Ronaldo on target in Portugal win

BELGRADE: European champions Portugal got their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign back on track with goals from William Carvalho, Goncalo Guedes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva helping them to a pulsating 4-2 Group B victory in Serbia on Saturday.

The win lifted the Portuguese to second place in the group on five points from three games, eight behind runaway leaders Ukraine who have 13 from five matches after their 3- 0 win in Lithuania earlier on Saturday.

Third-placed Luxembourg and Serbia in fourth both have four points from as many games while Lithuania are bottom with one point from four matches. Coach Fernando Santos, who steered Portugal to the Euro 2016 title in France and this year’s triumph in the inaugural Nations League, was pleased with his team’s performance.

“We showed a lot of creativity and attacking intent in a solid performance required to beat a very good Serbia side,” Santos told reporters. “Getting the opening goal just before half-time was vital and in the second half we controlled the game.”

FRANCE BEAT ALBANIA

SAINT-DENIS: Kingsley Coman scored twice as world champions France cruised past Albania 4-1 on Saturday to move back to the top of their group in qualifying for Euro 2020.

The match kicked off late because the hosts played the Andorran anthem and the Albanian players refused to play until they had heard the right one.

After the stadium announcer apologised to the “Armenian fans”, the correct song was played. Andorra are the next visitors to the Stade de France, on September 10.

KANE HAT-TRICK

LONDON: England’s serene progress towards Euro 2020 continued as skipper Harry Kane grabbed a hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of Bulgaria in Group A at Wembley on Saturday.

Kane opened the scoring after 24 minutes and struck home two penalties after the break as well as providing the assist for Raheem Sterling to get on the scoresheet.

With a third win in Group A, England lead by one point with a game on hand over Kosovo, who beat the Czech Republic 2- 1 and face the English on Tuesday.