Summary
Malta 1-5 Scotland
Scotland can be pleased with their night’s work, in the end. But they looked shaky when it was 11 v 11, and there will be plenty of things to work on, before their match against Lithuania next month. Still a 5-1 win is a comprehensive victory. Snodgrass has admitted that his first goal was a fluke, and replays have shown that Scotland should never have been awarded their penalty, which effectively changed the game with Malta going a man down as well.
Czech Republic 0-0 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s man of the match, and my man of the night, is Jonny Evans. Maybe he doesn’t have the guile of John Stones, or the passing range of Toby Alderweireld, but in terms of organisation, reading of the game and good old-fashioned guts, he’s up there with the best. What a brilliant point that might prove to be for Michael O’Neill, Northern Ireland were clinging on at the end.
Romania 1-1 Montenegro
Romania v Montenegro exploded into life with 10 minutes remaining: two goals and a missed penalty making for a fantastic finish. What a miss that could prove to be for Romania in Group E, Stanciu brilliantly made Romania’s opener but it will take a while for him to get over that one. Two points dropped.
Norway 0-3 Germany
Germany were Germany. Thomas Müller was Thomas Müller.
Thanks for reading tonight. It’s been fun. Bye!
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Stanciu misses! In the 97th minute!
The Romanian playmaker blazes over the bar! An awful effort, clearing the bar by at least two yards. It’s full-time! Romania 1-1 Montenegro.
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Penalty to Romania! In the 95th minute!
Wow.
Full-time: Malta 1-5 Scotland
Job done. But it could have been different.
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Another red card for Malta! Gambin is off (90+1)
The Maltese Barnet player tangled with Snodgrass in the middle of the pitch. Scotland’s hat-trick hero got the better of the ball, and Gambin, with all the frustration of a man playing in a team 5-1 down, kicks out at Snodgrass. Straight red, no arguments.
Full-time (two matches)
Czech Republic 0-0 Northern Ireland
Norway 0-3 Germany
GOAL! Malta 1-5 Scotland (Snodgrass 86)
That’s the hat-trick for Snodgrass. Fletcher was clean through on goal, rounded the keeper but chipped his shot against the bar. Snodgrass was first the ball, and tapped home an easy finish.
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GOAL! Romania 1-1 Montengro (Jovetic 86)
Montengro hit straight back! Wow. What an end to this game, which has flattered to deceive thus far. Jovetic, all 6ft of him, strains to meet a free-kick, his header smashing off the inside of the post and in.
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GOAL! Romania 1-0 Montenegro (Popa 84)
Looks like Romania have stolen it late on! Adrian Popa, on as a sub, latches onto a ball bouncing around the area. Assist from that man Stanciu. Absolute scenes in Cluj!
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84 min: Toni Kroos has run the show for Germany tonight. Götze has been good, not great, and he’s replaced by …
The big screen may have said something else, but trust us, Julian #Brandt is the man on for @MarioGoetze 😬 #NORGER pic.twitter.com/kdb3nsnuK8
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) September 4, 2016
GOAL! Malta 1-4 Scotland (Fletcher 77)
Steven, not Darren, with the goal. Ritchie crosses, the ball taking a wicked deflection, and landing perfectly on the Sheffield Wednesday striker’s head. He couldn’t miss from three yards out. But then, you could have said that about Snodgrass (and Malta’s Schembri) earlier.
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80 min: Evans is down! Michael O’Neill needs his best defender for the last 10 minutes, not least because he has made all three of his subs, and can’t bring anybody else on. Evans hobbles to his feet. He’s going to continue. Spartan.
77 min: Northern Ireland are clinging on here! Evans heroically throws himself in front of Pavelka, whose shot was heading for the bottom corner, and then that man Krejci makes another meal of the rebound. He’s having a shocking night in front of goal. Czech Republic should be 2-0, 3-0 in front by now.
72 min: Malta are flagging. And who can blame them, a man down and utterly deflated after running Scotland so close in the first half. Forrest comes on for Burke to twist the knife. Effiong is a little fortunate to avoid a second yellow for clambering all over Hanley, he was given his first yellow for protesting Scotland’s penalty.
