Published>Sat, Oct 09 10 05:55 AM
Tiny Montenegro maintained their unexpectedly excellent start when they beat Switzerland 1-0 on Friday to preserve their 100 per cent record in Group G in a busy night of Euro 2012 qualifying on Friday.
Norway, like Montenegro another surprisingly successful package, maintained their place at the head of Group H, taking their tally to nine points with a 2-1 win in Cyprus with goals from John Arne Riise and John Carew.
Group leaders Germany and Netherlands also made it three wins out of three but there were shock defeats for Slovakia, who lost 3-1 to Armenia in Group B, and Serbia, who were beaten 3-1 at home by Estonia in Group C.
Former World champions Italy dropped their first points when they were held to a goallless draw by Northern Ireland in their Group C match in Belfast, while Russia held on to beat Ireland 3-2 in Dublin after the Irish hit back with two goals late in the second half of their Group B match.
Hungary were the highest scorers with most of Friday's 21 matches completed, crushing minnows San Marino 8-0 in Budapest in their Group E game.
BIZARRE CELEBRATION
Montenegro's Mirko Vucinic scored what proved to be the winner after 68 minutes against Switzerland when he chipped the ball home from a narrow angle, and then celebrated in bizarre style by taking his shorts off and putting them on his head, earning a yellow card.
Montenegro, who have a population numbering well under a million, will face their toughest test so far when they meet similarly unbeaten England at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday.
The Swiss were the only team to beat new champions Spain in the World Cup in South Africa.
There was no surprise that Germany also made it three out of three with a 3-0 win over Turkey in Berlin where Miroslav Klose scored twice and Mesut Ozil netted the other to keep the Germans top of Group A with maximum points.
Klose's goals took his tally to 57 for Germany making him their second highest scorer behind Gerd Mueller who holds the all-time record of 68. Ozil's goal came against the country where his parents were born.
The Netherlands also won their third straight game in Group E with a 1-0 win in Moldova where Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the only goal in the 37th minute.
The night began with Armenia scoring a surprise 3-1 win over Slovakia 3-1, while in other early matches, Hungary crushed San Marino 8-0 in a typically one-sided international against Europe's whipping boys, while Belgium got their first points after three matches with debutant Marvin Ogunjimi netting both in a 2-0 win in Kazakhstan.
One of the biggest upsets came in Belgrade where Estonia won a rare, but well deserved away 3-1 victory against a sluggish Serbia in Group C with superb second half goals from Tarmo Kink and Konstantin Vassiljev to give new coach Vladimir Petrovic a miserable start in his new job.
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