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..::Football III::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
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World Cup Qualifying Fixtures 2013.09.06
World Cup Qualifying Fixtures 2013.09.06
Group A
Macedonia Vs Wales
Serbia Vs Croatia
Scotland Vs Belgium
Group B
Czech republic Vs Armenia
Malta Vs Denmark
Italy Vs Bulgaria
Group C
Kazakhstan Vs Faroe Islands
Germany Vs Austria
Republic of Ireland Vs Sweden
Group D
Romania Vs Hungary
Turkey Vs Andorra
Estonia Vs Netherlands
Group E
Norway Vs Cyprus
Slovenia Vs Albania
Switzerland Vs Iceland
Group F
Russia Vs Luxembourg
Nothern Ireland Vs Portugal
Group G
Latvia Vs Lithuania
Bosnia Vs Slovakia
Liechtenstein Vs Greece
Group H
England Vs Moldova
Ukraine Vs San Marino
Poland Vs Montenegro
Group I
Georgia Vs Frand
Finland Vs Spain
Group A
Macedonia Vs Wales
Serbia Vs Croatia
Scotland Vs Belgium
Group B
Czech republic Vs Armenia
Malta Vs Denmark
Italy Vs Bulgaria
Group C
Kazakhstan Vs Faroe Islands
Germany Vs Austria
Republic of Ireland Vs Sweden
Group D
Romania Vs Hungary
Turkey Vs Andorra
Estonia Vs Netherlands
Group E
Norway Vs Cyprus
Slovenia Vs Albania
Switzerland Vs Iceland
Group F
Russia Vs Luxembourg
Nothern Ireland Vs Portugal
Group G
Latvia Vs Lithuania
Bosnia Vs Slovakia
Liechtenstein Vs Greece
Group H
England Vs Moldova
Ukraine Vs San Marino
Poland Vs Montenegro
Group I
Georgia Vs Frand
Finland Vs Spain
'Arsenal an intelligent move at the right time for Ozil'
-------------------Szczęsny-----------------
Bacary Sagna--Vermaelen-- Koscielny----Gibbs
----------------Mikel Arteta-----------------
----------Özil--------------Cazorla-----------
Walcott -----------Giroud------------Podolski
GG Arsenal...!
Congratulations Spain
Full Time
Finland 0 Vs 2 Spain
Spain Goal(s)
Jordi Alba 18'
Negredo 86'
Congartulations Spain!
VAMOS ESPANA
Negredo form 1ke inne
Finland 0 Vs 2 Spain
Spain Goal(s)
Jordi Alba 18'
Negredo 86'
Congartulations Spain!VAMOS ESPANANegredo form 1ke inne
Scotland 0-2 Belgium: Defour & Mirallas strikes sink Strachan's side
Belgium eased one step closer to World Cup 2014 qualification with a 2-0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park on Friday.
Steven Defour and Kevin Mirallas were on hand to guide the visitors to the victory in the pouring rain in Glasgow, earning just their second win on Scottish soil in six fixtures.
And, with Scotland unable to qualify for Brazil next year, their visitors continue to top Group A, five points clear of Croatia with just two games left to play.
The match saw a number of changes for Gordon Strachan's men, who had David Marshall in goal following Allan McGregor's suspension and Leigh Griffiths up front.
The 23-year-old filled the void left by Kenny Miller, who retired following Scotland's marginal 3-2 defeat to England at Wembley, after netting 18 goals over a 12-year international career.
For Belgium, however, things were generally more positive with three of their four injury doubts able to make the starting XI, with Eden Hazard gracing the bench.
And it was just over a minute before they threatened, with Chelsea midfielder Kevin De Bruyne's cross headed away by Russell Martin for a corner, which drifted through the box to the relief of the hosts.
While the visitors did not let up, Scotland soon began to settle in and they even had a chance to go ahead when Shaun Maloney saw his 11th-minute effort gathered by Thibaut Courtois.
It quickly became apparent that De Bruyne was going to be the one to watch for the home side, though, and they were nearly punished for failing to do so when the youngster fired a shot directly at Marshall after 26 minutes.
The goalkeeper could not keep them out for long, though, and, just eight minutes before the half-time break, Defour beat him with an effort from just within the box. It was just the 25-year-old's second goal for the team after his first in 2010 but De Bruyne deserved the credit, speeding down the wing to feed him with a perfect cross.
Though the visitors could not double their advantage in the remainder of the first half, they came close early in the second as Nacer Chadli saw a long-range strike confidently stopped by Marshall.
The home side were struggling to assert themselves in front of goal and Strachan opted to hand a debut to 25-year-old midfielder Ikechi Anya in a bid to shake things up.
He immediately made an impact, too, beating his marker down the wing to set up Maloney, who saw his effort fly narrowly over the bar.
The visitors then endured somewhat of a lull and there was more frustration as Nicolas Lombaerts had to be taken off after falling awkwardly but De Bruyne continued to excel and his stunning free kick clipped the crossbar in the 84th minute.
In the final minute, Belgium got the second goal that their overall efforts deserved as Mirallas kept his cool to race past two defenders and beat Marshall with his shot.
Belgium will now need to beat Croatia on October 11 to ensure their place in Brazil in 2014.
Belgium eased one step closer to World Cup 2014 qualification with a 2-0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park on Friday.
Steven Defour and Kevin Mirallas were on hand to guide the visitors to the victory in the pouring rain in Glasgow, earning just their second win on Scottish soil in six fixtures.
And, with Scotland unable to qualify for Brazil next year, their visitors continue to top Group A, five points clear of Croatia with just two games left to play.
The match saw a number of changes for Gordon Strachan's men, who had David Marshall in goal following Allan McGregor's suspension and Leigh Griffiths up front.
The 23-year-old filled the void left by Kenny Miller, who retired following Scotland's marginal 3-2 defeat to England at Wembley, after netting 18 goals over a 12-year international career.
For Belgium, however, things were generally more positive with three of their four injury doubts able to make the starting XI, with Eden Hazard gracing the bench.
And it was just over a minute before they threatened, with Chelsea midfielder Kevin De Bruyne's cross headed away by Russell Martin for a corner, which drifted through the box to the relief of the hosts.
While the visitors did not let up, Scotland soon began to settle in and they even had a chance to go ahead when Shaun Maloney saw his 11th-minute effort gathered by Thibaut Courtois.
It quickly became apparent that De Bruyne was going to be the one to watch for the home side, though, and they were nearly punished for failing to do so when the youngster fired a shot directly at Marshall after 26 minutes.
The goalkeeper could not keep them out for long, though, and, just eight minutes before the half-time break, Defour beat him with an effort from just within the box. It was just the 25-year-old's second goal for the team after his first in 2010 but De Bruyne deserved the credit, speeding down the wing to feed him with a perfect cross.
Though the visitors could not double their advantage in the remainder of the first half, they came close early in the second as Nacer Chadli saw a long-range strike confidently stopped by Marshall.
The home side were struggling to assert themselves in front of goal and Strachan opted to hand a debut to 25-year-old midfielder Ikechi Anya in a bid to shake things up.
He immediately made an impact, too, beating his marker down the wing to set up Maloney, who saw his effort fly narrowly over the bar.
The visitors then endured somewhat of a lull and there was more frustration as Nicolas Lombaerts had to be taken off after falling awkwardly but De Bruyne continued to excel and his stunning free kick clipped the crossbar in the 84th minute.
In the final minute, Belgium got the second goal that their overall efforts deserved as Mirallas kept his cool to race past two defenders and beat Marshall with his shot.
Belgium will now need to beat Croatia on October 11 to ensure their place in Brazil in 2014.
