Croatia ease past Slovakia as Wales edge Azerbaijan

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Nikola Vlasic celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - World Cup runners-up Croatia stayed on course to qualify for Euro 2020 after a dominant display gave them a 4-0 Group E win in Slovakia while Wales kept alive their own hopes after a 2-1 home victory over Azerbaijan on Friday.

Croatia are level with Hungary at the top of a tight group with both teams on nine points from four games, three ahead of Wales and Slovakia. Azerbaijan have no points.

The Croatians hit the woodwork three times in the first half in Trnava and Slovakia keeper Martin Dubravka pulled off several good saves before Nikola Vlasic fired the visitors ahead in the 45th minute with his first international goal.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Luka Modric and Mario Pasalic celebrate after the match REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

The midfielder took the ball in his stride and fired a stinging low shot past Dubravka from 20 metres after the home side had survived a fierce Croatian onslaught, with Domagoj Vida blazing a shot over the bar from four metres.

Ivan Perisic, who hit the crossbar and the post in the first half, made it 2-0 less than a minute after the break when his heavily-deflected shot from 25 metres left Dubravka stranded.

Striker Bruno Petkovic added the third with a simple close-range finish after a flowing move as Croatia kept their feet on the pedal while Slovakia could only muster a pair of shots from Robert Mak at the other end.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Luka Modric shakes hands with Slovakia's Marek Hamsik after the match REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Defender Dejan Lovren put the icing on the cake for Croatia with a diving header from a tight angle in the 89th minute.

A bizarre Pavlo Pashayev own goal fired Wales ahead in the 26th minute as Gareth Bale's deflected shot looped into the air and went in off the defender's shoulder with keeper Salahat Agayev coming off his line to smother the ball.

Mahir Emreli silenced the home crowd in Cardiff when he capitalised on Neil Taylor's blunder and beat Wayne Hennessey at the second attempt, slamming in the rebound after the Wales keeper parried his initial effort.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Slovakia's Marek Hamsik looks dejected after Croatia's third goal REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

But the Welsh had the last laugh as Bale beat Agayev with a looping header in the 84th minute after a deflected Joe Allen effort fell kindly into his path.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Slovakia's Robert Mak in action with Croatia's Luka Modric and Marcelo Brozovic REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Toby Davis)

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Bruno Petkovic in action REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Luka Modric shoots at goal REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Slovakia's David Hancko in action with Croatia's Ante Rebic REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Dejan Lovren celebrates scoring their fourth goal REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Nikola Vlasic celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic during the match REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Bruno Petkovic is helped up by Slovakia's Milan Skriniar REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia's Bruno Petkovic in action with Slovakia's Stanislav Lobotka REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia fans during the match REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Slovakia fans during the match REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Croatia fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group E - Slovakia v Croatia - City Arena, Trnava, Slovakia - September 6, 2019 Slovakia fan display a flag inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa