Germans labor past Gibraltar as Ronaldo sets Euro scoring mark
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WORLD champion Germany labored to a 4-0 win over Gibraltar in Euro 2016 qualifying on Friday as Cristiano Ronaldo became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer and Scotland edged Ireland 1-0 in a blood and thunder clash.
Elsewhere, 2004 champion Greece was humiliated 0-1 by the part-timers of the Faroe Islands to pile the pressure on home coach Claudio Ranieri whose team has now lost its last four home games and who subsequently paid the price yesterday by being shown the door.
In Nuremburg, Thomas Mueller scored twice with Mario Goetze adding a third for Germany before Gibraltar defender Yogan Santos put through his own net.
The win lifted Joachim Loew’s World Cup winners into third spot in Group D but the anticipated goal bonanza against a side which had conceded 17 goals in its first three games failed to materialize.
Germany missed the chance to finish 2014 second in the table and its unconvincing display drew some boos and jeers at the final whistle.
“We would have liked a better result, but it’s not easy when a team stands as deep as Gibraltar did,” said Goetze.
“We could have created more goals and played more convincingly, which we have to put our hands up to.”
Poland has a three-point lead over Ireland, Germany and Scotland as it maintained its undefeated start with a convincing 4-0 over Georgia in Tbilisi.
After hitting the woodwork twice in the opening half, Poland breezed home after the break with goals from Kamil Glik, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Sebastian Mila and Arkadiusz Milik.
In Glasgow, Scotland boosted its qualification chances as Shaun Maloney’s superb strike in the second-half handed the hosts a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
Competitive goal
It was Scotland’s first competitive goal against the Republic of Ireland since 1961.
“I am a proud man tonight. That was an epic duel. We knew what was going to happen and we dealt with that. It was hard, we kept trying to play,” said Scotland manager Gordon Strachan.
“Ireland were a handful all night, it was like a British cup tie. This is the hardest group of them all and one goal decides every game.”
In Group I, Ronaldo scored in the 72nd minute as Portugal edged out Armenia 1-0, the Real Madrid star converting from close range after fellow striker Ricardo Quaresma had a shot saved.
It was Ronaldo’s 23rd goal in 37 European Championship games, to take the outright goal-scoring lead having been locked on 22 goals with Jon Dahl Tomasson of Denmark and Turkey’s Hakan Suker.
Portugal is second in the group, one point behind Denmark which came from a goal down to beat Serbia 3-1 in Belgrade in a game played behind closed doors.
Former Arsenal star Nicklas Bendtner scored twice for 1992 champion Denmark.
In Group F, Northern Ireland lost its 100 percent record when it went down to a 0-2 defeat to Romania in Bucharest with Paul Papp scoring both goals.
The Faroe Islands, ranked at 187 in the world, stunned former champion Greece 1-0 in Piraeus with Joan Edmundsson scoring in the 61st minute.
The result left the Greeks at the foot of the table with just one point from four games while the Faroes claimed just a fourth away win in 24 years.
Hungary beat Finland 1-0 in Budapest in the group’s other game.
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