Euro 2016 qualifiers clockwatch – as it happened

How a great night for Iceland and Wales unfolded.

9.48pm BST

A magnificent evening for Wales, of course, who can start to dream about the Euro 2016 finals in France. Plenty of time for things to go wrong, of course, but to hell with that, what’s the point in sport if you can’t get excited? Similar feelings of giddy anticipation may be kicking in around Reykjavik: Iceland’s amazing win over the Czech Republic fires them to the top of Group A, and while the Czechs and the Dutch are breathing down their neck, a first-ever Icelandic trip to a finals could be on. Meanwhile it’s as you were in Group H, which will pleasure Croatia and Italy more than it will Norway. Thanks for joining us. Nighty night, and sweet dreams!

9.41pm BST

And so here are your full-time scores:

GROUP A
Kazakhstan 0-1 Turkey
Iceland 2-1 Czech Republic
Latvia 0-2 Netherlands

9.40pm BST

But never mind that! Wales have beaten Belgium 1-0 to move three points clear at the top of Group B! Jacob Steinberg has the details of that! The ghosts of 1958 are slowly fading away; surely Chris Coleman’s team will make it to a major finals for the first time since the days of John Charles and Ivor Allchurch. Ah, any old excuse to post this ...

9.38pm BST

And it’s all over in Oslo. A fantastic defensive performance by Azerbaijan, who follow up their 2-0 win over Malta with a 0-0 draw against Norway. A blow to Norway’s hopes of automatic qualification.

9.30pm BST

Noway are pressing hard for the winner they so desire. And they should have had it, but Even Hovland has just flashed a header wide of the left-hand post from six yards. Under no pressure whatsoever. He has the good grace to hold his head in both hands.

9.29pm BST

Edin Visca walks his second goal of the evening into the net, and the game in Zenica looks all over. Israel’s poor run continues.

9.26pm BST

The hosts have turned this one around. Should Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s goal - a lovely flick into the bottom-right corner - turn out to be the winner, Iceland will top Group A, a couple of points clear of the Czechs, and still five clear of third-placed Holland. Reykjavik is rocking! Legendary director and football fanatic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson will be a content man tonight.

9.19pm BST

Norway are doing what they can, though the frustration in the Oslo crowd is growing. Magnus Eikrem has come on, causing a bit of bother down both channels. Havard Nordtveit, in space on the edge of the D, dragged a shot wide left of the goal. Omar Elabdellaoui scores three rugby points from distance. But Azerbaijan are holding on, and a precious draw is very much within their reach now.

9.16pm BST

Indeed it might. Luciano Narsingh has just skittered clear down the right and whipped a low shot into the bottom-right corner, a supremely confident finish, the Dutch suddenly clicking again. Wijnaldum had come on for Robin van Persie, by the way, scoring with an opportunistic turn amid a penalty-box melee and scuffing one into the bottom-right corner.

9.13pm BST

The Dutch campaign has been a glorious shambles so far, but could this be the goal that changes everything? Georginio Wijnaldum here, with his first goal for the Oranje since scoring against Brazil in the World Cup third-place play-off.

9.11pm BST

Pal Andre Helland has just missed a golden chance for Norway, bursting clean through down the middle but leaning back and hoicking a dreadful shot over the bar with only the keeper to beat. Azerbaijan are giving as good as they’re getting, too: Afran Ismayilov embarked on a speed-sashay down the right, and his low fizzer towards the near post was gathered by Nyland.

9.09pm BST

But Iceland like the idea of their first major finals, and are quick to get back on terms! Aron Gunnarsson meets a looping pass down the inside-right channel and guides a header home. A magnificent response in Reykjavik.

9.06pm BST

And this one is even better, a pearler whistled into the top-left corner from 25 yards by Borek Dockal. If things stay as they are, that’ll put the Czechs four points clear at the top of Group A, and allow the Netherlands to close the gap on second-placed Iceland to four points. If the Dutch get their act together in Riga against Latvia, of course, this group will have had something of a shakedown. Or is it a shake-up?

9.02pm BST

Ivelin Popov smacks in a stunning volley, cutting in from the right to meet a ball dropping just inside the Maltese area.

9.00pm BST

That early Andorran lead looks like an awfully long time ago now. A whole 51 minutes of play, to be precise. It looks like the same old story, a 46th defeat in a row. And that’s a hat-trick for Nestoras Mitidis!

8.58pm BST

Gurbanov looks to lash one into the top-right corner from 25 yards. Again, it’s not the worst effort in the world, even if it flies over. And again, Prosinecki jigs around on the touchline like a silent movie character who has just had both feet run over by a runaway Ford Model T.

