The Scottish team achieved sensational success

The main event of the next round of qualifying for the European Championship was the home defeat of the French team against the Scots - 0:1. In other matches, England defeated Russia - 3:0, the Czechs, having won 1:0 against the Irish, actually secured access to the Euro, and Portugal could not beat Serbia at home.

The main event of the game day took place in Group B , where the Ukrainian team plays. The French lost to Scotland at the Stade de France in a match, success in which virtually guaranteed the hosts a spot in the European Championship. The Scots, who had already defeated France with the same score - 1:0 - at home, showed their best qualities on Wednesday evening - perseverance, dedication, which was enough even with a clear lack of class. The main characters in the Scottish ranks are very easy to identify. One is goalkeeper Crey Gordon, who saved the team after shots from Florent Malouda, Franck Ribery, Nicolas Anelka (this save - with his fingertips moving the ball over the crossbar - was especially impressive), Samir Nasri. The second is linebacker James McFadden. In the middle of the second half, he struck a stunning shot from 25 meters - French goalkeeper Michael Landreau, who had come a little ahead, did not reach the ball. The Scots took three points - three times more than they expected to take under favorable circumstances. An interesting tournament situation has developed in the group. The Scots, who came out in first place, will retain a good chance of being at the European Championships along with one of the finalists of the world championship, if they do not allow misfires in the October matches with our team at home and Georgia away. Then the face-to-face meeting in Scotland on November 17 will turn into a golden one for them and the Italians. France, having dropped to third place, “hangs”, but not fatally. She has to play with weaker opponents, and at least one of her competitors will inevitably lose points.

In Group A, the Portuguese, who played a draw with the Poles on Saturday, were unable to beat the Serbs - a 1:1 draw. Wastefulness ruined the Portuguese national team. She scored a quick goal, which should have been followed by three or four more, but was not. Serbia, having survived an avalanche of attacks, in the second half, after its coach Javier Clemente released forwards Nikola Zigic and Marko Pantelic onto the field, raised its head and began to create something itself. She had enough time to recoup. Branislav Ivanovich acted as the savior of the Serbs, equalizing the score.

The tournament intrigue in Group D was killed by Czech footballer Marek Jankulovski, who played a little wall with Jaroslav Plašil in the first half of the match with the Irish and neatly fired into the corner of the goal. It was not difficult for the hosts to maintain a minimal advantage, since in the 61st minute Ireland national team player Stephen Hunt was sent off for a flagrant foul. On Wednesday, she essentially pulled out of the fight for the tickets that will go to the Germans and Czechs.

In Group E, England, having made a poor start to the qualifying tournament, took an important step towards the Euros in London, winning 3-0 for the fourth time in a row. This time the main competitor, the Russian team, was defeated. The English took the initiative from the very first minutes of the match and were able to score an early goal. In the 7th minute - after a corner kick - the Russian defenders “forgot” Michael Owen in their penalty area, who opened the scoring after a pass from Gareth Barry. The Russians responded with several dangerous attacks and even scored a goal. However, the referee canceled the goal, recording a handball by midfielder Konstantin Zyryanov. And soon the situation in the match became deplorable for Guus Hiddink’s team. In the 31st minute, Emile Heskey, having won the rivalry on horseback, headed the ball into the path of Owen, who scored the second goal with a powerful shot under the crossbar. The hosts brought the score to a devastating blow in the 84th minute, when Rio Ferdinand, who beat Vladimir Bystrov in the penalty area, accurately fired into the near corner of the goal. Who exactly - England or Russia - will play at the European Championships will largely be decided in the next round, when the Russians host the British at home. Now they are two points behind England, but if they take revenge, they will move into second place.

Alexey Kommersant-Dospehov, Dmitry Kommersant-Martsenishin

The French missed the twenty-five-meter