England 4-0 Moldova: Welbeck doubles up in comfortable Three Lions victory
England strolled to a comfortable 4-0 win against Moldova in their World Cup 2014 qualifying group clash, keeping pace with Montenegro ahead of their vital meeting with Ukraine on Tuesday.
Steven Gerrard broke the deadlock with a low, powerful strike in the 12th minute and, from then on, the hosts looked completely in control, meeting the expectations of a less-than-full Wembley.
Rickie Lambert, making his first international start, continued his 100 per cent scoring record at international level with a simple header midway through the first half before turning provider twice for Danny Welbeck. The Manchester United youngster sped through a bewildered defence just before half-time and again finished coolly shortly afterwards.
The result was significant for England, who moved to the top of Group H on goal difference.
England now have 15 points from seven matches, while Montenegro – who drew 1-1 with Poland on Friday – also have the same tally, but from one game extra.
Ukraine are snapping at both of their heels on 14 points from seven games after thrashing San Marino 9-0, and with just one side automatically qualifying for next year's tournament in Brazil, the stakes will be high in the remainder of the group stages.
Chelsea pair Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole returned to Hodgson's starting line-up for England, while Lambert was involved from the start after scoring the winner on debut against Scotland last month.
Wayne Rooney was the headline exclusion for the hosts, with the Manchester United forward still suffering from a head injury, while Leighton Baines and Tom Cleverley dropped to the bench.
Moldova, who made four changes themselves, were quickly on the back foot as winger Theo Walcott won England a corner inside the first 90 seconds.
Lambert headed the chance over, while he thrashed an effort wide shortly after, as England started brightly, and they soon had the lead.
The goal was created down the left, as Cole and Welbeck combined nicely, before Lampard laid off for Gerrard.
And the Liverpool star beat Moldova goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco with a fizzing strike from distance that went in off the inside of the post.
Walcott had a goal ruled out for offside in the aftermath, while Jack Wilshere and Lampard tested Namasco in a two-minute spell that ended with a second goal for the hosts.
Walcott and Welbeck had further opportunities, while a neat Moldova move saw Sergiu Gheorghiev shoot well wide under pressure from Phil Jagielka.
England sealed their victory on the stroke of half-time, though, as Welbeck, who was booked for ignoring an offside flag – which will rule him out of Tuesday's qualifier in Ukraine – responded within a minute with a goal.
Lambert supplied Welbeck with an inch-perfect cross and the Manchester United forward took a touch beyond the hapless Namasco and tapped in to give his country a 3-0 lead at the break.
It took just five minutes in the second half for England to extend their lead, as Lambert and Welbeck combined to superb effect again.
Lambert drifted out to the left to win the ball and split the defence with a neat ball, and Welbeck did the rest, dinking over the onrushing Namasco to wrap up the result.
England strolled to a comfortable 4-0 win against Moldova in their World Cup 2014 qualifying group clash, keeping pace with Montenegro ahead of their vital meeting with Ukraine on Tuesday.
Steven Gerrard broke the deadlock with a low, powerful strike in the 12th minute and, from then on, the hosts looked completely in control, meeting the expectations of a less-than-full Wembley.
Rickie Lambert, making his first international start, continued his 100 per cent scoring record at international level with a simple header midway through the first half before turning provider twice for Danny Welbeck. The Manchester United youngster sped through a bewildered defence just before half-time and again finished coolly shortly afterwards.
The result was significant for England, who moved to the top of Group H on goal difference.
England now have 15 points from seven matches, while Montenegro – who drew 1-1 with Poland on Friday – also have the same tally, but from one game extra.
Ukraine are snapping at both of their heels on 14 points from seven games after thrashing San Marino 9-0, and with just one side automatically qualifying for next year's tournament in Brazil, the stakes will be high in the remainder of the group stages.
Chelsea pair Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole returned to Hodgson's starting line-up for England, while Lambert was involved from the start after scoring the winner on debut against Scotland last month.
Wayne Rooney was the headline exclusion for the hosts, with the Manchester United forward still suffering from a head injury, while Leighton Baines and Tom Cleverley dropped to the bench.
Moldova, who made four changes themselves, were quickly on the back foot as winger Theo Walcott won England a corner inside the first 90 seconds.
Lambert headed the chance over, while he thrashed an effort wide shortly after, as England started brightly, and they soon had the lead.
The goal was created down the left, as Cole and Welbeck combined nicely, before Lampard laid off for Gerrard.
And the Liverpool star beat Moldova goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco with a fizzing strike from distance that went in off the inside of the post.
Walcott had a goal ruled out for offside in the aftermath, while Jack Wilshere and Lampard tested Namasco in a two-minute spell that ended with a second goal for the hosts.
Walcott and Welbeck had further opportunities, while a neat Moldova move saw Sergiu Gheorghiev shoot well wide under pressure from Phil Jagielka.
England sealed their victory on the stroke of half-time, though, as Welbeck, who was booked for ignoring an offside flag – which will rule him out of Tuesday's qualifier in Ukraine – responded within a minute with a goal.
Lambert supplied Welbeck with an inch-perfect cross and the Manchester United forward took a touch beyond the hapless Namasco and tapped in to give his country a 3-0 lead at the break.
It took just five minutes in the second half for England to extend their lead, as Lambert and Welbeck combined to superb effect again.
Lambert drifted out to the left to win the ball and split the defence with a neat ball, and Welbeck did the rest, dinking over the onrushing Namasco to wrap up the result.
Germany 3-0 Austria: Klose helps hosts towards World Cup
Germany took a massive stride towards sealing qualification for the World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Austria in Munich on Friday.
The hosts took the lead through Lazio striker Miroslav Klose's first-half strike, the 68th of his international career, as the veteran equalled Gerd Muller's long-standing goalscoring record for the Mannschaft.
Austria came out for the second half in a determined mood and they almost pulled level only for Toni Kroos to effectively end their hopes just six minutes after half-time, while Thomas Muller added one for good measure in the final moments.
The visitors' last win over Germany came in 1986 and that drought looked like continuing from the start, with the hosts unlucky not to go two goals ahead within the opening 10 minutes as Sami Khedira curled a right-footed shot just wide from the left before Klose hit the side netting from a narrow angle after a Christian Fuchs error.
Muller and Philipp Lahm - who was earning his 100th cap for Germany - were proving a troublesome partnership down the right, but after the 15th minute Low's side were finding it more difficult to break through the Austrian defence as their final ball generally disappointed.
After wasting two more chances just before the half-hour mark, Germany took the lead in the 33rd minute as Muller produced a dangerous cross from the right and Klose jumped in front of Aleksandar Dragovic to poke the ball into the net.
The visitors hardly attacked in the first half but they should have drawn level within one minute of the restart as David Alaba broke forward with purpose before playing a through-ball into the area for Andreas Weimann, but he could only fire over.
Austria's excellent start to the second half was encouraging, but the ruthless Germans were not in a forgiving mood and they doubled their lead in the 51st minute as Kroos hammered a powerful shot past Robert Almer from range after Marco Reus' lay-off.
Muller almost added a third for Low's team soon after, but after reaching Mesut Ozil's inviting delivery to the back post he could only hit his shot straight at Almer.
The hosts looked good for their lead, but Austria were not going to let their opponents run all over them and they nearly pulled one back just before the 70th minute when Martin Harnik volleyed a corner back into the area only for Manuel Neuer to deny Dragovic.
Germany, who looked relatively comfortable throughout, added a third in the final moments of regulation time as Benedikt Howedes squared for Muller to tap in from close range.
Germany took a massive stride towards sealing qualification for the World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Austria in Munich on Friday.
The hosts took the lead through Lazio striker Miroslav Klose's first-half strike, the 68th of his international career, as the veteran equalled Gerd Muller's long-standing goalscoring record for the Mannschaft.