67 min: I was very impressed with the Stancu-Stanciu axis for Romania at the Euros but they’ve had a quiet night against Montenegro. The latter, Stanciu, is dead-ball demon, and he whips a free-kick towards the top corner, but Montenegro’s keeper scrambles to his right and tips it around the post.
63 min: I don’t quite know how, but Czech Republic’s Novak has just missed an absolute sitter. The ball pinballed around Northern Ireland’s box, and tantalisingly dropped to the Czech Republic man, just five yards out. He had a chance to poke it home on his weaker right foot, but instead went with his left, and his shot awkwardly squirts wide. McGovern can’t believe his luck, a wry smile creeps across his face as he contemplates that miss.
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GOAL! Malta 1-3 Scotland (Snodgrass pen 60)
Snodgrass shoots right, Hogg dives left, and all is right with the world.
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Penalty to Scotland! Malta's Jonathan Caruana sent off!
The Malta defender is penalised for tackling Martin from behind, just as the Scotland striker was about to tap home another cross from the left, this time from Robertson.
GOAL! Norway 0-3 Germany (Muller 57)
Game. Set. Match. Müller’s second goal of the game, rising in Norway’s penalty box with all the authority of Oliver Bierhoff and nodding a powerful header just inside Jarstein’s near post. Norway’s heads have gone.
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GOAL! Malta 1-2 Scotland (Martin 53)
And just like that, Scotland go up the other end and score! Martin stabs it home from close range, but this was a goal made by Ritchie, another Scotland player with a wand of a left foot (see Snodgrass, Bannan). The Newcastle man gets his head up on the left, and threads a majestic low cross between Malta’s defenders and keepers, the infamous corridor of uncertainty, where Martin is lurking to tuck an easy finish past Hogg. Scotland’s 4,500 travelling Tartan Army go nuts.
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49 min: Malta come so close to taking the lead. Excellent, patient, build up play from Scicluna and Gambin on the left, results in the Barnet man getting to the byline to cross for Schembri, who stabs his shot goalwards from all of three yards out, but Marshall somehow gathers the shot. It turns out Schembri was given offside, but replays show that he was in fact onside. And anyway, Marshall didn’t know that. Strachan has spent most of the match with his ginger-locked head in his hands. It so nearly got much worse there.
49 min: Khedira cynically pulls back Josh King to quell another Norway counter-attack, and King reacts angrily, swinging his arm and boot at Khedira, only the boot connecting. Yellow for Khedira, yellow for King, who is perhaps a little lucky he didn’t see red there. The referee, Scotland’s Willie Collum, has hit lenient hat on tonight.
47 min: Czech Republic have started at 100mph, with Vaclav Kadlec breaking into Northern Ireland’s box at pace, but a magnificent last-ditch challenge from Shane Ferguson denies the Czech striker and another slide tackle from McAuley is enough to put Skoda off on the rebound, with his shot squirming across goal.
Peeeep! Norway v Germany and Czech Republic v Northern Ireland are underway, we’re still waiting on Malta v Scotland and Romania v Montenegro.
Half-time scores
Malta 1-1 Scotland
Czech Republic 0-0 Northern Ireland
Norway 0-2 Germany
Romania 0-0 Montenegro
GOAL! Norway 0-2 Germany (Kimmich 44)
His first international goal! Made by Muller, who receives a short pass from Ozil with his back to goal, spins on a sixpence, nutmegs the onrushing Johansen with a deft flick, and with consummate timing, Kimmich latches onto the pass, composes himself and smashes a shot into the bottom corner. He is some player. Just 21-years-old.
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42 min: Northern Ireland hit Czech Republic on the break, it’s two on two at the back! Stuart Dallas streams forward with the ball, with Lafferty on his shoulder. It might have been better to go alone, but the Leeds man tries an audacious slide rule pass, which is well defended by Darida, who slides in to just nick it away from Lafferty. Michael O’Neill said before this game that a point in Prague would be “an excellent result.” They look the more likely to take all three at the moment.
40 min: Whoever is on Germany’s Twitter account tonight, give yourselves a big pat on the back.
The grace of a swan wearing ice skates, but he's just so darn effective! ❤️ #Müllered pic.twitter.com/75zwQG4wYt
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) September 4, 2016
35 min: Scotland have been poor since conceding, sloppy in possession and are allowing Malta’s Luke Gambin (first competitive start for Malta tonight, born in England, plays for Barnet) to swing crosses into the box. Effiong has already proved what a menace he can be in the air tonight.
