ahead again ten minutes later, however, as Meireles unleashed an unstoppable shot from 30 metres. With Iceland preventing the visitors from deploying their passing game Portugal frequently tried their luck from distance, Meireles almost scoring again with a curling shot that hit the crossbar on 53 minutes.
Postiga could have scored five minutes after coming on for Hugo Almeida but failed to make the most of a fine lay-off from Ronaldo by allowing Gunnleifsson to block. He was not so profligate soon after, though, taking advantage of Gunnleifsson's fumble from Ronaldo's cross to tap in a simple third. Portugal, who defeated Denmark 3-1 on Friday, are in second place in Group H on seven points, two adrift of a Norway team they face when their campaign resumes in June. source http://www.uefa.com/

Montenegro in dreamland after winning start

"This is an unbelievable feeling," said Montenegro captain Mirko Vučinić after a 1-0 win in Bulgaria continued their dream debut, and coach Zlatko Kranjčar believes they will improve further.

Montenegro's introduction to UEFA European Championship football could not have been better – and coach Zlatko Kranjčar thinks they are not yet at their peak.

In their first match in this competition since the split with Serbia, Montenegro defeated Wales 1-0 on Friday. Things got even better on Tuesday as Elsad Zverotić's 35th-minute strike gave them victory in Bulgaria, avenging a 4-1 loss at Sofia's Nacionalen Stadion Vasil Levski suffered in FIFA World Cup qualifying a year ago.
Those results have left Montenegro level with England on six points at the Group G summit, and Kranjčar was especially delighted at how his side overcame the absence of injured ACF Fiorentina playmaker Stevan Jovetić. "I always believe in this team, even without Stevan Jovetić," Kranjčar said. "Now everyone can see that this team have quality. After two consecutive wins our aim must be second place in the group."
Certainly, the coach – appointed earlier this year to a side that won just once in World Cup qualifying – believes there is more to come. "We haven't shown everything we can," Kranjčar added. "Later on in qualifying we will be even stronger, as I believe Jovetić and Nikola Drinčić will be back from injuries."
Goalkeeper Mladen Božović, an immense presence in Sofia, particularly enjoyed the victory. "In World Cup qualifiying we got only one point in two games against Bulgaria, but deserved much more," the Videoton FC custodian said. "This is our revenge, but the most important thing is that we took a big step forward. After the Jovetić injury, no one believed that we could beat Wales and Bulgaria, but we played with confidence and deserved both victories. Sometimes we had luck, but luck must be deserved. And we deserved it."
One Serie A player who was involved this week, AS Roma winger Mirko Vučinić, is thrilled by results so far but is keeping his feet grounded. "This is an unbelievable feeling, but now we must focus only on our next game, against Switzerland in Podgorica on 8 October," said the Montenegro captain, who scored in Wales. "If we already start thinking about second or first place in the group, we will have problems. But we are in a great position now and our ambitions must be high."
Striker Radomir Djalović cannot wait for the visit of Switzerland. "Before these two matches, we thought about four points and dreamt of six," the HNK Rijeka forward said. "Our dream came true. We fought bravely against Wales and Bulgaria, believed in ourselves, had tactical discipline and mental strength from the first to the last minute in both matches. Now anything is possible. We can beat Switzerland at home, because I am sure that we will have better support than ever after this great start."   sourcewww.uefa.com

France and Blanc up and running in Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-2 France

Goals from Karim Benzema and Florent Malouda kick-started the visitors' Group D campaign and earned Laurent Blanc his first win as coach.

Holders Spain too strong for Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein 0-4 Spain


Fernando Torres struck twice and David Villa and David Silva once each to get the holders' Group I campaign off to an ominous start.

Reigning European champions Spain started their campaign to reach the 2012 finals with an emphatic 4-0 away win against Liechtenstein.

