European qualifying round-up

Russia celebrate qualifying for the World Cup

BBC Sport Online rounds up the results from Saturday's World Cup qualifiers.

---

Group One

Russia made sure of automatic qualification for next year's World Cup with an emphatic 4-0 win over Switzerland.

Slovenia make the play-offs

Slovenia clinched the play-off place after debutant Nastja Ceh scored twice in their 3-0 victory over the Faroe Islands .

Srecko Katanec's side will now face the runners up of Group Eight.

Yugoslavia cantered to a 6-2 win over Luxembourg but the result was not enough to muscle Slovenia out of second place.

---

Group Two

Portugal thrashed Estonia 5-0 to win their group and a place in next year's finals.

The Republic of Ireland face a play-off with a team from the Asian qualifying groups after winning 4-0 at home to Cyprus.

Mick McCarthy's side needed Portugal to get a draw or worse to qualify automatically.

In the irrelevant match between Holland and Andorra, Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice as the home team won 4-0. Both sides had already been eliminated.

---

Group Three

Denmark swept into the World Cup finals for the third time on Saturday after thrashing Iceland 6-0 in their final group three qualifier.

Two goals each for Thomas Graveson and Ebbe Sand and one each for Dennis Rommedahl and Jan Michaelsen gave the Danes a resounding victory.

The Czech Republic, who also won 6-0 against Bulgaria, finished second and earned a play-off against Belgium.

The battle between the two bottom teams of the group, saw Northern Ireland come away 1-0 winners against Malta.

Preston's David Healy grabbed the only of the match from the penalty spot in the second half.

---

Group Four

Turkey secured a play-off place with a 3-0 victory over Moldova.

Turkey will now meet the second placed team in Group 7, still to be decided after Israel and Austria contest their final match.

---

Group Five

A controversial late goal by Andriy Shevchenko helped Ukraine to a 1-1 draw against Poland.

And the result was enough to earn Ukraine a place in the play-offs where they will face Germany.

Wales celebrated their first win in 12 matches with a 1-0 victory over Belarus.

John Hartson's 47th-minute header consigned the visitors to defeat and ended Belarus' hopes of reaching the finals via the play-offs.

Two goals apiece for half-time substitute Bard Borgersen on his debut and John Carew gave Norway a 4-1 win over Armenia.

But the win had little bearing on the group as both teams had already failed to qualify.

---

Group Six

Alen Boksic scored a second-half goal to send Croatia into next year's World Cup finals in a 1-0 victory over Belgium.

Prosinecki's penalty miss did not prove crucial

Croatia, on 15 points coming into the match, trailed Belgium by two points in the group and needed a victory to secure automatic qualification.

Belgium now go into the play-offs where they will face the runners-up of Group Three.

Meanwhile, Scotland could only manage a 2-1 win over Latvia, and with Croatia beating Belgium they finished a disappointing third.

---

Group Eight

Italy have qualified for the World Cup as group winners following a 1-0 win over Hungary on Saturday.

The only goal came from a free-kick by Alessandro del Piero.

Romania drew 1-1 with Georgia and head into the play-offs and a game against Slovenia, the runners-up in group one.

---

Group Nine

Captain David Beckham scored the all important equaliser as England clinched a crucial 2-2 draw with Greece.

Greece took the lead twice but goals from substitute Teddy Sheringham and Beckham gave the home side a share of the spoils which meant England finished top of the group.

Germany could not break down Finland as they missed out on the chance of automatic qualification, only managing a 0-0 draw.