Italy win over Moldova, Croatia thrash the Czech Republic
LONDON: Luciano Spalletti finished his spell as Italy manager with a 2-0 win over Moldova to get their first points of the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Former Napoli boss Spalletti had announced on Sunday that the Group I fixture in Reggio Emilia would be his last, having seen his side slump to a 3-0 defeat away Norway in their opening game.
Moldova had an early header from Ion Nicolaes curled out offside following a video assistant referee review.
Italy broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time through Giacomo Raspadori's strike from the edge of the penalty area and Andrea Cambiaso added another soon after the restart.
Norway strengthened their position at the top of the table with a 1-0win away over Estonia to maintain their perfect start through four games. Manchester City forward Erling Haaland got the only goal just after the hour.
Belgium started their Group J campaign with a battling 4-3 win over Wales in Brussels — where the visitors had fought back from 3-0 down.
Wales' Connor Roberts in action with Belgium's Romelu Lukaku. — Reuters
Romelu Lukaku put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot in the 15th minute.
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans added a second just four minutes later before Jeremy Doku curled in a third.
Wales reduced the deficit from Harry Wilson's penalty in added time at the end of the first half.
Stoke winger Sorba Thomas made it 3-2 early in the second half,scoring his first senior international goal, before Spurs forward Brennan Johnson headed Wales level with 20 minutes left.
Belgium thought they had scored a late winner through Lukaku — but the goal was eventually chalked off following a lengthy VAR review because the ball had gone out in the build-up.
There, was, though no reprieve for Wales when Kevin De Bruyne volleyed in at the far post with two minutes of normal time remaining.
North Macedonia sit a point clear of Wales after a first-half goal from Aleksandar Trajkovski secured a 1-0 win away to Kazakhstan.
Croatia's Andrej Kramaric celebrates scoring their first goal with Josko Gvardiol. — Reuters
Croatia thrashed the Czech Republic 5-1 in Osijek to make it two wins from two in Group L. After Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol saw his early goal from a free-kick ruled out for offside, Andrej Kramaric broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time. Czech captain Tomas Soucek headed in an equaliser just before the hour from a corner.
Luka Modric, though, swiftly put Croatia back in front from the spot with Ivan Perisic adding a third in the 68th minute.
Croatia — who had thumped Gibraltar 7-0 on Friday — then put the result beyond doubt with two goals in the space of three minutes.Ante Budimir converted another penalty before Kramaric slotted in a fifth.
The Czech Republic remain top, having suffered a first loss after three straight wins.
The Faroe Islands came from behind to beat Gibraltar 2-1 in Torshavn with a late goal from Patrik Johannesen. — dpa
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
13 hours ago
- Observer
Brazil, Ecuador qualify for 2026 WC finals
MONTEVIDEO: Brazil and Ecuador secured their spots at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, taking the second and third of South America's six automatic qualifying berths after champions Argentina booked their ticket in March. Brazil beat Paraguay 1-0 while Ecuador drew 0-0 with Peru as both teams climbed to 25 points with two matches to play, beyond the reach of Venezuela in seventh place. Uruguay (24 points), Paraguay (24) and Colombia (22) occupy the remaining three automatic qualification positions ahead of the final two fixtures in September. Venezuela (18) would earn a playoff spot against a team from another confederation by finishing seventh. In Sao Paulo, a goal from Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr on the stroke of halftime made it a winning home debut for Brazil's new coach Carlo Ancelotti. "I'm very happy with today's result. We needed to win at home for our fans too and qualify for the World Cup, which was our goal," Vinicius said. "Now (Ancelotti) will have more time to work, to see what he can improve. Today wasn't one of our best games, but the important thing in qualifying is to win and prepare well for the World Cup." Brazil extended their record as the only team to play in every edition of the World Cup, with the five-times winners set to make their 23rd appearance in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Ecuador qualified for their second straight World Cup by avoiding defeat in Peru. The visitors were penned in their own half for the final 20 minutes after midfielder Alan Franco was shown a second yellow card. The draw all but ended Peru's hopes of qualifying, leaving them with 12 points, six behind Venezuela. Earlier on Tuesday, Uruguay took a step closer to securing a spot with a 2-0 home victory over Venezuela at the Estadio Centenario, a victory which also snapped a four-match winless run in South American qualifiers. Uruguay dominated much of the first half but struggled to break down a well-organised Venezuelan defence until Rodrigo Aguirre put the hosts ahead in the 42nd minute, heading in at the far post from a Maxi Araujo corner. Giorgian De Arrascaeta doubled Uruguay's lead just two minutes into the second half, firing a superb shot into the top-left corner to seal a win that secures Marcelo Bielsa's side of at least an inter-confederation playoff berth. Uruguay need only one point from their final two matches against Peru and Chile to make sure of a place at the finals. Argentina needed an 81st-minute equaliser from Thiago Almada to cancel out Luis Diaz's goal and secure a draw with Colombia, avoiding a second straight defeat to Nestor Lorenzo's side. Chile's hopes of reaching the finals ended with a 2-0 loss in Bolivia. Chile coach Ricardo Gareca resigned after the match. — Reuters