Spain travelled to Vaduz on a high following their FIFA World Cup triumph this summer and duly strolled to victory thanks to goals from David Villa, David Silva and a double from the rejuvenated Fernando Torres. That assured Vicente del Bosque's side of a winning margin double the one they mustered on their last visit three years ago and strong start to Group I.
Indeed, had it not been for local hero Peter Jehle, the FC Vaduz goalkeeper who was winning his 80th cap in his home stadium, Spain might have struck six before half-time. Within three minutes of kick-off the 28-year-old had already denied Spain's World Cup final hero, Andrés Iniesta, and clutched a dangerous Villa header.
Del Bosque had emphasised that goal difference "could be crucial" to group victory but Jehle refused the visitors a free ride. Although Liechtenstein were organised and stubborn in their blanket defence, the clever movement and passing of Xavi Hernández and his FC Barcelona team-mate Iniesta consistently gave Torres and Villa chances to test Jehle.
Spain were relentless. Villa and Iniesta's 18th-minute combination freed Liverpool FC striker Torres and his exquisite lob nestled in the far corner. The visitors' metronomic passing continued to wear the hosts down and Villa made it two eight minutes later with a right-footed drive which leaves him one short of Raúl González's record 44 goals for Spain.
Bidu Zaugg's valiant side carved out opportunities of their own and Iker Casillas needed to be alert to save from David Hasler before the break and also to block at the feet of Liechtenstein captain Mario Frick early in the second half.
Torres, however, made it 3-0 with a rasping shot nine minutes after the break for his third goal in two games for club and country after a drought which had stretched back to March. His replacement Silva added the fourth after only five minutes on the pitch. As full time approached Silva set up Villa for what would have been his record-equalling goal only for the striker's shot to come back off the crossbar. The striker will have another chance in next week's friendly against Argentina, while Liechtenstein travel to Scotland on Tuesday.

Avraam earns Cyprus a point in Portugal

Portugal 4-4 Cyprus


An 87th-minute goal from the visitors' Andreas Avraam ensured a pulsating Group H game in Guimaraes ended all square.

Portugal were denied an opening UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying victory by a late Andreas Avraam goal that gave Cyprus a memorable draw on the opening night of Group H action.

In a pulsating encounter the visitors led twice early on but went in at half-time level at 2-2 and Portugal looked to have quelled their resistance when Danny struck early in the second period. Instead Yiannis Okkas equalised and even when Portugal's Manuel Fernandes made it 4-3 on the hour, that only set the scene for Avraam's dramatic late intervention.
Cyprus had scored just twice in eight previous meetings with Portugal but they doubled that tally inside the opening 11 minutes in Guimaraes as a thrilling game started at breakneck speed and barely relented. Angelos Anastasiadis's side combined last-ditch defending with incisive counterattacking, a strategy which paid off as early as the third minute as Efstathios Aloneftis raced on to Michalis Konstantinou's intuitive reverse pass and calmly lifted the ball over the advancing Eduardo.
Hugo Almeida's deft near-post header from a teasing Nani delivery restored parity, but Cyprus were undaunted and regained the lead through their captain, the alert Konstantinou reacting quickly to Raul Meireles's miscontrol to push the ball around Eduardo and sweep into the empty net. Meireles atoned for his slip in the 29th minute, his low left-foot effort eluding Antonis Georgallides to bring Portugal level again. The home team began to gain the upper hand as the interval approached, Konstantinou clearing Almeida's header off the line before Georgallides dived to tip Fábio Coentrão's drive around the post.
Portugal continued to press after the break and took the lead for the first time in the 50th minute. Coentrão set up Danny to head in at the far post, providing a cushioned pass after the visitors had failed to clear Ricardo Quaresma's corner. Now it was Portugal's turn to be pegged back. Substitute Okkas came on in the 56th minute and within a minute finished coolly after being released by Constantinos Charalambides's perfect through ball.
Portugal swiftly regrouped and promptly moved in front again in spectacular fashion, Fernandes finding the top corner of the net with a thunderous effort from range. That looked to have secured victory but, with the final whistle approaching, the industrious Avraam stooped to head in after Eduardo could only parry Siniša Dobrašinović's shot to ensure a gripping encounter ended all square. Portugal visit Norway on Tuesday, while Cyprus's next fixture is at home to Norway on 8 October.

Belarus stun France in Paris

France 0-1 Belarus


Sergei Kislyak's late strike stunned Group D favourites France in Laurent Blanc's first competitive game in charge.

Belarus secured a famous victory after Sergei Kislyak's late goal stunned UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group D favourites France in Laurent Blanc's first competitive game in charge.