Austria came out for the second half in a determined mood and they almost pulled level only for Toni Kroos to effectively end their hopes just six minutes after half-time, while Thomas Muller added one for good measure in the final moments.
The visitors' last win over Germany came in 1986 and that drought looked like continuing from the start, with the hosts unlucky not to go two goals ahead within the opening 10 minutes as Sami Khedira curled a right-footed shot just wide from the left before Klose hit the side netting from a narrow angle after a Christian Fuchs error.
Muller and Philipp Lahm - who was earning his 100th cap for Germany - were proving a troublesome partnership down the right, but after the 15th minute Low's side were finding it more difficult to break through the Austrian defence as their final ball generally disappointed.
After wasting two more chances just before the half-hour mark, Germany took the lead in the 33rd minute as Muller produced a dangerous cross from the right and Klose jumped in front of Aleksandar Dragovic to poke the ball into the net.
The visitors hardly attacked in the first half but they should have drawn level within one minute of the restart as David Alaba broke forward with purpose before playing a through-ball into the area for Andreas Weimann, but he could only fire over.
Austria's excellent start to the second half was encouraging, but the ruthless Germans were not in a forgiving mood and they doubled their lead in the 51st minute as Kroos hammered a powerful shot past Robert Almer from range after Marco Reus' lay-off.
Muller almost added a third for Low's team soon after, but after reaching Mesut Ozil's inviting delivery to the back post he could only hit his shot straight at Almer.
The hosts looked good for their lead, but Austria were not going to let their opponents run all over them and they nearly pulled one back just before the 70th minute when Martin Harnik volleyed a corner back into the area only for Manuel Neuer to deny Dragovic.
Germany, who looked relatively comfortable throughout, added a third in the final moments of regulation time as Benedikt Howedes squared for Muller to tap in from close range.
Republic of Ireland 1-2 Sweden: Huge damage inflicted on Irish chances
Republic of Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup hang by a thread after Giovanni Trapattoni's side suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat to Group C rivals Sweden at the Aviva Stadium on Friday evening.
Robbie Keane's sixtieth international goal had put the hosts into an early lead after a bright start but Erik Hamren's side were soon level through Johan Elmander's header before veteran Anders Svensson marked his record-equalling 143rd appearance with a second-half strike to secure all three points for his side and enhance their chances of qualification at the expense of their opponents.
The result means the Republic need to win in Austria on Tuesday and away to Germany next month to maintain any faint hopes of qualification, with a further home game against Kazakhstan to follow.
Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni, as usual, selected his side the day before the match and there was no surprise that he stuck to the traditional 4-4-2 formation which has been become a customary tactic during the Italian’s reign in charge.
The 74-year-old tactician handed Richard Dunne his first competitive start in a green jersey since Euro 2012 and it didn’t take the imposing central defender long to make his presence felt.
Seamus Coleman’s set-piece was headed into the path of Shane Long by the QPR defender before Martin Olsson did brilliantly to throw himself on front of the striker’s goal bound effort to deny the hosts inside the opening minute.
With both sides desperate for the three points on offer, an open game was expected and it was the Boys in Green who started on the front foot with some slick passing and movement but were largely restricted to long-range efforts in the opening exchanges.
Stoke City duo Glenn Whelan and Jon Walters did little to trouble Andreas Isaksson in the Swedish goal from distance before Sebastian Larsson’s corner evaded and flew across the face of David Forde’s net at the other end.
It was Larsson’s former teammate, James McClean who came closest to breaking the deadlock however. The winger’s attempted cross had Isaksson frantically back-pedalling and the shot stopper’s blushes were only spared by the cross-bar.
However, Trapattoni’s side soon got their reward on twenty-one minutes. Long’s flick-on wasn’t dealt with by Mikael Lustig, allowing Keane to nip in and bravely flick past the goalkeeper and after seeing his initial effort come back off the upright, the striker had the composure to pick himself up and fire home.That was as good as it got for the hosts as going behind galvanised their Scandanavian opponents and altered the flow of the game.
The visitors looked for an instant reply as Elmander’s snapshot tested the handling of Forde before a swift counterattack should have led to the equaliser but Larsson fluffed his lines and headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
Trapattoni’s charges didn’t take notice of the warning signs as Sweden struck level shortly after the half hour mark. Lustig made up for his poor defensive header which led to Keane’s opener by producing an inch-perfect cross for Elmander to head home after getting on front of Dunne.
The Norwich City striker went close to scoring his second just after the break but failed to keep his volley from Martin Olsson’s centre on-target.However, Forde was called into action moments later as Larsson latched onto Albin Ekdal’s perfectly weighted ball but the Millwall shot stopper was quick off his line to clear the danger.
The visitors were in complete control and hit the front on 56 minutes when Zlatan Ibrahimovic played a one-two with Svensson before the 37-year-old veteran out paced Glenn Whelan to fire past Forde from a tight angle.
Trapattoni introduced debutant Anthony Pilkington in an attempt to get back into the game but not even the Norwich winger nor the encouragement of the 50,000 capacity crowd could lift the one-dimensional hosts.
Isaksson’s goal was barely threatened in the final stages, as Ireland seemed to acknowledge their faith was sealed. Trapattoni’s side now travel to Vienna on Tuesday to face Austria in a must-win game but three points may not even be enough as the Italian's reign as manager heads seems to be entering it's final stages.
Germany lead Group C on 19 points after their 3-0 victory over Austria, with Sweden on 14 points in second place.Ireland and Austria are a further three points behind the Swedes with three games to play.
Republic of Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup hang by a thread after Giovanni Trapattoni's side suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat to Group C rivals Sweden at the Aviva Stadium on Friday evening.
Robbie Keane's sixtieth international goal had put the hosts into an early lead after a bright start but Erik Hamren's side were soon level through Johan Elmander's header before veteran Anders Svensson marked his record-equalling 143rd appearance with a second-half strike to secure all three points for his side and enhance their chances of qualification at the expense of their opponents.
The result means the Republic need to win in Austria on Tuesday and away to Germany next month to maintain any faint hopes of qualification, with a further home game against Kazakhstan to follow.
Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni, as usual, selected his side the day before the match and there was no surprise that he stuck to the traditional 4-4-2 formation which has been become a customary tactic during the Italian’s reign in charge.
The 74-year-old tactician handed Richard Dunne his first competitive start in a green jersey since Euro 2012 and it didn’t take the imposing central defender long to make his presence felt.
Seamus Coleman’s set-piece was headed into the path of Shane Long by the QPR defender before Martin Olsson did brilliantly to throw himself on front of the striker’s goal bound effort to deny the hosts inside the opening minute.
With both sides desperate for the three points on offer, an open game was expected and it was the Boys in Green who started on the front foot with some slick passing and movement but were largely restricted to long-range efforts in the opening exchanges.
Stoke City duo Glenn Whelan and Jon Walters did little to trouble Andreas Isaksson in the Swedish goal from distance before Sebastian Larsson’s corner evaded and flew across the face of David Forde’s net at the other end.
It was Larsson’s former teammate, James McClean who came closest to breaking the deadlock however. The winger’s attempted cross had Isaksson frantically back-pedalling and the shot stopper’s blushes were only spared by the cross-bar.
However, Trapattoni’s side soon got their reward on twenty-one minutes. Long’s flick-on wasn’t dealt with by Mikael Lustig, allowing Keane to nip in and bravely flick past the goalkeeper and after seeing his initial effort come back off the upright, the striker had the composure to pick himself up and fire home.That was as good as it got for the hosts as going behind galvanised their Scandanavian opponents and altered the flow of the game.