8.55pm BST

Norway are struggling to click, though. Odegaard combines well with Soderlund down the inside-left channel and nearly releases Skjelbred into space, but Azerbaijan are well-organised and the door is slammed shut.

8.51pm BST

They’re underway in Oslo again. Norway are strong favourites to at least make the play-offs by finishing third in Group H - they’re four points clear of Bulgaria, who are being held in Malta - but they really need to win this if they’re to make it to France in the automatic fashion. Joshua King, newly of Bournemouth, has looked lively all night and he goes on a power jog down the left, but can’t find anyone in the middle. An early sign that Per-Mathias Høgmo has sent his side out with a flea in the collective lug.

8.43pm BST

And so here are the half-time scores.

GROUP A
Kazakhstan 0-1 Turkey (FT)
Iceland 0-0 Czech Republic
Latvia 0-0 Netherlands

8.41pm BST

The Cypriots have no truck with becoming the first team to fail to beat Andorra in 46 games. Nestoras Mitidis restores order on the stroke of half-time.

8.39pm BST

That escalated rather quickly, then. A penalty awarded for handball, and Edin Dzeko lashes it into the bottom right. Cyprus will remain in fourth position in Group B should the score remain the same, but they’ll draw level on points with Israel in third place. A couple more goals, though, and the big switcheroo is on!

8.37pm BST

So much for that, then. Edin Visca levels it up at the Stadion Bilino Polje in double-quick time.

8.35pm BST

Israel hadn’t scored a goal since beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 back in November. But they’re decent on the road - they’ve won both of their Euro 2016 away fixtures so far, and have lost just one of their last eight while travelling. That record looks set to continue right now, with Tal Ben Haim II breaking the deadlock just before the break. As things stand, with Wales winning in Cardiff, they’ll leapfrog Belgium into second place.

8.31pm BST

That Panenka was Pirlotastic. Nobody in that stadium in Split, of course, as a result of racist chanting during Croatia’s 5-1 win over Norway. I wonder if the silence is sending everyone doolally. Italy are on a 45-game unbeaten run in Euros and World Cup qualifying, by the way. The big 46 is on!

8.28pm BST

So the game in Split sounds like a cracker. Before Croatia scored, they’d missed a penalty, Buffon saving well from Mandzukic. Then El Shaarawy had a good goal ruled offside for Italy. After which Mandzukic made up for his miss with Croatia’s opener ... but now Mandzukic has given away a spot kick himself with a handball from a Pelle header, allowing Antonio Candreva to Panenka one past Subasic!

8.22pm BST

Now Dmitri Nazarov takes a free kick 35 yards out, and attempts to guide a rising swerver into the top-right corner! Not much respect being afforded Orjan Nyland here. The keeper gathers. As, seconds later, does his Azerbaijan counterpart Kamran Agayev, who gathers well as the busy Soderlund swivels, ten yards out and level with the right-hand post. That was going into the bottom right, so there’s a pair of safe hands. Meanwhile Simon McMahon would like to play the How Many Matches Can Po’ Scotty See game. “Is it none?” I suppose I asked for that.

8.18pm BST

Azerbaijan’s Rahid Amirguliyev tries to score from the best part of 50 yards. It’s actually not a bad effort, sailing just over the bar, though Orjan Nyland had it covered. That’s not stopping Robert Prosinecki hopping around from foot to foot on the touchline, in the throes of a nuclear funk. Haven’t seen Prosinecki for a few years. He’s put on a few pounds, like we all have, nothing wrong with that. And lost a little hair. Slightly red in the face, though that could be the funk. He’s like a sexier, sassier version of Steve McClaren. You can picture that, right?

8.14pm BST

I’ll not tread on Jacob Steinberg’s toes. You can read about it here. But I will say, it’s quite the event.

8.10pm BST

A magnificent chance for Norway’s captain Per Ciljan Skjelbred, as King burns down the right-hand touchline, reaches the byline, and pulls a wonderful ball back to the penalty spot. Skjelbred’s got time to lash home, with the away side all over the shop, but an acrobatic Zidane-style effort flies wide left. Still goalless in Oslo.

8.07pm BST

The Andorrans allowed themselves to dream for a dozen minutes, but Cyprus - who beat Andorra 5-0 in Nicosia in November - are back in it, Nestoras Mitidis with the equaliser. Andorra are yet to avoid defeat in 45 European Championship games; just another 76 minutes plus stoppages to go, then.

8.05pm BST

Here’s some encouragement for Norway! The Croats have taken the lead in Split, Mario Mandzukic with the opener there. A win for the hosts in Oslo, and they’ll leapfrog the Azzurri into second spot in Group H. As things stand, though, Croatia are sitting on a five-point lead at the top of the group. A trip next summer to France a very distinct possibility right now.