Les Bleus rarely clicked into top gear but were nevertheless dominating proceedings when substitute Kislyak struck the killer blow on 86 minutes. The FC Dinamo Minsk midfielder had been on for 11 minutes when he collected Vyacheslav Hleb's cross and side-footed coolly into the top corner. The hosts had been foiled on numerous occasions by Belarus's inspired goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov, but they have now lost four straight games and will need to stop the rot away against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, when Belarus play host to Romania.
There was a buzz of anticipation at kick-off as the former world champions looked to usher in a new era, yet the home fans had little to cheer in a subdued first half. Blanc picked five survivors from France's FIFA World Cup campaign, but it was two new faces who first combined to dangerous effect, Loïc Rémy nodding Jérémy Menez's 17th-minute corner wide.
While there was little fluency from Les Bleus, Belarus defended tenaciously and worried Blanc's new-look backline at times. Adil Rami twice saved his team with last-ditch blocks, the LOSC Lille Métropole defender keeping out Aleksandr Kulchiy's drive early on then getting in the way of Vitali Rodionov's dangerous header on 18 minutes.
Zhevnov must have arrived in Paris expecting a busy night but he was not called into action until first-half added time, when he parried a Florent Malouda drive. Belarus's captain needed to be far sharper after the interval, however, conjuring a fine save from a powerful Menez attempt three minutes in. With the visitors struggling to clear, substitute Mathieu Valbuena then cut the ball back neatly only for Guillaume Hoarau to scoop over.
Yann M'Vila was the next to sting Zhevnov's hands as the chances began to pile up, although the visitors might have opened the scoring on 51 minutes. Vyacheslav Hleb's perfectly timed ball split the France defence, but Rodionov shot wide with only Hugo Lloris to beat. It looked like Bernd Stange's men might rue that miss, yet Hoarau headed off target and Valbuena saw his dipping volley pushed over by the superb Zhevnov on 71 minutes.
Indeed, the goalkeeper's heroics seemed to inspire his team-mates, who silenced the Stade de France with Kislyak's clinical goal. Kevin Gameiro almost salvaged a point in added time, but when his strike flew fractionally over the game was up for France.

EURO hopefuls on their marks

Spain will launch the defence of their European title with a visit to Liechtenstein as UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying begins in earnest with 23 matches across the continent.

Seven weeks and five days after capturing the FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, Vicente del Bosque's all-conquering Spain side return to competitive action in rather more modest surroundings with a visit to Liechtenstein's Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz – a venue whose 6,127 capacity could fit 14 times over into Soccer City.

For Spain, it is the start of their defence of the European title they won in Vienna two years ago. With the world crown now theirs too, Spain's aim is to become the first team to retain the Henri Delaunay Cup – something West Germany came closest to doing in 1976 when, after European and world triumphs, they lost out on a third successive tournament victory by the finest of margins in a penalty shoot-out defeat by Czechoslovakia.
Spain will be confident of a positive opening to their Group I programme, having won all four previous meetings with Liechtenstein without conceding a goal. The same applies for the Netherlands, their vanquished final rivals in Soccer City on 11 July, who start their Group E campaign away to San Marino – opponents, as with Spain and Liechtenstein, whom they have beaten four times without shipping a single goal to date.
Runners-up to Spain at UEFA EURO 2008, Germany will attempt to go one better in Poland and Ukraine in 2012, buoyed by their promising displays in South Africa and the influx of young talent that lifted last year's UEFA European Under-21 Championship title. Joachim Löw's charges launch their Group A campaign with a trip to a Belgium side for whom this is the first serious test since coach Georges Leekens embarked on his second spell at the helm. In the same section, Guus Hiddink makes his competitive bow with Turkey in Kazakhstan while his former team Russia begin life under another Dutchman, Dick Advocaat, by travelling to Andorra in Group B.
Group C is the one pool already under way and it almost opened with an upset, Estonia scoring two injury-time goals in Tallinn on 11 August to beat Faroe Islands 2-1. Now it is Estonia's turn to assume the underdogs' role when Italy visit in what is the Azzurri's first competitive run-out under Cesare Prandelli – the new coach will want an improvement on his debut defeat by Ivory Coast. Like Italy, France are also seeking to put World Cup disappointment behind them under a new coach. Laurent Blanc selected an entirely new squad for the friendly loss in Norway but will welcome back some familiar faces for Les Bleus' Group D curtain-raiser against Belarus in Paris.
The first of the week's 23 ties is scheduled for Thursday night when Group F rivals Israel and Malta meet. Twenty-four hours later, 2004 champions Greece take their first steps under Otto Rehhagel's replacement, Fernando Santos, with a home fixture against a Georgia team now under the tutelage of Temuri Ketsbaia. Among the fixtures in Groups G and H, England will look to lift the post-World Cup blues with a home victory over Bulgaria while Portugal will target a winning start when Cyprus come to Guimaraes

Jovetić absence overshadows Welsh visit

Zlatko Kranjčar admitted that Stevan Jovetić's absence had undermined Montenegro's Group G plans, but maintained his side still had "enough quality to get a positive result against Wales".Montenegro and Wales met for the first time in a friendly in Podgorica last year but will be doing it for real in their opening UEFA EURO 2012 Group G qualifier, with a place in the finals in Poland and Ukraine the dream.