The visitors looked for an instant reply as Elmander’s snapshot tested the handling of Forde before a swift counterattack should have led to the equaliser but Larsson fluffed his lines and headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
Trapattoni’s charges didn’t take notice of the warning signs as Sweden struck level shortly after the half hour mark. Lustig made up for his poor defensive header which led to Keane’s opener by producing an inch-perfect cross for Elmander to head home after getting on front of Dunne.
The Norwich City striker went close to scoring his second just after the break but failed to keep his volley from Martin Olsson’s centre on-target.However, Forde was called into action moments later as Larsson latched onto Albin Ekdal’s perfectly weighted ball but the Millwall shot stopper was quick off his line to clear the danger.
The visitors were in complete control and hit the front on 56 minutes when Zlatan Ibrahimovic played a one-two with Svensson before the 37-year-old veteran out paced Glenn Whelan to fire past Forde from a tight angle.
Trapattoni introduced debutant Anthony Pilkington in an attempt to get back into the game but not even the Norwich winger nor the encouragement of the 50,000 capacity crowd could lift the one-dimensional hosts.
Isaksson’s goal was barely threatened in the final stages, as Ireland seemed to acknowledge their faith was sealed. Trapattoni’s side now travel to Vienna on Tuesday to face Austria in a must-win game but three points may not even be enough as the Italian's reign as manager heads seems to be entering it's final stages.
Germany lead Group C on 19 points after their 3-0 victory over Austria, with Sweden on 14 points in second place.Ireland and Austria are a further three points behind the Swedes with three games to play.
Italy 1-0 Bulgaria: Gilardino header edges tight Group B game
Alberto Gilardino's first-half header gave Italy a 1-0 win over Bulgaria in Friday's top-of-the-table Group B encounter.
Cesare Prandelli's men had keeper Gianluigi Buffon to thank as he made multiple saves to deny the visitors an equaliser after the Genoa forward's close-range opener had given them the lead.
The three points on home soil for the Azzurrimean that they need just one more win from their final three games - at home to Czech Republic, at Denmark and a final clash as hosts to Armenia - to guarantee a spot in the World Cup 2014 finals, while Bulgaria remain second in Group B of the European qualification section. Buffon’s match-winning performance came on the occasion of his 135th cap, which leaves him one behind all-time appearance record holder Fabio Cannavaro.
The hosts, without the suspended trio of Mario Balotelli, Dani Osvaldo and Riccardo Montolivio, started the stronger when Gilardino found space on the edge of the area with only 30 seconds on the clock, but he shot straight at Nikolay Mihaylov.
Bulgaria coach Lyuboslav Penev might have worried that this would signal an Italian onslaught, but his side recovered and, after right-winger Stanislav Manolev shot wide from range, they had a great chance to open the scoring.Georgi Iliev's through ball split Italy’s centre-back pairing and found Tonev 18-yards out, but Buffon was equal to his effort.
The Sicilian crowd was far from impressed and, responding to their cat-calls, Italy upped their game, first Daniele De Rossi then Insigne going close as the hosts turned the screw.Tricky winger Candreva was causing Bulgaria problems on the left and it was his run and inch-perfect cross that presented Gilardino with an easy chance for the game's only goal, the Genoa striker heading home from six yards.
Luca Antonelli was next to get to the by-line on the left, but Mihaylov read his intention and blocked his cross to deprive the waiting Gilardino of a second strike.
Bulgaria's best chance came just after half-time, when Ivelin Popov found the goal gaping at the back-post. But Buffon pulled off one of the brilliant saves that have made him such a cornerstone for his country, clawing the ball back from the line when a goal looked certain.
The Juventus shot-stopper then made another point-blank save from Tonev's header minutes later, before again clawing the ball back from on the goalline as Italy failed to deal with a corner.With Italy’s defence all at sea, youngster Todor Nedelev finally did have Buffon beaten, but his shot rolled agonisingly wide.
At the other end, Gilardino had a great chance to seal victory for Prandelli’s men, but his goal-bound shot was blocked by a last-gasp Bulgarian intervention.The visitors' goalkeeper twice came up for late corners as the away side pressed for an equaliser, before Popov headed wide at the back post with the last touch of the match, but Italy held on to take a massive step towards Brazil 2014.
Alberto Gilardino's first-half header gave Italy a 1-0 win over Bulgaria in Friday's top-of-the-table Group B encounter.
Cesare Prandelli's men had keeper Gianluigi Buffon to thank as he made multiple saves to deny the visitors an equaliser after the Genoa forward's close-range opener had given them the lead.
The three points on home soil for the Azzurrimean that they need just one more win from their final three games - at home to Czech Republic, at Denmark and a final clash as hosts to Armenia - to guarantee a spot in the World Cup 2014 finals, while Bulgaria remain second in Group B of the European qualification section. Buffon’s match-winning performance came on the occasion of his 135th cap, which leaves him one behind all-time appearance record holder Fabio Cannavaro.
The hosts, without the suspended trio of Mario Balotelli, Dani Osvaldo and Riccardo Montolivio, started the stronger when Gilardino found space on the edge of the area with only 30 seconds on the clock, but he shot straight at Nikolay Mihaylov.
Bulgaria coach Lyuboslav Penev might have worried that this would signal an Italian onslaught, but his side recovered and, after right-winger Stanislav Manolev shot wide from range, they had a great chance to open the scoring.Georgi Iliev's through ball split Italy’s centre-back pairing and found Tonev 18-yards out, but Buffon was equal to his effort.
The Sicilian crowd was far from impressed and, responding to their cat-calls, Italy upped their game, first Daniele De Rossi then Insigne going close as the hosts turned the screw.Tricky winger Candreva was causing Bulgaria problems on the left and it was his run and inch-perfect cross that presented Gilardino with an easy chance for the game's only goal, the Genoa striker heading home from six yards.
Luca Antonelli was next to get to the by-line on the left, but Mihaylov read his intention and blocked his cross to deprive the waiting Gilardino of a second strike.
Bulgaria's best chance came just after half-time, when Ivelin Popov found the goal gaping at the back-post. But Buffon pulled off one of the brilliant saves that have made him such a cornerstone for his country, clawing the ball back from the line when a goal looked certain.
The Juventus shot-stopper then made another point-blank save from Tonev's header minutes later, before again clawing the ball back from on the goalline as Italy failed to deal with a corner.With Italy’s defence all at sea, youngster Todor Nedelev finally did have Buffon beaten, but his shot rolled agonisingly wide.
At the other end, Gilardino had a great chance to seal victory for Prandelli’s men, but his goal-bound shot was blocked by a last-gasp Bulgarian intervention.The visitors' goalkeeper twice came up for late corners as the away side pressed for an equaliser, before Popov headed wide at the back post with the last touch of the match, but Italy held on to take a massive step towards Brazil 2014.
Estonia 2-2 Netherlands: Van Persie spares Oranje blushes
A dramatic late penalty from Robin van Persie spared Netherlands' blushes in Tallinn against Estonia on Friday.
Arjen Robben handed the Oranje the lead after just two minutes before Konstantin Vassiljev struck in each half to put the hosts on the brink of victory before the Manchester United star converted a spot-kick in the fourth minute of injury time.
Louis van Gaal’s side had previously won all six of their matches in Group D of the European qualification section, but Vassiljev looked to have sealed a memorable victory for the hosts until the controversial late penalty which saw Raio Piiroja sent off for a second yellow card.
Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal recalled Wesley Sneijder to the starting line-up after injury ruled out Rafael van der Vaart and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Michel Vorm was preferred in goal to Kenneth Vermeer, while Jetro Willems started at full-back in place of Daley Blind and Stijn Schaars took Jonathan De Guzman’s place in midfield.There were six changes for the hosts, with Dmitri Kruglov, Ragner Klavan, Aleksandr Dmitrijev, Martin Vunk and Henrik Ojamaa all starting.However, their chances of ending Oranje's perfect run in qualifying took an immediate blow as Robben opened the scoring for the visitors after just three minutes.
