BARCELONA - Belgium sealed their passage to Euro 2020 as
winners of Group I with a 4-1 win over Russia on Saturday, although
both teams had already qualified for next summer's tournament.
Wales kept their hopes of qualifying alive with a 2-0 win at
Azerbaijan in Group E, while Slovenia scraped a 1-0 win over Latvia
in Group G to do the same.
Thorgan Hazard broke the deadlock for Belgium before his elder
brother and Real Madrid star Eden Hazard hit a double in St
Petersburg to send the visitors in at the break with a comfortable
advantage.
Romelu Lukaku added the fourth for Roberto Martinez's rampant Red
Devils, with Georgi Dzhikiya notching a consolation for Russia.
Belgium maintained their 100 per cent record in qualifying with their
ninth win from nine, which only Group J winners Italy can match.
Goals from Ryan Christie and John McGinn earned Scotland a 2-1 win at
Cyprus in a dead rubber.
Scotland, who will be in the play-offs in March after Nations League
success, went third thanks to Christie's fine curled opener in the
12th minute and McGinn's side-footed winner eight minutes into the
second half.
Cyprus slipped to fourth despite a brilliant volleyed equalizer in
the 47th minute by Georgios Efrem, who was unlucky early on when
officials failed to spot the ball seemingly crossing the line after
his shot struck the bar.
Kazakhstan, fifth, beat bottom of the table San Marino 3-1.
Wales took an early lead in Baku when Kieffer Moore headed home Harry
Wilson's corner with the aid of a deflection.
Wilson nodded in the second after 34 minutes when Daniel James's
curling effort hit the bar and the post and bounced back to the
Bournemouth midfielder with the goalkeeper stranded.
They are third, a point behind second-place Hungary, whom they face
in their final qualifier on Tuesday.
Igors Tarasovs's own goal gave Slovenia victory in Ljubljana but if
Austria beat North Macedonia later in Group G to go though then they
can no longer qualify.
Later Croatia can book their spot in the finals at home to Slovakia
in Group E.
Germany could also qualify at home to Belarus in Group C but only if
Northern Ireland do not beat the table-topping Netherlands in
Belfast.