Germany and England on Saturday kept on course for qualification to next year's Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine with victories in their qualifying matches.
Germany are one of just three teams to maintain a 100-per-cent record after beating Kazakhstan 4-0 in their Group A game.
Miroslav Klose and two goals by World Cup top scorer Thomas Mueller put the game beyond the visitors by half-time. Although Kazakhstan managed to do some damage control in the second half, a German victory was never in doubt, and Klose added another goal two minutes from the end.
Mueller said that the victory was very important: "We are happy that we managed to secure the victory. As expected, Kazakhstan stood behind and defended, and that made it difficult for us."
The win sees Germany move to 15 points from their five games and an eight-point lead over Belgium and Austria, who are both on seven points, though Austria has played one game less.
In Group G, England moved back into the lead with a 2-0 victory in Wales.
In Cardiff Frank Lampard put England ahead with a seventh-minute penalty, and when Darren Bent added a second goal eight minutes later, the game was as good as won.
England lead the group on goal difference from Montenegro. Both have 10 points. Wales remain bottom of the group without a point, while Switzerland and Bulgaria remain third and fourth with four points after their goalless draw in Sofia.
In Yerevan, Russia could have put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack but were frustrated by a strong Armenian defence that prevented the visitors from capitalizing on their dominance.
The 0-0 moves Russia to 10 points in the group.
Slovakia, who beat minnows Andorra 1-0 through Filip Sebo's first- half strike, are also on 10 points, as are Ireland, who beat Macedonia 2-1.
Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane gave the Irish a 2-0 lead by the 25th minute, before Ivan Trickovski pulled one back in first-half injury time.
Damien Duff said that Ireland had to work very hard for the victory.
"I was cramping after an hour, and that showed what kind of shift we had put it. They made us work hard for it," he said. "It was a brilliant start for us. We knew before the match the results from the other game, and that gave us a lift."
In Group D, Bosnia-Herzegovina came from behind to beat Romania 2- 1 through goals by Vedad Ibisevic and Edin Dzeko, after Ciprian Marica had given the visitors the lead.
Hamdi Salihi scored on the hour for Albania to give his side a 1-0 victory against Belarus in the other group game. France, who beat Luxembourg on Friday, have a four-point lead at the top of the table.
In Group F, Levan Kobiashvili scored a last-gasp goal for Georgia as they managed a 1-0 victory against Croatia to move to nine points, while Croatia are on 10 points.
Greece moved to the top of the group with a late strike through Vasileios Torosidis in injury time to give them a 1-0 victory at Malta. Two minutes earlier, Greece had been reduced to 10 men after Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off.
Israel also stay in contention in the group after beating Latvia 2-1. Elyaniv Barda gave the home side the lead in the 16th minute, but Kaspars Gorkss equalized halfway through the second half.
Nine minutes from the end, Biram Kayal scored the goal to take Israel to seven points and within striking range of the group leaders.
In Group H, Norway's Erik Huseklepp scored nine minutes from the end to secure a 1-1 draw against Denmark, for whom Dennis Rommedahl had opened the score in the first half. The result sees the Norwegians remain at the top of the group on 10 points, while Denmark and Portugal are on seven.
In the other group match, Iceland secured their first point of the campaign in a goalless draw in Cyprus. Both teams, however, have no chance of qualifying for the finals.
Another round of qualifiers is scheduled for Tuesday.
Germany are one of just three teams to maintain a 100-per-cent record after beating Kazakhstan 4-0 in their Group A game.
Miroslav Klose and two goals by World Cup top scorer Thomas Mueller put the game beyond the visitors by half-time. Although Kazakhstan managed to do some damage control in the second half, a German victory was never in doubt, and Klose added another goal two minutes from the end.
Mueller said that the victory was very important: "We are happy that we managed to secure the victory. As expected, Kazakhstan stood behind and defended, and that made it difficult for us."
The win sees Germany move to 15 points from their five games and an eight-point lead over Belgium and Austria, who are both on seven points, though Austria has played one game less.
In Group G, England moved back into the lead with a 2-0 victory in Wales.
In Cardiff Frank Lampard put England ahead with a seventh-minute penalty, and when Darren Bent added a second goal eight minutes later, the game was as good as won.
England lead the group on goal difference from Montenegro. Both have 10 points. Wales remain bottom of the group without a point, while Switzerland and Bulgaria remain third and fourth with four points after their goalless draw in Sofia.
In Yerevan, Russia could have put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack but were frustrated by a strong Armenian defence that prevented the visitors from capitalizing on their dominance.
The 0-0 moves Russia to 10 points in the group.
Slovakia, who beat minnows Andorra 1-0 through Filip Sebo's first- half strike, are also on 10 points, as are Ireland, who beat Macedonia 2-1.
Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane gave the Irish a 2-0 lead by the 25th minute, before Ivan Trickovski pulled one back in first-half injury time.
Damien Duff said that Ireland had to work very hard for the victory.
"I was cramping after an hour, and that showed what kind of shift we had put it. They made us work hard for it," he said. "It was a brilliant start for us. We knew before the match the results from the other game, and that gave us a lift."
In Group D, Bosnia-Herzegovina came from behind to beat Romania 2- 1 through goals by Vedad Ibisevic and Edin Dzeko, after Ciprian Marica had given the visitors the lead.
Hamdi Salihi scored on the hour for Albania to give his side a 1-0 victory against Belarus in the other group game. France, who beat Luxembourg on Friday, have a four-point lead at the top of the table.
In Group F, Levan Kobiashvili scored a last-gasp goal for Georgia as they managed a 1-0 victory against Croatia to move to nine points, while Croatia are on 10 points.
Greece moved to the top of the group with a late strike through Vasileios Torosidis in injury time to give them a 1-0 victory at Malta. Two minutes earlier, Greece had been reduced to 10 men after Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off.
Israel also stay in contention in the group after beating Latvia 2-1. Elyaniv Barda gave the home side the lead in the 16th minute, but Kaspars Gorkss equalized halfway through the second half.
Nine minutes from the end, Biram Kayal scored the goal to take Israel to seven points and within striking range of the group leaders.
In Group H, Norway's Erik Huseklepp scored nine minutes from the end to secure a 1-1 draw against Denmark, for whom Dennis Rommedahl had opened the score in the first half. The result sees the Norwegians remain at the top of the group on 10 points, while Denmark and Portugal are on seven.
In the other group match, Iceland secured their first point of the campaign in a goalless draw in Cyprus. Both teams, however, have no chance of qualifying for the finals.
Another round of qualifiers is scheduled for Tuesday.
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