The Bayern Munich winger received the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area, cut inside his marker and fired a powerful shot past Pareiko.Despite all the Netherlands’ early pressure, they were pegged back in the 19th minute as Vassiljev struck from 25 yards.
The midfielder picked up the ball in the centre of the Netherlands half, broke through the challenge of Stefan de Vrij and lashed the ball low into the bottom corner, giving Vorm no chance.The visitors responded well and continued to control proceedings, going close through Sneijder and Robben, although Pareiko was not stretched for the remainder of the first half.
Van Gaal sent his side out with renewed vigour after the break but they met a resilient Estonia defence that proved hard to break down.And Vassiljev added his second goal of the game in the 57th minute with a superbly-taken strike to leave the visitors well and truly stunned.
The midfielder broke beyond the Netherlands defence to latch onto Joel Lindpere’s clever throughball, and produced an ice-cool dinked finish over Vorm.
Van Gaal threw Dirk Kuyt and Jonathan de Guzman on to try and find a goal but it seemed Estonia would hang on for a famous win, until Van Persie was tugged back by Piiroja inside the box before dispatching the penalty to leave the hosts heartbroken.
Netherlands remain top of Group D, six points clear of Romania, while Estonia sit fifth with seven points.
A dramatic late penalty from Robin van Persie spared Netherlands' blushes in Tallinn against Estonia on Friday.
Arjen Robben handed the Oranje the lead after just two minutes before Konstantin Vassiljev struck in each half to put the hosts on the brink of victory before the Manchester United star converted a spot-kick in the fourth minute of injury time.
Louis van Gaal’s side had previously won all six of their matches in Group D of the European qualification section, but Vassiljev looked to have sealed a memorable victory for the hosts until the controversial late penalty which saw Raio Piiroja sent off for a second yellow card.
Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal recalled Wesley Sneijder to the starting line-up after injury ruled out Rafael van der Vaart and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Michel Vorm was preferred in goal to Kenneth Vermeer, while Jetro Willems started at full-back in place of Daley Blind and Stijn Schaars took Jonathan De Guzman’s place in midfield.There were six changes for the hosts, with Dmitri Kruglov, Ragner Klavan, Aleksandr Dmitrijev, Martin Vunk and Henrik Ojamaa all starting.However, their chances of ending Oranje's perfect run in qualifying took an immediate blow as Robben opened the scoring for the visitors after just three minutes.
The Bayern Munich winger received the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area, cut inside his marker and fired a powerful shot past Pareiko.Despite all the Netherlands’ early pressure, they were pegged back in the 19th minute as Vassiljev struck from 25 yards.
The midfielder picked up the ball in the centre of the Netherlands half, broke through the challenge of Stefan de Vrij and lashed the ball low into the bottom corner, giving Vorm no chance.The visitors responded well and continued to control proceedings, going close through Sneijder and Robben, although Pareiko was not stretched for the remainder of the first half.
Van Gaal sent his side out with renewed vigour after the break but they met a resilient Estonia defence that proved hard to break down.And Vassiljev added his second goal of the game in the 57th minute with a superbly-taken strike to leave the visitors well and truly stunned.
The midfielder broke beyond the Netherlands defence to latch onto Joel Lindpere’s clever throughball, and produced an ice-cool dinked finish over Vorm.
Van Gaal threw Dirk Kuyt and Jonathan de Guzman on to try and find a goal but it seemed Estonia would hang on for a famous win, until Van Persie was tugged back by Piiroja inside the box before dispatching the penalty to leave the hosts heartbroken.
Netherlands remain top of Group D, six points clear of Romania, while Estonia sit fifth with seven points.
Finland 0-2 Spain: Alba & Negredo put la Roja's foot in Brazil
Defending champions Spain moved closer to World Cup 2014 qualification thanks to a narrow 2-0 success in Finland.
Jordi Alba scored the opening goal of the game after 19 minutes before Alvaro Negredo's late effort gave Vicente del Bosque's men three precious points as they extended their lead of Group I over France to three points with two games to play.
Victory also means that Spain are unbeaten in World Cup qualifying action since slipping to a 1-0 defeat against Denmark in March 1993.
Real Madrid shot-stopper Iker Casillas quickly repaid the faith shown in him by Del Bosque to start with him ahead of Victor Valdes with a smart save with his legs to deny Finland a shock lead with just over 11 minutes gone.
Alexander Ring cut the ball back after good work down the Finland left and a Sergio Ramos defensive lunge sent it goalwards, but his club team-mate was down quickly to deal with it from close range.
Teemu Tainio's lofted ball sent Teemu Pukki clear of the Spanish defence and he crashed a volley over before the visitors went down the other end and broke the deadlock thanks to a composed Alba finish.
Fabregas picked up possession on the edge of the centre circle in the Finland half and his chipped pass found Barcelona team-mate Alba. The defender cut in from the left wing, held off a challenge from a defender and tucked it low past the onrushing Niki Maenpaa.
Villa came close to doubling Spain's lead three minutes before the half-hour mark, easily slipping his marker on the left wing before firing a rasping shot across the face of goal that flashed inches wide.
Spain dominated the remainder of the first half and showed their attacked intent within a minute of the restart as Pedro shot over after controlling Andres Iniesta's pass.
Del Bosque introduced Jesus Navas at the expense of David Villa after 55 minutes as he looked to inject some pace into the side.
Finland then created and spurned two chances in as many minutes. Tainio first rippled the side-netting with a downward header after surging to meet Roman Eremenko's corner at the far post, but neither the man on the line or Casillas looked troubled.
Negredo replaced Cesc Fabregas after 71 minutes and made an immediate impact, firing one effort narrowly wide before tapping in the visitors' second goal late on following Nevas' centre.
Georgia 0-0 France: Deschamps' men set for play-offs after flat draw
France were held to a scoreless draw against Georgia on Friday night, almost certainly ruling Didier Deschamps' men out of automatic qualification to World Cup 2014.
Although the visitors dominated possession, it was the hosts who went closest to winning the game as they hit the post in the second half. In stoppage-time Olivier Giroud had a fine headed chance but saw his effort saved.
Worryingly for Deschamps, it was the fifth consecutive game in which his side have failed to score, while they have now won just once in their last seven matches.
Temuri Ketsbaia's men started positively, with Jano Ananidze surging past Josuha Guilavogui before Moussa Sissoko halted his progress.
France responded well and almost took the lead with 12 minutes gone as Karim Benzema opened up the space with a smart run before teeing up Franck Ribery, who darted into the box, cut inside and flashed a shot narrowly wide.
Jaba Kankava connected well with an ambitious volley after 17 minutes that swerved wide as the Georgians continued to show their attacking intent.
Hugo Lloris had to be alert to keep out a Tornike Okriashvili effort from the edge of the box eight minutes later.Opposite number Giorgi Loria should have been called into action at the other end in the latter stages of the half, but Olympqiue de Marseille winger Mathieu Valbuena rifled his shot over the bar from inside the box.
After a strong start to the second half, France were nearly hit on the counterattack but the home side were denied the opening goal in dramatic fashion.Lloris fumbled Okriashvili's initial shot and the midfielder, following up for the rebound, saw his second attempt crash off the post before the visitors scrambled it to safety.
That close call spurred the French on and Giroud was inches away from getting on the end of Ribery's cross, only for Aleksandr Amisulashvili to make a crucial intervention.
Giroud was guilty of spurning a glorious opportunity in the 70th minute, receiving the ball fortuitously after Patrice Evra's wayward shot fell to him only to flash his shot over the bar.
