World Cup finalists Spain and the Netherlands on Tuesday moved closer toward the Euro 2012 finals with victories in their qualifiers.
The Dutch beat Hungary 5-3 in a thriller, while defending champions and World Cup holders Spain beat Lithuania 3-1 to maintain their 100-per-cent record in Group I.
In Amsterdam, Robin van Persie gave the home side the lead in their Group E game, but Rudolf Gergely and Zoltan Gera turned things around within five minutes of the restart.
Wesley Sneijder leveled matters again on the hour, and substitute Ruud Van Nistelrooy put them ahead in the 73rd minute. Gera equalized for the visitors two minutes later, but Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt scored his side's fourth just three minutes later.
It was Kuyt who made the score 5-3 in the 81st minute for the fourth goal in just eight minutes.
In the other group game on the night, Sweden beat Moldova 2-1 to move to nine points in the group. The Dutch have a commanding lead with a maximum 18 points from their six matches, while Sweden and Hungary are battling it out for second place.
Both have nine points, but Hungary have played two games more.
In Group I, Spain continued their stroll toward the finals with a 3-1 win at Lithuania, on an appalling pitch in wintry Kaunas.
Vicente del Bosque's team won thanks to goals from Xavi and Juan Mata, plus a clumsy own goal from Lithuania defender Tadas Kijanskas. Marius Stankevicius scored for the home side.
The world champions were uncomfortable on a dreadful pitch in the Darius and Girenas stadium - which featured more sand than grass - and seemed more interested in avoiding injuries than in taking home the three points.
"It was very difficult to play on this lamentable pitch. But we dominated and managed to do our job," Xavi said. "It is incredible that there are pitches like this in the year 2011."
The late win leaves Spain virtually qualified for the Euro 2012 finals. They are well out on top of Group I with a maximum 15 points from five games, six points above the Czech Republic, who beat Liechtenstein 2-0 earlier Tuesday in Prague.
Arda Turan and Gokhan Gonul scored for Turkey in Istanbul to give the home side a 2-0 victory in Group A against Austria, for whom Stafan Maierhofer missed a penalty late in the match.
Germany have a convincing lead in the group with 15 points from five matches. Belgium, who won 4-1 against Azerbaijan in the other match on Tuesday, are second with 10 points, while Turkey have nine.
Austria are fourth with seven points.
In Group C, both matches ended without winners with Estonia holding Serbia to a 1-1 draw, while Slovenia played to a goalless draw in Belfast against Northern Ireland.
Italy top the group with 13 points, while Slovenia and Serbia are on eight points from six matches - a game more than the Italians.
Romania scored a come-back victory in Group D to win 3-1 against Luxembourg.
Lars Christian Gerson opened the scoring for the minnows in the 22nd minute, but it took just two minutes for Adrian Mutu to find an equalizer.
Fiorentina striker Mutu put his side into the lead in the 68th minute before Ianis Alin Zicu put the game beyond the visitors in the 78th minute.
Luxembourg remain rooted to the bottom of the group, while Romania, for whom the victory was the first three-pointer of the campaign, are just a place above with five points.
France top the group with 12 points from five matches.
The final game saw Israel keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the finals with a 1-0 victory against Georgia in Tel Aviv.
Ben Haim's 59th-minute goal took the Israelis to third place with 10 points from six matches in Group F.
Greece top the group with 11 points from five games, while Croatia is a point behind from their five games. Georgia is fourth on nine points from six matches.
The Dutch beat Hungary 5-3 in a thriller, while defending champions and World Cup holders Spain beat Lithuania 3-1 to maintain their 100-per-cent record in Group I.
In Amsterdam, Robin van Persie gave the home side the lead in their Group E game, but Rudolf Gergely and Zoltan Gera turned things around within five minutes of the restart.
Wesley Sneijder leveled matters again on the hour, and substitute Ruud Van Nistelrooy put them ahead in the 73rd minute. Gera equalized for the visitors two minutes later, but Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt scored his side's fourth just three minutes later.
It was Kuyt who made the score 5-3 in the 81st minute for the fourth goal in just eight minutes.
In the other group game on the night, Sweden beat Moldova 2-1 to move to nine points in the group. The Dutch have a commanding lead with a maximum 18 points from their six matches, while Sweden and Hungary are battling it out for second place.
Both have nine points, but Hungary have played two games more.
In Group I, Spain continued their stroll toward the finals with a 3-1 win at Lithuania, on an appalling pitch in wintry Kaunas.
Vicente del Bosque's team won thanks to goals from Xavi and Juan Mata, plus a clumsy own goal from Lithuania defender Tadas Kijanskas. Marius Stankevicius scored for the home side.
The world champions were uncomfortable on a dreadful pitch in the Darius and Girenas stadium - which featured more sand than grass - and seemed more interested in avoiding injuries than in taking home the three points.
"It was very difficult to play on this lamentable pitch. But we dominated and managed to do our job," Xavi said. "It is incredible that there are pitches like this in the year 2011."
The late win leaves Spain virtually qualified for the Euro 2012 finals. They are well out on top of Group I with a maximum 15 points from five games, six points above the Czech Republic, who beat Liechtenstein 2-0 earlier Tuesday in Prague.
Arda Turan and Gokhan Gonul scored for Turkey in Istanbul to give the home side a 2-0 victory in Group A against Austria, for whom Stafan Maierhofer missed a penalty late in the match.
Germany have a convincing lead in the group with 15 points from five matches. Belgium, who won 4-1 against Azerbaijan in the other match on Tuesday, are second with 10 points, while Turkey have nine.
Austria are fourth with seven points.
In Group C, both matches ended without winners with Estonia holding Serbia to a 1-1 draw, while Slovenia played to a goalless draw in Belfast against Northern Ireland.
Italy top the group with 13 points, while Slovenia and Serbia are on eight points from six matches - a game more than the Italians.
Romania scored a come-back victory in Group D to win 3-1 against Luxembourg.
Lars Christian Gerson opened the scoring for the minnows in the 22nd minute, but it took just two minutes for Adrian Mutu to find an equalizer.
Fiorentina striker Mutu put his side into the lead in the 68th minute before Ianis Alin Zicu put the game beyond the visitors in the 78th minute.
Luxembourg remain rooted to the bottom of the group, while Romania, for whom the victory was the first three-pointer of the campaign, are just a place above with five points.
France top the group with 12 points from five matches.
The final game saw Israel keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the finals with a 1-0 victory against Georgia in Tel Aviv.
Ben Haim's 59th-minute goal took the Israelis to third place with 10 points from six matches in Group F.
Greece top the group with 11 points from five games, while Croatia is a point behind from their five games. Georgia is fourth on nine points from six matches.
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