European Championship 2016 Qualifiers: Winners and Losers from Saturday Games
Saturday saw another nine games take place as more nations looked to book their place in the 2016 European Championships, with Italy, Belgium and Wales all celebrating at the end of play.
Those three nations secured a minimum of a top-two spot in their respective groups and will be at Euro 2016 in France next summer—but for other sides there remains an anxious wait ahead, or worse, nothing but a summer of free time and holidays.
Here are all our winners and losers from the matches around the Continent.
Winners: Italy Make It, Though Unlikely to Be Seeded
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Italy made short work of their trip to Azerbaijan, coming through easily with a 3-1 win to top Group H going into the final game round.
Far more importantly, it opened a seven-point gap between themselves and Croatia in third, meaning the Azzurri guaranteed themselves safe passage through to Euro 2016 with a game to spare.
Eder, Stephan El Shaarawy and Matteo Darmian scored the goals to give Italy a sixth win from nine; they remain unbeaten in the qualifiers.
Losers: Bulgaria, Who Saw the Dream Die
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Bulgaria were still in with an outside shot of making the top three in Group H, but needed to pull off an unexpected victory against Croatia to keep themselves in with a chance heading into the last match.
Safe to say, that dream was extinguished as soon as possible as Bulgaria conceded just two minutes into the game and never really looked like getting back on terms.
An eventual 3-0 defeat means another qualifying campaign without success—they have not reached the finals since 2004. Overall, Bulgaria are now looking at only having qualified for one major tournament in 20 years and have won only a single game at any major tournament finals since their fourth-place finish at World Cup 1994.
Winners: Croatia into the Playoffs and Cyprus Could Follow
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That 3-0 result was campaign-ending for Bulgaria, but for the team on the other end of the scoreline, Croatia, it was a scoreline which guaranteed a top-three finish and with it a shot at the playoffs. Indeed, even a second-place finish is still possible; Croatia face Malta (bottom, two points) away on the last day and are two points off Norway in second, who play group-toppers Italy.
Elsewhere, Cyprus kept up an improbable charge toward the playoffs themselves as they overcame Israel 2-1 on the road, not only helping Wales qualify but also keeping the race for third wide open and in their own hands.
Going into the final game, Bosnia (14 points), Israel (13) and Cyprus (12) will all have hope.
Final Group B Fixtures:
Belgium vs. Israel
Cyprus vs. Bosnia-Herz.
Wales vs. Andorra
Losers: The Minnows, Easily Beaten as Usual
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Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Malta and Andorra are all very much amongst the smallest and least productive nations in European football—and so it proved again on Saturday as each of them lost in turn.
There was at least a goal apiece for three of the four countries to celebrate, with just Malta failing to find the net against Norway.
Azerbaijan, with a sole victory, are the only side of the quartet to have managed a win in this qualifying campaign—they have a combined 10 points from 36 games and a goal difference of minus 63.
Losers: Israel, Blowing a Huge Chance and Netherlands, Close to an Exit
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Israel's loss to Cyprus was unexpected, being on home soil, but they have actually lost three of their five home games in qualifying now—and have only won one of their last six to see their qualification hopes completely decimated. A win would have kept them in third place going into the last day; now they need to win in Belgium and hope Bosnia fail to beat Cyprus.
As for Netherlands, the expanded format of Euro 2016 should have ensured none of the major sides failed to make it; what has transpired at the World Cup third-place side has been nothing short of an embarrassment.
A much-changed side struggled to a low-key 2-1 win over Kazakhstan, but subsequently leaves the team still in fourth, two points behind Turkey going into the last day.
Netherlands face Czech Republic, while Turkey play Iceland—both at home. Both opponents have already qualified as the top two of the group.
Winners: Belgium and Wales, Safely Through from Group B
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Belgium made short work of Andorra, winning 4-1 on the artificial surface to move into top spot in Group B thanks to goals from Radja Nainggolan, Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and debutant forward Laurent Depoitre.
The Belgians even missed a penalty without worrying too much about it, and have a two-point lead at the top going into the last game, where they'll have a big say on who manages to sneak into third place and the subsequent playoff spot.
As for Wales, the loss to Bosnia was their first of the qualifying campaign—but coupled with Israel's defeat it meant Chris Coleman's side qualified regardless and are able to celebrate their first ever appearance at the European Championships finals and their first major tournament of any kind since 1958.
