Champions Spain held as Germany, England stroll

PARIS (AFP) –

Spain’s forward David Silva is blocked in the goalmouth by Finland goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa during their FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier match at the Molinon stadium in Gijon on March 22, 2013. The game ended with a draw 1-1.

Reigning champions Spain saw their chances of direct qualification for next year’s World Cup finals suffer a setback, a home draw against Finland leaving them two points adrift of new Group I leaders France.

Sergio Ramos celebrated winning his 100th cap by heading Spain in front early in the second-half.

But that was as good as it got in the northern city of Gijon and Teemu Pukki’s goal 12 minutes from time stunned the reigning world and European champions.

With France beating Georgia 3-1 in Paris it is Les Bleus who top the table by two points at the halfway stage.

The French, now led by 1998 World Cup-winning skipper Didier Deschamps, had proved their mettle by drawing in Spain and goals by Olivier Giroud on the stroke of half-time, Mathieu Valbuena and Franck Ribery saw off the Georgians.

Spain now have to look for a result in France on Tuesday and hope they will not be so profligate as they were on Friday, a series of missed chances prompting Vicente Del Bosque to bring on Pedro Rodriguez, who had scored nine times in his last six internationals, for Santi Cazorla.

An effort from the Barcelona man earned a corner and it was from the set-piece that Ramos headed in his ninth international goal.

Thereafter, however, Spain drew a blank and Pukki snatched a point for the Finns as he ghosted in between Ramos and Gerard Pique to poke home.

England‘s Ashley Young shots past a tackle attempt from San Marino’s Alex Gasperoni during their World Cup 2014 qualifying match at Serravalle Stadium in San Marino on March 22, 2013. England won 8-0

Del Bosque lamented his side’s inability to turn possession into goals.

“I think we failed to finish off the game with the second goal,” said Del Bosque.

“They defended well and then the unthinkable happened and they scored a goal.

“We could have been more clinical in front of goal but to not have won is too big a punishment.”

However, Del Bosque remains confident his troops are still capable of automatic qualification even though they trail France by two points in Group I.

“We continue to rely on ourselves. We have a great team and winning in France is possible,” he insisted.

“There are four games left and there is still a long way to go.”

England stay firmly in the Group H mix after trouncing hapless San Marino 8-0 away, Jermain Defoe bagging a brace.

Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (R) goes up for a high ball against a packed Israel defence during a FIFA 2014 World Cup European zone qualifying group F match at Ramat Gan Stadium, on March 22, 2013. Portugal face a struggle to book an automatic World Cup berth after they just squeaked a 3-3 draw away to Israel on Friday, leaving them four points adrift of Group F leaders Russia.

But Roy Hodgson’s side still trail Montenegro by two points after the latter thanked a Mirko Vucinic goal for a 1-0 success at Moldova.

“It was good that so many players got a chance to play. Everyone brought their straw to the water. Even at 5-0 at half-time, we kept playing,” said Hodgson whose team travel to Montenegro on Tuesday.

Germany were almost as businesslike as England, two quickfire first half goals and a second-half clincher cementing their remarkable record of never having lost an away World Cup qualifier after swatting Kazakhstan 3-0 in Astana.

The win made it 13 points from five Group C games for Joachim Loew’s side and lifted them five points clear of Sweden, who could only manage a goalless home draw against Ireland.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Goetze took the sting out of the game with two goals in as many first-half minutes and Thomas Mueller drove home low and hard for the third for Germany.

In Group A, Croatia took the honours in their Balkan grudge match against Serbia.

Croatia’s midfielder Ivan Rakitic (L) tries to tackle Serbia’s Alaksandar Ignjovski during their World Cup 2014 qualification match at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb on March 22, 2013. Croatia on Friday defeated Serbia 2-0 in a highly charged World Cup qualifier — the first between the two former foes as independent nations since the bloody 1990s war that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.

First-half goals from Mario Mandzukic and Ivica Olic proved sufficient in a meeting in Zagreb which was the first between the two former foes as independent nations since the bloody 1990s war that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.

Belgium’s 2-0 win in Macedonia ensured they stay level on 13 points at the top with the Croatians.

Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a booking and with it a one-match ban as Portugal could only manage a 3-3 draw in Israel, leaving the Real Madrid star’s side four points adrift of Group F leaders Russia.

Russia had hoped to bolster that margin with a win in Northern Ireland but Fabio Capello’s men must wait 24 hours after heavy snow in Belfast forced a postponement.

Fabio Coentrao rescued a point for Paulo Bento’s side in injury time after Hugo Almeida nodded on a Carlos Martins cross.

“The goal after just two minutes should have buoyed us but instead it ended up doing the opposite — we let our intensity drop and weren’t aggressive defensively,” said Bento.

The Netherlands, who were 2010 runners-up, eased past Estonia 3-0 to claim a fifth win in five and go five points clear in Group D.