LONDON, June 4, (RTRS): England recovered from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Switzerland but their failure to win at Wembley could cost them top spot in Euro 2012 qualifying Group G with Montenegro playing Bulgaria later on Saturday.
Switzerland, a distant third in the standings, took a grip of the game with Tranquillo Barnetta scoring direct from free kicks after 31 and 34 minutes following some woeful defending by the England defence and goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The hosts struck back almost immediately when Frank Lampard scored with a 37th minute penalty and equalised six minutes into the second half when Ashley Young, who replaced Lampard at halftime, scored with a well-taken first-time shot.
Striker Darren Bent then missed a sitter for England after 71 minutes when he skied the ball over the bar with Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio on the ground.
England lead the group with 11 points from five matches, followed by Montenegro on 10 from four. Switzerland have five points, Bulgaria four and bottom side Wales have none.
Although England settled first and nearly took the lead after three minutes when a Glen Johnson header hit Benaglio when it looked goal-bound, the well-organised Swiss defence and midfield ensured they looked the more effective team.
Granit Xhaka, the 18-year-old making his debut for the visitors, tested Hart as did Eren Derdiyok and Xherdan Shakiri, while England’s attack was far too static with wide men Theo Walcott and James Milner creating nothing for Bent to exploit.
Switzerland, whose only win against England in their last 18 matches came 30 years ago, continued to look more threatening, but no-one expected them to score twice in three minutes with both of their goals coming from Barnetta free-kicks.
The first, from 30 metres out on the left, went over the head of every player and past the wrong-footed Hart into the far corner of the net. The second was a low shot which Hart got a foot to, but could only help into the net.
England needed an immediate response and got it when Johan Djourou tripped his Arsenal team mate Jack Wilshere in the area for a clear-cut penalty which Lampard lashed in under the body of Benaglio for the third goal inside five minutes.
England improved after the break with Young’s injection of pace and he brought Fabio Capello’s side level with a superb strike which gave Benaglio no chance. The home side continued to dominate and could have won but for Bent’s poor miss.
Russia 3, Armenia 1
In St Petersburg, Roman Pavlyuchenko struck a hat-trick to give Russia a 3-1 comeback win over Armenia on Saturday, keeping them in the hunt for a Euro 2012 qualifying place from a tight Group B.
Russia, who went into the game level on points with Ireland and Slovakia, fell behind when Brazilian-born Marcos Pizzelli scored against the run of play in the 25th minute.
Pizzelli, who received Armenian citizenship in 2008, caught the Russian defence asleep and slid the ball into an open goal after going one-on-one with keeper Igor Akinfeyev.
Russia, held 0-0 by Armenia in Yerevan in March, equalised almost immediately with Pavlyuchenko’s well taken volley.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker, who last month publicly criticised Russia coach Dick Advocaat for often selecting his favourite players, made it 2-1 just before the hour after a quick passing exchange between captain Andrei Arshavin and Igor Semshov on the left wing.
Pavlyuchenko, who was included in the starting line-up on Saturday after leading scorer Alexander Kerzhakov suffered a knee injury, sealed the points with a 73rd-minute penalty after Yuri Zhirkov was fouled by Sargis Hovsepyan.
“I think the last time I scored three goals in a match was when I played for Spartak,” said Pavlyuchenko, who moved to England from Spartak Moscow in August 2008 and now has 19 goals in 40 international matches.
“Armenia is a good team but we were not expecting to fall behind. Luckily, we were able to recover quickly.”
Advocaat was not totally satisfied though.
The win lifted Russia up on to 13 points from six matches, with Slovakia hosting Andorra and Ireland playing away to Macedonia in later games. Armenia remain fourth on eight points.
Israel 2, Latvia 1
In Riga, Israel beat hosts Latvia 2-1 with first-half goals from Yossi Benayoun and Tal Ben Haim to stay among the leaders in Euro 2012 qualifying Group F.
Captain Benayoun, back in the starting lineup after several months out injured, scored in the 23rd minute after being set up by defender Tomer Hemed following a low cross into the area.
Ben Haim added the second goal in the 43rd from the penalty spot after fellow defender Yuval Shpungin was brought down.