Team news
• Montenegro will be without ACF Fiorentina playmaker Stevan Jovetić, who has been ruled out for between six and eight months with a serious knee injury, making life difficult for coach Zlatko Kranjčar. "Jovetić was one of the most important players in my plans," he said. "It is a different team with and without him, but we have enough quality to get a positive result against Wales. And a positive result is victory; nothing else."
• Montenegro squad
Goalkeepers: Mladen Božović (Videoton FC), Srdjan Blažić (R. Standard de Liège), Ivan Janjušević (FK Mogren Budva)

Defenders: Marko Baša (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Savo Pavićević (FC Kavala), Miodrag Džudović (PFC Spartak Nalchik), Milan Jovanović (PFC Spartak Nalchik), Stefan Savić (FK Partizan), Luka Pejović (FK Mogren Budva), Draško Božović (FK Mogren Budva), Žarko Tomašević (CD Nacional), Radoslav Batak (FK Mogren Budva)

Midfielders: Elsad Zverotić (FC Luzern), Ivan Fatić (Genoa CFC), Milorad Peković (SpVgg Greuther Fürth), Mitar Novaković (FC Amkar Perm), Vladimir Božović (FC Rapid Bucureşti), Simon Vukčević (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Nikola Drinčić (FC Spartak Moskva), Branko Bošković (DC United), Mladen Kašćelan (Jagiellonia Białystok)

Forwards: Mirko Vučinić (AS Roma), Radomir Djalović (HNK Rijeka), Fatos Bećiraj (FK Budućnost Podgorica), Andrija Delibašić (Rayo Vallecano de Madrid), Dejan Damjanović (FC Seoul)
• Central defenders James Collins and Danny Gabbidon have both been named in the Wales squad even though both were ruled out of their club's start to the season through injury. Collins has been struggling with a calf injury while Gabbidon is attempting another comeback after a succession of groin problems.
• Manager John Toshack's squad of also includes Craig Bellamy, who has dropped out of the Premier League after agreeing a season-long loan with Cardiff City FC from Manchester City FC, and Steve Morison, who made his debut in the 5-1 win over Luxembourg in last week's friendly international. Toshack said: "Although he [Morison] didn't score [against Luxembourg] his presence was important while the others flitted around him and he can be pleased with his debut."
• Wales squad

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Boaz Myhill (West Bromwich Albion FC), Jason Brown (Blackburn Rovers FC)

Defenders: Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest FC), Neal Eardley (Blackpool FC), Darcy Blake (Cardiff City FC), Craig Morgan (Preston North End FC), Ashley Williams (Swansea City FC), James Collins (Aston Villa FC), Danny Gabbidon (West Ham United FC), Sam Ricketts (Hull City AFC), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur FC)

Midfielders: Andrew Crofts (Norwich City FC), David Cotterill (Swansea City FC), Andy Dorman (Crystal Palace FC), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Andy King (Leicester City FC), Brian Stock (Doncaster Rovers FC), Joe Ledley (Celtic FC) David Vaughan (Blackpool FC)

Forwards: Craig Bellamy (Manchester City FC), Simon Church (Reading FC), Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest FC), Ched Evans (Sheffield United FC), Steve Morison (Millwall FC)
Match background
• Montenegro's record in one game against Wales reads W1 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).
• The nations' only previous meeting produced a 2-1 victory for Montenegro on 12 August 2009, when a Stevan Jovetić penalty and a Radomir Djalović strike on the stroke of half-time put the hosts ahead before Sam Vokes pulled one back after the break.
• This game will be Montenegro's first UEFA European Championship qualifier as an independent nation. The Football Federation of Montenegro (FSCG) was not granted full UEFA membership until January 2007.
• Montenegro's home record in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying was W1 D3 L1, with that lone defeat a 2-0 reverse against then reigning world champions Italy. Wales's away record in the same tournament was W2 D0 L3

San Marino first up for the Netherlands

UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group E minnows San Marino are the Netherlands' first competitive opponents since the Oranje lost the 2010 FIFA World Cup final. Beaten finalists at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Netherlands will look to vent some of their frustration in their Group E opener against section minnows San Marino.

Netherlands team news
• Following Giovanni van Bronckhorst's retirement, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk is on the lookout for a new team captain, though he insisted that the choice of team leader for the San Marino game might be a "temporary captain". Without the injured Arjen Robben, the coach has left out Ryan Babel, Edson Braafheid, Sander Boschker, André Ooijer and Stijn Schaars from the side he took to the FIFA World Cup, with Vurnon Anita, Theo Janssen, Jeremain Lens, Hedwiges Maduro, Erik Pieters, Piet Velthuizen and Ron Vlaar given the chance to shine in their place.

• Netherlands squad
Goalkeepers: Maarten Stekelenburg (AFC Ajax), Piet Velthuizen (Hércules CF), Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)
Defenders: Vurnon Anita (AFC Ajax), Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart), John Heitinga (Everton FC), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburger SV), Erik Pieters (PSV Eindhoven), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (AFC Ajax)
Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Mark van Bommel (FC Bayern München), Theo Janssen (FC Twente), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia CF), Wesley Sneijder (FC Internazionale Milano), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid CF), Demy de Zeeuw (AFC Ajax)
Forwards: Eljero Elia (Hamburger SV), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool FC), Jeremain Lens (PSV Eindhoven) en Robin van Persie (Arsenal FC)
Match background
• San Marino's record in four games against the Netherlands reads W0 D0 L4 (W0 D0 L2 at home, though one of those matches was played in Bologna, Italy).
• In their four fixtures against the Oranje, San Marino have yet to score a goal, with the aggregate scoreline a somewhat punishing 23-0 in the Netherlands' favour.
• All four of their meetings have come in World Cup qualifiers, the sides having been pooled together in the run-up to the 1994 and 1998 finals.
• Being the home team has yet to spare San Marino against the Netherlands as their home losses (7-0 and 6-0) have been heavier than their away defeats (6-0 and 4-0).
• The 7-0 outcome in Bologna on 22 September 1993 remains the Netherlands' biggest win against San Marino. John Bosman scored a hat-trick in that game.
• Bosman also registered one of the goals when the nations met in Serravalle on 30 April 1997, with his four strikes overall making him the Oranje's most prolific scorer against San Marino, ahead of Frank de Boer with three.
• The 1998 tournament qualifiers marked an improvement of sorts for San Marino, who managed to keep the half-time deficit down to 1-0 on both occasions

Estonia out to end Italy streak

Estonia will host Group C rivals Italy keen to record a first positive result against the Azzurri − who have called up four uncapped players − having lost all four previous meetings

With over 15 years having passed since the sides' last meeting, Estonia can only hope that they are maturing with age as they prepare to come up against Italy for a fifth time in their opening UEFA EURO 2012 Group C qualifier.

Italy team news
Cesare Prandelli has called up four uncapped players, all defenders, selecting Luca Antonelli, Cesare Bovo, Lorenzo De Silvestri and Daniele Gastaldello. The Azzurri coach is, however, without Manchester City FC striker Mario Balotelli (knee), though Andrea Pirlo – who missed the 1-0 friendly loss to Ivory Coast on 10 August – is back in the fold after being passed fully fit following his pre-FIFA World Cup injury.
• Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Antonio Mirante (Parma FC), Salvatore Sirigu (US Città di Palermo), Emiliano Viviano (Bologna FC)
Defenders: Luca Antonelli (Parma FC), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Cesare Bovo (US Città di Palermo), Mattia Cassani (US Città di Palermo), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Lorenzo De Silvestri (ACF Fiorentina), Daniele Gastaldello (UC Sampdoria), Cristian Molinaro (VfB Stuttgart)
Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Andrea Lazzari (Cagliari Calcio), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (ACF Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (UC Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Forwards: Antonio Cassano (UC Sampdoria), Alberto Gilardino (ACF Fiorentina), Giampaolo Pazzini (UC Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Juventus), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal CF)
Match background
• Estonia's record in four games against Italy reads W0 D0 L4 (W0 D0 L2 at home).
• The nations first met in a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Trieste on 14 April 1993, when Roberto Baggio and Giuseppe Signori both registered in a 2-0 win for Italy. Baggio scored twice more in the return fixture in Tallinn – the first a penalty – either side of a Roberto Mancini strike as the visitors prevailed 3-0.
• As fate would have it, the two teams were pooled together again in EURO '96 qualifying. This time Christian Panucci and Pierluigi Casiraghi scored in a 2-0 win for Italy in Tallinn, before two efforts from Gianfranco Zola and one apiece for Demetrio Albertini and Fabrizio Ravanelli made it 4-1 in the second encounter.
• Martin Reim's strike in that game remains the only goal Estonia have managed in 360 minutes of football against Italy, during which they have conceded 11 times.
• Estonia's home record in 2010 World Cup qualifying was W2 D1 L2. Italy's away record in the same campaign read W3 D2 L0.