Observer
13 hours ago
- Observer
Man City sign AC Milan midfielder Reijnders
LONDON: Manchester City on Wednesday announced the signing of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for a reported fee of £46.3 million ($62.4 million), with the midfielder eligible to play in the Club World Cup. The Dutch international midfielder, City's fourth signing of the week, said he was "ecstatic" to be signing for Pep Guardiola's side. The club announced deals for midfielder Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli on Tuesday while left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri joined from Wolves on Monday. Reijnders, 26, joined AC Milan from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 and scored 15 goals for the Italian club in 2024/25. He will bolster Guardiola's midfield options following the departure of Kevin De Bruyne. "I am ecstatic to be signing for Manchester City," said Reijnders, who has penned a five-year deal. "City are one of the biggest teams in the world, with the best coach, world-class players and outstanding facilities." After four consecutive Premier League titles, City finished a distant third last season and bowed out of the Champions League early. City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak admitted the club "probably should have been more aggressive" in the transfer market ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. The club's latest transfer activity continues an overhaul of the squad that began with the January signings of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis. City's director of football Hugo Viana said: "We are very happy that Tijjani has joined us and we're excited for him to join Pep's squad. "He arrives here with extensive top-level experience in Europe, both at club level as well as on the international stage with the Netherlands. "Tijjani adds extra energy, composure and creativity to our midfield and working with Pep and our coaches will only see him go from strength to strength." Guardiola's men will travel to the expanded 32-team Club World Cup as defending champions after winning the competition under its previous guise in Saudi Arabia two years ago. They open their campaign against Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia on June 18. — AFP
Muscat Daily
13 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
Oman keeps World Cup hopes alive with draw against Palestine
Muscat – Oman kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes alive after a tense 1-1 draw against Palestine on Tuesday. This draw secured them a spot in the fourth round of Asian qualifiers. The result, achieved in the final Group B fixture, saw Oman claim the final playoff berth from the group, finishing with 11 points – just one ahead of Palestine. The national team will now join Indonesia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the continental playoff round scheduled for October. Oman coach Rashad Jaber expressed relief after the match. 'I thank God for this draw that helped us remain in the contest. I also thank the players for their efforts. We will do our best to qualify for the World Cup,' he said. Group B concluded with South Korea and Jordan earning direct entry for the 2026 World Cup. Iraq, like Oman, progressed to the playoff stage. From the other qualifying groups, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Indonesia also made it to the final round. According to former Al Suwaiq goalkeeper and sports analyst Ali al Shiyadi, the six teams will be placed into two groups of three, with matches played in a single-round format. 'The winners of each group will secure direct qualification, while the two second-placed teams will play off for a place in the global playoff, slated for March 2026.' Based on current seedings, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are in the top tier, followed by the UAE and Iraq in the second. Oman and Indonesia make up the third seeding level. The official draw for the playoff stage will take place on July 17, and Oman could be grouped with either Qatar or Saudi Arabia, alongside one of UAE or Iraq. Across Oman, the result was met with celebration. In Ruwi, football fan Hamdan al Farsi called it 'a heroic effort'. He said, 'It was a nerve-wracking game, but the players showed heart and resilience. We are proud of them.' University student Salma al Sulaimi said the team had united the nation. 'This campaign has given us hope and excitement. We believe in this team, and we'll be supporting them all the way to the World Cup.' The squad received praise on social media for their determination and for navigating a challenging qualification campaign under pressure. With attention now shifting to the July 17 draw, Oman will aim to take the next step towards a historic first appearance at the World Cup.