32 min: Josh King, who was awful at Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers but excellent in the last year or so at Bournemouth, is Norway’s best hope of a goal tonight, with his unspeakable pace a threat on the counter attack. However, when Norway have tried the long pass over the top, Neuer has sweeper-keepered Germany out of trouble. Obviously.
28 min: McLaughlin makes an excellent interception, charges up the right wing to set Northern Ireland up on the counter attack, and feeds Paddy McNair (!!!) breaking from midfield (!!!). The Sunderland man controls the ball, dribbles unchallenged to the edge of Czech Republic’s box and unleashes a fierce shot with his left, well saved by Vaclik. No Petr Cech for Czech Republic, remember, he retired from international duty after the Euros.
24 min: What a golden chance for Snodgrass, but it’s missed! Or rather, saved by Malta’s Hogg. Ritchie whips in an inch-perfect ball into the box from the right wing, the kind that gives centre-backs nightmares, and all the unmarked Snodgrass has to do is nod it in from four yards out, but Hogg somehow reacts, diving on the ball. Remarkable miss/save.
22 min: It’s a pretty stale affair between Romania and Montengro so far. After Pantilimon made a quite wonderful interception on around five minutes, it’s been a game short on quality. The pitch looks awful.
Montenegro have had the better of the possession but haven’t been able to make it pay, yet to have a shot on target. Jovetic tries his luck from a dead-ball, but it’s a terrible effort.
3 of the players in Romania's starting 11 were spotted as kids by Gheorghe Hagi.
— Emanuel Roşu (@Emishor) September 4, 2016
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17 min: Effiong is causing more problems, goading Hanley into a needless foul just outside the box. Agius is over it and he absolutely smashes it goalwards, but Snodgrass is bravely out to block. The ball has popped, such was the ferocity of Agius’ strike! The referee signals for a new one.
GOAL! Malta 1-1 Scotland (Effiong 14)
Malta are level! That’s just their third goal in their last eight matches, but what a goal it is - the Nigeria-born striker latching onto a delicious cross and planting a powerful diving header past the helpless Marshall. He also scored in a friendly match in midweek against Estonia. Looks an excellent player for Malta.
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GOAL! Norway 0-1 Germany (Muller 16)
Who else? Muller finds a pocket of space inside Norway’s box, as is his wont, and shoots on the turn. It’s well blocked by Tettey, but Muller is fastest to the rebound and he sidefoots it past Jarstein, the ball just trickling over the line off the post.
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12 min: So far, not a single Will Grigg chant! (that I’ve heard). I’m listening to four different crowds, though, so maybe they’ve had a go.
PIC | Thanks #GAWA for the support in Prague! All the support wherever you're watching is brilliant!! 🙌🏻#DareToDream pic.twitter.com/6ER4LFXZtl
— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) September 4, 2016
GOAL! Malta 0-1 Scotland (Snodgrass 10)
What a goal from Hull City’s finest! Rob Smyth recently described Snodgrass’s left foot as being “so good that it could have been educated at Harvard” and he uses it to full effect, curling a cross-shot across the goal, dropping not unlike that Dimitri Payet free-kick in the top corner, after just clipping the underside of the bar. It’s unclear whether the Scot meant it, but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
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8 min: What a save from Norway’s Jarstein! Müller gets to the byline and he pulls back a wonderful pass to Howedes on the penalty spot, but the defender can’t beat Norway’s keeper who dives the wrong way but just manages to get a leg out and shoe it away. Germany are all over Norway like a rash. Surely just a matter of time.
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5 min: Scotland are unsurprisingly dominating Malta. Snodgrass, fit again after tackling the goalpost against Manchester United, tries his luck from the edge of the box, but it just flies over.
3 min: Oooof. Czech Republic are off to a storming start in Prague, Krejci tearing McLaughlin a new one on the left flank, before whipping in two dangerous crosses in quick succession: the second one skimming the head of Skoda at the back post. Kaderabek was well positioned at the back post, but he wasn’t expecting it, and bumbles it off his midriff over the bar. He should have scored.