Israel eager for winning start

Having handed chances to some "new, hungry players", Israel's French coach Jean Fernandez is eager to make a flying start in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying at home against Malta. Israel will kick off their bid for a place at UEFA EURO 2012 with a home outing against Malta, and while they have never lost to their Group F rivals they could only draw against them on the road to UEFA EURO 2004.

Team news
• Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC's Eliran Atar and Yoval Avidor received their first senior Israel call-ups after scoring in their side's 4-3 UEFA Europa League play-off win over national-team boss Luis Fernandez's old club, Paris Saint-Germain FC, while Hapoel Akko FC 30-year-old goalkeeper Dudu Goresh also has a first chance to impress. Fernandez said: "We have a very good, deep squad and we want to hand chances to new, hungry players who want to prove themselves."
• Israel squad
Goalkeepers: Dudu Aouate (RCD Mallorca), Ohad Levita (RKC Waalwijk), Dudu Goresh (Hapoel Akko FC)
Defenders: Tal Ben Haim (West Ham United FC), Dekel Keinan (Blackpool FC), Yoav Ziv (Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC), Dedi Ben Dayan (Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC), Dani Bondar (Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC)
Midfielders: Yossi Benayoun (Chelsea FC), Tamir Cohen (Bolton Wanderers FC), Almog Cohen (1. FC Nürnburg), Biram Kayal (Celtic FC), Avihai Yadin (Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC), Eran Zahavi (Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC), Gil Vermouth (Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC), Eyal Golasa (Maccabi Haifa FC), Lior Rafaelov (Maccabi Haifa FC), Maor Melikson (Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC)
Forwards: Shlomi Arbeitman (KAA Gent), Etey Schechter (Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC), Ben Sahar (Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC), Yuval Avidor (Maccabi Tel-Aviv) FC, Eliran Atar (Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC)
• Malta coach John Buttigieg is eager to make a bright start in Group F, as his side prepare for their trip to Israel, saying: "These are two big matches for us. I reckon Israel and Latvia are at about the same level. Our lack of match practice worries me since our league has not kicked off yet."
• Malta squad
Goalkeepers: Anthony Curmi (Tarxien Rainbows FC), Andrew Hogg (Valletta FC), Mario Muscat (Hibernians FC)
Defenders: Andrei Agius (AS Melfi), Jonathan Caruana (Valletta FC), Clayton Failla (Sliema Wanderers FC), Massimo Grima (Hamrun Spartans FC), Edward Herrera (Hibernians FC), Carlo Mamo (Marsaxlokk FC), Emmanuel Muscat (Wellington Phoenix FC), Joseph Zerafa (Birkirkara FC)
Midfielders: Shaun Bajada (Birkirkara FC), Roderick Briffa (Valletta FC), Trevor Cilia (Birkirkara FC), Paul Fenech (Birkirkara FC), Ryan Fenech (Hamrun Spartans FC), Jamie Pace (Valletta FC), Kevin Sammut (Valletta FC), Gareth Sciberras (Marsaxlokk FC)
Forwards: Daniel Bogdanovic (Sheffield United FC), Andrew Cohen (Hibernians FC), Michael Mifsud (no club), Ivan Woods (Sliema Wanderers FC)
Match background
• Israel's record in six games against Malta reads W4 D2 L0 (W2 D2 L0 at home).
• The teams last met in Antalya on 10 September 2003, when the hosts needed a late Pini Balili equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw and deny Malta a famous victory. Michael Mifsud and David Carabott had earlier fired the visitors into the lead following Haim Revivo's first-half opener.
• That proved to be Malta's sole point in their bid for a place at the UEFA EURO 2004 finals in Portugal. Israel, who also prevailed 2-0 in Ta' Qali on 12 October 2002 thanks to efforts from Balili and Revivo, could only finish third in qualifying Group 1.
• Malta's other draw against Israel came on opposition soil as well, the two sides recording a 1-1 stalemate in Haifa on 2 December 1987• That encounter was sandwiched between a pair of home victories for Israel, Malta losing the very first meeting between the nations 2-1 in Jerusalem on 6 September 1984 and then succumbing 2-0 in Beersheba on 18 October 1988.source http://www.uefa.com/

Finland striving to change course of history

The Netherlands have been the dominant force in meetings with Group E rivals Finland, so much so that the Nordic nation have not defeated the Oranje in six decades.

