Italy, Belgium and Wales all qualify for Euro 2016, as Netherlands stay alive
Posted Sunday, October 11, 2015 by ESPN
Italy secured their qualification for Euro 2016 with a 3-1 victory in Azerbaijan.
Eder edged the away side ahead in the 11th minute, slotting home after being played through on goal by Marco Verratti, only for the hosts to soon equalise through Dimitrij Nazarov.
However, Stephan El Shaarawy was on hand to convert Antonio Candreva's delivery shortly before half-time, with Matteo Darmian firing home a third -- his first goal at international level -- in the second half.
Congratulations, Italy! Welcome to #LeRendezVous! #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/ylZBXZ5NFV
- UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) October 10, 2015
Badavi Huseynov was shown a red card for Azerbaijan shortly before the final whistle sounded as Italy's place in France next summer was guaranteed.
Wales and Belgium both qualified from Group B despite very different results.
Belgium cruised to a 4-1 win at minnows Andorra as Radja Nainggolan, Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Laurent Depoitre all scored.
Nainggolan put Belgium on their way in the 19th minute when he struck a 25-yard right-footed shot towards the near post, and Belgium doubled their lead three minutes before the interval when Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne drilled a 30-yard free kick.
After Andorra's Ildefons Lima converted a penalty, the Belgians restored their two-goal advantage in the 56th minute, also with a spot-kick. Chelsea winger Eden Hazard converted the opportunity after Oscar Sonejee's handball.
The visitors all but put the result beyond doubt in the 64th minute when debutant Laurent Depoitre tapped in Dries Mertens' cross, though Hazard later missed a second penalty opportunity.
Wales, however, backed into next summer's finals -- their first major tournament since 1958 -- as they lost 2-0 at Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Milan Djuric sent a looping header over Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey in the 71st minute.
The hosts doubled their lead with one minute to play through Vedad Ibisevic, who turned home Djuric's cross from close range.
But the result didn't matter for Wales after Cyprus surprised with a 2-1 win at Israel as Jason Demetriou scored an 80th-minute winner.
Dossa Junior had headed the Cypriots ahead just before the hour from Vincent Laban's free kick, but that goal was cancelled out with 14 minutes to go by Nir Bitton's fantastic leveller from range.
The result left Wales four points clear in second place, securing their spot, while Bosnia-Herzegovina are in playoff position on 14 points, one ahead of Israel and two above Cyprus, who host Bosnia in the key fixture on Tuesday.
In Group A, Turkey won 2-0 at Czech Republic to increase the pressure on Netherlands' hope of making the playoffs.
Selcuk Inan scored a 62nd-minute penalty and Hakan Calhanoglu also scored as Turkey moved onto 15 points, two clear of the Dutch with one game each to play.
Should Turkey earn a point at home against Iceland on Tuesday they will reach the playoffs no matter what Netherlands do against Czech Republic.
Netherlands are still in with a shout of reaching Euro 2016 because they saw off Kazakhstan 2-1.
Georginio Wijnaldum opened the scoring with a well-taken finish from the edge of the box on 33 minutes, with Wesley Sneijder then doubling Danny Blind's side's lead shortly after the restart.
Islambek Kuat pulled one back for Kazakhstan deep into second-half stoppage time, but it only proved to be a consolation goal for the home team.
Also in Group A, Latvia came from two down to claim a 2-2 draw away at already-qualified Iceland.
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson fired the hosts into an early lead, with Gylfi Sigurdsson then adding a second midway through the first half.
However, Latvia launched a second-half comeback with Aleksandrs Cauna pulling one back shortly after the break, before Valerijs Sabala netted the equaliser in the 68th minute.
In the other games in Italy's Group H, Norway edged closer to qualification thanks to a 2-0 win against Malta.
Alexander Tettey struck for the home side in the 20th minute and Alexander Soderlund made sure of things with his effort in the second half.
Croatia defeated Bulgaria 3-0 in an empty stadium in Zagreb to stay in the hunt to qualify automatically.
Ivan Perisic opened the scoing just two minutes into the game to put Croatia on their way, and Ivan Rakitic made it 2-0 just before the break.
Nikola Kalinic capped the scoring with nine minutes to play, but a late red card to Duje Cop means he will miss Croatia's final qualifier at Malta.
Norway are two points clear of Croatia in second place, but a win at Malta would see Croatia qualify should Norway fail to win at Italy.
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