There was still time for Loria to deny Valbuena and Ribery with two excellent late stops, while Laurent Koscielny headed wide from close range as the French drew a blank once again.
Giroud took a tumble in the box deep into stoppage-time but his desperate appeals for a penalty were waved away.
France were held to a scoreless draw against Georgia on Friday night, almost certainly ruling Didier Deschamps' men out of automatic qualification to World Cup 2014.
Although the visitors dominated possession, it was the hosts who went closest to winning the game as they hit the post in the second half. In stoppage-time Olivier Giroud had a fine headed chance but saw his effort saved.
Worryingly for Deschamps, it was the fifth consecutive game in which his side have failed to score, while they have now won just once in their last seven matches.
Temuri Ketsbaia's men started positively, with Jano Ananidze surging past Josuha Guilavogui before Moussa Sissoko halted his progress.
France responded well and almost took the lead with 12 minutes gone as Karim Benzema opened up the space with a smart run before teeing up Franck Ribery, who darted into the box, cut inside and flashed a shot narrowly wide.
Jaba Kankava connected well with an ambitious volley after 17 minutes that swerved wide as the Georgians continued to show their attacking intent.
Hugo Lloris had to be alert to keep out a Tornike Okriashvili effort from the edge of the box eight minutes later.Opposite number Giorgi Loria should have been called into action at the other end in the latter stages of the half, but Olympqiue de Marseille winger Mathieu Valbuena rifled his shot over the bar from inside the box.
After a strong start to the second half, France were nearly hit on the counterattack but the home side were denied the opening goal in dramatic fashion.Lloris fumbled Okriashvili's initial shot and the midfielder, following up for the rebound, saw his second attempt crash off the post before the visitors scrambled it to safety.
That close call spurred the French on and Giroud was inches away from getting on the end of Ribery's cross, only for Aleksandr Amisulashvili to make a crucial intervention.
Giroud was guilty of spurning a glorious opportunity in the 70th minute, receiving the ball fortuitously after Patrice Evra's wayward shot fell to him only to flash his shot over the bar.
There was still time for Loria to deny Valbuena and Ribery with two excellent late stops, while Laurent Koscielny headed wide from close range as the French drew a blank once again.
Giroud took a tumble in the box deep into stoppage-time but his desperate appeals for a penalty were waved away.
Northern Ireland 2-4 Portugal: Ronaldo hat-trick completes stunning turnaround
Northern Ireland were defeated 4-2 by Portugal in a chaotic World Cup 2014 qualifier that saw six goals - three of them from Cristiano Ronaldo - and three red cards.
The Real Madrid star netted his 41st, 42nd and 43rd international goals in a devastating 15-minute spell in the second half at Windsor Park to become Portugal's second-highest scorer ahead of Eusebio. Ronaldo is now four behind the country's all-time leading goalscorer Pauleta.
The result keeps Portugal just a point behind Russia at the top of Group F in the European qualifying section, while Northern Ireland's slim hopes of reaching the play-offs are now over.
Bruno Alves and Gareth McAuley traded headed goals for either side in the first half, before Helder Postiga was shown a straight red card for Portugal.
Jamie Ward then gave Northern Ireland the lead after the break before Ronaldo took over and single-handedly gave the visitors all three points as both Chris Brunt and Kyle Lafferty were dismissed for the hosts.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill recalled Jonny Evans, Lee Hodson and Brunt to his starting XI as Aaron Hughes and Craig Cathcart were ruled out through injury, while Daniel Lafferty was suspended.
Ronaldo captained Portugal in attack, with head coach Paulo Bento preferring Vieirinha over Nani on the wing.
The hosts were full of confidence after recording an impressive 1-0 victory over Russia in their last qualifier, but it was Alves who opened the scoring after 19 minutes.
A Joao Moutinho corner was contested at the near post. The ball found Alves unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and the Fenerbahce man coolly volleyed home.
McAuley then equalised for the hosts after 35 minutes, as he rose highest to direct Shane Ferguson’s corner into the net from six yards.
And Northern Ireland’s chances were boosted further shortly after when Postiga was shown a straight red card for head-butting McAuley in full view of referee Danny Makkelie.
O'Neill's men came flying out of the traps after the interval and Ward put them ahead after 51 minutes as he reacted to a Jonny Evans flick on to divert the ball past Rui Patricio.
However, Brunt was then red carded for the hosts on 61 minutes after a second-bookable offence for a late challenge on Joao Pereira and Ronaldo put the visitors back on level terms just seven minutes later as he headed home from another Moutinho corner.
The 28-year-old then scored his second and Portugal's third of the game with another header 13 minutes from time.
Lafferty was then given his marching orders for a dangerous lunge on Pereira, before Ronaldo completed his treble on 82 minutes with a free kick from 20 yards.
Northern Ireland were defeated 4-2 by Portugal in a chaotic World Cup 2014 qualifier that saw six goals - three of them from Cristiano Ronaldo - and three red cards.
The Real Madrid star netted his 41st, 42nd and 43rd international goals in a devastating 15-minute spell in the second half at Windsor Park to become Portugal's second-highest scorer ahead of Eusebio. Ronaldo is now four behind the country's all-time leading goalscorer Pauleta.
The result keeps Portugal just a point behind Russia at the top of Group F in the European qualifying section, while Northern Ireland's slim hopes of reaching the play-offs are now over.
Bruno Alves and Gareth McAuley traded headed goals for either side in the first half, before Helder Postiga was shown a straight red card for Portugal.
Jamie Ward then gave Northern Ireland the lead after the break before Ronaldo took over and single-handedly gave the visitors all three points as both Chris Brunt and Kyle Lafferty were dismissed for the hosts.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill recalled Jonny Evans, Lee Hodson and Brunt to his starting XI as Aaron Hughes and Craig Cathcart were ruled out through injury, while Daniel Lafferty was suspended.
Ronaldo captained Portugal in attack, with head coach Paulo Bento preferring Vieirinha over Nani on the wing.
The hosts were full of confidence after recording an impressive 1-0 victory over Russia in their last qualifier, but it was Alves who opened the scoring after 19 minutes.
A Joao Moutinho corner was contested at the near post. The ball found Alves unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and the Fenerbahce man coolly volleyed home.
McAuley then equalised for the hosts after 35 minutes, as he rose highest to direct Shane Ferguson’s corner into the net from six yards.
And Northern Ireland’s chances were boosted further shortly after when Postiga was shown a straight red card for head-butting McAuley in full view of referee Danny Makkelie.
O'Neill's men came flying out of the traps after the interval and Ward put them ahead after 51 minutes as he reacted to a Jonny Evans flick on to divert the ball past Rui Patricio.
However, Brunt was then red carded for the hosts on 61 minutes after a second-bookable offence for a late challenge on Joao Pereira and Ronaldo put the visitors back on level terms just seven minutes later as he headed home from another Moutinho corner.
The 28-year-old then scored his second and Portugal's third of the game with another header 13 minutes from time.
Lafferty was then given his marching orders for a dangerous lunge on Pereira, before Ronaldo completed his treble on 82 minutes with a free kick from 20 yards.
Macedonia 2-1 Wales: Ramsey penalty not enough for disappointing visitors
Macedonia moved off the bottom of their group with a hard-fought 2-1 World Cup 2014 qualifying win over Wales on Friday.
Cedomir Janevski's men had collected just four points from their previous six games but are now above both Wales and Scotland in Group A of the European qualification section thanks to Aleksandar Trajkovski's 80th-minute winner in Skopje.
Ivan Trickovski gave Macedonia the lead in the first half before Aaron Ramsey equalised from the penalty spot but 21-year-old forward Trajkovski had the final say at the Philip II Arena with a brilliant finish from the edge of the area.
