Euro 2016 Qualifying Results: Friday's Scores, Group Tables, Upcoming Fixtures
Germany leapfrogged Poland in Group D after defeating them 3-1 in Frankfurt in a UEFA Euro 2016 war of attrition. An early strike from Thomas Muller and a double from World Cup hero Mario Gotze were enough to give the Germans the points, with Robert Lewandowski grabbing a goal shortly before the break.
It was a disastrous evening for Scotland, which crashed against lowly Georgia in a 1-0 away defeat. The loss saw them fall below the Republic of Ireland, which strolled to a 4-0 win against Gibraltar in Group D.
Here are all of Friday's scores, including the relevant group tables, and Saturday's fixtures:
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| Friday, Sept. 4 | Georgia vs. Scotland | 1-0 |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Germany vs. Poland | 3-1 |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Gibraltar vs. Republic of Ireland | 0-4 |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Faroe Islands vs. Northern Ireland | 1-3 |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Greece vs. Finland | 0-1 |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Hungary vs. Romania | 0-0 |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Denmark vs. Albania | 0-0 |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Serbia vs. Armenia | 2-0 |
| 1 | Germany | 16 | N. Ireland | 16 | Portugal | 12 |
| 2 | Poland | 14 | Romania | 15 | Denmark | 11 |
| 3 | Rep. Ireland | 12 | Hungary | 12 | Albania | 11 |
| 4 | Scotland | 11 | Finland | 7 | Serbia | 1 |
| 5 | Georgia | 6 | Faroe Islands | 6 | Armenia | 1 |
| 6 | Gibraltar | 0 | Greece | 2 |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 5 p.m./12 p.m. | Luxembourg vs. Macedonia |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 5 p.m./12 p.m. | Ukraine vs. Belarus |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 5 p.m./12 p.m. | Russia vs. Sweden |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 5 p.m./12 p.m. | Estonia vs. Lithuania |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 5 p.m./12 p.m. | San Marino vs. England |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Switzerland vs. Slovenia |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Austria vs. Moldova |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Montenegro vs. Liechtenstein |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Spain vs. Slovakia |
Friday Recap
It has been a tricky campaign for World Cup titleholders Germany, but their 3-1 win against Poland on Friday put the train back on the tracks. The Germans had to dig in against a resolute Polish unit, with the threat of Lewandowski always present.
The hosts took the lead after just 12 minutes, as Muller had the most simple of finishes after a sumptuous move. Gotze added a second seven minutes later after a well-crafted individual effort, but his Bayern Munich team-mate Lewandowski kept his country in the game with a goal before half-time.
It was left to Gotze to complete the scoring on the night as he grabbed his second with eight minutes left to play—converting from a shot by Muller.
Manuel Neuer was forced to make two world-class saves to deny Poland a share of the points, but this was the Germany of 12 months ago, ruthless in their work and execution.
Alasdair Lamont of BBC Sport gave his thoughts after the match and a roundup of the Group D hopefuls:
"There is no question that Germany and Poland are the two best teams in the group. Scotland did brilliantly to come away with a deserved point from Warsaw and the Republic of Ireland did likewise in Germany. But this pair are technically better and physically stronger than both Gordon Strachan's and Martin O'Neill's squads.
It will take a monumental effort for either of them to prevent the top two now being the top two at the end of qualifying, meaning the Scots and the Irish are most likely battling it out for third. Scotland must find a performance of guts, steel and skill to take anything from Germany on Monday.
"
Ireland celebrated a straightforward win against minnows Gibraltar in Faro, Portugal, as Robbie Keane gave his country a boost with two goals. Cyrus Christie broke the deadlock in the first half—as the hosts remained firm against their more illustrious opponents—but two second-half efforts from Keane and a Shane Long header wrapped up the points.
Irish smiles were widened by the fact that Scotland fell to defeat in Georgia in Friday's early kick-off. Valeri Qazaishvili's goal before half-time made it a bad evening for the Scots, who slipped to fourth place.
Northern Ireland kept up their excellent qualifying form in Group F after defeating the 10-man Faroe Islands. Two strikes from Gareth McAuley and a third goal by Kyle Lafferty were enough for a 3-1 win—taking the Irish to the top of the group after Romania and Hungary played out a goalless draw.
Denmark and Albania both failed to take the chance to jump into the first spot ahead of Portugal in Group I after their 0-0 draw Friday, with the floundering Serbia earning a rare win with a 2-0 victory against Armenia.
Group D is now Germany's to take, and Poland will feel that they let a good opportunity slip through their fingers. Neuer was in top form, and the Polish couldn't find a credible route through the German rearguard.
The Republic of Ireland will feel that they have the legs to chase the Poles down after their simple win—and with just two points separating the countries, manager Martin O'Neill can lead his troops to the promised land.
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