Scott McTominay on Saturday scored an injury-time winner as Scotland came from behind to claim a crucial 3-2 victory over Israel in World Cup qualifying, while England thrashed Andorra 5-0 to stay on track to reach next year’s global showpiece.
The win takes Scotland four points clear of Israel in second place in Group F with three matches remaining, as they bid to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Group winners qualify automatically for next year’s finals in Qatar, with the runners-up heading into the playoffs.
Photo: Reuters
Scotland trailed twice in the first half at Hampden Park to goals from PSV Eindhoven forward Eran Zahavi and Mu’nas Dabbur.
John McGinn leveled once, but home striker Lyndon Dykes missed a penalty on the stroke of halftime. He made amends before the hour mark with an equalizer, awarded following a video review after the referee initially disallowed it for a high boot.
A point would have been a decent result for Steve Clarke’s men, but the hosts pushed for a winner which arrived in the 94th minute, as Manchester United midfielder McTominay bundled in at the back post.
England manager Gareth Southgate rested key players including Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling as his second string impressed in a 5-0 thumping of Andorra.
England remain four points clear at the top of Group I after second-placed Albania won 1-0 against Hungary in Budapest.
Elsewhere, Liverpool star Sadio Mane was among the goals as Senegal cruised to a 4-1 win over Namibia, and near-certain qualification for the final World Cup elimination round in Africa.
In Casablanca, Ayoub el Kaabi scored in each half as Morocco cantered to a 3-0 Group I win over Guinea-Bissau and, like Senegal, the north Africans can punch a ticket to the final round tomorrow.
Pacesetters South Africa remain one point ahead of Ghana in Group G, after both nations achieved 3-1 victories. South Africa overcame third-placed Ethiopia in Bahir Dar, while Ghana were too good for bottom side Zimbabwe in Cape Coast.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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