Both sides made two changes from their previous matches, with Janevski bringing in Darko Tasevski and Jovan Kostovski for Ostoja Stjepanovic and Adis Jahovic after their friendly win over Bulgaria in August.
Meanwhile, Chris Coleman replaced injured midfielder Joe Allen with David Vaughan, while Ramsey started ahead of the suspended Hal Robson-Kanu.
Gareth Bale, fresh from his reported world-record transfer to Real Madrid, was named on the visitors' bench as he continues his recovery from a foot injury.
Coleman's men started the game brightly and carved out the first clear-cut opportunity after 10 minutes but teenager Johnny Williams was foiled by home goalkeeper Tomislav Pacovski after latching on to Joe Ledley's slide-rule through-ball.
Pacovski was again called into action shortly after when he saved a tame Craig Bellamy effort. The visitors were punished for failing to make their dominance pay on the 20-minute mark.
Agim Ibraimi's shot on goal from a free kick fortuitously deflected off the wall into the path of Trickovski and the striker finished smartly past Boaz Myhill to give Macedonia the lead.
Bellamy almost drew the visitors level eight minutes later when his superb curling free kick from 25 yards rattled off the woodwork with Pacovski beaten.
However, Wales did not have to wait long to restore parity, as Trickovski undid his good work by rashly bringing Ramsey down in the area on 37 minutes. Referee Sascha Kever had no choice but to point to the spot and the Arsenal man duly picked himself up to slot the home from 12 yards to send the sides in all square at the break.
Wales continued to control proceedings immediately after half-time and Jack Collison spurned a good opportunity to put them ahead in the 50th minute when he side-footed wide after being set up by Ramsey in the penalty area.
Despite the away side's dominance, Macedonia threatened on the counterattack and captain Goran Pandev could have restored their advantage just after the hour but could only fire past the post.
Trickovski then had a great chance to double his tally when a swift break ended with the 26-year-old one-on-one with Myhill but he was denied by the West Brom goalkeeper.
However, Trajkovski did beat Myhill with just 11 minutes remaining as he collected the ball 20 yards out and drove a low shot into the bottom corner to give the home side all three points.
Macedonia moved off the bottom of their group with a hard-fought 2-1 World Cup 2014 qualifying win over Wales on Friday.
Cedomir Janevski's men had collected just four points from their previous six games but are now above both Wales and Scotland in Group A of the European qualification section thanks to Aleksandar Trajkovski's 80th-minute winner in Skopje.
Ivan Trickovski gave Macedonia the lead in the first half before Aaron Ramsey equalised from the penalty spot but 21-year-old forward Trajkovski had the final say at the Philip II Arena with a brilliant finish from the edge of the area.
Both sides made two changes from their previous matches, with Janevski bringing in Darko Tasevski and Jovan Kostovski for Ostoja Stjepanovic and Adis Jahovic after their friendly win over Bulgaria in August.
Meanwhile, Chris Coleman replaced injured midfielder Joe Allen with David Vaughan, while Ramsey started ahead of the suspended Hal Robson-Kanu.
Gareth Bale, fresh from his reported world-record transfer to Real Madrid, was named on the visitors' bench as he continues his recovery from a foot injury.
Coleman's men started the game brightly and carved out the first clear-cut opportunity after 10 minutes but teenager Johnny Williams was foiled by home goalkeeper Tomislav Pacovski after latching on to Joe Ledley's slide-rule through-ball.
Pacovski was again called into action shortly after when he saved a tame Craig Bellamy effort. The visitors were punished for failing to make their dominance pay on the 20-minute mark.
Agim Ibraimi's shot on goal from a free kick fortuitously deflected off the wall into the path of Trickovski and the striker finished smartly past Boaz Myhill to give Macedonia the lead.
Bellamy almost drew the visitors level eight minutes later when his superb curling free kick from 25 yards rattled off the woodwork with Pacovski beaten.
However, Wales did not have to wait long to restore parity, as Trickovski undid his good work by rashly bringing Ramsey down in the area on 37 minutes. Referee Sascha Kever had no choice but to point to the spot and the Arsenal man duly picked himself up to slot the home from 12 yards to send the sides in all square at the break.
Wales continued to control proceedings immediately after half-time and Jack Collison spurned a good opportunity to put them ahead in the 50th minute when he side-footed wide after being set up by Ramsey in the penalty area.
Despite the away side's dominance, Macedonia threatened on the counterattack and captain Goran Pandev could have restored their advantage just after the hour but could only fire past the post.
Trickovski then had a great chance to double his tally when a swift break ended with the 26-year-old one-on-one with Myhill but he was denied by the West Brom goalkeeper.
However, Trajkovski did beat Myhill with just 11 minutes remaining as he collected the ball 20 yards out and drove a low shot into the bottom corner to give the home side all three points.
Neymar backs Messi for Ballon d'Or
Neymar has backed Lionel Messi to retain his status as the game's finest player by lifting the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time.
The Brazil forward joined Barcelona for €54 million earlier this summer and has spoken on a number of occasions of his admiration for his new team-mate.
And the 21-year-old needed little persuading to again emphasise the quality of the Argentine, while dismissing suggestions he has had to perform in a more restrained role since his big-money move.
He said to reporters: "Playing with Lionel Messi? He is on a different level. I admire him and respect him. He’s been the best player in the world on four consecutive occasions and he's got it all to win it again.
“I am still the same as always, I am not more restrained. Barca give me much freedom in attack, just as I have had in my previous club and with the national team.
“Since Felipe Scolari has come in I come back to cover the full back and one of Barça's characteristics is how we press when we lose the ball."Neymar scored his first goal for the Blaugrana in a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup last month and he declared he couldn't be happier at Camp Nou.
“My goal is to play in the best competitions in the world and now I am doing that with Barca. Little by little I know how my team-mates play and they also learn how I do.
“My life in Barcelona is relaxed, I love how everything is going. I really like the city, the club and the people that I work with.
“Everything is here to make it perfect.”
Neymar has backed Lionel Messi to retain his status as the game's finest player by lifting the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time.
The Brazil forward joined Barcelona for €54 million earlier this summer and has spoken on a number of occasions of his admiration for his new team-mate.
And the 21-year-old needed little persuading to again emphasise the quality of the Argentine, while dismissing suggestions he has had to perform in a more restrained role since his big-money move.
He said to reporters: "Playing with Lionel Messi? He is on a different level. I admire him and respect him. He’s been the best player in the world on four consecutive occasions and he's got it all to win it again.
“I am still the same as always, I am not more restrained. Barca give me much freedom in attack, just as I have had in my previous club and with the national team.
“Since Felipe Scolari has come in I come back to cover the full back and one of Barça's characteristics is how we press when we lose the ball."Neymar scored his first goal for the Blaugrana in a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup last month and he declared he couldn't be happier at Camp Nou.
“My goal is to play in the best competitions in the world and now I am doing that with Barca. Little by little I know how my team-mates play and they also learn how I do.
“My life in Barcelona is relaxed, I love how everything is going. I really like the city, the club and the people that I work with.
“Everything is here to make it perfect.”
'I'm happy here' - Mata ends speculation over Chelsea future
Juan Mata has moved to end speculation over his Chelsea future by insisting he is happy at Stamford Bridge.
The 25-year-old was linked with the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain during the transfer window but remained with the Blues despite the interest.
Mata claims he never considered leaving Chelsea throughout the summer and is looking forward to winning more trophies with the Blues now the window is closed.
"I think it's normal in every transfer window that there are lots of rumours but I'm happy here," he told Chelsea TV.
