Germany and Russia stay on course

Trevor Huggins

Russia and Germany moved closer to next year's World Cup finals on Wednesday after both notched up important qualifying victories.

Russia edged Luxembourg 2-1 while Germany beat Albania 2-0 to leave both countries well clear of their rivals.

Ireland, trailed by Portugal and The Netherlands, defended their group lead with a 2-0 win in Estonia.

Two other group leaders were pegged to unexpected draws, with Euro 2000 quarter-finalists Spain being held 1-1 in Israel and Poland finishing 1-1 away to eight-man Armenia.

GROUP ONE: Sergei Semak's 76th minute strike earned Russia a hard-fought 2-1 victory in Luxembourg, giving them 17 points and a four-point lead at the top.

Slovenia leapfrogged over Switzerland into second place after beating the Swiss 1-0 in Basle.

Switzerland are now third on 11 points but Yugoslavia, who hammered the Faroe Islands 6-0 away, have nine points and a game in hand -- against the Faroes again -- in August.

GROUP TWO: In the tightest group of the lot, Ireland ensured they stay top with a 2-0 win in Estonia. Matt Holland, standing in for suspended skipper Roy Keane in midfield, scored Ireland's second after Richard Dunne had scrambled home the early opener.

Ireland, on 18 points from eight games, now face a decisive qualifier against the Dutch, who did not play on Wednesday, on September 1 in Dublin.

Portugal moved into second place on 15 points from seven games, after handing Cyprus a 6-0 drubbing. The Dutch are third on 14 points from seven games but Portugal's run-in is an easy-looking one and they look favourites.

GROUP THREE: Denmark went top of the group after coming back from a goal down to scramble a 2-1 win over minnows Malta.

Ebbe Sand scored both Denmark's goals with headers -- the second with only seven minutes left -- after George Mallia had given the Mediterranean islanders a shock eighth minute lead.

The Danes now have a one-point lead over both Czech Republic, who beat Northern Ireland 3-1 with two goals in the last three minutes, and Bulgaria, who drew 1-1 in Iceland.

GROUP FOUR: Celtic's Henrik Larsson scored four times, including a hat-trick of penalties, as Sweden continued a fine run of form by thrashing 10-man Moldova 6-0 to go top.

The Swedes are two points clear of Turkey, who were held to a remarkable 3-3 draw by 10-man Macedonia.

Aston Villa defender Alpay Ozalan bagged a hat-trick for Turkey but the home side were always trailing a Macedonian team who played with 10 men from the 48th minute but still took a 3-2 lead in the second half.

Azerbaijan notched their first win of the campaign, beating Slovakia 2-0 at home. The Slovaks, top of the group on Saturday morning, are now four points behind Turkey in third place after two defeats in five days.

GROUP FIVE: No change as all three games finished 1-1. Group leaders Poland should have done better away to an Armenia side who finished with only eight men after a brawl which saw two Armenians and a Pole dismissed in the 87th minute. Armenia, a man down before the hour, equalised in the 11th minute after the Poles took a fourth minute lead.

Belarus, five points adrift of Poland, stay second after their game in Norway. Two points further back, third-placed Ukraine were held at home by Wales.

GROUP SIX: Belgium opened up a three-point lead after beating San Marino 4-1. Marc Wilmots scored twice, including a penalty, to give his side 14 points from six games.

Croatia leapfrogged Scotland to take second place after a precious 1-0 away victory over Latvia. Bosko Balaban scored the winner in the 39th minute, while Latvia had Andrejs Stolcer sent off in the 73rd minute.

Croatia are now level with the Scots on 11 points after five games, but lead their rivals on goal difference by a single goal.

GROUP SEVEN: In the only group seven game of the night, leaders Spain slipped up in a 1-1 draw to Israel in Tel Aviv, with Raul needing to equalise in the second half after Haim Revivo had given the hosts an early lead.

But Spain still look odds-on to qualify. They have 14 points, three ahead of Austria, who have a game in hand and travel to Spain on September 1. Israel, a point behind the Austrians, are still in with a chance of the runners-up slot.

GROUP EIGHT: Romania stayed on course to finish second behind runaway leaders Italy, who did not play, after a 2-1 win in Lithuania.

A goal each from Valencia striker Adrian Ilie -- with a neat lob -- and Nantes striker Viorel Moldovan earned Romania a win which leaves them with 12 points from six games, four points behind the Italians.

Hungary, who have eight points and a game in hand, kept the pressure on them for the runners-up slot with a 4-1 victory over Georgia.

GROUP NINE: Leaders Germany, held to a shock 2-2 draw by Finland on Saturday, got back to their winning ways by beating Albania 2-0 away in a game which both sides ended with 10 men.

Goals by Marko Rehmer in the 28th minute and Michael Ballack in the 68th kept the Germans well in control of the group with 16 points from six games.

England, on 10 points with a game in hand, stayed on course for at least a place in the play-offs with a workmanlike 2-0 victory over Greece in Athens.

Paul Scholes stabbed home England's first in the 64th minute and skipper David Beckham curled home a superb free-kick in 87th, raising hopes that Sven Goran Eriksson's men could even beat Germany in Munich on September 1 to have a chance of top spot.