Finland will travel to the Netherlands for their UEFA EURO 2012 Group E qualifier looking for a first victory against the Oranje in 60 years and their sole success against the hosts in a competitive fixture.

Match background
• The Netherlands' record in 12 matches against Finland reads W9 D2 L1 (W4 D1 L0 at home).
• The sides have met three times before in Rotterdam, with the Netherlands winning the two most recent contests and drawing the other.
• They last met in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when the Netherlands triumphed 3-1 in Amsterdam on 13 October 2004 and 4-0 in Helsinki on 8 June the following year. Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dirk Kuyt, Phillip Cocu and Robin van Persie grabbed the goals in the Finnish capital.
• Nine of their 12 meetings have been competitive fixtures, with the two sides also drawn together in qualifying for the 1976 and 1992 UEFA European Championships and the 1990 World Cup.
• Their most recent encounter in UEFA European Championship qualifying came in Helsinki on 5 June 1991 and ended in a 1-1 draw as Erik Holmgren cancelled out Frank de Boer's opener for the visitors.
• Prior to that outing, the Netherlands won the home fixture 2-0 at Rotterdam's De Kuip stadium thanks to efforts from Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit.
• Johan Cruyff struck twice and Johan Neeskens once during a 3-1 victory for the Oranje in their 1976 UEFA European Championship qualifier in Helsinki on 25 September 1974. Willy van der Kuijlen then hit a hat-trick in the return fixture in Nijmegen as the hosts ran out 4-1 winners. Finland had opened the scoring in both matches.
• Finland's only win against the Netherlands was a 4-1 victory in a friendly in Helsinki on 11 June 1950.
• The first match between the sides was the bronze medal game at the 1912 Olympics; Jan Vos plundered five goals in a 9-0 success for the Netherlands in Solna on 4 July.

Germany prepare to welcome former coach Vogts

Germany entertain Berti Vogt's Azerbaijan in qualification Group A almost a year to the day since Joachim Löw's team defeated their opponents 4-0 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Germany and Azerbaijan met on the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and they will lock horns again in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group A, with the latter keen to record a first point against their rivals.

Match background
• Germany's record in two games against Azerbaijan reads W2 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).
• Joachim Löw's charges secured a 2-0 success in the teams' first encounter in Baku on 12 August last year, when Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose made the difference either side of the interval.
• Klose then plundered two more efforts in the return match in Hanover on 9 September the same year, sandwiching his strikes between a Michael Ballack penalty and a Lukas Podolski goal in a 4-0 triumph for Germany.Source http://www.uefa.com/

EURO qualifying to start in earnest

Having taken a back seat as Estonia and the Faroe Islands kicked off UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying on Wednesday, the rest of the 49 countries in the race to reach Poland and Ukraine enter the fray next month.

Estonia triumphed 2-1 in Tallinn against their Group C rivals thanks to added-time goals from Kaimar Saag and Raio Piiroja in the first game on the road to the final tournament. Qualifying starts in earnest, however, on Friday 3 September – this follows a decision by FIFA in September 2009 to change the days of double dates in the international match calendar from Friday or Saturday and Wednesday to Friday or Saturday and Tuesday. Holders and FIFA World Cup winners Spain get their Group I campaign under way with a trip to Liechtenstein while the Netherlands, beaten finalists in South Africa, go to Serravalle to take on San Marino.
Germany, who lost to Spain in the World Cup semi-finals having succumbed to the same opponents in the UEFA EURO 2008 showpiece, launch their quest for a fourth European title by visiting Brussels to play Belgium. Laurent Blanc and Cesare Prandelli undertake their first competitive engagements as the new coaches of France and Italy with games against Belarus and Estonia respectively. New Greece coach Fernando Santos commences his attempt to emulate Otto Rehhagel's remarkable feat at UEFA EURO 2004 with a home fixture against Georgia in Group F.
Elsewhere that night, England and Portugal will look to kick-start their revivals after unexpectedly early World Cup exits when they entertain Bulgaria and Cyprus respectively. Indeed, of the 13 European teams who reached the World Cup, all bar Switzerland and Denmark see action on 3 September, those two countries kicking off their schedules with home matches on Tuesday 7 September.

