European Championship 2016 Qualifiers: Winners and Losers from Friday Games
After Northern Ireland and Portugal secured their places on Thursday, Spain and Switzerland followed suit in qualifying for Euro 2016 on Friday.
Reigning champions Spain made sure they will be in France next summer to defend their title thanks to a 4-0 win over Luxembourg.
Switzerland, meanwhile, scored seven against San Marino, though their qualification wasn't confirmed until Slovenia had been held to a 1-1 draw by Lithuania.
The Swiss are now certain to finish second in Group E behind England, who maintained their perfect record thanks to a 2-0 triumph over Estonia on home soil.
As for Group G, Montenegro are no longer in the running for a top-three finish after going down, 3-2, to Austria.
Russia and Sweden, who recorded respective victories over Moldova and Liechtenstein, will now fight it out for the second spot. The nation that misses out on an automatic berth will go into the play-offs.
Here Bleacher Report picks out the winners and losers from the action, starting with a successful night for the current kings of Europe.
Winner: Spain
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Despite losing both David Silva (more on him later) and Alvaro Morata to injuries, Spain eased to a 4-0 victory over Luxembourg.
Santi Cazorla and Paco Alcacer, who was sent on to replace Morata, scored two goals apiece as the Euro 2012 winners made certain of the top spot in Group C.
They have made a habit of qualifying for major tournaments, as statistician OptaJose tweeted, "Spain will play their 12th successive International tournament (World Cups and European Championships). Ticket"
Apart from a shocking 2-1 loss away to Slovakia last October, Spain have been superb during the campaign.
They have conceded just three goals in nine qualifying games while finding the net 22 times.
Loser: Slovakia
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Slovakia welcomed Belarus to Zilina knowing a victory on home soil would clinch them a trip to the European Championships for the first time in their history.
However, their best-laid plans were scuppered by a solitary goal from Stanislav Dragun. Not even the second-half dismissal of Aleksandr Martynovich stopped Belarus from hanging onto their slender lead.
To make matters worse, rivals Ukraine won, 2-0, away in Macedonia to move level with Jan Kozak's side on 19 points in Group C.
While the two results were disappointing for the Slovakians, they still hold their Euro 2016 destiny in their own hands.
They only need to win away in Luxembourg in their final fixture to book a place in France. It sounds simple enough, but they've taken just one point from their last three outings.
Winner: Switzerland
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Switzerland will be making the short trip to France next summer after securing their place at Euro 2016 in style.
A 7-0 win over Group E whipping boys San Marino saw seven different scorers.
They also made history, per statistician MisterChip on Twitter, as three players converted penalties for the same country in a qualifier for the first time. Gokhan Inler, Johan Djourou and Breel Embolo all converted attempts from 12 yards out.
The Swiss were assured of the second spot in the group once Slovenia failed to beat Lithuania.
Switzerland last played in the European Championships in 2008, when they co-hosted the event with Austria.
Loser: Montenegro
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Despite twice being ahead against Austria, Montenegro saw their qualification hopes come to an end on home turf.
Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer scored late goals for Austria to turn around a 2-1 deficit, with the latter grabbing the winner in the 90th minute.
To rub salt into the wounds for the hosts in Podgorica, Mirko Vucinic—who had scored the opening goal for Montenegro—was sent off in the 87th minute.
The result, coupled with away wins for Group G rivals Russia and Sweden, means Montenegro have not only missed out on a top-two finish but now cannot even secure a play-off berth.
Winner: Ross Barkley
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England maintained their perfect qualifying record with a 2-0 triumph over Estonia.
Theo Walcott and Raheem Sterling grabbed the goals for Roy Hodgson's side at Wembley, London. However, it was one of their team-mates who really caught the eye in an otherwise laboured performance.
Ross Barkley set up Walcott's opener just before the break, producing a sublime pass.
It's not the first time the pair have combined for on national duty, as OptaJoe revealed on Twitter, "Ross Barkley has assisted Theo Walcott's last two England goals. Bank."
Guardian journalist Daniel Taylor was full of praise for the Everton player, "It was his finest night in England’s colours and when Barkley plays with this freedom and exuberance it is easy to see why Hodgson sees flashes of Paul Gascoigne in the Everton player."
Loser: Manchester City
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You could forgive club managers for hiding behind the sofa when they watch their players in action for their respective countries.
The fear for any boss is seeing key players sent away healthy but coming back to their employers crocked.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is certainly counting the cost of the current international break.
First, striker Sergio Aguero was taken off the field on a cart due to a hamstring injury suffered while playing for Argentina on Thursday. Per Sky Sports, the striker "has a Grade 2 muscle tear."
If that wasn’t bad enough, Pellegrini then saw David Silva limp off less than 24 hours later while on duty for Spain.
The playmaker hurt his ankle in the opening minutes of his side's 4-0 win over Luxembourg.
With the Manchester derby on October 25, plus a Champions League doubleheader against Sevilla on the horizon, Manchester City could find themselves without two key players for crucial upcoming fixtures.