Peeeeeep! And we’re off (in two of the four matches). Malta v Scotland are still completing their anthems. The Malta team can’t sing for toffee.
We’re living in a post-Schweini world. How do you feel about that? Are you bombarding José Mourinho with relentless comments on Instagram? Are you crying into your 2014 World Cup jersey?
Bastian has hung up his boots, just internationally for the time being, after appearing in a farewell match on Wednesday, as Germany hosted Finland (they won 2-0). He cried. He was hoisted in the air. It pulls at your heartstrings, doesn’t it. Manuel Neuer is the new permanent skipper for Germany, a team that plays tonight with no recognised striker.
After missing out on Euro 2016, there is a strange sense of optimism around the Scotland camp. New blood means there is fresh hope that Gordon Strachan’s side can nab a play-off spot: Oliver Burke, who already has the physique and pace of a 200m sprinter, recently became the most expensive Scottish player ever at the age of 19, moving from Nottingham Forest to RB Leipzig for £13m, whilst John McGinn, who was voted man-of-the-match on his international debut in Scotland’s 1-0 win over Denmark earlier this year, could replace the now retired Scott Brown in central midfield alongside Darren Fletcher, who has the armband once again.
Malta are the weakest team in Group F, but Scotland have won just two of the last nine opening matches in qualification. Hearts fans will know that Scotland cannot afford to be complacent, they were knocked out of Europa League qualifying by Maltese side Birkirkara in July and their captain, Joseph Zerafa, will feature at left-back tonight in a 5-3-2 formation for the hosts.
Hello world! Four red-hot internationals coming your way this evening. Some might say that some are more hot than others, but all are created equal in this World Cup qualification and this MBMer intends to treat each one as such, a presumably flaky Romania v Montenegro stream permitting!
Malta v Scotland
Malta: Hogg, Agius, Caruana, Borg, Zerafa, Scicluna, Fenech, Sciberras, Gambin, Schembri, Effiong.
Subs: Bonello, Baldacchino, Failla, Mifsud, Briffa, Farrugia, Camilleri, Kristensen, Muscat.
Scotland: Marshall, Russell Martin, Robertson, Paterson, Hanley, Darren Fletcher, Bannan, Ritchie, Snodgrass, Chris Martin, Burke.
Subs: Gordon, Forrest, Morrison, Greer, Hutton, Anya, Steven Fletcher, McKay, Berra, McGinn, Naismith, Hamilton.
Czech Republic v Northern Ireland
Czech Republic: Vaclik; Kaderabek, Suchy, Michal Kadlec, Novak; Skalak, Darida, Pavelka, Krejci, Vaclav Kadlec, Skoda
Northern Ireland: McGovern; McLaughlin, McAuley, McNair, Evans, Ferguson; Davis, Norwood, Dallas, Lafferty, Ward
Norway v Germany
Norway: Jarstein, Svensson, Hovland, Nordtveit, Aleesami, Diomande, Johansen, Tettey, Veton Berisha, King, Henriksen.
Subs: Nyland, Strandberg, Abdellaoue, Sorloth, Samuelsen, Jenssen, Eikrem, Linnes, Selnaes, Rogne, Berget, Grytebust.
Germany: Neuer, Kimmich, Howedes, Hummels, Muller, Khedira, Kroos, Hector, Ozil, Gotze, Draxler.
Subs: Leno, Mustafi, Brandt, Weigl, Tah, Meyer, Bellarabi, ter Stegen.
Romania v Montenegro
Romania: Pantilimon, Benzar, Moti, Grigore, Filip, Hoban, Sapunaru, Bicfalvi, Stancu, Stanciu, Andone.
Subs: Balgradean, Matel, Chipciu, Popa, Maxim, Torje, Keseru, Marin, Gaman, Rotariu, Enache, Lung.
Montenegro: Mladen Bozovic, Tomasevic, Savic, Simic, Vukcevic,
Marusic, Vesovic, Scekic, Bakic, Jovetic, Beciraj.
Subs: Mijatovic, Sofranac, Rodic, Mijuskovic, Stefan Mugosa, Radunovic, Kojasevic , Zverotic, Boljevic, Nikolic, Raicevic, Petkovic.
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