Italy and Germany were among the European heavyweights to get their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaigns off to a winning start, but Spain were held to a 1-1 draw by Greece.
Luis Enrique’s side had taken a first-half lead through Alvaro Morata, but were pegged back after the break after substitute Inigo Martinez fouled Giorgos Masouras and Anastasios Bakasetas equalised from the spot.
With Joachim Low to step down after this summer’s European Championships, Germany will be under new management by the time the World Cup comes around, and they made light work of beating Iceland, with Leon Goretzka, Kai Havertz and Ilkay Gundogan on target in a 3-0 win.
Northern Ireland got off to a losing start as they were beaten 2-0 by Italy thanks to goals from Domenico Berardi and Ciro Immobile, but there was a better result for Scotland, who twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Austria, Aston Villa’s John McGinn stealing a point five minutes from time.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return to international football after five years away by setting up Viktor Johan Anton Claesson’s winner in Sweden’s 1-0 triumph over Georgia, while Poland - expected to be England’s main rivals in Group I - could only manage a 3-3 draw against Hungary to hand Gareth Southgate’s side the early upper hand after their 5-0 thumping of San Marino.
