Mon, Oct 12, 2009 - Page 18 News List

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP: Big guns Italy, Germany qualify

FAMILIAR FACESItaly scraped a draw in Dublin to book their spot at the finals in South Africa, while Germany won a gritty encounter with Guus Hiddink’s Russia

AFP , PARIS

Spain, who had already guaranteed their place in South Africa as winners of Group 5, came through their trip to Armenia with a 2-1 win to extend their unbeaten run to nine from nine qualifiers.

Bosnia-Herzegovina secured a playoff berth with a 2-0 win in Estonia to make sure of their position as runners-up to the Euro 2008 champions.

In other action, Switzerland boosted their prospects of making it to the finals with a 3-0 defeat of Luxembourg.

Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side are in pole position to qualify as Group 2 winners, going into Wednesday three points clear of former European champions Greece, who beat Latvia 5-2.

Group 3 is too close to call with Slovenia winning 2-0 in Slovakia. Slovakia have 19 points, two points ahead of Slovenia, with the same gap back to the Czech Republic, who beat Poland 2-0.

Other results:

• Austria 2, Lithuania 1

• Belarus 4, Kazakhstan 0

• Belgium 2, Turkey 0

• Cyprus 4, Bulgaria 1

• Finland 2, Wales 1

• Israel 3, Moldova 1

• Liechtenstein 0, Azerbaijan 2

• Montenegro 2, Georgia 1

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