8.00pm BST

Soderland scampers after a long hoof down the inside-right channel and squares for King, who sidefoots into the bottom-left corner of the net. However Azerbaijan had, to a man, stopped, the flag having gone up for offside. Then, a couple of minutes later, Soderland tries to lash a dropping ball into the net from 40 yards. Well that would have been spectacular. but Norway are beginning to crank up the pressure a little. They’re certainly seeing a lot more of the ball.

7.58pm BST

Azerbaijan looked to have settled a little in Oslo, after a frenetic Norwegian start. But suddenly King bursts down the inside-left channel, chasing a cushioned header by Soderlund, and earns a second corner. Johansen’s delivery isn’t quite as good this time round, and the visitors clear easily.

7.54pm BST

Not a great start to Cyprus’s 100th European Championship game. And something of a shock, seeing Andorra have lost all five of their games in Group B so far. Cyprus have also won all four of their previous meetings with Andorra, not conceding in the last three, so they’ll not be happy with this at all. Plenty of time left, of course.

7.51pm BST

Norway get the ball rolling! They’re on the front foot immediately. A couple of long balls. Ah the spirit of Egil Olsen. A corner for Norway after a couple of minutes. Johansen takes, and whistles it straight through the six-yard area. Azerbaijan were all over the shop, but nobody in a red shirt took a gamble. Very tentative.

7.46pm BST

We’ll be off in a minute. Let’s hope the goals start flying in. But if they don’t, why don’t you amuse yourself, dear reader, by trying to work out how many of the seven matches I can actually see. The teams are out in sunny Oslo, Azerbaijan in their second-choice blue shirts, hosts Norway in vivid red. The Norwegians are strong favourites here, Azerbaijan having lost four of their five matches, their sole win coming against Group H bottom side Malta. But Norway could only manage a 1-0 win in Baku back in November, so there is hope for Robert Prosinečki’s side. A rare old atmosphere at the Ullevaal Stadion, all eyes on Real Madrid’s 16-year-old star Martin Ødegaard.

7.25pm BST

GROUP A

Iceland: Halldorsson, Saevarsson, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Arnason, Skulason, Birkir Bjarnason, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Gunnarsson, Hallfredsson, Gudmundsson, Sigthorsson.
Subs: Kristinsson, Jonasson, Jonsson, Ottesen, Finnbogason, Bodvarsson, Sigurjonsson, Theodor Elmar Bjarnason, Gislason, Kjartansson, Gudjohnsen, Gunnleifsson.
Czech Republic: Cech, Kaderabek, Prochazka, Sivok, Limbersky, Dockal, Rosicky, Pilar, Plasil, Vacha, Necid.
Subs: Vaclik, Gebre Selassie, Michal Kadlec, Kopic, Vaclav Kadlec, Suchy, Kolar, Krejci, Kovarik, Skoda, Darida, Hruska.
Referee: William Collum (Scotland)

7.02pm BST

The first result of the evening is in already. Turkey have beaten Kazakhstan 1-0 in the early kick-off, though it took a while, Arda Turan with the decisive blow in the 83rd minute. That victory takes Fatih Terim’s side into third position in Group A, a point ahead of the Dutch, who are in Latvia this evening. For the completist, here’s how the teams lined up at the Almaty Ortalyk Stadion in Almaty:

Kazakhstan: Pokatilov, Maliy, Gorman, Abdulin, Logvinenko, Shomko, Smakov, Konysbayev, Islamkhan, Schmidtgal, Khizhnichenko.
Subs: Boichenko, Miroshnichenko, Akhmetov, Tagybergen, Shchetkin, Nurgaliev, Darabayev, Suyumbayev, Kukeev, Dosmagambetov, Beisebekov, Tsirin.

6.45pm BST

We’re halfway through the qualification process for Euro 2016, give or take a play-off here and a play-off there. So there’s not much that’ll be decided tonight. But a few countries will be hoping to consolidate some very promising positions. Think of it like the third or fourth day of a Test, or Saturday at the golf. No money shots as such, but plenty of robust manoeuvring to entertain the connoisseur.

Two games stand out tonight. Well, three, but Jacob Steinberg is on the case with a blow-by-blow account of the Group B clash between Wales and Belgium: you can read the latest attempt to cast off the demons of 1958 by clicking here. The other two? Croatia play host to Italy in Group H, a local derby which could see the Croats extend their two-point advantage over the Euro 2012 finalists, while Iceland welcome the Czech Republic, looking to avenge November’s 2-1 defeat in Pilsen and take over at the top of Group A.

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