Paris: Heavyweights Spain qualified for the 2018 World Cup with a routine 3-0 home win over Albania, but Serbia must wait to seal to their place following a 2-3 loss in Austria.
Rodrigo, Isco and Thiago Alcantara all scored inside the first 30 minutes in Alicante as the 2010 world champions locked up top spot in Group ‘G’.
Serbia missed out on a chance to wrap up qualification from Group ‘D’ with a match to spare as Louis Schaub struck a minute from time to give Austria victory in Vienna.
Serbia, who could have sealed a spot in Russia with victory, led through an early Luka Milivojevic goal but fell behind as Austria replied through efforts from Guido Burgstaller and Marko Arnautovic.
Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic had levelled on 83 minutes before Schaub’s winner, but Serbia can still advance by defeating Georgia in their final qualifier in Belgrade on Monday.
Wales, Ireland to battle it out
Tom Lawrence scored his first international goal to earn Wales a vital 1-0 victory in Georgia and keep them firmly in the hunt to seal a final berth
The Derby County forward rifled in the winner four minutes after half-time in Tbilisi as Chris Coleman’s team stayed a point clear of third-placed Republic of Ireland.
The Irish squad brushed Moldova aside with a dominant 2-0 goals in Dublin through a first-half brace from Daryl Murphy.
Ireland will now face Wales at home in a final-round showdown with first place in the group still in play.
Meanwhile, Iceland took a huge step towards a maiden World Cup appearance with an impressive 3-0 win over Turkey.
Italy held by Macedonia
Giorgio Chiellini’s first-half goal was cancelled out by Aleksandar Trajkovski as Italy struggled to a 1-1 draw against Macedonia in Turin on Friday, condemning the four-time champions to the World Cup play-offs.
USA inch closer to qualification
Christian Pulisic ran riot in Orlando to fire the United States to within touching distance of Russia 2018 with a 4-0 win over Panama.
The brilliant 19-year-old scored one and made another to cap a sensational 19-minute burst at the start of this crucial World Cup qualifier to see off a shellshocked Panama team and help the U.S. take a firm step towards next year’s finals.
Pulisic opened the scoring on eight minutes and beautifully set up strike partner Jozy Altidore to make it two and compound a nightmare start for Panama, who now look destined to settle for a play-off match against either Syria or Australia to land a World Cup place for the first time in their history. Honduras, whose match in Costa Rica was put back a day because of adverse weather, also remain in the mix.
For the Americans, however, a win against bottom of the hexagonal table Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday will seal their ticket for an eighth consecutive finals and even a point should do it.
Ivory Coast in mix
Ivory Coast rode their luck as they crept closer to a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance by drawing 0-0 away to Mali in a 2018 Africa zone qualifier.
