Group One

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

Romania

4

3

0

1

9

4

9

Finland

5

3

0

2

10

6

9

Holland

3

2

1

0

7

3

7

Czech Republic

3

2

0

1

4

2

6

FYR Macedonia

4

1

1

2

6

5

4

Andorra

3

1

0

2

2

8

3

Armenia

4

0

0

4

1

11

0


Holland won a vital qualifier at home to Finland, even though they fell behind thanks to Teemu Tainio's header. However the Dutch came back and equalised through Wesley Sneijder before Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice.

The Czech Republic, aiming to shake off their inability to qualify for the World Cup, were never in trouble in their match away to Armenia.

Jan Koller scored twice with Tomas Rosicky's also scoring as the Czechs made it two wins out of two after their disappointing opening day defeat.

Andorra lost all of their qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup but they registered a historic victory over an in-form Macedonian outfit, Marc Bernaus grabbing the winner.

Group Two

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

 Ukraine

4

2

2

0

6

3

8

Turkey

4

1

3

0

6

2

6

 Albania

4

2

0

2

3

5

6

Denmark

3

1

2

0

4

2

5

 Georgia

3

1

1

1

3

3

4

Greece

3

0

2

1

2

3

2

 Kazakhstan

3

0

0

3

1

7

0


Ukraine stormed to the top of the group after captain Andriy Shevchenko grabbed the second in his team's 2-0 against Georgia after Olexiy Belik had opened the scoring.

The Ukrainians have come close to qualifying for the last few major international tournaments and would dearly love to become the first former Soviet state, other than Russia, to qualify for the World Cup.

Meanwhile in Copenhagen, Denmark look the lead against Turkey through a Jon Dahl Tomasson penalty but in the end had to end the match holding on after Jesper Gronkajaer was sent off.

Nihat Kahveci missed a penalty for the visitors but made amends for that error by scoring the equaliser.

Albania kept up their remarkable start to their campaign with another win, this time a 1-0 success over bottom-of-the-group Kazakhstan, with Alban Bushaj getting the winner.

European champions Greece remain in sixth place in the group having picked up only two points to date.

Group Three

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

 Portugal

4

3

1

0

15

3

10

Slovakia

4

3

1

0

15

3

10

 Estonia

4

2

1

1

8

7

7

Russia

3

1

1

1

6

8

4

Latvia

4

1

1

2

7

11

4

Liechtenstein

4

1

1

2

7

11

4

 Luxembourg

5

0

0

5

4

19

0


Portugal showed admirable bouncebackability as they ran riot against Russia, winning 7-1 with Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a double.

The result was especially impressive as the Portuguese had dropped two points at the weekend after they drew 2-2 away to Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein followed that brilliant result with another as Franz Burgmeier grabbed a brace in a 4-0 away win over fellow-minnows Luxembourg. Martin Stocklasa and Mario Frick also scored as Liechtenstein moved up on to four points.

Euro 2004 qualifiers Latvia went ahead against Estonia through striker Vitalijs Astafjevs but the visitors hit back with goals from Andres Oper and Ingemar Teever strikes.

In the end Latvia made sure that they are still in the running in the group, earning a deserved point through Jurijs Laizans' equaliser.

Slovakia, who didn't play last night, and Portugal are now three points clear of Estonia, though Russia have a game in hand and could draw level with the Estonians.

Group Four

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

 Rep. of Ireland

4

2

2

0

6

1

8

France

4

2

2

0

4

0

8

Switzerland

3

1

2

0

9

3

5

Israel

3

1

2

0

4

3

5

 Cyprus

4

0

1

3

3

9

1

Faroe Islands

4

0

1

3

2

12

1


The Republic of Ireland went to the top of Group 4 thanks to a brace from Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane which saw the Irish secure a comfortable 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands.

In the only other game in the group, 1998 world champions France moved up level on points with Brian Kerr's side with Thierry Henry scoring his first international goal for four months.

Sylvain Wiltord scored the first goal of the game against Cyprus before Henry added a second.

Switzerland and Israel, who didn't play, are three points behind France and Ireland but have a game in hand.

Group Five

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

 Italy

4

3

0

1

7

5

9

Norway

4

2

1

1

6

3

7

 Slovenia

4

2

1

1

4

3

7

Belarus

3

1

1

1

8

5

4

 Scotland

3

0

2

1

1

2

2

Moldova

4

0

1

3

1

9

1


Scotland's poor start to their World Cup qualifying campaign got worse last night as Berti Vogts' side could only draw 1-1 away to bottom-placed Moldova, who had lost their previous three matches.

Group favourites Italy were involved in a seven goal thriller in Parma against Belarus. Marcello Lippi's team took a two-goal lead through Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi but the visitors hit back soon after through Maxim Romashchenko.

Totti then scored his second of the match but Italy couldn't relax as Vitaly Bulyga made it 3-2. A shock looked on the cards until Alberto Gilardino scored for the Italians, who conceeded another goal as Romashchenko finished well.

The Italians held on in a nervous finish which was a far cry from Norway's match with Slovenia, who had been top of the group.

The Norwegians followed their 1-0 win away to Scotland with a far more comfortable 3-0 home success.

Group Six

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

 England

4

3

1

0

7

3

10

Poland

4

3

0

1

10

5

9

 Austria

4

1

2

1

8

8

5

N Ireland

4

0

3

1

5

8

3

Wales

4

0

2

2

5

8

2

Azerbaijan

4

0

2

2

1

4

2


In difficult weather conditions, Sven-Goran Eriksson's England strengthened their position at the top of Group 6 with a 1-0 win over Azerbaijan.

In the absence of David Beckham, Michael Owen captained the side and it was he who scored the only goal of the match midway through the first half.

Wales' hopes of making it to Germany were severely dented after they lost 3-2 at home to Poland. Mark Hughes' side had gone ahead through West Bromwich Albion striker Robert Earnshaw.

Northern Ireland earned themselves a point after drawing 3-3 at home to Austria, who now slip a full four points behind Poland in third place.

Group Seven

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

Serbia & Mont.

3

2

1

0

8

0

7

Lithuania

3

1

2

0

5

1

5

 Spain

3

1

2

0

3

1

5

Bosnia-Herz.

2

0

2

0

1

1

2

 Belgium

2

0

1

1

1

3

1

San Marino

3

0

0

3

0

12

0


Spain, England's next opponents, have got off to an uncharacteristically slow start and Luis Aragones' side dropped more points as they drew 0-0 away to Lithuania in Vilnius.

The Spanish threw everything at the home side's defence but the Lithuanians held firm to stay level on points with their illustrious visitors.

Serbia & Montenegro beat San Marino 5-0 to move to the top of the group, two points clear of Lithuania and Spain.

Dejan Stankovic scored twice while Savo Milosevic, Ognjen Koroman and Zvonimir Vukic also registered.

Group Eight

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Points

 Sweden

4

3

0

1

14

2

9

Bulgaria

3

2

1

0

9

4

7

 Croatia

3

2

1

0

6

2

7

Hungary

3

1

0

2

3

8

3

 Iceland

4

0

1

3

4

10

1

Malta

3

0

1

2

1

11

1


Group Eight looks to be boiling down to a three-way battle for the one automatic berth, with Sweden now topping the group after they won 4-1 away to Iceland in Reykjavik.

Bulgaria took advantage of Croatia not playing by going above them after they won 4-1 at home to Malta.

The islanders sensationally took the lead when Michael Mifsud scored but the Maltese joy was shortlived and Dimitar Berbatov equalised before further goals from Hristo Yanev, Berbatov again and Chavdar Yankov gave Bulgaria the win.