"It's been a very, very good two seasons for me here, maybe the best of my career, and what I want this season is the same.
"I'm looking forward to achieving as many trophies as we did the last two seasons and hopefully this is going to be a good season for us again.
"Has it been hard for me to focus on my football with all the speculation? For me it's not, if you have things clear in your mind and have belief in yourself. My only aim is to play here, grow as a player and do as good a season as the last two which were amazing for me.
"These two seasons have flown by, but to me this is good because when you are enjoying things and you are happy, time goes quicker."
Mata has made just one start this season under Jose Mourinho but after recovering from a thigh problem the midfielder feels he is back to full fitness and ready to reclaim his starting berth.
"We are doing a very good week of training and I feel really good. I'm looking forward to playing. Yes I am back to 100 per cent," added Mata.
"It was a difficult pre-season for me because I had an injury, I never had this before. It took me a little bit more time to get fit but now I'm feeling really good.
"I had four weeks off [ahead of pre-season training] and to be honest that's too much time for me because in the last five or six years I didn't have this amount of rest.
"For me the best thing is to play as much as I can because I love to play, I love playing at the weekend and in the middle of the week. If you are having a lot of games during the season, maybe the training is the games."
Juan Mata has moved to end speculation over his Chelsea future by insisting he is happy at Stamford Bridge.
The 25-year-old was linked with the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain during the transfer window but remained with the Blues despite the interest.
Mata claims he never considered leaving Chelsea throughout the summer and is looking forward to winning more trophies with the Blues now the window is closed.
"I think it's normal in every transfer window that there are lots of rumours but I'm happy here," he told Chelsea TV.
"It's been a very, very good two seasons for me here, maybe the best of my career, and what I want this season is the same.
"I'm looking forward to achieving as many trophies as we did the last two seasons and hopefully this is going to be a good season for us again.
"Has it been hard for me to focus on my football with all the speculation? For me it's not, if you have things clear in your mind and have belief in yourself. My only aim is to play here, grow as a player and do as good a season as the last two which were amazing for me.
"These two seasons have flown by, but to me this is good because when you are enjoying things and you are happy, time goes quicker."
Mata has made just one start this season under Jose Mourinho but after recovering from a thigh problem the midfielder feels he is back to full fitness and ready to reclaim his starting berth.
"We are doing a very good week of training and I feel really good. I'm looking forward to playing. Yes I am back to 100 per cent," added Mata.
"It was a difficult pre-season for me because I had an injury, I never had this before. It took me a little bit more time to get fit but now I'm feeling really good.
"I had four weeks off [ahead of pre-season training] and to be honest that's too much time for me because in the last five or six years I didn't have this amount of rest.
"For me the best thing is to play as much as I can because I love to play, I love playing at the weekend and in the middle of the week. If you are having a lot of games during the season, maybe the training is the games."
Arsenal announce Arber action following Ozil tweet
Arsenal have announced that they have taken "appropriate action" against academy coach Mark Arber for suggesting he had placed a bet on Mesut Ozil joining the club.The trainer appeared to admit betting on the German's transfer to the Emirates Stadium on transfer deadline day.
Arber posted on his Twitter account: "Lovely bit of 14-1 Mesut."
His comments suggest that he had put money on Arsenal being the club of Ozil's choice, which would constitute a breach of Football Association betting rules.FA rules state that: "You are not allowed to place a bet on a game or competition in which you have any influence, either direct or indirect.
"The above includes all bets related to the following: Any other events involving your club or other clubs playing in the same league competition (such as next manager markets)."
Arsenal said on Friday that the matter had been investigated, and a conclusion had been reached."We take this very seriously," an Arsenal spokesman said. "Following an investigation we have taken appropriate action in relation to a casual worker.
"All Arsenal employees and workers are well aware of their responsibilities in this respect."Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid for a reported fee of €50 million on Monday.
Arber, 35, started his career at Tottenham but moved on to Barnet without making a first-team appearance. He also counts Peterborough United and Dagenham and Redbridge among his former clubs.
As well as coaching at Arsenal, he now plays for non-League Corby Town.
Arsenal have announced that they have taken "appropriate action" against academy coach Mark Arber for suggesting he had placed a bet on Mesut Ozil joining the club.The trainer appeared to admit betting on the German's transfer to the Emirates Stadium on transfer deadline day.
Arber posted on his Twitter account: "Lovely bit of 14-1 Mesut."
His comments suggest that he had put money on Arsenal being the club of Ozil's choice, which would constitute a breach of Football Association betting rules.FA rules state that: "You are not allowed to place a bet on a game or competition in which you have any influence, either direct or indirect.
"The above includes all bets related to the following: Any other events involving your club or other clubs playing in the same league competition (such as next manager markets)."
Arsenal said on Friday that the matter had been investigated, and a conclusion had been reached."We take this very seriously," an Arsenal spokesman said. "Following an investigation we have taken appropriate action in relation to a casual worker.
"All Arsenal employees and workers are well aware of their responsibilities in this respect."Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid for a reported fee of €50 million on Monday.
Arber, 35, started his career at Tottenham but moved on to Barnet without making a first-team appearance. He also counts Peterborough United and Dagenham and Redbridge among his former clubs.
As well as coaching at Arsenal, he now plays for non-League Corby Town.
Timid Netherlands frustrate Van Gaal
Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal has hit out at the way his side's confidence evaporated in their 2-2 draw with Estonia on Friday.
Van Gaal's men, who lead their World Cup qualifying group by six points from Romania following the setback, looked to be on their way to victory when Arjen Robben netted after just two minutes.
But two goals from Konstantin Vassiljev turned things around for the hosts and put them on the brink of a shock victory before a Robin van Persie spot kick spared Netherlands' blushes in stoppage-time.
However, Van Gaal was left disappointed by his side's negative reaction following the equaliser and criticised the way in which Oranje's were thrown off their stride by the hosts' equaliser.
"We played a good first half and created good situations from possession," Van Gaal told SBS6. "We gave away no chances and made it 1-0 straight away. There seemed to be nothing to worry about."But when they had not even had a chance they made it 1-1, thereby tilting the game. The confidence was gone. We weren't able to get it back and dared not to build more [attacks]."
However, Van Gaal did praise the spirit of his side after snatching a point in the dying stages, although he conceded it was far from an acceptable display."I'm glad we had the spirit to come back," Van Gaal said. "Fortunately we got a penalty and we were able to get back to 2-2.
"You can't be satisfied with that but I have the ambition to go to the World Cup with this group. They are players who want to go through the fire for me."
Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal has hit out at the way his side's confidence evaporated in their 2-2 draw with Estonia on Friday.
Van Gaal's men, who lead their World Cup qualifying group by six points from Romania following the setback, looked to be on their way to victory when Arjen Robben netted after just two minutes.
But two goals from Konstantin Vassiljev turned things around for the hosts and put them on the brink of a shock victory before a Robin van Persie spot kick spared Netherlands' blushes in stoppage-time.
However, Van Gaal was left disappointed by his side's negative reaction following the equaliser and criticised the way in which Oranje's were thrown off their stride by the hosts' equaliser.
"We played a good first half and created good situations from possession," Van Gaal told SBS6. "We gave away no chances and made it 1-0 straight away. There seemed to be nothing to worry about."But when they had not even had a chance they made it 1-1, thereby tilting the game. The confidence was gone. We weren't able to get it back and dared not to build more [attacks]."
However, Van Gaal did praise the spirit of his side after snatching a point in the dying stages, although he conceded it was far from an acceptable display."I'm glad we had the spirit to come back," Van Gaal said. "Fortunately we got a penalty and we were able to get back to 2-2.
"You can't be satisfied with that but I have the ambition to go to the World Cup with this group. They are players who want to go through the fire for me."
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