There have been victories for 3 of European soccer’s conventional heavyweights in World Cup qualifying on Sunday, with Spain, Germany and The Netherlands all tasting triumph.
European champions Spain are seen as one of many favourites to life the World Cup subsequent yr, when the event heads to the US, Canada and Mexico for an expanded 48-team competitors.
And La Roja had been in excellent type in Konya as they battered a Turkey workforce that reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, Arsenal’s Mikel Merino scoring a hat-trick and Barcelona star Pedri producing an instrumental show in a 6-0 rout.
Pedri wanted solely six minutes to interrupt the impasse in type as he whipped an excellent end into the bottom-right nook. Merino doubled the lead six minutes later as he slotted a cool end past Ugurcan Cakir after Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal had been afforded far an excessive amount of time and house within the field to tee him up.
Merino made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time, Oyarzabal once more the supplier after one other intricate workforce transfer involving Pedri and Ferran Torres.
Torres lashed dwelling on the close to submit after a fast Spain counter-attack seven minutes into the second half earlier than Merino accomplished his hat-trick with a wondrous curling effort from lengthy vary.
Pedri fittingly had the ultimate say when he fired in his second from the sting of the world, Spain laying down an emphatic marker as they made it two wins from two to begin their Group E marketing campaign.
Lithuania 2-3 Netherlands
Florian Wirtz produced a second of magic as Germany bounced back from their humiliating defeat Slovakia with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland. Slovakia prime Group A after a last-gasp 1-0 win over Luxembourg.
Earlier, Memphis Depay made historical past for The Netherlands, his double in a 3-2 win over Lithuania seeing him develop into his nation’s outright file goalscorer as he netted for the 52nd time in worldwide soccer.
He broke the file by opening the scoring within the eleventh minute, and the Corinthians ahead had the decisive say with a 63rd minute header after the Oranje had thrown away a 2-0 aim lead.
Talking after the sport, Depay thanked his team-mates and the Netherlands greats who got here earlier than him.
“I’m very glad that I’ve achieved it and that I’ve gone over it [the record]. Now we are able to proceed,” Depay advised NOS.
“In fact I’m tremendous pleased with it. I’ve manifested it. I additionally thanked everybody within the locker room.
“Even the massive gamers who’ve been forward of me, who’re not taking part in. Robin (van Persie) and Klaas (Jan Huntelaar). I didn’t play with Patrick Kluivert, however Kluivert was a type of who impressed me to succeed in the Dutch nationwide workforce. A thanks to all these gamers who’ve been earlier than me. As a result of they impressed and pushed me.”
The Netherlands are prime of Group G on aim distinction, the Oranje sitting above Poland, who beat Finland 3-1.
Belgium 6-0 Kazakhstan
Belgium started their qualifying marketing campaign in underwhelming vogue, drawing with North Macedonia earlier than scraping to a 4-3 win in opposition to Wales.
However they thrashed Liechtenstein 6-0 on Thursday, they usually replicated that feat in opposition to Kazakhstan to maneuver a degree behind North Macedonia with a recreation in hand.
Kevin De Bruyne was on the right track twice for the Crimson Devils, whereas his former Manchester Metropolis team-mate Jeremy Doku netted a brace as properly.
Nicolas Raskin and Thomas Meunier had been additionally on the right track for Belgium, who face key video games with North Macedonia and Wales subsequent month.
