LONDON: Germany, the Netherlands and World Cup finalists Croatia expanded a list of big hitters to qualify for Euro 2020 on Saturday as the trio booked their places at next summer’s finals.

Austria also made it through to the multi-host tournament, which kicks off in Rome on June 12, with 16 sides now ensured of a spot at the 24-team event and only four places remaining from the main qualifying route.

They join other big names such like world champions France, Spain, Italy and England, with European champions Portugal one win away from qualification.

For the Germans, it’s a record 13th straight time that they will appear at the tournament, continuing a run going back to 1972. The three-time champions advanced with a 4-0 win over Belarus on Saturday, with Toni Kroos scoring twice and steering his team top of Group ‘C’.

Second-placed Netherlands also qualified despite a 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland in Belfast. Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis missed a penalty in the first half. For the former football powerhouses it will be their first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup.

Austria joined already qualified Poland from Group ‘G’ with a 2-1 win over visiting North Macedonia. Poland won 2-1 for their first win in Israel since 1988.

Croatia booked their place as Group ‘E’ winners with a 3-1 win at home over Slovakia.

Injury-hit Germany started with an unfamiliar central defensive pair of Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Matthias Ginter and Freiburg’s Robin Koch, the latter making only his second appearance and his first in a competitive game for Germany.

There was little sign of inexperience against defensively minded Belarus, however, with Joachim Loew’s team dominating with good chances early on for Timo Werner, Serge Gnabry and Kroos.

Manuel Neuer pulled off a brilliant flying save to deny Igor Stasevich with the visitors’ first chance, just before Ginter made the breakthrough in the 41st minute with a deft back-heeled goal.

Leon Goretzka scored four minutes after the break, and Ginter set up Kroos to mark his 95th game for Germany with the third goal in the 55th.

Stasevich had a chance to pull one back from the penalty spot after a clumsy challenge from Koch, but Neuer guessed the right way.

Kroos wrapped up the scoring with a fine second goal in the 83rd, turning with a left-right combination to elude two defenders before shooting with his left boot inside the post.

“We’ll see how far we’ve come shortly before the tournament. I wouldn’t count us among the top favourites at the moment. But that doesn’t mean anything,” Kroos said.

Ronald Koeman’s resurgent Dutch needed a point to qualify for their first major tournament since coming third at the 2014 World Cup and got what they needed in a scrappy goalless draw with Northern Ireland.

“It means a lot for us as players. Hopefully it means so much to the Dutch people,” Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk said.

However they were far from the flamboyant outfit that has so often thrilled, and survived a huge scare when Davis smashed a first-half penalty high over the bar.

The Dutch dominated possession and stopped the hosts from having a single shot on target but failed to create much themselves.

Davis’ spot-kick blunder left Michael O’Neill’s side third and hoping for a way into the tournament via the playoffs.

Croatia survived a scare to secure their place in the Euros after coming from behind beat Slovakia in Rijeka.

The World Cup runners up needed just a point to ensure qualification from Group ‘E’ but Robert Bozenik stunned the home crowd when he tapped the away side ahead in the 32nd minute.

However it was one-way traffic in the second half and Croatia’s qualification was never in doubt once Nikola Vlasic drilled home the leveller.

Bruno Petkovic headed the hosts in front and Ivan Perisic sealed the three points with a thumping finish with 16 minutes left.

“We were trying to stay calm in the dressing room at half-time, we were sure that our quality would prevail. We kept attacking, creating chances, and the goals came,” said Petkovic.

In the same group, Gareth Bale returned from injury and helped Wales keep their automatic qualification hopes alive with a 2-0 win at Azerbaijan.

Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson scored in the first half to give Wales their first away win in more than a year.

Third in Group E with 11 points, Wales can secure automatic qualification for Euro 2020 with a win in its final game on Tuesday over second-place Hungary on 12 points.

Bale hadn’t played for a month due to a calf injury, but the Real Madrid winger played just under an hour in Baku before being taken off by coach Ryan Giggs to safeguard his availability for the Hungary showdown in Cardiff. Bale was a booking away from suspension.

“It’s massive for us to get the three points and now we go again Tuesday,” said Moore. “We came here for the three points and we got them — now it’s all guns blazing towards Tuesday.”

Austria booked their place with a 2-1 win over North Macedonia that kept third-placed Slovenia at bay despite their 1-0 triumph over Latvia.

They are second in Group ‘G’ behind Poland, who had already qualified going into this round of games but maintained a three-point lead at the top of the group thanks to a 2-1 win at Israel.

Also, Slovenia beat Latvia 1-0 in Group ‘G’.

Eden Hazard scored twice and younger brother Thorgan Hazard also grabbed a goal as already qualified Belgium beat already qualified Russia 4-1 in St. Petersburg.

The Belgians ninth win from nine qualifying games ensure they top Group ‘I’ and join Italy as one of the seeded teams in the finals draw on November 30.

Scotland defeated Cyprus 2-1 in Nicosia to move third in the same group, and Kazakhstan won 3-1 at San Marino. Filippo Berardi scored late for San Marinos first goal at home since September 2013.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019