Oct 12,2024
Iceland staged a second half comeback to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Wales in their Nations League Group B4 game on Friday, where the visitors looked in complete control at half time but the home side were much the better team after the break.
Wales took the lead in the 11th minute when Harry Wilson's effort was chased down and clawed off the line by the keeper but Brennan Johnson was there to tap in from close range.
The second goal was almost a carbon copy, with Neco Williams again sending a ball over the top to send Wilson free and this time his powerful strike left the keeper with no chance and they went in 2-0 up at half time.
A spirited Iceland created chance after chance in the second half and in the 69th minute they pulled one back with substitute Logi Tomasson curling a shot into the far bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Three minutes later, Tomasson attempted a cut back from the byline but the pass took a deflection off keeper Danny Ward at his near post which sent the ball into his own net for the deserved equaliser, with Wales hanging on to earn a point.
Wales, still unbeaten under Craig Bellamy after three games, are second in the group on five points, two behind leaders Turkey who won 1-0 against Montenegro while Iceland are third with four points. Iceland host Turkey and Wales are home to Montenegro on Monday.
Germany forward Deniz Undav scored two first-half goals in six minutes to guide them to a 2-1 victory over Bosnia and keep them top of their group.
The Germans, missing several players through injury, including Jamal Musiala, Niclas Fullkrug and Aleksandar Pavlovic, were in control from the start but apart from a Pascal Gross shot off target had no clear chances against the disciplined hosts.
They had to wait until the half-hour mark to break the deadlock when Robert Andrich floated a cross for Florian Wirtz, who, with his back to the Bosnia goal, fed Undav for a first-time finish.
The VfB Stuttgart striker then doubled their advantage six minutes later, poking in a Maximilian Mittelstaedt cross.
The visitors should have scored more and put the ball in the net three more times only for the efforts to be ruled out for offside.
Bosnia, who hit the woodwork through Ermedin Demirovic, cut the deficit when Edin Dzeko scored with a header at the far post in the 70th minute to inject some late tension into the game but they could not get the equaliser.
Denzel Dumfries headed a late equaliser for the Netherlands to rescue a point in a frustrating 1-1 draw with Hungary in Budapest, where the visitors finished with ten men after captain Virgil van Dijk was sent off.
Hungary led in the 32nd minute when Tijjani Reijnders lost possession in midfield and Zsolt Nagy's cross to the back post was volleyed into the net by Roland Sallai, who had been an injury doubt before kick-off.
The Dutch created numerous chances, but looked to be heading for defeat, their night made worse when Van Dijk received two yellow cards in the space of three minutes before Dumfries headed in Cody Gakpo's free kick to equalise.
Germany lead the Group A3 table at the halfway mark with seven points from their three games, followed by the Netherlands on five. Hungary (two points) and Bosnia (one) are dropping out of contention for top spot.
Tomas Chory scored in each half to lead Czechia to a 2-0 win over visitors Albania as the home side dominated after taking the lead inside three minutes.
Slavia Prague striker Chory put the Czechs ahead when he latched onto a pass from Vaclav Cerny and gave the Albanian keeper no chance with a precise finish.
The Czechs continued to push forward while limiting chances for Albania and Chory doubled the lead in the 63rd minute when he found himself alone in the penalty area and headed home a cross from West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal.
The win puts the Czechs level on six points with Georgia at the top of Group B1 with Ukraine - 1-0 winners over Georgia thanks to a and Albania both on three points. The Czechs face Ukraine on Monday while Georgia host Albania.