Israel continued to dominate possession in the second half but their confidence suffered a blow when Latvia were awarded a penalty on the hour after defender Almog Cohen handled.
Aleksanders Cauna converted the spot kick and the Israelis then had to survive some late pressure to claim the points.
The win moved Israel up to second place level on 13 points with leaders Croatia who have a game in hand having played six matches. They beat Georgia 2-1 in Split on Friday.
Slovakia 1, Andorra 0
In Bratislava, Miroslav Karhan grabbed the only goal as Slovakia joined Russia at the top of Euro 2012 Group B qualifying with a 1-0 win over Andorra.
Slovakia had the vast majority of the possession but it took until the 63rd minute for them to open the scoring through Karhan.
Russia and Slovakia have 13 points from six games. Later on Saturday they could be joined at the top of the group by Ireland who are playing Macedonia in Skopje.
Andorra are bottom with zero points.
Greece 3 Malta 1
In Athens, Greece regained control of Euro 2012 qualifying Group F thanks to a 3-1 home win over Malta after Giannis Fetfatzidis scored twice.
First-half goals by the diminutive forward and 19-year-old debutant Kyriakos Papadopoulos put Fernando Santos’s team firmly in charge at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium.
Michael Mifsud pulled one back for Malta just after halftime but Fetfatzidis calmed the home side’s nerves with his second of the night just after the hour to seal the three points. Greece regained top spot after Croatia briefly led the group with a 2-1 home win over Georgia on Friday. Greece have 14 points with Croatia a point behind also after six matches while Israel are third on 10 from seven following a 2-1 win in Latvia.
The hosts began brightly in Piraeus and were ahead after just eight minutes, Fetfatzidis tapping home after a precise low centre from his Olympiakos team mate Vassilis Torossidis.
Malta struggled to get hold of the ball as Greece continued to press forward, and the home side were 2-0 up in the 26th minute when Kyriakos Papadopoulos surged into the area and headed home captain Giorgos Karagounis’ freekick.
John Buttigieg’s Malta team got back into the game nine minutes after the break when Mifsud slotted home after some sloppy defending and their substitute Andrew Cohen was unlucky when his long-range drive cannoned back off the left post. But the game was put to bed by Fetfatzidis after 64 minutes, the talented winger slotting into an empty net after goalkeeper Andrew Hogg had parried Dimitris Salpingidis’s cross.
The result means Santos is undefeated in 10 matches as Greece coach since taking the helm after the 2010 World Cup.
Greece visit Israel in their next qualifier on Sept. 2 when Croatia travel to Malta.
Montenegro 1 Bulgaria 1
In Podgorica, Montenegro missed the chance to overtake England at the top of Euro 2012 qualifying Group G when they were held 1-1 at home by Bulgaria.
Radomir Djalovic put the home side in front eight minutes after the break with a fine left-footed volley from a pinpoint left-wing cross from Vladimir Bozovic. They were denied victory when Bulgaria striker Ivelin Popov scored from close range midway through the second half — the first goal have conceded in the campaign.
Bulgaria survived a few nervous moments in the second half as Savo Pavicevic hit the post with a 20-metre shot and Marko Basa headed against the bar from Nikola Drncic’s corner.
Despite the setback Montenegro, who failed to win a single game during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, are still in a good position to qualify for next year’s tournament.
England, who salvaged a 2-2 draw with Switzerland after trailing 2-0 at Wembley, top the group from Montenegro on goal difference with 11 points from five games.
Montenegro host England on October 7.
Denmark 2 Iceland 0
In Stockholm, Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Christian Eriksen notched his first international goal to guide Denmark to a 2-0 win over Iceland in their Euro 2012 qualifier in Reykjavik on Saturday.
Iceland, bidding for a first victory over their Nordic rivals, pressed hard either side of halftime but substitute Lasse Schone put the visitors in front against the run of play in the 60th minute.
Eriksen then made it 2-0 when he took a pass from Dennis Rommedahl in the 75th minute and fired the ball home from the edge of the box.
Eidur Gudjohnsen and Heidar Helguson went close several times for Iceland but could not find a way past Thomas Sorensen in goal.
Denmark are joint top of Group H with Norway on 10 points while Iceland are bottom on one point.
Norway and Portugal (seven points) meet in Lisbon later on Saturday.