RELATED INFORMATION

AustriaNext match: Austria v Kazakhstan 07/09/2010 20:30  
CyprusNext match: Portugal v Cyprus 03/09/2010
 EstoniaNext match: Estonia v Faroe Islands 11/08/2010 20:00
RussiaNext match: Andorra v Russia 03/09/2010 18:30
FranceNext match: France v Belarus 03/09/2010 21:00
GermanyNext match: Belgium v Germany 03/09/2010 20:15
GreeceNext match: Greece v Georgia 03/09/2010 20:45
Northern IrelandNext match: Slovenia v Northern Ireland 03/09/2010 20:45
SpainNext match: Liechtenstein v Spain 03/09/2010 20:45
NetherlandsNext match: San Marino v Netherlands 03/09/2010 20:45
San MarinoNext match: San Marino v Netherlands 03/09/2010 20:45
PolandFaroe IslandsNext match: Estonia v Faroe Islands 11/08/2010 20:00
TurkeyNext match: Kazakhstan v Turkey 03/09/2010 22:00
DenmarkNext match: Denmark v Iceland 07/09/2010 20:15
ArmeniaNext match: Armenia v Republic of Ireland 03/09/2010 20:00
SlovakiaNext match: Slovakia v FYR Macedonia 03/09/2010 20:30
ScotlandNext match: Lithuania v Scotland 03/09/2010 21:15

Source http://www.uefa.com/

International friendly results, 11 August 2010

Kazakhstan 3-1 Oman
Russia 1-0 Bulgaria
Lithuania 0-2 Belarus
Armenia 1-3 Iran
Azerbaijan 1-1 Kuwait
Finland 1-0 Belgium
Moldova 0-0 Georgia
Cyprus 1-0 Andorra
Turkey 2-0 Romania
Malta 1-1 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Sweden 3-0 Scotland
Czech Republic 4-1 Latvia
Albania 1-0 Uzbekistan
Austria 0-1 Switzerland
Denmark 2-2 Germany
Montenegro 2-0 Northern Ireland
Serbia 0-1 Greece
Slovakia 1-1 Croatia
Slovenia 2-0 Australia
Wales 5-1 Luxembourg
England 2-1 Hungary
Norway 2-1 France
Iceland 1-1 Liechtenstein
Source http://www.uefa.com/

Republic of Ireland 0-1 Argentina

A solitary goal from Ángel di María was enough to condemn the Republic of Ireland to a 1-0 defeat by Argentina in their opening game at the Dublin Arena.

The new 50,000-capacity stadium, built in place of Lansdowne Road, was staging international football for the first time ahead of Ireland's UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers as well as the UEFA Europa League final in May. It was not to be a happy first outing for Ireland, though, Real Madrid CF summer signing Di María finding the net on 21 minutes.
Argentina, FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists in South Africa this summer, had begun in positive fashion in the Irish capital, with Lionel Messi first to threaten Shay Given's goal. The Manchester City FC goalkeeper was beaten midway through the opening period, Di María latching onto Romero's punt before executing a delightful lob over Given.

Argentina remained on top for much of the game, leaving Ireland captain Robbie Keane frustrated on his 100th international appearance. The Tottenham Hotspur FC forward did link up well with Damien Duff but the visitors stood firm. Ireland begin their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying campaign in Armenia on 3 September before returning to Dublin to face Andorra four days later. Russia, Slovakia and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are also in Group B.
Source http://www.uefa.com/

Mexico 1-1 Spain

World and European champions Spain needed a last-minute David Silva goal to salvage a draw in Mexico City.Captain Iker Casillas received rapturous applause from the local fans as he led La Roja on to the field holding the FIFA World Cup but any notions of a victory parade were swiftly stamped out at the Azteca Stadium. Manchester United FC forward Javier Hernández broke the deadlock on 12 minutes, firing in low at the near post and, aside from a Santi Cazorla shot that hit the crossbar midway through the first half, Mexico looked the more likely scorers. Xavi Hernández has seen it all before, however, and with time ebbing away he pounced on a defensive lapse before feeding Silva who lifted the ball into the far corner.

"It was a hard game as they were playing very well on the counterattack but in the end we got the draw we deserved," said Spain coach Vicente del Bosque, who started with just three of the XI that beat the Netherlands in Johannesburg a month ago. "I have to give ten out of ten to every player here; they all played well and I'm very happy for that." Spain begin their UEFA European Championship defence away to Liechtenstein on 3 September.
Source http://www.uefa.com/