Goals galore but Greece hits rock bottom with loss
Print Edition
THE Faeroe Islands proved the first time wasn’t a fluke when they beat Greece again 2-1 in European Championship qualifying on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Poland and Germany moved closer to clinching spots in next year’s tournament in France.
Brandur Olsen secured the Faeroes’ victory in the second half, with Hallur Hansson scoring before the break. Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored too late for Greece.
The Faeroes also won 1-0 in Greece in November for its first competitive away win since 2001, and it cost the job of Greece coach Claudio Ranieri.
Elsewhere, Poland beat Georgia 4-0 behind a hat trick by striker Robert Lewandowski in the last four minutes, and Andre Schuerrle scored three as Germany routed Gibraltar 7-0.
Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo also had a hat trick as 10-man Portugal rallied for a 3-2 win in Armenia.
Georgia kept it close and hit the post before Lewandowski made up for missing three big chances in the first half by scoring his quick hat trick. He scored in the 89th and added two more in injury time.
Schuerrle also had a hat trick as World Cup champion Germany stayed second in Group D by routing Gibraltar 7-0 in Faro, Portugal.
In Dublin, Scotland rallied to draw with Ireland 1-1.
Jon Walters scored for Ireland just before halftime, then Shaun Maloney’s strike was deflected in by John O’Shea just after the break.
Poland has 14 points, one more than Germany. Scotland has 11, Ireland nine, Georgia three, and Gibraltar none.
Max Kruse added two goals for Germany, which labored in the first half and wasted an early penalty missed by Bastian Schweinsteiger.
“We missed four, five big chances in the first half and made our own lives difficult,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said. “We were much more focused in the second half.”
Ronaldo’s three goals helped 10-man Portugal to a 3-2 comeback win in Yerevan, keeping his side atop the group.
Marcos Pizzelli’s free kick gave Armenia the lead after 14 minutes, but Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 29th after Henrikh Mkhitaryan fouled Joao Moutinho.
Second yellow card
Ronaldo then struck in the 55th and 58th before Portugal’s Tiago Cardoso was sent off with a second yellow card in the 62nd. Hrayr Mkoyan scored the hosts’ second goal 10 minutes later.
The treble took Ronaldo’s competition record to 26 goals.
Portugal tops Group I with 12 points, while Denmark remained in second place on 10 points after beating Serbia 2-0 at home on goals from Yussuf Poulsen and Jakob Poulsen.
The Faeroes’ second surprise win over 2004 European champion Greece lifted them above Finland into fourth in Group F. The Faeroes are five points behind third-place Hungary.
Brandur Olsen scored the decisive goal for the 102nd-ranked Faeroes, who never looked like losing to the 25th-ranked Greeks.
Hungary beat Finland 1-0 to go two points behind second-place Northern Ireland, which was held to 0-0 by leader Romania. Romania has a one-point lead.
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