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Tag Euro 2020 qualifiers

Sport

Kane nets hat-trick as England romp past Bulgaria

Hat-trick

London, Sept 7, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) England’s serene progress towards Euro 2020 continued as skipper Harry Kane grabbed a hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of Bulgaria in Group A at Wembley on Saturday.

Kane opened the scoring after 24 minutes and struck home two penalties after the break as well as providing the assist for Raheem Sterling to get on the scoresheet.

Gareth Southgate’s side have now scored 14 goals in their opening three Group A games and lead the table with nine points while Kosovo who earlier beat the Czech Republic 2-1, have eight points.

England host Kosovo for the first time on Tuesday when another victory will leave them looking virtually assured of reaching next year’s tournament that culminates on home soil.

It was not a perfect display by England with Bulgaria having three good chances, one when the score was 0-0.
However, England proved far too strong as they left the visitors languishing at the bottom of the group with two points from five games.

Kane’s second hat-trick for England, following the one he scored against Panama at last year’s World Cup finals, took his tally to 25 goals in 40 appearances.

Eight of of the goals were from the penalty spot. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/MZA

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Sport

Euro 2020 qualifiers: Croatia ease past Slovakia as Wales edge Azerbaijan

Euro 2020

Bratislava, Sept. 6, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) World Cup runners-up Croatia stayed on course to qualify for Euro 2020 after a dominant display gave them a 4-0 Group E win in Slovakia.

In another fixture, Wales kept alive their own hopes after a 2-1 home victory over Azerbaijan on Friday.

Croatia are level with Hungary at the top of a tight group with both teams on nine points from four games, three ahead of Wales and Slovakia.

Azerbaijan have no points.

The Croatians hit the woodwork three times in the first half in Trnava and Slovakia keeper Martin Dubravka pulled off several good saves.

However, Nikola Vlasic fired the visitors ahead in the 45th minute with his first international goal.

The midfielder took the ball in his stride and fired a stinging low shot past Dubravka from 20 metres after the home side had survived a fierce Croatian onslaught.

Ivan Perisic, who hit the crossbar and the post in the first half, made it 2-0 less than a minute after the break when his heavily-deflected shot from 25 metres left Dubravka stranded.

Striker Bruno Petkovic added the third with a simple close-range finish after a flowing move as Croatia kept their feet on the pedal.
OSlovakia could only muster a pair of shots from Robert Mak at the other end.

Defender Dejan Lovren put the icing on the cake for Croatia with a diving header from a tight angle in the 89th minute.

A bizarre Pavlo Pashayev own goal fired Wales ahead in the 26th minute as Gareth Bale’s deflected shot looped into the air and went in off the defender’s shoulder with keeper Salahat Agayev coming off his line to smother the ball.

Mahir Emreli silenced the home crowd in Cardiff when he capitalised on Neil Taylor’s blunder and beat Wayne Hennessey at the second attempt, slamming in the rebound after the Wales keeper parried his initial effort.

But the Welsh had the last laugh as Bale beat Agayev with a looping header in the 84th minute after a deflected Joe Allen effort fell kindly into his path. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/MZA

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Sport

Euro 2020: Netherlands shock Germany in topsy-turvy 4-2 win

Qualifier

Hamburg (Germany), Sept. 6, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Netherlands scored four times in 32 second-half minutes to stage a 4-2 comeback win against hosts Germany in their Euro 2020 Group C qualifier on Friday.

The Germans went ahead with Serge Gnabry, netting his fourth goal in four qualifiers in the ninth minute.

The Dutch came back stronger after the break, scoring twice in seven minutes with Frenkie De Jong in the 59th and a Jonathan Tah own goal.

Germany levelled with a harshly-awarded 73rd minute Toni Kroos penalty but the visitors got revenge for their 3-2 loss in Amsterdam in March.

They struck through Donyell Malen in the 79th after a quick combination left the German defence frozen.

Georginio Wijnaldum completed the win in stoppage time.

The result leaves Germany on nine points from four games, three behind leaders Northern Ireland, who they face on Monday in Belfast.

The Dutch move up to six points from three games.

Belarus earned a stoppage-time 2-1 win at Estonia to claim their first points in the other game in the group on Friday. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/AO/AIB

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Edited by Angela Okisor/Abdulfatah Babatunde