Euro qualifiers bring down curtain

LONDON – World Cup winners Italy and runners-up France can take significant steps towards the Euro 2008 finals before the curtain falls on the international season tonight.

Reigning European champions Greece, who have also made an excellent start to their campaign, should pick up another three points when they face Moldova in Crete in their bid to reach the finals in Austria and Switzerland and defend their title. Italy, who squeaked a narrow 2-1 win in the Faroe Islands in their Group B match on Saturday, will be keen to beat Lithuania in Vilnius after stumbling to a 1-1 draw against them in their opening qualifier in Naples last September.France, who lead Italy by two points and beat Ukraine 2-0 in Paris on Saturday, are also expected to be too strong for visitors Georgia in Auxerre as they bid to cement their place at the top of the group.France beat Georgia 3-0 in their opening qualifier nine months ago and lead the standings with 15 points from six matches, followed by Italy on 13 and Ukraine and Scotland on 12.Scotland should move above Ukraine, who are not playing, when they make the short flight across the North Atlantic to the Faroes.Greece will finish the season top of Group C no matter the outcome of today’s results.They are two points ahead of Turkey, who are not playing, and five clear of Bosnia who dramatically beat the Turks 3-2 with a late goal on Saturday.Most of the teams leading their groups look set to end the first half of the qualifiers in top place, although Northern Ireland will probably be knocked off their perch in Group F.The Irish, on 13 points from six matches, are without a game and either Sweden, who are at home to Iceland, or Spain, who visit Liechtenstein, can dislodge them.Sweden have 12 points from five matches after Saturday’s game with Denmark in Copenhagen was abandoned a minute from time after the referee was attacked by a drunken Danish fan with the score level at 3-3.Uefa will decide on Friday on what action to take, but until then their official standings do not include Saturday’s result.Germany, the Group D leaders who beat San Marino 6-0 on Saturday, should also extend their grip with a win over Slovakia in Hamburg which would move them five points clear of the Czech Republic, who do not play again until September.Poland, who travel to Armenia, are five points clear in Group A with a good chance of qualifying for the finals for the first time.Portugal and Serbia, who trail Poland in second and third places, are without a game.Romania will be looking to pull away from the Netherlands at the top of Group G when they host Slovenia and Bulgaria could overtake the Dutch, who are not playing, if they beat Belarus.Croatia, who have never lost a competitive match at home in 32 matches since 1994, host Russia in an intriguing game at the top of Group E.The Croatians won 1-0 in Estonia on Saturday to stay top of a tight section, two points ahead of Israel and Russia.England, the other contenders in the group although they are fourth, have 11 points and did not play on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with Brazil in a friendly on Friday in the first senior international at the new Wembley Stadium.They have to win in Estonia to keep their prospects alive while anything less will almost certainly spell the end of their qualifying hopes and Steve McClaren’s reign as manager.Nampa-ReutersItaly, who squeaked a narrow 2-1 win in the Faroe Islands in their Group B match on Saturday, will be keen to beat Lithuania in Vilnius after stumbling to a 1-1 draw against them in their opening qualifier in Naples last September.France, who lead Italy by two points and beat Ukraine 2-0 in Paris on Saturday, are also expected to be too strong for visitors Georgia in Auxerre as they bid to cement their place at the top of the group.France beat Georgia 3-0 in their opening qualifier nine months ago and lead the standings with 15 points from six matches, followed by Italy on 13 and Ukraine and Scotland on 12.Scotland should move above Ukraine, who are not playing, when they make the short flight across the North Atlantic to the Faroes.Greece will finish the season top of Group C no matter the outcome of today’s results.They are two points ahead of Turkey, who are not playing, and five clear of Bosnia who dramatically beat the Turks 3-2 with a late goal on Saturday.Most of the teams leading their groups look set to end the first half of the qualifiers in top place, although Northern Ireland will probably be knocked off their perch in Group F.The Irish, on 13 points from six matches, are without a game and either Sweden, who are at home to Iceland, or Spain, who visit Liechtenstein, can dislodge them.Sweden have 12 points from five matches after Saturday’s game with Denmark in Copenhagen was abandoned a minute from time after the referee was attacked by a drunken Danish fan with the score level at 3-3.Uefa will decide on Friday on what action to take, but until then their official standings do not include Saturday’s result.Germany, the Group D leaders who beat San Marino 6-0 on Saturday, should also extend their grip with a win over Slovakia in Hamburg which would move them five points clear of the Czech Republic, who do not play again until September.Poland, who travel to Armenia, are five points clear in Group A with a good chance of qualifying for the finals for the first time.Portugal and Serbia, who trail Poland in second and third places, are without a game.Romania will be looking to pull away from the Netherlands at the top of Group G when they host Slovenia and Bulgaria could overtake the Dutch, who are not playing, if they beat Belarus.Croatia, who have never lost a competitive match at home in 32 matches since 1994, host Russia in an intriguing game at the top of Group E.The Croatians won 1-0 in Estonia on Saturday to stay top of a tight section, two points ahead of Israel and Russia.England, the other contenders in the group although they are fourth, have 11 points and did not play on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with Brazil in a friendly on Friday in the first senior international at the new Wembley Stadium.They have to win in Estonia to keep their prospects alive while anything less will almost certainly spell the end of their qualifying hopes and Steve McClaren’s reign as manager.Nampa-Reuters