Germany, Italy and England win in World Cup qualies but Spain held

Agencies | Berlin

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Germany, Italy and England started the 2022 World Cup qualifying with victories while another former champion, Spain, only managed a draw.

Spain had clobbered Germany 6-0 in their previous game in November but the Germans regrouped and scored twice in the first seven minutes to beat Iceland 3-0, said dpa.

England was untroubled in a 5-0 win over minnows San Marino, and Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in a promising start after famously failing to qualify for the 2018 finals.

Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned at age 39 after five years and nicely set up the 1-0 winner in Solna against Georgia, chesting a ball from Mikael Lustig and flicking it on to Viktor Claesson to fire home.

The win put them top of group B as Spain dropped two points against the Greeks in a campaign where only the 10 group winners in Europe qualify directly for the finals.

Alvaro Morata fired Spain ahead with an impressive piece of control and a finish to match as he reached Koke’s pass in the 33rd minute.

However, Greece equalised after the break from Anastasios Bakasetas' penalty after Inigo Martinez was harshly penalised for a sliding challenge on Giorgos Masouras.

In Group J, Germany redeemed themselves four months after the meltdown in Spain and was undeterred that Jonas Hofmann tested positive for the coronavirus and was isolated along with his close contact Marcel Halstenberg.

Leon Goretzka and Kai Havertz were on target early on and Ilkay Guendogan got the other for the team of 2014 World Cup winner Joachim Loew who will step down after this year's Euro tournament.

Bayern Munich teenager Jamal Musiala won his maiden cap with 12 minutes left after chosing to play for Germany and not England.

Romania beat North Macedonia 3-2 and Armenia prevailed 1-0 in Liechtenstein in the other games.

At Wembley, Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice while James Ward-Prowse, Raheem Sterling and Ollie Watkins got the others as Gareth Southgate's side eased to a first Group I victory over San Marino.

In the group's other games World Footballer of the Year Robert Lewandowski scored an 82md-minute equalizer as Poland came from two goals down to draw 3-3 in Hungary, and Albania won 1-0 in Andorra.

In Parma, Domenico Berardi struck from a tight angle on 14 minutes to net his third goal in Italy's last three games and Ciro Immobile fired into the near corner before half-time to decide the Group C match.

Switzerland are the early group leaders courtesy of a 3-1 in Bulgaria, with the Swiss scoring all their goals in the first 12 minutes from Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic and Steven Zuber.

Denmark are the first Group F leaders with a 2-0 victory in Israel from Martin Braithwaite and Jonas Wind, while Scotland and Austria drew 2-2 and Moldova and the Faroes 1-1.